The Best Studded Tires for Crossovers In North America

How spikes sat on snow and ice is described here.

Members

• Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10P SUV (Finland, RUB 20,750*)
• Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2 SUV (Germany, RUB 17,680*)
• Continental Ice Contact 3 (Russia, RUB 15,780*)
• Hankook Winter i*Pike X (Indonesia, RUB 15,210*)
• Nordman 8 SUV (Russia, RUB 14,710*)
• Yokohama iceGuard iG65 (Russia, RUB 14,640*)
• Tigar SUV Ice (Serbia, RUB 11,449*)
• Viatti Bosco Nordico (Russia, RUB 7,540*)

* Average prices in online stores as of September 2022

Laboratory Verification

In the laboratory, economy is measured by the rolling resistance coefficient on a drum set following UN Rule 117. The findings indicate the Viatti family offers better efficiency than any Nokian in this test, with the strongest traction appearing when testing Viatti’s setup. When translating the coefficient differences to consumption terms, the gap equals about 0.15 liters per 100 kilometers — a modest but noticeable advantage.

Sum up

Test results highlight how the number of studs and their projection above the tread influence performance. Spikes were almost entirely retained, with Yokohama showing only a single spike loss.

The domestic Viatti Bosco Nordico (113) with a medium spike protrusion of 0.7 mm ended in last place. The question remains why spikes exist if their count falls below the allowed limit and carbide insert protrusion is under the minimum regulatory requirement (0.7 mm versus 0.9 mm). Grip on ice appeared insufficient, though acoustic comfort ranked third. The maker may be urged to refine stud technology. (Source: lab findings, Viatti assessment report, cited)

Tigar SUV Ice (136/1.4) proved weak on snow and ice, and it was also the noisiest with less favorable on-road comfort. It is best reserved for well-cleared streets, with careful driving and reliance on electronic aids when facing ice and snow. (Source: field notes, Tigar evaluation)

	8th place	7th place
The score on the test	805	815
brand model	Viatti Bosco Nordico	Tigar SUV Ice
Average price in online stores at the time of preparing the material, rub.	7540	11 490
Country of manufacture	Russia	Serbia
Load and Speed Index	103T	107T
Profile depth in width, mm	9.6-8.9	8.9-8.8
Shore hardness of rubber before and after tests, units	58-58	60-55
Number of spikes, pcs.	113	136
Average protrusion of spikes after testing, mm	0.7	1.4
Tire weight, kg	13.9	13.7
PROS	Good braking on dry surfaces; reasonable level of comfort, coarse on asphalt and handling on snow and ice	The best brakes on asphalt, a clear track on asphalt; decent maneuverability and flexibility
MINUSES	The weakest grip on ice, braking on wet roads. Highest rolling resistance	The weakest longitudinal grip on snow, problematic handling on winter roads; the noisiest

On the sixth line, in the mid-range band, Hankook Winter i*Pike X (170/0.9) sat, allowing economical tires to run their course and proving weaker than the Hankook Winter i*Pike RS2 in tests. The conclusion: protrusions were insufficient, and the tread could not deliver solid grip on snow.

Yokohama ice protector iG 65 (173/1.3) sits close in ranking—average across characteristics with no standout strengths or weaknesses.

	6th place	5th place
The score on the test	818	874
brand model	Hankook Winter i*Pike X	Yokohama ice protector iG65
Average price in online stores at the time of preparing the material, rub.	15 210	14 640
Country of manufacture	Indonesia	Russia
Load and Speed Index	107T	107T
Profile depth in width, mm	9.9–9.7	9.0–8.7
Shore hardness of rubber before and after tests, units	63-61	60-56
Number of spikes, pcs.	170	173
Average protrusion of spikes after testing, mm	0.9	1.3
Tire weight, kg	15.2	13.9
PROS	Excellent braking on dry surfaces; decent handling on snow, fairly clear trail on pavement	Excellent lateral and accelerating grip on ice, good cross-country ability and course on snow
MINUSES	Weak lateral grip on ice and braking on wet surfaces; high rolling resistance	Insufficient longitudinal grip on snow; mediocre track on asphalt and acoustic comfort

In fourth place Nordman 8 SUV (186/1.3). It shows its best traits on snow and ice, but on clean asphalt it isn’t as motivating.

