Winter tire tests: Belshina brakes on snow better than Nokian, but...

Good winter tires are a necessity for every motorist. The period for replacing tires depends on the intensity of use. If you drive 25-30 thousand kilometers in one season, you will have to change tires every year. The law states that the tread remaining on winter tires must not be less than 5 mm. The law also requires that you only use winter tires during periods when the weather changes and becomes colder. Today we will look at budget tires that can be considered the best in their segment. We will only touch on foreign manufacturers offering high quality and excellent production precision. Interestingly, budget tires have long ceased to be something unsuitable for use. And if previously such tires were chosen only for old or inexpensive cars, today the scope of use has expanded significantly. Budget tires can be seen on the wheels of almost any car.

Among foreign manufacturers there are many brands that already produce their products in Russia. Many models of the Nokian line, for example, are manufactured at Russian factories. And if the assembly of foreign cars in the Russian Federation has virtually no effect on the quality of transport, then the production of tires significantly affects the durability and reliability of the product. It is worth considering that Russian production may not be the best option. Therefore, in today's rating we will consider foreign offers that can compete even with more expensive classes. There are dozens of such brands on the market, and today you will hear about many of them for the first time. However, there are also more familiar and well-known corporations that offer proven quality and excellent reliability of tires with all the advantages of a low price tag.

Sava Eskimo Stud - Polish quality for little money

Sava tires are produced in Poland. This is one of those tire options from Eastern Europe that tries to offer quite good operating options for little money. But in reality, Sava has many disadvantages. Rubber wears out faster than many of its competitors, and on ice it becomes practically defenseless. Sava Eskimo Stud is distinguished by the following operational qualities:

• fairly soft tires with very decent ride comfort indicators; in terms of ride quality, it’s impossible to say anything bad about the Poles;
• the tread is well designed, there are no negative effects of holding the car on the track, control of skidding and other unpleasant phenomena works perfectly;
• on snow, and even on compacted snow, the tire works great, but on ice it demonstrates almost complete helplessness, there are doubts from the point of view of complete safety;
• wears faster than many competitors, excessive softness often causes problems when hitting obstacles, there is a risk of rapid deformation of the cord and other parts.

If we take the average wheel size of modern VAZ cars, then on a Sava Eskimo you will have to spend a little more than 2,000 rubles per wheel. Not to say that this is a lot of money, but such expenses often do not fit into the budget of the car owner. However, these are one of the cheapest tire options with decent quality and quite good characteristics for city driving in winter.

Comparison of two manufacturers

When assessing which winter tires are better, Cordiant or Belshina, users and experts tend to favor the first manufacturer. The point here is the best technical base and innovative technologies of Cordiant.

What common

Competitors are united by a conscientious attitude to business. Both manufacturers strive for decent quality and safety of products, reaching not only the European, but also the world level. “Kordiant” and “Belshina” value their reputation and preserve the traditions of the enterprises.

The technical characteristics of seasonal tires are almost identical to each other; the model range is constantly expanding for both manufacturers. Factories take into account user comments and promptly eliminate deficiencies.

Differences

When deciding which winter tires are better – “Belshina” or “Kordiant”, pay attention to the differences between the products:

Cordiant Winter Drive - with Scandinavian roots

Wheels with high quality and a worthy name do not always please with a low price. But Cordiant turned out to be an exception. This is a tire worthy of your attention. The history of the Cordiant brand began in Scandinavia, but then factories for the production of budget rubber moved to Eastern Europe. Today the Cordiant Winter Drive model offers the following features:

• quite adequate quality of operation, there is no doubt that the brand name affected the characteristics of driving a car, and this makes this type of tire special;
• an excellent ride on snow and wet asphalt, car comfort increases, the effects of poor-quality movement and problematic skidding on snow are reduced;
• the rubber perfectly clears the car out of skids, even with a small width it creates excellent grip on any road; for these qualities the tires are the best among competitors;
• the quality of materials and erasing life show almost the best performance in the price class, since virtually only domestic brands compete with the model.

Cordiant: general characteristics

Cordiant also boasts a wide range of models . The most successful samples of the Russian manufacturer can compete with the best European tires. The Winter Drive model is the most popular. Its distinctive feature is the absence of studs, which is rarely found on winter tires. But even the not-so-successful Cordiant modifications meet modern quality standards and have excellent performance characteristics.

Car enthusiasts appreciate Cordiant for its good grip on the road surface . And it doesn’t matter whether it’s dry or wet asphalt, an icy road or a snowy field. Another advantage of domestic rubber is optimal water repellency. All Cordiant tires have widened grooves on the tread, which do an excellent job of draining water and snow mass.

The weakest point of tires from a Russian manufacturer is poor sound insulation. Another disadvantage: a decrease in tire pressure due to sudden temperature changes. The company has already started working on this problem and has achieved some positive results.

