P3 of 6
Nordic Friction Winter Tyres Beat 60% of the field
Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 Test Results
Tested 7 times by independent publications, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 has taken 2 test wins with an average finish of 4th. Its strongest discipline is Snow Braking, beating 75% of the field across 5 tests; its weakest is Wet Braking, at 46% across 5 tests.
- 7Independent tests
- 2Test wins
- 4Podium finishes
- 4thAverage finish
- 57%Field beaten on average
- 5Publications
7 tests, 2018 to 2021
- Test win
- Second
- Third
- Average 57%
The latest test
2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test P3 of 6Nordic Friction Winter Tyres
Record by discipline
Where the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 finished in each measured discipline, across every test that measured it against at least two other tyres. Field beaten is the share of the other tyres it outranked in that measurement.
| Discipline | Tests | Avg finish | Field beaten | Firsts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry | ||||
| Dry Braking | 5 | P3.4 of 8 | 59% | - |
| Dry Handling | 1 | P5 of 6 | 20% | - |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 2 | P4.5 of 10 | 58% | - |
| Wet | ||||
| Wet Braking Weak | 5 | P4.6 of 8 | 46% | 1 |
| Wet Handling | 4 | P3.5 of 8 | 60% | - |
| Subj. Wet Handling | 1 | P3 of 12 | 82% | - |
| Straight Aqua | 1 | P7 of 8 | 14% | - |
| Snow | ||||
| Snow Braking Strong | 5 | P3 of 8 | 75% | 2 |
| Snow Traction | 3 | P3 of 8.7 | 78% | 1 |
| Snow Handling | 5 | P3.2 of 8 | 67% | 1 |
| Subj. Snow Handling | 1 | P1 of 12 | 100% | 1 |
| Ice | ||||
| Ice Braking | 5 | P3.6 of 7.8 | 56% | 1 |
| Ice Traction | 3 | P4.7 of 8.7 | 42% | - |
| Ice Handling | 4 | P3.3 of 8.5 | 68% | - |
| Subj. Ice Handling | 1 | P1 of 12 | 100% | 1 |
| Comfort | ||||
| Subj. Noise | 3 | P3.3 of 8.7 | 65% | 1 |
| Value | ||||
| Rolling Resistance | 2 | P2 of 8 | 86% | 1 |
Head-to-head record
Overall finishing position against the tyres that have most often shared a test with the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3. Only tyres tested alongside it at least three times are listed.
| Rival | Shared tests | Ahead | Behind | Level | Finished ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Michelin X Ice Snow
4 shared: 3 ahead, 0 behind
|
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 100% |
 Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9
4 shared: 2 ahead, 2 behind
|
4 | 2 | 2 | - | 50% |
 Continental VikingContact 7
4 shared: 1 ahead, 2 behind
|
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 33% |
 Nexen Winguard Ice+ WH43
3 shared: 3 ahead, 0 behind
|
3 | 3 | 0 | - | 100% |
 Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
3 shared: 2 ahead, 1 behind
|
3 | 2 | 1 | - | 67% |
 Hankook Winter I cept iZ2 W616
3 shared: 2 ahead, 1 behind
|
3 | 2 | 1 | - | 67% |
Against its own line
The same record for the tyre it replaced and the tyre that replaced it.
| Tyre | Tests | Wins | Avg finish | Field beaten |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 Predecessor | 1 | 0 | 7th | 0% |
| Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 This tyre | 7 | 2 | 4th | 57% |
| Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 Successor | 11 | 2 | 3rd | 58% |
Performance Analysis
Drawn from 7 tests. Updated September 29, 2026.
The Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 shows a clear pattern as a high-performing Nordic friction winter tyre, repeatedly excelling in core winter disciplines (snow and especially ice) and often pairing that with good efficiency. It won its class in the 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (1st of 12 Nordic friction tyres) with standout ice results (1st in ice braking; 2nd in ice handling at +0.2% from best) and very strong snow behaviour (2nd in snow handling at +0.2% and 1st in subjective snow handling). It also finished 2nd of 8 in the 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic friction test and was described as “an excellent nordic winter tyre with strong ice grip, and a balanced performance in the snow, dry and wet”, while Consumer Reports (2020) called it “one of the highest-rated winter/snow tyres”, citing top marks for ice braking and snow traction along with 'Very Good' rolling resistance. Rolling resistance is consistently competitive (e.g. 1st of 8 in 2018 Vi; 3rd of 8 at +2.4% in 2020 Vi Bilagare), supporting the repeated tester comments about low rolling resistance.
The main exceptions are on wet-road safety margins and refinement: aquaplaning and wet braking can be notably behind the class leaders in some tests, and noise/comfort are mixed depending on the test and scoring method. The 2020 Vi Bilagare test flagged “poor aquaplaning result” (7th of 8, +14.7% from best) and relatively high noise (subjective noise 7th of 8, +60% from best). Wet braking swings from class-leading (1st of 6 in the 2021 multi-class test) to weak (6th of 6 at +43.9% in the 2019 multi-tyre-type comparison, and 4th of 12 at +24.9% in 2020 Test World), indicating that while the R3 is a strong choice for severe winter use, its wet performance is not uniformly class-best.
Performance Strengths
-
Snow traction
Strong
in 4 of 6 tests
Details
- 1st of 8 in snow traction, 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test (Nordic friction reference in a studded field context)
- 2nd of 6 in snow traction (+1.8% from class best), 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test (Nordic friction class)
- Consumer Reports 2020: “top marks for ... snow traction”
Good in all winter conditions
- 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test (2021)- 2020 Consumer Reports North America Winter Tyre Test (2020)
a balanced performance in the snow, dry and wet
- 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test (2020)One of the best tyres in the snow and the dry
- 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test (2018)
-
Ice grip
Strong
in 4 of 6 tests
Details
- 1st of 12 in ice braking, 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (Nordic friction class)
- 2nd of 12 in ice handling (+0.2% from class best), 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test
- 2020 Vi Bilagare: ice handling 2nd of 8 (+0.6% from best) and tester note “strong ice grip”
excellent handling on ice
- 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (2020)An excellent nordic winter tyre with strong ice grip
- 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test (2020)earns top marks for braking on ice
- 2020 Consumer Reports North America Winter Tyre Test (2020)The Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 is continues to be a leading studless friction winter tyre with excellent handling on snow, ice, dry and wet conditions
- The Best Winter Tyres for 2020 (2020)
-
Snow handling
Strong
in 2 of 6 tests
Details
- 1st of 6 in snow handling, 2019 Summer vs All Season vs Winter vs Nordic vs Studded comparative test
- 2nd of 12 in snow handling (+0.2% from class best), 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test
- 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test: subjective snow handling 1st of 12; tester noted “very good handling and confident behavior on snow”
The Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 is continues to be a leading studless friction winter tyre with excellent handling on snow, ice, dry and wet conditions
- The Best Winter Tyres for 2020 (2020)very good handling and confident behavior on snow
- 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (2020)
-
Rolling resistance
Strong
in 3 of 6 tests
Details
- 1st of 8 in rolling resistance, 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test
- 3rd of 8 in rolling resistance (+2.4% from best), 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic friction test
- Tester comments in 2021 class test and Consumer Reports 2020 highlight low / Very Good rolling resistance
low rolling resistance
- 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test (2021)better-than-average rolling resistance rating of Very Good
- 2020 Consumer Reports North America Winter Tyre Test (2020)low rolling resistance
- 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (2020)
