Hei, my first winter in Norway and I will need winter tire. My car is traction 2wd Volvo S60 from 2006 (1.5ton 145hp). I live around Arandal but in the country side. I want to know what is the better option for me:
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low-cost Spiked tires
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middle quality 3pmsf winter tires
I live in a little city around Arandal in the country side city, I have to take some twisty road. I’m good driver but never experienced this condition so I stay humble. For what I’ve seen people use both here.
My mind tell me to use spiked tires but my wallet tell me buying good 3pmsf I can use all years.
I’ve no idea how both of them react on the famous black ice.
https://i.redd.it/bywaacz1v71g1.jpeg
Posted by Hermanstrike
19 Comments
Continental Viking 8 or 9.
With winter tires you get what you pay for.
Buy a quality set of winter tyres, spiked or not is less important.
buy GOOD TYRES, and change to summer tyres when its summertime, i never recommend allyears.
>My mind tell me to use spiked tires but my wallet tell me buying good 3pmsf I can use all years.
With all year tires you get a middleground that is not good for either summer or winter.
Its something that you will eventualy regret and replace (hopefully without having been in a accident first).
get good spiked tires.
You will have them for at least 3 to 5 years, so why not spend some extra kroner?
Even if you need them just once, it will be for your benefit.
There are a lot of hills and melting snow-ice in southern norway, so I would recommend spikes
Make sure the tires are Nordic winter tyres, if studless. Ordinary allyear/european winter tyres are not recommended and prohibited in winter times. You will get fined by the police and if something happens you may not be paid by your insurance
Nokian Hakkapeliitta are seriously good. From Finnmark👆
Continental ice contact 3s are the best winter tyres i have driven so far
Honestly my best advice would be to call your local tyre shop/mechanic and get their recommendations according to your budget, had Yokohama om my last car they where great. Also there is a ton of tests on winter tyres out now try looking at those also to see if they have any suggestions.
Edit: Just make sure if you get any whether spiked or not that they have the mountain rating and mud and snow and you will be fine.
If you don’t get roads covered in ice and compacted snow for large parts of the winter, I’d personally go for studless. They’re quieter than studded tires, and you don’t need to pay the «studded tire fee» when entering major cities. In a coastal climate the roads are mostly just wet asphalt anyway, so no need for studs. They don’t help in fresh snow either.
I use Continental VikingContact 7 (now replaced by VikingContact 8) in Bergen. I’ve never had any issues with them in deep snow or over mountain passes on my FWD hatchback. Super predictable when they lose traction as well. In those dimensions the price difference between good and cheap tires isn’t that big, so get something good. If you’re a NAF member you get a really good discount at Best Drive (continental).
Tires are the single most important safety feature on your car, don’t cheap out.
In Arendal I think studless would be best. It’s not often you have ice there, and studded tires wear out faster if it drives on bare asphalt. Especially if you have an electric car the torque rips them out really fast
Buy good one time.
Buy crap multiple times.
Nokia hakkapeliitta all the way, great winter tyres, if not the best.
You should be fine in Arendal with studless, but buy a good set. Nokian Hakkapelitta are amongst some the best. Do not run them year round, I see you mentioned that. They are made with softer treads and will absolutely wear much faster in the sommer when it is 30° C on hot asfalt road.
Nokian of Michelin
Studded tires are best for ice, but studless are better on snow and bare roads.
But don’t use studless winter tires in summer, they are too soft and increase braking distance dramatically, and they will wear down quicker.
Depends if you also drive on the highway, sparked tiers have a tendency to have a longer braking distance and bad grip on wet roads.
If you do drive the county roads that’s not salted , Nokian Hakkapellita 10 is the go to.
If you do drive on salted highway alot then Continental tires is preferred as they do handle wet surface better and if you do have black ice (underkjølt regn) alot , a sparked tire will always be the best option.
I’ve uses Nokia tiers ever since I started driving and they have never let me down. If tiers made originally for Finnish weather works in Finland then they work for Norwrgian weather and damn straight they do.
Also Arendal – we have used both.
No problems with either. I guess it depends where else you are also driving like up into the mountains for skiing or places where you have to pay a fee for studded tyres.
We also have a Volvo – for this winter – it came with studded tyres so we’re going studded with the Volvo. We also have another with non studded tyres.
Did your car not come with a set of winter tyres? Assuming you bought it here?