Belshina Artmotion Snow is a rare guest in Russia

Today it is almost impossible to find Belarusian Belshina tire models in stores. It’s a pity, because these tires competed in price with Russian ones, but demonstrated a completely different level of quality. Today, residents of many regions bordering Belarus travel to the Republic of Belarus to buy these particular tires at ridiculous prices. The advantages are obvious:

• the Artmotion Snow model is perfect for winter conditions in Russia, perfectly copes with all the troubles of the road and gets out of the most unpleasant situations;
• rubber from Belarus can surprise you in terms of comfort and workmanship, the materials used are of high quality, the ride is soft and pleasant;
• there are no manufacturing defects, the factory applies several levels of product testing, there is no doubt that you are buying a reliable product that will last quite a long time;
• Interestingly, the tread wear is one of the slowest in the entire budget line of tires, and this makes a potential car tire buyer very happy.

Belarusian production does create clear advantages for Belshina Artmotion Snow. If you find these tires in stores, you can purchase them for 1800-1900 rubles. This price will fit even into the most modest budget for seasonal tire replacement. Belshina can be considered one of the best in its class for an inexpensive car.

Advantages and disadvantages of Cordiant tires

If we consider the main performance characteristics and features of Cordiant car tires, then here, like any leading European manufacturer, it is worth noting the highest grip on the road surface in a variety of conditions. It doesn’t matter what you’re driving on - on a hot track, on a dry grader, on wet asphalt or on an icy road - Cordiant tires will cope with any surface and confidently move the car to the desired point along the desired trajectory. Experts note that the grip of Cordiant car tires is on the same level as the grip of tires from Pirelli, Michelin, Nokian and other leading European manufacturers.

Matador MP-30 Sibir Ice - excellent tires

Another tire option for little money from Slovakia is Matador. This brand is not so well known, but in professional circles it has received simply excellent reviews and opinions. The corporation owes its quality to the excellent management built by the parent company. It must be said that the production technologies are excellent. The rubber features are as follows:

• tires on passenger cars serve just fine, there is no reason to talk about shortcomings and problems, especially from the point of view of the quality of vehicle operation;
• It is interesting that the softness of the ride is one of the most noticeable among inexpensive car tires; there are no problems with operation on the highway or in the city;
• Slovak tires cling to the road just perfectly, there are no difficulties with operation, there are no problems in terms of workmanship and preparation;
• Only high-quality materials are selected for production, this is one of the best choices in its class, and the line is not new, so you don’t have to pay a lot of money.

Interestingly, the Matador MP-30 never became popular in Russia. With a conditional price for VAZ at the level of 1900-1950 rubles per tire, this model did not receive a significant increase in sales. Nevertheless, tires are consistently purchased by those who have already once given preference to Matador. And this also indicates fairly high quality and good performance.

Brief characteristics and assortment of "Belshina"

The Belshina winter line includes 14 standard sizes. All lines are equally good.

The company does not strive for standardization, however, tires of various modifications come out with consistently good characteristics. Explanation for this:

The tread pattern is typically “winter”, well thought out and suitable for using tires on roads of any degree of difficulty: loose or compacted snow, slush or ice.

The pattern is a directional V-shaped, obtained by drainage slits converging towards the center. Z-shaped slats are located in such a way that they restrain the mobility of the checkers.

Toyo Observe GARIT GIZ - one of the best solutions

You may doubt that Toyo tires can be considered budget solutions. Indeed, these are quite expensive tires compared to the cheapest offers. But this is one of the most affordable Japanese ones on the market. Toyo Observe are luxury tires that combine all the advantages of Japanese production:

• high manufacturing precision, absence of any problems with technical characteristics, very high softness and comfort of movement on any surface;
• tires get the car out of almost any trouble, offer excellent ride quality on snow and ice and help get rid of the feeling of insecurity;
• there is no doubt about the quality of the materials, as well as the rather long wear of the main part of the tread; such rubber will serve you for a long time and will not cause any problems with the car;
• In terms of price-quality ratio, this is one of the best choices on the market, even though the tire belongs to the mid-price class segment among its competitors.

Advantages and disadvantages of Cordiant tires

The first advantage of the product is the highest grip characteristics. The condition of the road surface does not matter: slush, ice, deep puddles. The tires handle straight and zigzag sections of the road equally well. In terms of clutch, Cordiant competes with Michelin, Nokian, and other world-famous manufacturers.

Other working qualities are also well developed. Although rolling resistance and hydroplaning deserve special mention and the highest scores. Tires cut through water, removing it as quickly as possible from the contact patch between the wheel and the road.

The rubber mixture uses natural and synthetic materials to ensure excellent structural geometry.

