Best Winter/Snow Tires Rated and Recommended by Consumer Reports

Now is the right time to get this automotive winter-prep chore out of the way before supplies decline due to seasonal demand for your particular vehicle model and the tire type you will need depending on your local winter driving conditions.

Related article: Your Toyota Won't Start This Winter? Try This First Before Going to a Mechanic

CR Winter Tire Tests and Recommendations

Today, CR analysts added to their updated lists of tire recommendations by selecting those tires they say are the top-scoring winter/snow tires that are proven to provide a good grip on snowy roads this winter.

According to their latest newsletter:

"CR has tested dozens of tires specifically engineered to provide cold-weather traction, including 11 winter/snow tires for cars and crossover vehicles, seven performance winter/snow tires for sporty cars, and eight designed for pickups and SUVs. All of these tires are for seasonal use with special tread features to provide a sure-footed grip on ice and snow."

Those specialized tread features include formulated tread compounds that help the rubber stay pliable in the cold, along with numerous biting edges for gripping snow and ice.

To identify these tires, you will want to look for those tires that have the mountain and snowflake symbol on the sidewall, indicating they meet the snow traction requirements of winter/snow tires.

Tire Selection Considerations and Recommendations

While all of the tires are reported to be suitable for any vehicle—front, rear, or even all-wheel drive—you should always use them in sets of four for the best grip and balanced handling.

Related article: Consumer Reports Car Experts Explain and Compare 2WD vs. AWD vs. 4WD

Furthermore, although all-terrain tires offer some advantages for winter/snow driving, they are not a close enough match to tires designed especially for the worst winter weather conditions, where slipping and gripping are their primary design factors.

That said, listed below is a summary of their top-scoring winter/snow tires:

Best Winter/Snow Tire: Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 (Price: $240.17)

Alternative tires recommended: Continental VikingContact 7 and Michelin X Ice Snow

CR Notes: The Continental has higher scores for ride comfort and noise, but member satisfaction is higher for Nokian and Michelin.

Best Performance Winter/Snow Tire: Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 (Price: $278)

Alternative tires: Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 3

CR Notes: Tying it is the less expensive Hankook Winter i*cept Evo 3. It matches the hydroplaning resistance, snow traction, and ice braking ratings but trails the Bridgestone in some other measures.

Best Winter/Snow Truck Tire: Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV (Price: $216.00)

Alternative tires: GT Radial IcePro SUV 3

CR Notes: Second place is the GT Radial IcePro SUV 3, another tire that shines in snow traction, ice braking, and rolling resistance for much less money.

Best All-Season Tire: Nokian Remedy WRG5 (Price: $185)

Alternative tires: None listed

CR Notes: It delivers well-above-average snow traction, and above-average resistance to hydroplaning, ice braking, dry braking, and ride comfort. But its projected tread life is just 50,000 miles.

Best All-Season SUV Tire: Michelin CrossClimate2 (Price: $232.99)

Alternative tires: Vredestein HiTrac.

CR Notes: The Vredestein HiTrac is a good alternative. This is a traditional all-season SUV tire, but it earned top marks in our testing for snow traction and ice braking. In fact, every test yielded above-average results, with ride comfort being the sole exception with an average score.

Best All-Season Truck Tire: Continental TerrainContact H/T (Price: $219.99)

Continental TerrainContact H/T (Price: $213.99)

Alternative tires: Vredestein Pinza HT

CR Notes: The Vredestein Pinza HT earned above-average scores for snow traction, ice braking, hydroplaning resistance, and dry braking.

Best All-Terrain Truck Tire: Vredestein Pinza AT (Price: $212.77)

Alternative tires: Continental Terrain Contact A/T and Michelin LTX A/T 2

CR Notes: The Continental Terrain Contact A/T and Michelin LTX A/T 2 are capable alternatives, with strong winter performance. The Continental is distinguished by its high score for noise. The Michelin is rated below average for noise, but it boasts 80,000 miles of predicted tread life—the most in this category. The clincher: The Vredestein is much cheaper than those competitors.

For additional winter-related articles, be sure to check out these selected two: "Everything You Need To Know About Buying Car and Truck Tires" and "Insulate Your Garage Door for This Winter."

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he currently works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools; and other related topical automotive repair news that is informative, if not at least entertaining. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWritesfor daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

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