The best budget winter tires 195/65 R15

Firestone tyre brand products are manufactured at Bridgestone factories. Specially for the mild climatic conditions of European winters, the winter "friction clutch" Winterhawk 4 is adapted.

In the model of the fourth edition, two circumferential hydroevacuation channels were abandoned in favor of a one-piece directional tread pattern with a pronounced symmetry in the arrangement of functional blocks. The grooves for the removal of melted snow and excess water masses have simply become wider and more capacious, besides, they expand from the central plane of the tread to the shoulder zones. The result was not long in coming - the tyre's self-cleaning abilities became an order of magnitude better.

In order to improve traction and braking qualities, the blocks in the "shoulders" of the tyre tread were arranged in pairs and made them narrower. The tyre pressure on the road surface is distributed evenly, which prevents premature wear of the tread and increases the level of driving comfort. Also, the model is sensitive to steering commands and behaves predictably on slippery winter roads.

As long as there are no complaints about the tyre on wet and snowy surfaces, on dry pavement the Firestone Winterhawk 4 shows an increased braking distance compared to its counterparts in the budget winter tyre shop. Nothing critical, but this point must be kept in mind for safe trips in the cold season.

In the Toyo winter tyre portfolio, the model in question has replaced the popular Snowprox S943 friction tyre. Together with the index, she changed the line - henceforth, rubber belongs to the more “luxury” segment of the Observe.

The tread pattern has undergone the greatest changes in the model. He retained a directional symmetrical structure, but got rid of a pronounced stiffener in the central plane. The V-shaped tread of the tyre provides the necessary balance between traction properties and effective hydroplaning resistance. The developed drainage system contributes to the instant removal of water and melted snow masses from the contact patch of the tyre with the roadway.

The Toyo Observe S944 tread blocks are studded with many multidirectional three-dimensional sipes, the sharp edges of which literally bite into the slippery road. The tyre shows reliable grip properties when conquering snowy roads and has good traction. But the braking distance on wet pavement is rather big. At least, the model showed an increased braking distance as part of an independent test of winter tyres by experts from the German publication Auto Motor und Sport in 2020.

The rubber compound of the tyre is prepared according to the "recipe" of Nano Balance with a high content of silica and natural rubber. It retains proper elasticity in a wide range of outdoor temperatures and does not harden in severe frosts. Although in general the model is sharpened for mild weather conditions of the winter season. Another plus in the karma of the tyre is low rolling resistance. In contrast, it is necessary to mention a small flaw in the tyre, associated with slightly increased noise.

With South Korean ancestry, the Nexen Winguard Snow G 3 is a classic winter studless tyre for dynamic driving enthusiasts. And that's why.

The tyre was equipped with a V-shaped tread with a directional herringbone pattern. Especially carefully in its design, the drainage grooves Cycloid Spiral Helix were developed, through which water and snow masses are removed from the contact zone of the tyre with the roadway at an accelerated pace. The "shoulders" of the model are almost equal in width to the central zone - they are responsible for the stability of the car in corners and maintaining stable grip properties during dynamic maneuvering in the stream.

In the center and shoulder sections of the Nexen Winguard Snow G 3, lamellas of various “patterns” are used. The joint work of the slots in the functional blocks is aimed at improving the efficiency of "slippery" and "snow" clutches. Also, the tyre behaves confidently on dry pavement in a wide range of outdoor temperatures.

In 2021, experts from the reputable German publication Auto Bild tested the model in question and compared it with 19 tyres of a similar level. The tyre earned the highest score in the "Low noise" discipline, and it was given a low score for not the best wear resistance in the class. By all other criteria, the tyre took a place exactly in the middle.

Falken is translated from German as "Falcon". The tyre manufacturer of the same name produces tyres under the supervision of its parent corporation, Goodyear. In 2016, the Eurowinter HS01 winter model left the brand's conveyors.

As you might guess from the name, the tyre is intended for use in mild European winters with a predominance of wet roads rather than snow and ice. The tyre steers steadily on wet pavement and demonstrates a short braking distance. However, it also does not let you down on snowy tracks - the model uses innovative Miura-Ori sipes, the work of which is aimed at increasing the volume of snow ejected from the contact patch and a noticeable improvement in grip properties.

The tread pattern of the tyre has a pronounced directionality, which is typical for European-type winter tyres. Its optimized rounded profile allows to achieve uniform pressure distribution over the entire surface of the contact patch and effectively dampens vibrations at high travel speeds. Also, Falken Eurowinter HS01 captivates with a long service life until the tread wears out.

The rubber compound of the tyre is prepared using 4D-Nano Design technology and has anti-freeze properties. There are also special outer cavities in the tyre design to minimize noise, however, in this parameter, the model still loses to many peers. For SUVs, crossovers and city SUVs, a reinforced version of the Falken Eurowinter HS01 SUV tyre is available.

A full 9 years after the release of the Matador MP 92 Sibir Snow winter tyre, which won the hearts of many motorists due to the combination of price and driving properties, the successor of the tyre, the friction model MP 93 Nordicca, began to be delivered to store shelves.

In the new generation of tyres, they abandoned the asymmetric tread pattern in favor of a directional symmetrical one. It is formed by multifaceted blocks in the central segment of the treadmill, slashed with many wavy cuts. The sipes create an innumerable number of sharp cutting edges that allow the tyre to contact the slippery road surface as closely as possible and enhance traction on snow.

The different-wide blocks of the shoulder zones of the tyre have a free arrangement. They are responsible for stable cornering when maneuvering and quick cleaning of the contact patch from slush. The water-drainage system of the model increased its efficiency better than any other indicators - the resistance of the Matador MP 93 Nordicca to aquaplaning and slashplanning was brought to a new qualitative level.

Functional elastomers have been added to the tyre cocktail of tyres with a high content of silica. As a result, the rubber does not harden in extreme cold and demonstrates high performance in all operating conditions. A separate plus in the karma of the model goes for the uniform distribution of pressure - it prevents uneven tread wear, provides low rolling resistance and extends the life of the tyre as a whole.