Snow Tires Reviews

We enlisted the help of a Swedish translator to prepare our report on snow tires. That's because the best snow and ice tire testing takes place in Scandinavia rather than in the United States. In Sweden, where snow tires are required by law in winter, three publications -- Teknikens Värld, Motorföraren and Auto Motor & Sport -- put winter tires through their paces on some of the northernmost test tracks in the world. These thorough reviews reveal how 39 different models of studded, non-studded and performance winter tires manage in a variety of tests, including the "moose test" -- how well the snow tires handle a swerve on an icy road, as if to avoid an unexpected moose.

Consumer Reports magazine also tests winter tires, and due to its focus on the North American market, editors concentrate on studless tires. Twenty-two tires are tested in Consumer Reports' latest review, but write-ups are not as detailed as those from Teknikens Värld and Motorföraren. A Canadian nonprofit association, the Automobile Protection Association, performs unbiased tests as well. The APA rates 22 studded and non-studded tires for cars, SUVs and minivans.

Reviewers can't agree on the popular Michelin X-Ice (*est. $70); it's either excellent or a big disappointment, depending on whom you ask. The X-Ice won first place in one top North American test, and it was judged better than average in another. Both reviews note that the X-Ice performs well on dry and wet roads, for a snow tire.

Unless otherwise stated, pricing estimates in this report are for 195/65-15 tires, such as those appropriate for a 2008 Honda Civic. (Read more on tire sizing in our Important Features section below.)

If you live in a mild climate, you can get by with all-season tires, which are addressed in our other reports on tires and SUV/light truck tires .  ... Continued

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

The Continental ContiWinterContact TS810 is the best all-around winter tire, handling roads whether they are wet, dry, snowy or icy, experts say. However, for constantly harsh winter conditions, reviewers recommend the studless Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSi and Bridgestone Blizzak tires, or the studded Nokian Hakkapeliitta 5.