Both the Kleber Krisalp HP3 and the Sava Eskimo HP2, are top budget winter tires, celebrated for their impressive performance on types of weather conditions. Though let’s see which one comes on top here.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaway
Sava Eskimo HP2 excels in:
- Dry Traction: Thanks to a thicker middle section and a continuous middle strip for constant road contact, resulting in quicker stopping times.
- Wet Traction: Its innovative dual siping design ensures efficient water absorption and a robust grip on slightly dried surfaces.
- Fuel Efficiency: Due to longitudinally aligned tread ribs and a compound resistant to bending, this tire offers better fuel economy.
- Ice Traction: Aggressive biters on the central rib and shoulders, combined with angled cuts, dual siping, and in-groove notches ensure exceptional ice-biting performance.
- Noise Reduction: Compact shoulder lug design and densely arranged central lugs, combined with advanced pitch sequencing technology, mitigate road noise effectively.
Kleber Krisalp HP3 (review) excels in:
- Hydroplaning Resistance: Features larger grooves and sweeping arms for optimal water dispersion and superior hydroplaning resistance.
- Snow Traction: The larger tread voids enhance snow gripping and retention abilities, ensuring better performance in fluffy/powdery snow.
- Impact Comfort: An absorbent tread rubber and deeper tread offer a thicker cushion between the vehicle and the road, absorbing shocks and providing a smoother, more comfortable ride on uneven surfaces.
Areas for Improvement:
- The Kleber Krisalp HP3 could improve its dry traction and fuel efficiency due to its large tread gaps and heavier weight.
- The Sava Eskimo HP2 could enhance its snow traction due to its more enclosed structure limiting snow-to-snow contact.
Dry Traction
The Sava Eskimo HP2 does this really well when it comes to directional grip, thanks to its thicker middle section which supports most of the tire’s weight when driving straight.
This leads to stopping around five feet quicker than others on average in tests.
The reason it works so well is its continuous middle strip that keeps the tire in constant contact with the road.
On the other hand, the Kleber Krisalp HP3 struggles in comparison.
Having larger gaps in the tread, its middle section doesn’t contact the road with as much rubber.
Moreover, due to heavier weight, the tire also does not offer as good of a steering response, as seen on its counterpart.
Verdict: Sava Eskimo HP2 takes the lead, in terms of overall dry traction.
Enhanced Wet Traction
Wet traction hinges on two pivotal factors: the tread pattern and rubber compound. Both crucially contribute to gripping wet surfaces and averting hydroplaning.
The Sava Eskimo HP2 has an edge here with its innovative dual siping design, comprising rectilinear and interlocking slits that act as water magnets. These sipes work in tandem to efficiently absorb water, thereby enabling a robust grip on slightly dried surfaces.
Contrastingly, the Kleber Krisalp HP3, though featuring ample siping and adaptable tread rubber, falls short due to the absence of rectilinear slits, yielding somewhat inferior lateral traction.
Nevertheless, the Kleber redeems itself in hydroplaning resistance department, thanks to its slightly larger grooves and sweeping arms that optimally disperse water.
Its aggressive directional tread pattern and web of interconnected grooves actually offer a better water escaping efficacy, relatively.
Verdict: Sava Eskimo HP2 offers better wet grip, while the Kleber Krisalp HP3 provides superior resistance to hydroplaning.
Fuel Efficiency Evaluation
Fuel efficiency in tires is intricately tied to road grip and weight. So greater the grip, the more adhesive the tire would be with the road. Similarly, larger the wegith, the more the tread gets pushed down, and larger would be the rolling resistance.
That’s why here, the Sava Eskimo HP2, with its longitudinally aligned tread ribs and a compound resistant to bending, is taking the lead.
On the other side, the Kleber Krisalp HP3 could use some improvements here, as its hefty weight and large tread voids result in greater rolling resistance and friction.
Verdict: Sava Eskimo HP2 offers better fuel economy.
Snow Traction Review
When it comes to snow traction, the Kleber Krisalp HP3 takes the lead with its larger tread voids, which bolster its snow gripping and retention abilities.
The performance in snow is actually largely dependent on how well the tire offers snow to snow contact, and Kleber with its relatively larger voids grabs the snow, and holds on to it for good.
(Snow to snow contact is significant, because snow sticks better on other snowflakes, compared to rubber).
Conversely, the more enclosed structure of the Sava Eskimo HP2 is less effective in maintaining snow-to-snow contact.
Verdict: Kleber offers better fluffy/powdery snow traction.
Ice Traction Evaluation
In icy conditions, the Sava Eskimo HP2 unequivocally outperforms with faster stopping times and better acceleration capabilities on packed snow.
And its superior performance is attributed to its aggressive biters on both the central rib and the shoulders, which feature angled cuts, a dual siping pattern, and in-groove notches, culminating in exceptional ice-biting performance.
In contrast, the Kleber Krisalp HP3 falls behind, primarily due to its wider tread voids that provide fewer biters per unit surface area.
Verdict: Sava Eskimo HP2 offers better ice grip.
Comfort Level Appraisal
The comfort level delivered by a tire hinges on its ability to mitigate vibrations and generate minimal road noise, where both of these are influenced by the tire’s construction.
The Sava Eskimo HP2 excels in providing a quieter ride with its compact shoulder lug design and densely arranged central lugs.
These basically don’t allow air particles to freely flow and strike with the walls to create noise. Further, the tire also employs advanced pitch sequencing technology to mitigate residual noise.
On the other side, although the Kleber Krisalp HP3 doesn’t match up in noise reduction, it shines in impact comfort.
The tire, by design, absorbs shocks, and manages road irregularities and potholes exceptionally well. Its absorbent tread rubber and deeper tread offer a thicker cushion between the vehicle and the road, enhancing its shock-absorbing abilities and ensuring a smoother, more comfortable ride on uneven surfaces.
Verdict: Sava does better when it comes to noise, while the Kleber is superior in mitigating road bumps.
Conclusion
Both tires have their own strengths and weaknesses. The Sava Eskimo HP2 excels in dry and wet traction, ice traction, fuel efficiency, and noise reduction.
On the other hand, the Kleber Krisalp HP3 performs better in terms of snow traction and impact comfort.
The decision between the two tires depends on the driver’s specific needs and the prevailing driving conditions.
It is emphasized that regular maintenance and appropriate tire care can enhance the performance and longevity of both tire models.
