Nokian Hakkapeliitta 01 vs Continental IceContact 3: It’s a changing of the guard in studded winter tires. Nokian arrives with the new Hakkapeliitta 01 and its revolutionary retractable studs, while Continental prepares to say goodbye to the IceContact 3 as its successor approaches. So this is one last dance: new technology versus the proven old guard. Can Nokian live up to the hype, or does the IceContact 3 still have one final statement to make?
Table of Contents
Results: Nokian Hakkapeliitta 01 vs Continental IceContact 3
Results below were taken from 2026 Aftonbladet Winter Tire Test with a total of 12 tires tested. The graph below shows the comparison between Nokian Hakkapeliitta 01 vs Continental IceContact 3 based on the relevant performance category. The Nokian Hakkapeliitta 01 was set as a reference hence at the 100% mark.
Note that for subjective ratings, 1 point is equivalent to 10%. So if tire A has a 4 point rating & tire B has a 3 point rating, tire A is better than tire B by 10%. The tire size of interest is a 205/55 R16 which is a common tire size for Toyota Corolla. The testing vehicle is a Volkswagen Golf.
Ice
On ice, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 01 is clearly stronger. It stops 3.6 meters shorter than the Continental IceContact 3, at 39.9 m versus 43.5 m, giving Continental an 8% deficit. In acceleration, Nokian is 0.7 seconds quicker, taking 6.5 seconds versus 7.2 seconds, with Continental 10% behind.
The gap is smaller in ice handling. Nokian completes the lap 1.0 second faster, 49.2 seconds versus 50.2 seconds, a 2% advantage. Subjectively, Nokian scores 1 point higher, 10 versus 9, with Continental 5% behind. Overall, the Hakkapeliitta 01 has the stronger ice package, with its biggest advantages coming in braking and acceleration.
IceContact 3 :
- -8% in ice braking
- -10% in ice acceleration
- -2% in ice handling (lap time)
- -5% in ice handling (subj)
Snow
On snow, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 01 again has the advantage. It stops 1.6 meters shorter, at 50.6 m versus 52.2 m, leaving the Continental IceContact 3 3% behind. In acceleration, Nokian is just 0.1 seconds quicker, 6.6 versus 6.7 seconds, a small 1% advantage.
Snow handling is similarly close, with Nokian completing the lap 0.4 seconds faster, 46.0 versus 46.4 seconds, a 1% advantage. Subjectively, Nokian scores 1 point higher, 10 versus 9, with Continental 5% behind. Overall, the Hakkapeliitta 01 holds a small but consistent advantage on snow, especially in braking and subjective handling.
IceContact 3 :
- -3% in snow braking
- -1% in snow acceleration
- -1% in snow handling (lap time)
- -5% in snow handling (subj)
Wet
In the wet, the Continental IceContact 3 has a very small edge. It stops 0.5 meters shorter, at 35.3 m versus 35.8 m, giving it a 1% advantage in wet braking.
Wet handling is almost identical, with Continental completing the lap just 0.1 seconds faster, 40.5 versus 40.6 seconds, which is effectively 0% difference. Subjectively, both tires score 8 out of 10, so there is no difference here either. Overall, wet performance is essentially a tie, with only a slight braking advantage for Continental.
IceContact 3 :
- +1% in wet braking
- 0% in wet handling (lap time)
- 0% in wet handling (subj)
Dry
In the dry, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 01 stops 0.2 meters shorter, at 32.4 m versus 32.6 m, giving it a small 1% braking advantage. Subjectively, however, the Continental IceContact 3 scores 1 point higher, 8 versus 7, giving it a 5% advantage in dry handling. Overall, Nokian is slightly better in dry braking, while Continental feels better to drive.
IceContact 3 :
- -1% in dry braking
- +5% in dry handling (subjective)
Subjective Noise
For noise, both tires are evenly matched. The Nokian Hakkapeliitta 01 and Continental IceContact 3 both score 7 out of 10, so there is 0% difference between them.
IceContact 3 :
- 0% in subj noise
Price
For the 205/55 R16 size, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 01 costs €186, while the Continental IceContact 3 is cheaper at €169. That makes the IceContact 3 €17 cheaper, or about 9% less expensive than the Hakkapeliitta 01. So despite Nokian’s stronger ice and snow performance, Continental holds the clear advantage on price.
Tire size: 205/55 R16
- Hakkapeliitta 01 : € 186
Difference: +10% more cheaper for IceContact 3
Conclusion
From a tyre engineering point of view, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 01 once again stands out where a studded winter tyre matters most. Its stronger ice braking, acceleration and snow performance show a very well-balanced winter package, not just a single headline result.
The Continental IceContact 3 still has clear strengths in dry handling, wet performance and price, but for severe winter conditions, I would see the Nokian as the more complete technical package. It feels like a strong statement from Nokian’s new generation, while the IceContact 3 finishes its run with a very respectable final performance.
Dr Edwin Pang