Third overall is Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2 Off-Road (220/1.1), which sits in the “good” range rather than “excellent.” Its standout trait breaks the typical pattern with its spike count, yet it struggles on asphalt, feels uncomfortable, and isn’t the most economical option.

	4th place	3rd place
The score on the test	879	885
brand model	Nordman 8 SUV	Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2 SUV
Average price in online stores at the time of preparing the material, rub.	14 710	17 680
Country of manufacture	Russia	Germany
Load and Speed Index	107T	107T
Profile depth in width, mm	9.7–9.7	9.8-9.6
Shore hardness of rubber before and after tests, units	61-59	57-55
Number of spikes, pcs.	186	220
Average protrusion of spikes after testing, mm	1.3	1.1
Tire weight, kg	14.9	15.0
PROS	Excellent acceleration grip on ice; low rolling resistance; high throughput, good ride	Excellent grip on ice and acceleration on snow, high buoyancy in deep snow; decent treatment
MINUSES	The weakest brakes on dry roads and the weakest on wet roads; increased noise level	Weak braking on dry road, problematic track on road, very noisy

Continental Ice Contact 3 (209/1.2) clearly leads the way. Everything else is secondary. It stands out as the most balanced tire.

Lead position goes to Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10P SUV (222/1.3mm). The highest spike count yields top performance on winter surfaces, especially ice, but compromises on asphalt.

	2nd place	1 place
The score on the test	913	927
brand model	Continental Ice Contact 3	Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10P SUV
Average price in online stores at the time of preparing the material, rub.	15 780	20 750
Country of manufacture	Russia	Finland
Load and Speed Index	107T	107T
Profile depth in width, mm	8.1–8.1	9.2–8.8
Shore hardness of rubber before and after tests, units	60-57	54-53
Number of spikes, pcs.	209	222
Average protrusion of spikes after testing, mm	1.2	1.3
Tire weight, kg	13.7	15.0
PROS	Excellent longitudinal grip on ice; better snow grip, low rolling resistance, excellent handling	Best grip on ice; lowest rolling resistance, excellent handling and snow flotation
MINUSES	Medium braking on asphalt; minor notes on handling when changing lanes on snow	Medium braking on asphalt; small notes about the track on asphalt and acoustic comfort

A complete table with the data of studded tires 235/60 R18 is available here.

The most profitable studded tires for crossovers

Tire prices have climbed in recent years. That spike in cost makes it essential to understand the balance between price and performance before purchasing. A proprietary method ranking the fair price (PR no. 3, 2019) is used to gauge value.

• In tight-budget conditions, Viatti Bosco Nordico offers the best value, costing almost a third less than the proposed fair price.
• High performance without paying a premium from Continental IceContact 3 yields about 13% savings. Nordman 8 SUV and Yokohama ice Guard iG 65 are discounted by seven and five percent, respectively.
• Which tires are too expensive, and by how much? The smallest savings come with Tigar SUV Ice at around 2%. Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2 SUV and Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10P SUV sit about 9% above the fair-price benchmark. Hankook Winter i*Pike X is the clear outlier with prices overestimated by roughly one-third.

Spikes and four-wheel drive

Detail-minded readers will notice how the spike projections tend to be modest after testing. This relates to the test vehicle, the Audi Q5.

Typically, spikes extend 1.5–2.0 mm after testing in mono-drive cars or crossovers. During ice testing, wheel slip on one drive shaft helps pull spikes from the tread.

In this test, the average protrusion across different models ranged from 0.7 to 1.4 mm. A single spike from each wheel generally lets go, thanks to the car’s permanent all-wheel drive which distributes torque evenly and reduces spike retention.

• Summary of tire tests Behind the Wheel (2018-2021) — follow this link
• Behind the Wheel can be read in Viber.