It is difficult to find obvious shortcomings in Cordiant.

Let's sum it up

The list of inexpensive tires and budget manufacturers can be continued. But the five above have everything you need. Theoretically, the choice of the majority could be Toyo. This is a logical decision in terms of price-quality ratio. But in fact, Matador and Sava are gaining popularity, along with tires produced in Russia. So it is very difficult to understand the features of the Russian market. However, sometimes it is better to overpay a little money and get a truly high-quality and reliable solution as car tires. Even a relatively large overpayment will pay off with the excellent quality and long service life of your new tires.

It has long been proven by long-term tests that tires from the middle price class are more profitable. It lasts longer, wears less and wears evenly, performs well in difficult conditions and often helps avoid disaster. So these benefits are really impressive. Not all budget tires can boast the same. When choosing tires, consider not only the brand and cost. Look at the reviews of those motorists who have already purchased this model. Reviews can often be used to determine exactly how good an offer is.

The Cordiant company is well-known among many motorists. It is very popular due to the fact that it produces many high-quality products. The assortment also includes many winter models that are suitable for harsh Russian winters. However, when choosing, some people think: what is better, Cordiant or models from other manufacturers? To answer this question, compare Cordiant tires with competitors.

It is worth noting that the comparison will be made only with top models, since manufacturers use all the advanced technologies when developing them and try to produce the highest quality tires with high performance.

Belshina and Cordiant: comparison, differences, which is better

Most car enthusiasts prefer to buy tires from European manufacturers , considering them to be of higher quality and more reliable.
However, in recent years, tires from Russia and other CIS countries have been in increasing demand among car enthusiasts. And this is not surprising, because their quality is excellent. Advanced technologies are used to produce tires , and the quality of the products is seriously monitored. This allowed domestic products to come close in quality to European ones and compete with them. Tires Cordiant from Russia and Belshina from Belarus took the leading positions. Which of these manufacturers produces the best quality tires?

Cordiant or Kama

Cordiant's best winter tires are Snow Cross - studded tires designed for passenger cars that can operate in severe frosts. The tread pattern in the form of directed arrows is responsible for traction with the road. It also provides directional stability. The side part of the model is reinforced, so you can perform sharp maneuvers.

The Russian manufacturer considers the Kama Euro-519 model to be the best. Its peculiarity is that the tread pattern consists of two layers. The inner one is harder, it provides reinforcement to the frame, and the outer one is soft, in the cold it is responsible for the adhesion properties and does not worsen them.

Accordingly, Cordiant tires are better in a number of indicators: grip on ice and snow, handling and cross-country ability. The main advantage of Kama tires is the price, which is comparatively lower. The model is decent for its price, but in comparison it loses.

Description and range of Cordiant models

In the rich variety of winter slopes from this manufacturer, one can distinguish the best and not the most successful models. However, all models are distinguished by high performance characteristics: cross-country ability in snowdrifts:

But in the winter range of Cordiant tires, the Winter Drive tire stands apart - one of the best modifications on the European market. This is not a studded version, which is atypical for seasonal tires from domestic manufacturers.

The unique properties of the model are given by the rubber mixture used for production and the tread with a complex combination of blocks and lamellas. The strength and unusually long service life of the tire have gained great authority among drivers.

Operating data of winter slopes Cordiant Winter Drive:

Cordiant or Viatti

According to the Viatti company's rating, the Viatti Bosco Nordico model is considered the best. Tires are equipped with studs, which are responsible for traction properties. Also unusual here is the tread pattern, which has lugs on the side blocks. They improve maneuverability in difficult conditions.

The advantages of this model are controllability on snow and low cost. Disadvantages: weak grip on ice, as well as excessive noise. If we compare them with Cordiant, Snow Cross is still better in the most important indicators - grip on any surface, directional control and resistance to aquaplaning.

Cordiant winter tires are definitely a great option for the price. They perfectly cope with their task - ensuring safe and comfortable driving. These tires are ideal for motorists who prefer a relaxed driving style.

Until recently, wheels for R16 cars were a luxury, but today they are a standard option for most car enthusiasts. Therefore, it is no coincidence that this disk size became a participant in the next test.

This time, Belshina showed an active desire to conduct testing. Today this domestic manufacturer pleases us with new models of Artmotion summer tires.

In parallel with Belshina, several more participants took part in testing, focused on operation on hard road surfaces. It is worth noting in advance that during testing there will be no division into so-called premium and budget varieties of tires. The finished results, as usual, will be summarized in a table, where pre-calculated points will indicate the rating occupied by a particular tire.

