Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 review
The Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 is widely regarded as a premier studless winter tire, offering exceptional traction on snow and ice while maintaining impressive cabin quietness and ride comfort. While most users praise its performance in harsh Nordic-style winter conditions, some drivers note a compromise in dry-road handling stability and high-speed composure compared to performance-oriented winter tires.
Owners rate it 23.5 points higher than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
By owner reviews
91.5%By road tests
68%What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 40 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.
The Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 is widely regarded as a premier studless winter tire, offering exceptional traction on snow and ice while maintaining impressive cabin quietness and ride comfort. While most users praise its performance in harsh Nordic-style winter conditions, some drivers note a compromise in dry-road handling stability and high-speed composure compared to performance-oriented winter tires.
Pros
- Outstanding grip and confidence on packed snow and ice
- Significantly lower road noise compared to studded alternatives
- High level of ride comfort and smoothness
- Strong performance in varied winter conditions including slush and cold wet pavement
Cons
- Reduced stability and 'wandering' sensation at high speeds on dry pavement
- Reports of sidewall vulnerability to pothole damage
- Inconsistent performance in deep or heavy slush for some users
- Premium price point compared to competitors
Worth knowing
- Users with AWD vehicles like Subaru Outbacks and Volvo XC90s report the tire transforms the vehicle into an 'unstoppable' winter performer.
- Drivers of RWD vehicles with staggered setups reported less confidence, noting a lack of lateral stability and 'scary' handling at highway speeds in dry conditions.
- The tire is frequently praised for its quietness on larger SUVs, often outperforming previous generations of winter tires in terms of NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness).
10 published test appearances
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
The Best Snow tires for 2025/26 · 205/55 R16
3rd of 5
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 1st of 5 | |
| Dry Handling | 1st of 5 | |
| Snow Traction | 4th of 5 | |
| Snow Handling | 3rd of 5 | |
| Ice Handling | 2nd of 5 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 5 | |
| Straight Aqua | 2nd of 5 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 4th of 5 | |
| Subj. Comfort | 1st of 5 | |
| Noise | 4th of 5 | |
| Ice Traction | 4th of 5 |
2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter tire Test · 235/45 R18
10th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2025 Friction and Studded Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
2nd of 14
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 4th of 14 | |
| Wet Handling | 4th of 14 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 14 | |
| Snow Braking | 1st of 14 | |
| Snow Traction | 3rd of 14 | |
| Ice Braking | 3rd of 14 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 1st of 14 | |
| Subj. Wet Handling | 2nd of 14 | |
| Ice Traction | 2nd of 14 | |
| Subj. Noise | 2nd of 14 |
2024 Nordic Friction Winter tire Test · 225/45 R17
3rd of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 5th of 8 | |
| Snow Traction | 4th of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 2nd of 8 | |
| Ice Handling | 2nd of 8 | |
| Straight Aqua | 6th of 8 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 6th of 8 | |
| Noise | 5th of 8 | |
| Ice Traction | 2nd of 8 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 2nd of 8 |
2024 Studded tire Test · 225/45 R17
7th of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 6th of 8 | |
| Snow Traction | 1st of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Ice Handling | 2nd of 8 | |
| Straight Aqua | 8th of 8 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 8th of 8 | |
| Noise | 1st of 8 | |
| Ice Traction | 8th of 8 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 1st of 8 |
The Best Studded / Friction Winter tires for 2024 · 225/50 R17
10th of 17
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2023 Studless Friction Winter tire Test · 225/45 R17
3rd of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Snow Traction | 5th of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 1st of 8 | |
| Ice Handling | 2nd of 8 | |
| Straight Aqua | 4th of 8 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 5th of 8 | |
| Noise | 5th of 8 | |
| Ice Traction | 2nd of 8 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 3rd of 8 |
2023 Studless vs Studded Snow tire Test · 205/55 R16
2nd of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 5th of 8 | |
| Snow Braking | 2nd of 8 | |
| Snow Traction | 3rd of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 1st of 8 | |
| Ice Handling | 2nd of 8 | |
| Ice Traction | 4th of 8 |
2022/23 Tyre Reviews Studless Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
3rd of 9
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 5th of 9 | |
| Dry Handling | 4th of 9 | |
| Snow Traction | 1st of 9 | |
| Snow Handling | 2nd of 9 | |
| Ice Handling | 3rd of 9 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 9 | |
| Straight Aqua | 8th of 9 | |
| Subj. Comfort | 1st of 9 | |
| Noise | 2nd of 9 | |
| Ice Traction | 2nd of 9 | |
| Snow Circle | 2nd of 9 |
Nokian Outpost nAT vs Hakkapeliitta R5 vs WRG4 vs One · 265/65 R17
1st of 4
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Snow Traction | 1st of 4 | |
| Snow Handling | 1st of 4 |
Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 specs & sizes
Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Tread depth | 10.5/32″ |
| Sidewall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 51 psi |
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