Product Review: Nokian Hakkapelitta RSi Studless Winter Tires

This review is for Nokian Hakkapelitta RSi studless winter tires. I give them a 10 out of a possible 10! What a great winter tire!

With winter approaching and needing new tires for my Suzuki Grand Vitara, I decided to get dedicated winter tires. Previously, I had run All Season tires and had experienced some heart-stopping moments during the winters. Not wanting to go through another winter gripping the steering wheel and praying, I knew that this winter I needed tires that would handle the weather.

I began searching the internet, reading thousands of reviews for winter tires. I knew what I needed - winter tires that would handle snow and ice (as much as any tire can handle ice), but mostly slush. We get a lot of slush here. Melting snow, rain on top of snow, melting ice all make slush.

My research turned up an advancement in the winter tire industry. They are now promoting what they call Studless Winter Tires, designed to give you traction on ice and snow comparable, they say, to studded winter tires.

After reading and reading and reading some more, I finally decided on Nokian Hakkapelitta RSi studless winter tires. My choice was based not so much on the fact that they are studless as on the fact that they have tread designed to throw slush out from under the tires. Also, my research found that the Nokian Hakkapelitta RSi's are a favorite with ice racers. To top it off, they are made in Finland where snow and ice are worse than here, so they should know what they're doing, right?

Unfortunately, Nokian tires are not stocked in your general, run of the mill, tire store. I had to have them ordered. The first tire store salesman I talked to tried to change my mind, telling me that I wouldn't have to wait if I bought tires he had in stock. He even went so far as to tell me that if Nokian Tires were any good, everyone would stock them! I took my business elsewhere.

Also, Nokian studless winter tires are more expensive than regular winter tires, but I thought that if they could make my winter driving less frightening and hazardous, they would be worth it.