It is known that the following three new products will be tested: Michelin Primacy 3, Bridgestone Turanza T001 and, of course, Nexen N'blue HD. In addition, two of the announced models of the French manufacturer were not produced in France. The new products will have to be compared with low rolling resistance rubber, which will allow us to draw a conclusion about a possible combination of economy and safety. Hakka Blue and Nordman SX have common Russian roots. As for the last bus, it had not previously taken an active part.

The final participant in the list will be the English Avon, about the characteristic features of which very little is known.

Tire performance

Before starting testing, you should measure the commercial characteristics of the tires: the weight of the tire, which should not be too heavy, because entails excess consumption of fuel material. As a rule, the cheap price of a tire tells the consumer about its heavy weight.

Next, we measure the depth of the grooves of the tread itself and carefully transfer the coefficient. wear resistance, which is indicated on the side of the tread.

Quite unexpected results cast doubt on the honesty of many manufacturers. The only tire where the tread met the standard was the Nokian Nordman SX. The energy-saving EnergySaver+ tires are 6.7 mm. Belshina’s performance also turned out to be very, very modest – 7.1 mm.

It is also worth highlighting the durability factor (it is also called Treadwear). Treadwear data was listed on all tires except Cordiant. Treadwear indicators are very useful when choosing a tire, since a coefficient of 100 equates to approximately 24 thousand kilometers, after which the tires will wear out and will not be suitable for use. Belshina distinguished itself with the most modest indicators, claiming 180 on its Treadwear tires. The title of “unkillable” went to the Nokian Nordman SX with an indicator of 620.

Which tires do you prefer?

The choice of tires largely depends on the type of roads on which they are intended to be used. For regular city driving, Cordiant tires are a good economical option. They will ensure safe and comfortable driving on flat sections of the highway. These tires are not suitable for high speeds on asphalt surfaces. As the speed increases, they do not go quite smoothly; a slight adjustment . The braking results on dry asphalt are unsatisfactory, but on wet asphalt they are slightly better. For the summer period, for leisurely driving on the asphalt, you can use Cordiant of the Comfort , Sport , Standart , Business CS , 4X4 All terrain and Off- Road families for SUVs.

Comparative characteristics of the products of two manufacturers

If we compare products from both Russian manufacturers, then, according to expert estimates, Belshina is somewhat inferior to Cordiant.
Naturally, the whole point is that the manufacturer Cordiant produces car tires using higher and more innovative technologies, while adopting experience from global and European colleagues. And that is why most of the operational features of Cordiant car tires are of higher quality than those of Belshina products. If we consider the advantages of Belshina over Cordiant products, it is worth noting first of all that the safety margin of these car tires is much greater. This gives the advantage of longer use of these tires, which is undoubtedly a great advantage. However, in all other characteristics, Cordiant outperforms Belshina. Grip with the road surface is much better, and this applies to all types of modifications of car tires - summer, winter, and all-season.

Also, the tread profiles of most models are more optimized than those of Belshina, and this gives an advantage in the development of such qualities as rolling resistance, aquaplaning properties, as well as speed and braking characteristics. By the way, fuel consumption is better saved with Cordiant tires, which is achieved due to the better composition of the rubber mixture.

If we compare the composition of the rubber mixture of Belshina and Cordiant products, then here the products of the first manufacturer are also somewhat inferior to Cordiant. But it is worth noting that this loss is quite small, however, a loss is a loss, and Cordiant tires are of much higher quality in this component than products from Belshina. But Belshin car tires are superior to Cordiant tires in terms of environmental friendliness, and this is also a good plus for Belshin.

If we compare the reviews of the owners of these tires with the opinions of experts, then they actually have no differences with each other. Of course, Belshina car tires outperform Cordiant in the cost of their products, and it would seem that for Russian and European drivers this should be the decisive factor when choosing a set of tires for their own vehicle. However, since recently there has been a global trend towards providing ourselves with better quality goods, Cordiant tires, nevertheless, in Europe and Russia as a whole have an advantage in this indicator - the number of sales.

Summary

Perhaps someday in the foreseeable future the Belshin company will begin to adopt the experience of at least its compatriots in this regard. They will change their production technologies, and this will allow them to be at least a little closer to the main Russian supplier of car tires to the European market, Cordiant. According to company executives, work in this regard is underway, and it is quite possible that Belshina will soon reach a qualitatively new level, which will ultimately give a significant impetus to the development of the production of automobile tires in Russia as a whole.

In general, based on comparisons between drivers and experts of Cordiant and Belshina products, it is worth noting the following - each new modification of Cordiant car tires becomes better than the previous one, which cannot be said about Belshina products. This indicates the progressive development of the Cordiant manufacturer as a whole. Given that such shifts are not observed in Belshina, or they are observed, but to a much lesser extent, it is worth thinking about the fact that Belshina will never overtake Cordiant in its development. However, this will only be confirmed in the future.

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