The best winter tires R16

In case of cold weather, for a comfortable and safe driving of the car, the car must be “changed”. To do this, you need to choose only the best winter tires R16, which "hold" the road well, provide ease of handling, have a low noise level and strong sidewalls, and perfectly resist aquaplaning. Based on these criteria, this rating was compiled, which describes in detail the advantages and disadvantages of each rubber model, taking into account customer reviews.

Winter tires R16 which company is better to choose

This rating is universal, because it includes products from both American, European and Asian firms. The products of the companies of the first two locations usually cost a little more than Chinese, Japanese and Korean, although there may be exceptions to the rules.

• Firestone Is a North American tire manufacturing company based in Tennessee. It was founded in 1990 in Akron, USA. Today the company produces rubber for both small cars and SUVs. It has both spike and friction tires that offer good aquaplaning resistance and excellent abrasion resistance.
• Pirelli Is an Italian tire manufacturing company owned by China National Chemical Corp. It ranks 5th in terms of supply to the market among all firms operating in this area. On her account there are summer, winter, all-season car tires, popular because of the strong sidewalls, a large number of sipes, reliable stud fastening, and comfort in driving.
• Continental Is a German manufacturer of car tires and components for cars. The joint-stock company was founded in 1871, and during this time the range of products has expanded greatly. Today in the company's catalog you can find rubber for winter and summer, as well as universal rubber suitable for all seasons. Its products belong to the middle price category and are less often referred to as premium. The advantages of the brand's products are short braking distances, stability at high speeds, low noise levels, etc.
• Kumho Is a South Korean manufacturing company that began operating in the city of Gwangju in 1960 under the leadership of businessman Park Incheon. Its car tires are chosen because of their high abrasion resistance, so they “walk” quietly for at least several years. They are also often bought due to their good moisture removal and their elastic properties at low temperatures.
• Bridgestone - a Japanese company supplying summer, all-season and winter tires R16 and other standard sizes at reasonable prices and for various car brands. Its history began in 1931, when the company was headed by businessman Shojiro Ishibashi. The first location of the plant was the city of Kuruma. The products of this brand are especially famous among fans of auto and motorcycle racing, as they have excellent stability and control comfort at high speeds and when entering corners. Its “strong point” is a rigid sidewall, which increases the service life of products.
• Dunlop - a supplier of budget and medium-cost tires for small and heavy vehicles. It is an Irish factory that began operations in 1889 with a patent for pneumatic tires. At the present time, it has established itself as a reliable manufacturer of rubber with excellent indicators of wear resistance, moisture removal, stability on the surface and handling on ice and snowy road surfaces.
• Viatti - under this brand are sold winter, summer, all-season tires for various car brands. Drivers prefer them because of their excellent cross-country ability both on dry and wet or icy, snow-covered road surfaces. They provide a confident grip on the track, do not allow the car to "wobble" in bends, and guarantee a smooth, comfortable and safe ride.

The best budget winter tires

Rating of the best winter tires R16

This TOP includes products with a high level of comfort and operational safety. Also, only high-quality rubber with good wear-resistant properties and ease of driving was selected here. Before adding specific products to the rating, we analyzed a lot of driver reviews.

Here's what was also highlighted during preparation of this review:

• Type of rubber - studded or non-studded;
• Load index;
• Vehicle type - small car or SUV;
• Tread type - directional or asymmetric;
• Service warranty period;
• Noise level while driving;
• Speed ​​index;
• Number of lamellas;
• Stud fastening strength;
• Adhesion to the road surface in all weather conditions;
• Resistance to aquaplaning;
• Vehicle stability on the surface;
• The degree of moisture removal from the contact patch;
• Maintaining elasticity over time;
• Sidewall rigidity;
• Composition of rubber.

When compiling this rating of R16 winter tires, we also paid attention to the ratio of price and quality of rubber, the possibility of its operation on rolled snow, in snowdrifts, on icy roads.

Best winter studded tires

The best winter spike tires R16

This type of tire is used in regions with harsh winters, when ice often forms on the roads. Due to the presence of studs, they adhere well to the road surface, which eliminates drifts, gives a comfortable and safer movement, including at high speeds. We reviewed the range of European and Asian manufacturers and, based on their compliance with the specified selection criteria, included the 7 best options in this category.

Firestone Ice Cruiser 7 205/55 R16 91T

This is a medium-cost rubber designed for installation on passenger cars. The tire behaves confidently when driving fast, as it is designed to operate at speeds up to 190 km / h. It features a directional design with a distinctive V-shaped pattern for improved performance on wet asphalt. It also improves traction and reduces the risk of aquaplaning.

