When driving during winter, then winter tires are a good choice even for SUVs. I would even say it is mandatory for safe driving. This is because the winter tires are approved for winter use and hold the severe service emblem also known as “Three Peak Mountain Snowflake” emblem signifying there use in severe winter conditions. This is different than just having the M+S marking on the tires, which says nothing about the tire’s performance during the winter. Winter tires are very important even for SUVs and possible even more so as they are a much heavier car and need to rely on good traction to be able to brake. It is actually even more important than with a passenger car as the SUV is a much heavier vehicle. Make sure to always install winter tires on all 4 wheels.
Do you need studded tires on a SUV or do traditional non-studded tires suffice? It basically depends on what kind of driving you will be doing, where you live and what kind of weather conditions you will be encountering. Nothing can beat the grip and traction, especially lateral traction, that a studded winter tire can give. Basically, the studded tires like the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 SUV uses high quality studs that give exceptional grip and traction especially lateral traction which helps you remain in control of your car even on black ice. There is one big drawback with the studded tire and that is noise and the increase in rolling resistance. This is something that is becoming less of a problem as new technologies like the Nokian “eco stud system” emerge. The Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 SUV tires also have an especially formulated compound underneath the studs to help reduce the noise. So, to summarize, deciding to buy studded or non-studded tires you need to consider where you live, what you drive, and your comfort level driving on snow and ice.
If in the market for non-studded tires, then the Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT3 is an excellent tire made for heavier vehicles respectively, these tires offer more durability and better mileage. This tread design helping improve stability and steering response. The new arrow-shaped pattern features deeper grooves for added slushplaning resistance and self-cleaning capability when driving in deep snow. Winter tires are usually made of rubber compounds that remain flexible and soft even in very cold winter temperatures. So, whether you decide upon studded or non-studded winter tires for your SUV it remains the best choice in cold weather conditions. Whether you choose studded or non-studded tires the winter, dedicated winter tires remain the best performing tires for your SUV in the winter. Dedicated winter tires to however require that you have all-season tires that will be used on during the warm seasons, as the winter tires will only be used during the winter season. If you use all-weather tires you have can use the same tires throughout the year.
For more information regarding winter tires for SUVs, visit: https://nokiantires.com/