Best for Harsh Winters

Top studless tires have great grip on ice and snow

Studless snow tires have traditionally flunked the severe Scandinavian tests, slipping and sliding all over the ice- and snow-packed tracks near the Arctic Circle. But one popular snow tire impresses nearly every expert who tests it: the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 (*Est. $100).

The secret is the tiny vertical tunnels in the Xi2's tread blocks, say the experts at TireRack.com. They provide an escape route for the film of water that forms on ice when a car drives on it, so the tires can actually get a grip on the bare ice. Sipes (tiny cuts) in the Xi2's rubber further enhance grip, and its many-edged tread helps it chew through snow.

The result? Top marks on ice and snow in test after test in Scandinavia, Canada and the United States. Norway's Motor magazine finds it "brakes better than even many of the studded tires on ice" and handles very well on dry pavement, although the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R (*Est. $115) grips better in snow. Sweden's Vi BilŠgare auto magazine likewise appreciates the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 tire's "very effective braking ability on ice," and although it ranks last in the slush, it's overall "a good and safe compromise." The X-Ice Xi2 also offers less rolling resistance in one U.S. test, so you'll get better gas mileage.

The Michelin X-Ice Xi2 lands near the top of the ratings at Canada's Automobile Protection Association, although its reviewers do note that "several consumers have reported that adhesion in slush was unimpressive, and that the shallow, conservative tread limits its traction in deep snow." They also note that although Michelin promises long wear, the Xi2's "tricky mileage warranty requires the tires to be virtual banana peels before you can collect." However, nearly 500 owners -- some with 30,000 or more miles on the tires -- give the Xi2 the highest possible rating of superior for both treadwear and wet traction in reviews at TireRack.com. The Xi2 gets excellent or superior ratings in every other category, too, including hydroplaning resistance, dry-road performance, snow and ice grip, and overall comfort. TireRack.com's customers rate it as their favorite studless ice-and-snow tire overall, beating the Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 (*Est. $105), although the Blizzak beats the Xi2 on ice and snow in owner surveys.

Top budget studless tires

A runner-up favorite of TireRack.com buyers is the Continental ExtremeWinterContact (*Est. $85), a newer tire that just edges the mighty Michelin X-Ice Xi2 and the Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 (*Est. $90) in TireRack.com's most recent expert test. The three tires run neck-and-neck in tests of braking, handling, steering and cornering on ice, with one tire or the other gaining a slight advantage on dry roads, wet roads or some other measure.

Autos.ca's Haney Louka also prefers the Continental ExtremeWinterContact to the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 and Blizzak WS60 after testing each for a full Winnipeg winter on his front-wheel-drive Mazda6 wagon.

"I was particularly impressed with the EWC's performance on ice compared with the perennial ice favourite from Michelin," Louka says. "Where the car felt slightly unsettled on icy curves with the X-Ice, the EWC gave it a more secure, planted demeanour in similar conditions. Similarly, satisfying deep snow performance meant that we were never intimidated by snowfall amounts that didn't exceed the car's bumper height."

One major consumer testing organization tips the scale back toward Michelin, though. In its tests, the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 is the only standard winter tire judged outstanding on both snow and ice. (The Continental ExtremeWinterContact and Blizzak WS60 are both deemed very good.) The Michelin's good showing in Scandinavian tests (they don't test any Continental or Blizzak models available in the U.S.) cements its position as the top winter tire.

While the Continental ExtremeWinterContact performs well at a low price, there's an even cheaper choice that beats it in reviews: the General Altimax Arctic (*Est. $80). The General even beats the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 on snow and ice in owner reviews at TireRack.com. (The General is studdable, though, and some of the high ratings are for the studded version.) Even without studs, in a major consumer test the General grips just as well in snow as the Michelin X-Ice Xi2, almost as well on ice, and it soundly beats the Michelin in wet-road grip. The General is noisier, though, with a harsher ride and greater rolling resistance (which can degrade gas mileage).

Nokian's low-rolling resistance winter tire: Good but pricey

Critics have usually ignored rolling resistance for snow and ice tires, reasoning that winter tire shoppers are more worried about safety than gas mileage. That has changed, thanks to high gas prices and demands for lower carbon emissions, especially in Europe. Sweden's Teknikens VŠrld and Aftonbladet as well as Norway's Motor magazine all test for rolling resistance, as does ConsumerReports.org.

Nokian makes a winter tire specifically designed for low rolling resistance and better gas mileage, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R (*Est. $115). Nokian claims the tire can save one-fifth of a gallon of gas per 100 miles, compared with a standard all-season tire. Indeed, it does get the best mileage of any winter tire in tests at Aftonbladet, Teknikens Varld, Motor and Sweden's Vi Bilagare magazine (it saves two-thirds of a gallon per 60 miles over the biggest gas-hog tire in that test) but is no better than the less expensive Michelin X-Ice Xi2 in another reliable test. More importantly, most reviews say, the Hakkapeliitta R is a good winter tire when it comes to performance. It handles ice and snow better than any other studless tire in Vi BilŠgare's test, and Aftonbladet agrees that the Hakkapeliitta R is designed "for real winter roads. Traction and handling on both ice and snow is logical and calm." Motor magazine finds the Nokian "a little weaker on ice than the Michelin" X-Ice Xi2, but a very even performer overall and grippier in snow than many studded tires.

As with the Michelin X-Ice Xi2, dry pavement is the Nokian tire's downfall. The Hakkapeliitta R places dead last in Teknikens VŠrld's moose test (which simulates an emergency swerve to avoid hitting a moose in the road), and Aftonbladet says it "steers slowly and it is difficult to manage an evasive maneuver" on bare asphalt. On wet pavement, the Hakkapeliitta R turns in a mediocre performance in various Scandinavian and North American tests.

Note that none of these standard winter tires are great at braking and handling on dry and wet roads. The General Altimax Arctic handles wet-road braking and hydroplaning quite well in one test, but it's the exception, and all tires mentioned here range from average to dismal in dry-road braking and handling. Therefore, standard winter tires work best if your roads stay snowy and icy all winter. If your winters are mild and you'll be driving a lot on bare wet or dry roads, experts say performance winter tires (discussed in a separate section) may be a better bet.