The studs on the Firestone Ice Cruiser 7 205/55 R16 91T literally bite into the surface, which shortens the braking distance and minimizes the risk of the car slipping to the side when cornering in slippery conditions. Reinforced sidewall guarantees extended service life. This tire behaves well both on ice and on snow, but when driving on a rolled surface, its grip properties are not so bright compared to non-studded models.

Advantages

• Good balance of price and quality;
• No strong vibrations;
• Ease of driving;
• Increased strength;
• Surface resistance to abrasion.

disadvantages

• When driving on dry asphalt, it sometimes makes a faint noise.

According to reviews, this option is good for use both within the city and outside it.

Pirelli Formula Ice 205/60 R16 96T

Pirelli Formula Ice studded winter tires are included in the rating of the best tires due to the combination of impeccable grip on the road surface in winter in all weather conditions, be it ice, snow or thaw with slush. It gives good traction, especially when there are snowdrifts on the track. Hexagon type pins are made of aluminum and are reliably protected from falling out by means of flanges.

In the rating of winter tires, Pirelli Formula Ice 205/60 R16 96T guarantees excellent grip on snow-covered and icy road surfaces due to the frequent arrangement of sipes, which are located on each tread block.Along with this, a quick removal of moisture from the contact patch is provided, which became possible due to the combination of several diagonal and two longitudinal grooves. This model is suitable for urban use due to the directional V-shaped tread pattern.

Advantages

• High load index - 96, which corresponds to 710 kg;
• Reliable protection against aquaplaning;
• The thorns "bite" well into the snow;
• Give a smooth and smooth ride;
• High level of travel comfort.

disadvantages

• Not found.

Overall, the Pirelli Formula Ice 205/60 R16 96T tire is the best option in terms of value for money. But it is useless to expect from her equally flawless behavior on dry and wet asphalt.

Continental IceContact 2 SUV 215/65 R16 102T

The Finnish car magazine Tuulilasi placed this winter tire in second place in tests. Compared to the previous version from this company, the manufacturer was able to improve the quality of vehicle handling by 2% in the presence of ice on the road and by 9% in dry conditions. It maintains a stable position and remains obedient even in heavily snowy areas. It is formulated with a variety of polymers and silica, as well as rapeseed oil for softening, which prevents it from hardening at low temperatures.

By retaining its flexibility in winter, effective grip of the wheels with the road surface is guaranteed. This, in turn, results in a more confident, quieter, more comfortable and safer ride. Also, due to this, the car behaves excellently at the entrance to turns at high speeds, however, it is still not recommended to drive on ice with it. This rubber has an asymmetrical tread pattern that provides high traction for fast acceleration and trouble-free braking.

Advantages

• Lightweight thorns mass;
• Excellent performance on an icy road;
• Strong fastening of spikes;
• Shortened braking distance;
• There are ice spike pockets.

disadvantages

• Not found.

According to reviews, Continental IceContact 2 SUV 215/65 R16 102T tires have been running for several seasons with practically no spike losses.

The best winter studless tires R16

Such tires are designed for operation in not very cold winters, in regions where ice and high snow cover are rare occurrences. There are a lot of such options on the market, and so that you do not make the wrong choice, we have selected 3 of the best R16 winter tires according to driver reviews in terms of quality, safety and ease of use.

Kumho WinterCraft WP51 195/55 R16 87H

It is a winter tire designed for passenger cars. The tread wears out very slowly due to its abrasion resistance. The tire holds the road well, runs smoothly on various surfaces and brakes quickly enough to reduce the likelihood of an accident. It provides good grip on the highway within the city at speeds up to 80 km per hour, while behaving flawlessly even when reaching 200 km.

Since the profile of this rubber is not very high, the quieter the ride, the more reliable the product and the easier it is to keep driving. But in off-road conditions and on uneven, poorly paved areas, this option may show its capriciousness a little. Designed for winter use, you can rest assured of safety when driving on lightly snowy roads.

Advantages

• Does not tan at low temperatures;
• High-quality, solid sidewall;
• The tread wears out slowly and evenly over the entire surface;
• Excellent resistance to aquaplaning;
• It is almost impossible to pierce this tire.

disadvantages

• Noisy.

Due to its good durability, the Kumho WinterCraft WP51 195/55 R16 87H tire is often chosen for installation on taxi service cars with high mileage.

