ModernCarTalk: Winter Tire Test Results - Highest Ranked Winter Tires for 2015-2016

Update 19.10.2015
Fresh winter tire review from auto123.com for the 2015-2016 winter season, posted 15.10.2015.
Here are the results for cars:
Best tire in the $100-$150 range

Champiro IcePro (studdable) and WinterPro -- Decent overall winter tire, excellent bang for buck (arguably the best Chinese winter tire)
Goodyear Ultra Grip Winter -- Performs well in deep snow and slush, studdable

Best tire in the $150-$200 range

Toyo GSi-5 -- Microbit compound, good durability, deep thread, very good in snow and slush
Yokohama Ice Guard IG52 -- Yoko’s version of the Blizzak: Good all-round tire, softer compound, quiet
Pirelli Winter Ice Zero FR -- Reasonably priced, compound resists temperature changes (gets more flexible in the cold, firms up when warmer), non-studdable, very quiet, good overall traction with limited squirming (this is a crossover or 4-season tire)
Dunlop Winter Maxx -- Good bang for the $$, performs well in deep snow and slush
Continental WinterContact SI -- Replaces ExtremeWinterContact (new tire), expected to be good all-round winter performer for slush, snow and ice

Best tire: $200+

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 -- Aggressive tread pattern, improved snow traction over the previous R (Hakkapeliitta 7 and new 8 are also good selections)
Bridgestone LM-32 (performance) -- Aggressive, V high-speed rating, better in deeper snow than Dunlop, however, slightly more expensive
Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 -- Quiet, soft compound, great all-round performance
Michelin X-Ice Xi3 -- Very good road manners, feels like an all-season, good performer, but with reduced tread depth

Link: http://www.auto123.com/en/news/top-car-winter-tires/61295/

SUV winter tire results:
Best tire in the $125-$175 range (P225/65R17)

Champiro IcePro (studdable) and WinterPro -- Decent overall winter tire, excellent bang for buck (arguably the best Chinese winter tire);
Goodyear Ultra Grip winter -- Performs well in deep snow and slush, studdable.

Best tire in the $175-$225 range

Toyo GSi5 -- Microbit compound, good durability, deep tread, very good in snow and slush;
Yokohama Ice Guard IG51V -- Yoko’s version of the Blizzak: aggressive design, deep tread, good all-round tire *most positive reviews from consumers*;
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 -- Everything we like about the Blizzak but for a CUV; quiet, soft compound, great all-round performance, remains a benchmark, deep tread, brand new but expected to do well;
Dunlop GrandTrek SJ8 -- Deep tread, good bang for the $$, good deep snow and slush, decent on ice.

Best tire: $225+

Nokkian Hakkapeliitta R2 SUV / 8 SUV -- Aggressive tread pattern, excellent snow and slush traction;
Pirelli Scorpion Winter -- Aggressive tread design, decent tread depth, improved over last generation, pricier;
Michelin Lattitude X-Ice2 -- Very good road manners; feels like an all-season, good performer, but with reduced tread depth.

Link: http://www.auto123.com/en/news/top-SUV-winter-tires/61296/
Please note all prices are in Canadian dollars.

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Update: 12.10.2015
Found this YouTube video from AutoTuning. Test and results of the 2015 winter tire tests were performed by AutoReview, At the wheel, Tuulilasi & Test World from Finland. Having visited Finland for Christmas several years ago I can vouch for the need of studs on their winter tires. The Finns are known to be very environmentally friendly people. In the harshest of the Finnish winter, apart from the capital, there is no road salt used (only gravel). Therefore in the central part of Finland that I had visited you are driving on a fairly thick dense sheet of compacted ice with gravel layers embedded in it. Thus the need for studs, this list has some serious studded rubber, probably not required for most major metropolitan cities. Such as here in Montreal, the municipality goes insane with the use of road salt/gravel mix on our roads.

Here are the results of their seriously heavy duty test, ALL tires are STUDDED for extreme winter conditions.
1. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8
2. Continental Contiicecontact
3. Gislaved NordFrost 100
4. Pirelli Winter Ice Zero
5. Michelin X-Ice North 3
6. Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
7. Dunlop Ice Touch
8. Hankook Winter IPike
9. Bridgestone Blizzak Spike-01
10. Kama-Euro 519

Here is the YouTube Video from AutoTuning:

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It's that time once again when most of us start shopping for winter tires. Unfortunately I do not have the 2015-2016 new winter tire test results yet. I will post those as soon as they are available, there are some new winter tire models this year. That information may be too late for most buyers.
For the time being here are the 2014-2015 winter tire test results from clicktire.com. They are a fairly large tire retailer here in Quebec Canada. Unfortunately the information is in French but here is the vertical column information translation to English from left to right.

Heading on Top:
Tire name --- (First section top left) Slush Traction / Ice Traction / Snow Traction
Tire name --- (Middle section) Ride Comfort / Noise Level / Durability
Tire name --- (Right section) Dry Traction / Wet Traction (Rain)

Tires are rated with 10 being best.
Last year as in previous years the Finns ocupy the top three spots with the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 studded, the Hakkapeliitta R2 and the Hakkapeliitta 8 unstudded. (Really on two tires)

While the bang for buck champion Yokohama IG52C take the 7th spot. At $50 per tire cheaper than the Hakkas it's may be too good a deal to pass up for some making them my third favorite choice after the Hakka 8 and Hakka R2. If leasing your car they may be a good bet for the duration of the lease.

Personally both my cars run on Hakkapeliittas, got the 7's on one and the studded 8's on the other. As far a grip is concerned they are worth the extra $200. Especially if you consider their long life expectancy. There is a previous posting on my blog concerning my personal testing of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8's.

It's Rebate season don't forget to ask about mail in rebates in your area. Sometimes a larger rebate on a better tire (more expensive tire) can make it a better buy. Rebates will usually run from mid October to early December.

Standard Vehicles: