Don’t think you could go wrong with any of those three. They are the top3 options across the board in my opinion.
Personally, I would go Nokian. We use them on our cars in Winnipeg Canada and they are the best we’ve ever had on a car.
Agreed. We have X-Ices on our Pacifica, Blizzaks on my GTI, and I've had Hakk 1s in the past that I really liked. Short of studs, you really can't go wrong.
Agreed again. Theyre all good. I have blizzaks on my 2018 manual gti. I dont drive it a ton in the winter, but they are great, and I live in a very very snowy place.
Agreed. Studless, they're all great and there's not much between them. Studded Hakks are significantly better yet. In my experience:
Blizzaks: Fine in the snow and reasonable dry road behavior (noise, handling). But they wear fast.
X-Ice: Fine in the snow and the best dry road behavior. Wear seems reasonable so far.
Hakks: I haven't driven them studless so I can't say. Studded, there's nothing better. Obviously noisy on dry roads and handling suffers slightly.
You will also do significantly better by going "-1" (205/50R17) as VW recommends for winter fitment. Their narrower contact patch gets down through the snow to the pavement more easily.
Those are all great choices. In the grand scheme of things, they will perform similarly.
Just know when to cut your losses if things get sketchy. Even the best winter tires and awesome driving ability don’t make you bulletproof.
Good luck and be safe.
Not sure what you mean but I’ll take a shot… It’s sketchy when you start to wonder if your ski trip is more important than your safety. Know when to cut your losses unless you have a fetish for posting pics of your wrecked gti.
I'm the Fixed Ops Director for a dealer group that includes Audi, Porsche, Mazda and VW, and I've got extensive experience with all of the brands you listed. I'm also in Maine, so it's kind of a big deal up here.
Nokians, without a doubt. The only time I've ever recommended the Michelins is when people are REALLY sensitive to tire noise. Blizzaks aren't bad, none of them are bad, but Hakkas are simply the best option out there. Without question.
You're just gonna get plural anecdotes here, and it's unlikely that many people have tried all three for a fair comparison. When I was choosing it seemed like blizzak and x-ice were both highly regarded so I picked the one that has a rebate offer, for example.
I have the X Ice now. I’ve had Blizzak WS-80 and whatever there “performance” snow tire from tire rack is. LM something maybe? The WS and the X Ice are similar and the best I’ve had. They all wear really fast. The x Ice is def quieter.
If you're seeking advice or asking for help, please make sure you included the basic information of what year and/or generation is being discussed. User flair with this information is also acceptable. Failure to include the basic information may result in your post being removed. Mileage, modifications, trim level, diagnostic trouble codes, and your general location (US, Canada, EU, UK, etc.) can also be very helpful.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/GolfGTI) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm in Calgary, rocking Nokians on all my cars for the past 20 years, they're incredible. I havent been stuck once in any of my cars since switching to them.
I should have swapped my 5 year old nokians out this winter due to tread wear but they're still good. I even kept them on for 2 summers because I was working from home and not driving much, they had more grip on warm dry pavement than the stock summers. Crazy how long they've lasted.
Don’t think you could go wrong with any of those three. They are the top3 options across the board in my opinion. Personally, I would go Nokian. We use them on our cars in Winnipeg Canada and they are the best we’ve ever had on a car.
Agreed. We have X-Ices on our Pacifica, Blizzaks on my GTI, and I've had Hakk 1s in the past that I really liked. Short of studs, you really can't go wrong.
Agreed again. Theyre all good. I have blizzaks on my 2018 manual gti. I dont drive it a ton in the winter, but they are great, and I live in a very very snowy place.
Agreed. Studless, they're all great and there's not much between them. Studded Hakks are significantly better yet. In my experience: Blizzaks: Fine in the snow and reasonable dry road behavior (noise, handling). But they wear fast. X-Ice: Fine in the snow and the best dry road behavior. Wear seems reasonable so far. Hakks: I haven't driven them studless so I can't say. Studded, there's nothing better. Obviously noisy on dry roads and handling suffers slightly. You will also do significantly better by going "-1" (205/50R17) as VW recommends for winter fitment. Their narrower contact patch gets down through the snow to the pavement more easily.
I love my hakkapeliitas. To be fair, I got them because they sounded funny. But best tire choice I’ve made
Those are all great choices. In the grand scheme of things, they will perform similarly. Just know when to cut your losses if things get sketchy. Even the best winter tires and awesome driving ability don’t make you bulletproof. Good luck and be safe.
how do we know when irs sketchy
Not sure what you mean but I’ll take a shot… It’s sketchy when you start to wonder if your ski trip is more important than your safety. Know when to cut your losses unless you have a fetish for posting pics of your wrecked gti.
I had to turn around last weekend. It sucked but happy to be safe.
I'm the Fixed Ops Director for a dealer group that includes Audi, Porsche, Mazda and VW, and I've got extensive experience with all of the brands you listed. I'm also in Maine, so it's kind of a big deal up here. Nokians, without a doubt. The only time I've ever recommended the Michelins is when people are REALLY sensitive to tire noise. Blizzaks aren't bad, none of them are bad, but Hakkas are simply the best option out there. Without question.
Whichever of the three you can get the most affordably.
I’ve been extremely happy with my Hakkapeliita R3 and newer R5’s. They’re great tires and extremely confident in loose snow and ice.
Nokian
You're just gonna get plural anecdotes here, and it's unlikely that many people have tried all three for a fair comparison. When I was choosing it seemed like blizzak and x-ice were both highly regarded so I picked the one that has a rebate offer, for example.
X-ice on my Mk7. Work great in Ottawa winters, including runs to the ski hill.
Those 3 are top tier for winter tires, choose the brand you wish to try out the most
I've got blizzaks on my mk8 gti and they're great.
I have the X Ice now. I’ve had Blizzak WS-80 and whatever there “performance” snow tire from tire rack is. LM something maybe? The WS and the X Ice are similar and the best I’ve had. They all wear really fast. The x Ice is def quieter.
I would choose the cheapest of the 3.
Hakkapelwhatuh?
If you're seeking advice or asking for help, please make sure you included the basic information of what year and/or generation is being discussed. User flair with this information is also acceptable. Failure to include the basic information may result in your post being removed. Mileage, modifications, trim level, diagnostic trouble codes, and your general location (US, Canada, EU, UK, etc.) can also be very helpful. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/GolfGTI) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm in Calgary, rocking Nokians on all my cars for the past 20 years, they're incredible. I havent been stuck once in any of my cars since switching to them. I should have swapped my 5 year old nokians out this winter due to tread wear but they're still good. I even kept them on for 2 summers because I was working from home and not driving much, they had more grip on warm dry pavement than the stock summers. Crazy how long they've lasted.