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 235/70 R16 106S

These tires from Bridgestone are designed specifically for winter riding. With a diameter of 16 ″ they are used for installation on SUVs, and the maximum rubber carrying capacity is 950 kg. It allows you to safely and comfortably accelerate to a speed of 180 km per hour, but, naturally, the worse the road condition, the more difficult it will be to do it without problems.The tire is recognized to be of high quality in operation and easily serves for 1-2 years without consequences.

This model rides confidently through the rolled and fresh snow, calmly getting out of small snowdrifts. Ice is not terrible for her, on which the car practically does not lead to the side. This improves handling and, as a result, increases the level of safety and comfort when driving in bad weather conditions. This is a pretty good option in terms of value for money.

Advantages

• Good adhesion properties;
• Easy to clean from dirt and snow;
• Strong sidewall for increased durability;
• Does not create problems in car maintenance;
• Acceptable noise level.

disadvantages

• Not found.

Thanks to a speed index of 180 km / h, this R16 winter tire is good for city racing or on special grounds.

Dunlop Winter Maxx WM02 215/55 R16 97T

This is another winter tire without studs for heavy vehicles weighing up to 750 kg. They are made in Japan from new materials and have an improved design. They are distinguished by a shorter braking distance on ice due to a special tread pattern. Also, they are characterized by an increased number of sipes by 17%, which guarantees a larger contact patch for high-quality grip on the road surface.

Dunlop Winter Maxx WM02 215/55 R16 97T also has good grip thanks to its rubber compound, which fits tightly on small irregularities on ice. This is made possible through the use of 4D Nano Design technology in the manufacture of the tire tread. In view of this, the rubber guarantees tight contact with the surface in the presence of a large amount of ice. This model is also characterized by a long service life due to the inclusion of components that slow down tread wear.

Advantages

• Virtually indestructible;
• Management is at a height in conditions of loose snow and porridge;
• Does not lose elasticity over time;
• Not very noisy;
• Predictable behavior on all sections of the road.

disadvantages

• On dry and wet asphalt it "floats" a little.

The reviews say that the Dunlop Winter Maxx WM02 215/55 R16 97T behaves a little better on snow than on ice, because this rubber is not studded after all.

Viatti Bosco S / T V-526 245/70 R16 107T

First of all, these tires are conspicuous due to the low price. With a load index of 108, they are intended for heavy vehicles. They are made for winter use only, although there are no spikes on the tire. The rubber has one of the highest speed indexes - 190 km / h and is distinguished by its confident behavior both on wet and slippery and snowy roads.

This model has an asymmetric protector, when its outer and inner parts have a different pattern. The former provides optimum rigidity for stability on the surface and maneuverability when entering corners, while the latter ensures good water drainage and reduces the likelihood of aquaplaning. All in all, this gives a safe and comfortable ride in various weather conditions.

Advantages

• Good "rowing" in the snow;
• Increased wear resistance;
• Perfectly clings to the surface;
• Sturdy tire;
• Perfect handling on ice.

disadvantages

• Noisy.

Which winter tires R16 is better to buy

Typically, drivers begin to "change" their car in winter tires when they reach the mark on the thermometer at about +7 Celsius. For regions with cold winters, tires of the Nordic type are most often bought; it performs well on roads with a rough surface and outside the city. In milder weather conditions, tires of the so-called Central European type are relevant.

Not every tire can be installed on both a small passenger car and a heavy vehicle. For SUVs, a special line of products with an SUV attachment is being developed; they have a higher load and speed index - on average up to 240 km per hour.Drivers who often go out of town on icy roads are better off choosing studded tires, and in the place you can use so-called "Velcro".

Here is which option you can choose taking into account the operating conditions:

• For driving on icy roads outside the city in cold winters, you can use Firestone Ice Cruiser 7 205/55 R16 91T tires.
• During thaws with snow, the Pirelli Formula Ice 205/60 R16 96T tire performs well.
• For winter off-road vehicles, the Continental IceContact 2 SUV 215/65 R16 102T model is installed.
• A car with Kumho WinterCraft WP51 195/55 R16 87H tires rides well on snow.
• A car on which Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 235/70 R16 106S is installed easily passes through the snowdrifts.
• For urban use at low temperatures, when ice appears, you can buy Dunlop Winter Maxx WM02 215/55 R16 97T.
• The Viatti Bosco S / T V-526 245/70 R16 107T is a versatile option suitable for use on both wet and slippery roads.

Each R16 winter tire in this rating is good in its own way - some of them behave confidently on slippery surfaces, while others show excellent handling on wet roads. Therefore, when choosing a specific rubber, first of all, you should focus on the purpose of its application.