2023 Studless vs Studded Snow Tyre Test

The 2023 TESTIRENKAAT Snow Tyre Test tested eight tyres designed for extreme winters in the popular 205/55 R16 size.

This is a really interesting test as the four premium tyres are studless friction tyres, and the four budget tyres are studded, so it gives us an interesting data point to compare the best of the new studless friction soft compound tyres against the cheaper end of the studded market.

Friction Tyres:

  • Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice 3 
  • Michelin X-Ice Snow 
  • Nokian Tyres Hakkapeliitta R5 
  • Pirelli Winter Ice Zero FR

Studded Tyres:

  • Antares Grip 60 Ice
  • Sunfull SF-W11
  • Tigar Ice
  • Winrun Winter-Max S1 WR60

Test Publication:
TESTIRENKAAT
Test Size: 205/55 R16
Tyres Tested: 8 tyres
Test Categories:
4 categories (9 tests)
Similar Tests

Test Category Best Performer Worst Performer Difference
Dry (1 tests)
Dry Braking Pirelli Ice Zero FR: 30.67 M Antares GRIP 60 ice: 33.06 M2.4 M (7.2%)
Wet (2 tests)
Wet Braking Sunfull SF W11: 32.53 M Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5: 43.16 M10.6 M (24.6%)
Wet Handling Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3: 40.4 s Antares GRIP 60 ice: 44.9 s4.5 s (10.0%)
Snow (3 tests)
Snow Braking Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3: 11.28 M Sunfull SF W11: 12.96 M1.7 M (13.0%)
Snow Traction Pirelli Ice Zero FR: 4.34 s Antares GRIP 60 ice: 5.44 s1.1 s (20.2%)
Snow Handling Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5: 83.04 s Sunfull SF W11: 93.73 s10.7 s (11.4%)
Ice (3 tests)
Ice Braking Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3: 14.75 M Winrun Winter Max S1 WR60: 16.95 M2.2 M (13.0%)
Ice Traction Antares GRIP 60 ice: 5.95 s Winrun Winter Max S1 WR60: 7.71 s1.8 s (22.8%)
Ice Handling Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3: 69.76 s Winrun Winter Max S1 WR60: 89.39 s19.6 s (22.0%)

The testers had a few surprises from the studs vs friction results. The test saw a kind of changing of the guard, as Goodyear's new tyre rises to the top among Nordic friction tyres. The improvement over its predecessor is significant, and the Ultra Grip Ice 3 narrowly snatched victory from the Hakkapeliitta R5. The third-place Michelin falls noticeably behind the top two.

As for the main point of the test—the battle between friction and studded tyres—the differences were surprisingly large. We initially thought that even a slightly cheaper studded tyre would perform better than studless ones on ice, but only Antares succeeded, and that too only in longitudinal grip tests.

On asphalt, cheaper studded tyres generally perform better, which is not surprising since their rubber hardness is closer to summer than winter tyres. However, summer rubber compounds won't work in winter conditions, especially if the studs are also installed too deep or in the wrong positions.

The winter driving tests revealed why some tyres cost more than others. The performance of cheaper studded tyres drops significantly, emphasizing that making a winter tyre that works well in varying conditions is not easy. Bad winter tyres might perform quite well up to the grip limit, but their behavior can change radically beyond that.

Dry and Wet

On asphalt, inexpensive studded tires hold better on average than on snow and ice, which is not surprising, because the hardness of the rubber is closer to summer tires than winter tires. Still, the cheap studded tyres can have surprising and even dangerous behavior.

Dry Braking

Wet Braking

Wet Handling

Snow

In snow, the tires are rarely divided into two groups in all tests. In all tests, the friction tyres are the best tyres, with the low cost studs falling behind.

Snow Braking

Snow Traction

Snow Handling

Ice

It was noteworthy that on ice the premium friction tires beat the cheap studded tyres in the handling tests. When the tires are straight, the studs bite better on slippery ice, and in the acceleration tests two studded tires fit in the top three - but only one in the braking test.

Ice Braking

Ice Traction

Ice Handling

Results

1st: Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: yes
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking4th31.25 M30.67 M+0.58 M98.14%
Wet Braking4th38.49 M32.53 M+5.96 M84.52%
Wet Handling1st40.4 s100%
Snow Braking1st11.28 M100%
Snow Traction2nd4.39 s4.34 s+0.05 s98.86%
Snow Handling2nd83.28 s83.04 s+0.24 s99.71%
Ice Braking1st14.75 M100%
Ice Traction2nd6.39 s5.95 s+0.44 s93.11%
Ice Handling1st69.76 s100%

Ice and Snow: Best control, excellent grip on ice, excellent grip on snow;

Wet Conditions: Summer tyre-like steering, safe and easy to drive in wet conditions, extreme situation behavior not as good as the best.

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2nd: Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: yes
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking3rd31.12 M30.67 M+0.45 M98.55%
Wet Braking8th43.16 M32.53 M+10.63 M75.37%
Wet Handling5th42.2 s40.4 s+1.8 s95.73%
Snow Braking2nd11.52 M11.28 M+0.24 M97.92%
Snow Traction3rd4.45 s4.34 s+0.11 s97.53%
Snow Handling1st83.04 s100%
Ice Braking2nd15.02 M14.75 M+0.27 M98.2%
Ice Traction4th6.68 s5.95 s+0.73 s89.07%
Ice Handling2nd69.9 s69.76 s+0.14 s99.8%

Ice and Snow: Best control, excellent grip on snow, good braking grip;

Wet Conditions: Excellent extreme situation behavior, good driving characteristics on dry surfaces, oversteers in wet conditions.

