Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 Winter 245/50R18 100R Passenger Tire

I lived at the Alpental ski area while communiting to Seattle for 8 years and drove up to 40,000 a year for 8 years so I've tried lots of snow tires on 2 wheel drive cars where you need all the help you can get. I pooh-poohed the fancier snow tires because they mostly looked alike and I was convinced studded tires fixed everything. But in my quest to keep successfully commuting up mountian passes in my 2 wheel drive diesel car I tried the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3's and am Super Impressed and they are the best rain tire ever also. They even will take more power than my good summer tires that would spin the during roll on power in 1-3rd gears in my moded Jetta TDI, but they didn't corner or brakes as well when pushed but in rain or snow they were unmatched. Plus they lasted way longer than I expected.

I am writing this review after driving in some hardpack snow and slush after our recent storm in the northeast. The best way to describe these tires in bad winter weather conditions is like a high-performance summer tire in the rain. I can break them loose, but only for a moment, and I have to try. I've driven on older WinterForce 2's, and those were great. However, these Nokians are an entirely different league. Suppose you want a comfortable, predictable, confidence-inspiring tire to get you through winter weather and even cold, dry roads. Look no further. Acceleration, cornering, and braking are all phenomenal in harmful conditions. Minimal noise for a snow tire, and they ride better than my dealer installed Ironmans. 5/5 would buy again and recommend everyone else too as well