This blog post reviews five of the latest severe snow tires, comparing their performance in snow, ice, wet, and dry conditions. The Continental Viking Contact 8 emerges as the top tire, excelling in snow and ice handling, while the Goodyear Ultragrip Ice 3 and Nokian Hakleita R5 also perform well. The Marshall Eizen KW31 ranks lowest, underperforming across categories. Detailed insights into each tire's strengths and weaknesses are provided to help readers make informed choices for winter tires.
In this blog post, we will explore the performance of five of the newest severe snow tires for the winter season of 2025/26. These tires are specifically designed for regions that experience extreme winter conditions, including heavy snow and ice. We will benchmark these tires against a studded tire and a milder winter tire to determine which options provide the best performance for your driving needs.
The tires tested in this review include:
The focus of this review is on the winter qualities of these tires, particularly their performance on snow and ice. However, we will also evaluate their wet and dry performance, noise levels, comfort, and rolling resistance to provide a comprehensive overview.
Snow performance is critical for winter tires, especially in extreme conditions. All tested tires exhibited acceptable to excellent grip on snow. Here are the key findings:
The studded tire, while expected to perform well in snowy conditions, ranked mid-pack. This is due to the construction of studded tires, which can sometimes hinder performance in softer snow.
The Continental Winter Contact TS870, designed for colder and wetter climates, surprisingly outperformed expectations in snow handling, matching the performance of the studded tire and surpassing the Marshall.
Ice handling is notoriously difficult due to varying conditions. The following observations were made during ice testing:
Wet handling is crucial for winter tires, although these tires prioritize snow and ice performance. Here are the findings:
In deep water resistance tests, the Goodyear tire excelled, followed closely by the Continental. The Central European winter tire also showed high capacity for clearing standing water, which is essential in wet winters.
After extensive testing and analysis, here are the final rankings based on overall performance:
Choosing the right winter tire is crucial for safety and performance in extreme conditions. The Continental Viking Contact 8 stands out as the best option for 2025/26, while the Goodyear Ultragrip Ice 3 and Nokian Hakleita R5 also offer excellent performance. The Marshall Eizen KW31, however, may not meet the needs of drivers in severe winter climates. Always consider your specific driving conditions and preferences when selecting a tire. Safe motoring!