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3rd: Michelin X Ice Snow

Michelin X Ice Snow
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: yes
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking6th31.82 M30.67 M+1.15 M96.39%
Wet Braking7th41.98 M32.53 M+9.45 M77.49%
Wet Handling7th42.8 s40.4 s+2.4 s94.39%
Snow Braking3rd11.56 M11.28 M+0.28 M97.58%
Snow Traction4th4.47 s4.34 s+0.13 s97.09%
Snow Handling3rd84.04 s83.04 s+1 s98.81%
Ice Braking4th15.3 M14.75 M+0.55 M96.41%
Ice Traction7th7.01 s5.95 s+1.06 s84.88%
Ice Handling3rd71.21 s69.76 s+1.45 s97.96%

Ice and Snow: Safe driving behavior on snow, very good steering on snow, general grip level on ice is good;

Wet Conditions: Excellent extreme situation behavior, good steering on dry surfaces, understeers in wet conditions.

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4th: Pirelli Ice Zero FR

Pirelli Ice Zero FR
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: yes
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking1st30.67 M100%
Wet Braking6th41.06 M32.53 M+8.53 M79.23%
Wet Handling4th41.4 s40.4 s+1 s97.58%
Snow Braking4th11.57 M11.28 M+0.29 M97.49%
Snow Traction1st4.34 s100%
Snow Handling4th85.19 s83.04 s+2.15 s97.48%
Ice Braking5th15.92 M14.75 M+1.17 M92.65%
Ice Traction5th6.93 s5.95 s+0.98 s85.86%
Ice Handling4th77.09 s69.76 s+7.33 s90.49%

Ice and Snow: Best traction on snow, most oversteering among friction tyres, weakest grip on ice among friction tyres;

Wet Conditions: Summer tyre-like steering, best braking grip on dry surfaces, sharp grip limit in extreme situations.

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5th: Tigar Tigar Ice

Tigar Tigar Ice
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: yes
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking5th31.32 M30.67 M+0.65 M97.92%
Wet Braking2nd33.62 M32.53 M+1.09 M96.76%
Wet Handling2nd40.8 s40.4 s+0.4 s99.02%
Snow Braking6th12.24 M11.28 M+0.96 M92.16%
Snow Traction5th4.91 s4.34 s+0.57 s88.39%
Snow Handling6th91.69 s83.04 s+8.65 s90.57%
Ice Braking7th16.42 M14.75 M+1.67 M89.83%
Ice Traction5th6.93 s5.95 s+0.98 s85.86%
Ice Handling6th82.21 s69.76 s+12.45 s84.86%

Ice and Snow: Most balanced driving behavior among studded tyres, weak grip on ice, mediocre grip on snow;

Wet Conditions: Good braking grip in wet conditions, good drivability in wet conditions, mediocre grip on dry surfaces.

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6th: Sunfull SF W11

Sunfull SF W11
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: yes
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking2nd30.98 M30.67 M+0.31 M99%
Wet Braking1st32.53 M100%
Wet Handling2nd40.8 s40.4 s+0.4 s99.02%
Snow Braking8th12.96 M11.28 M+1.68 M87.04%
Snow Traction7th5.41 s4.34 s+1.07 s80.22%
Snow Handling8th93.73 s83.04 s+10.69 s88.59%
Ice Braking6th15.93 M14.75 M+1.18 M92.59%
Ice Traction3rd6.67 s5.95 s+0.72 s89.21%
Ice Handling7th83.04 s69.76 s+13.28 s84.01%

Ice and Snow: Weak grip on ice, weakest grip on snow, very poor driving behavior on snow;

Wet Conditions: Very good braking grip in wet conditions, good drivability in wet conditions, mediocre drivability on dry surfaces.

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7th: Antares GRIP 60 ice

Antares GRIP 60 ice
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: yes
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking8th33.06 M30.67 M+2.39 M92.77%
Wet Braking5th40.88 M32.53 M+8.35 M79.57%
Wet Handling8th44.9 s40.4 s+4.5 s89.98%
Snow Braking5th11.99 M11.28 M+0.71 M94.08%
Snow Traction8th5.44 s4.34 s+1.1 s79.78%
Snow Handling5th90.82 s83.04 s+7.78 s91.43%
Ice Braking3rd15.25 M14.75 M+0.5 M96.72%
Ice Traction1st5.95 s100%
Ice Handling5th81.25 s69.76 s+11.49 s85.86%

Ice and Snow: Best traction on ice, very poor driving behavior on ice, weak grip on snow;

Wet Conditions: Weakest drivability on dry surfaces, worst extreme situation behavior, poor grip in wet conditions, very high tyre noise.

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8th: Winrun Winter Max S1 WR60

Winrun Winter Max S1 WR60
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: yes
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking7th32.58 M30.67 M+1.91 M94.14%
Wet Braking3rd36.13 M32.53 M+3.6 M90.04%
Wet Handling6th42.7 s40.4 s+2.3 s94.61%
Snow Braking6th12.24 M11.28 M+0.96 M92.16%
Snow Traction6th5.16 s4.34 s+0.82 s84.11%
Snow Handling7th93.33 s83.04 s+10.29 s88.97%
Ice Braking8th16.95 M14.75 M+2.2 M87.02%
Ice Traction8th7.71 s5.95 s+1.76 s77.17%
Ice Handling8th89.39 s69.76 s+19.63 s78.04%

Ice and Snow: Weakest grip on ice, vague drivability, mediocre braking grip on snow;

Wet Conditions: Average braking grip in wet conditions, poor extreme situation behavior, dangerous driving behavior in wet conditions.

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