-
Dry grip
Moderate
in 2 of 6 tests
Details
- Dry braking 2nd of 12 (+1.4% from class best), 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (Nordic friction class)
- 2018 Vi test: dry braking 2nd of 8 (+0.9% from best), noted as “one of the best tyres in the snow and the dry”
- 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test: tester noted “above average performance in the dry”
a balanced performance in the snow, dry and wet
- 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test (2020)One of the best tyres in the snow and the dry
- 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test (2018)
-
Dry handling
Moderate
in 2 of 6 tests
Details
The Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 is continues to be a leading studless friction winter tyre with excellent handling on snow, ice, dry and wet conditions
- The Best Winter Tyres for 2020 (2020)above average performance in the dry
- 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (2020)
-
Road noise
Moderate
in 2 of 6 tests
Details
low noise level
- 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (2020)Lowest noise of all the tyres
- 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test (2018)
-
Wet grip
Moderate
in 2 of 6 tests
Details
a balanced performance in the snow, dry and wet
- 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test (2020)- 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (2020)
Performance Weaknesses
-
Aquaplaning resistance
Moderate
in 1 of 6 tests
Details
- Straight aquaplaning 7th of 8 (+14.7% from best), 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic friction test
- 2020 Vi Bilagare tester note: “poor aquaplaning result”
poor aquaplaning result
- 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test (2020)
-
Wet braking
Strong
Details
- 6th of 6 in wet braking (+43.9% from best), 2019 multi-tyre-type comparison test
- 4th of 12 in wet braking (+24.9% from class best), 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (Nordic friction class)
- 8th of 8 in wet braking (+15.9% from best), 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test (Nordic friction reference in studded field context)
-
Road noise
Moderate
in 2 of 6 tests
Details
- Subjective noise 7th of 8 (+60% from best), 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic friction test; tester noted “Relatively high levels of noise”
- Consumer Reports 2020: “merely Good ratings for noise”
- 2021 class test: subjective noise 2nd of 6 (+10% from class best) showing variability by method and field
merely Good ratings for noise
- 2020 Consumer Reports North America Winter Tyre Test (2020)Relatively high levels of noise
- 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test (2020)
-
Ride comfort
Minor
in 1 of 6 tests
Details
- Consumer Reports 2020: “merely Good ratings for ... ride comfort-there are ... smoother-riding alternatives”
-
Dry handling
Moderate
in 1 of 6 tests
Details
- 2021 class test: tester negative “Poor dry drivability” despite competitive dry braking (4th of 6 at +0.3%)
- 2020 Test World: subjective dry handling 4th of 12 (+20% from class best)
- 2020 Vi Bilagare: subjective dry handling 5th of 8 (+40% from best)
Poor dry drivability
- 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test (2021)
Do owners agree with the tests?
Every tester write-up on the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 (6 tests) and 15 owner reviews were tagged for the aspects they judge. Where both have spoken, this is how they line up.
Where owners and testers agree
- Snow traction strength in 4 of 6 tests 10 praise, 1 criticise of 15 reviews · Read those reviews
- Ice grip strength in 4 of 6 tests 4 praise, 0 criticise of 15 reviews · Read those reviews
- Snow handling strength in 2 of 6 tests 3 praise, 1 criticise of 15 reviews · Read those reviews
Raised by owners, not by any test of this tyre
- Steering feel no test mentions it 0 praise, 3 criticise of 15 reviews · Read those reviews
Flagged by testers, not mentioned by owners
- Rolling resistance strength in 3 of 6 tests no owner mentions it
Every test, newest first 7
Strong = top two of the field in that measurement. Weak = bottom two.
2021 1 test
2020 4 tests
P6 of 17
Beat 69% of the field
2020 Consumer Reports North America Winter Tyre Test
This is one of the highest-rated winter/snow tires. It earns top marks for braking on ice and snow traction, and earns a better-than-average rolling resistance rating of Very Good. (Low rolling resistance can lead to improved fuel economy.) But note the merely Good ratings for noise and ride comfort—there are quieter, smoother-riding alternatives.
P2 of 8
Beat 86% of the field
P1 of 19
Beat 67% of the field
P1 of 12
Nordic Friction Winter Tyres Beat 100% of the field
2019 1 test
P5 of 6
Beat 20% of the field
2018 1 test
P8 of 8
Beat 0% of the field
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