The Winter's Coming Winter Tires Thread

[HockeyIlliterate]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Has anybody used the Nokian All Weather tires?
http://www.nokiantires.com/winter-tires/nokian-wrg3/

Sounds like a good idea, I'd just be concerned how they hold up over the long term.

I had Nokian WRG2 SUV tires on my (2 wheel drive) CR-V, from late 2010 to September 2013. I didn't drive that much during the winter--mostly to and from Lake Louise a weekend a month--but did most of my driving in the summer (mostly to the US border states and back, all on highways). Averaged around 10,500 miles a year.

I thought that the tires wore down quickly, particularly from "new" to 8 mm tread depth and then to 6 mm tread depth. As the "6" was wearing off the tread, they didn't seem to particularly good in winter conditions.

To be honest, when I got new tires (Michelin Defenders, as I no longer needed a winter tire at all), the guys at Costco said that the tires didn't need to be changed and they still had tread left on them, but I simply didn't feel safe with them on (given my upcoming driving plans).

For the price, I expected better longevity.

ETA: When driving in 90+ temps in Montana and Washington for long periods of time, the Nokians felt very squishy and rubbery--perhaps not the best word to use, but there was a distinct disconnect between steering and handling at hot temperatures. However, they did great (as would be expected) in rainy conditions--at least at first--and handled the Gates of Mountains area of I-15 in snowy/icy conditions with confidence.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Has anybody used the Nokian All Weather tires?
http://www.nokiantires.com/winter-tires/nokian-wrg3/

Sounds like a good idea, I'd just be concerned how they hold up over the long term.

Kal just asked Nokian to rebrand some of their winter tires with a better tread wear rating.

They beat all seasons, but are still lacking compared to dedicated winters and summers, and wear faster too.

[JohnnyO]

Originally Posted by HockeyIlliterate

I had Nokian WRG2 SUV tires on my (2 wheel drive) CR-V, from late 2010 to September 2013. I didn't drive that much during the winter--mostly to and from Lake Louise a weekend a month--but did most of my driving in the summer (mostly to the US border states and back, all on highways). Averaged around 10,500 miles a year.

I thought that the tires wore down quickly, particularly from "new" to 8 mm tread depth and then to 6 mm tread depth. As the "6" was wearing off the tread, they didn't seem to particularly good in winter conditions.

To be honest, when I got new tires (Michelin Defenders, as I no longer needed a winter tire at all), the guys at Costco said that the tires didn't need to be changed and they still had tread left on them, but I simply didn't feel safe with them on (given my upcoming driving plans).

For the price, I expected better longevity.

ETA: When driving in 90+ temps in Montana and Washington for long periods of time, the Nokians felt very squishy and rubbery--perhaps not the best word to use, but there was a distinct disconnect between steering and handling at hot temperatures. However, they did great (as would be expected) in rainy conditions--at least at first--and handled the Gates of Mountains area of I-15 in snowy/icy conditions with confidence.

I agree they wear down fast. I had them on my Pilot and they were super noisy, then inherited them on a XC90 and they were quiet, but wore down fast as well. You are better off going with a dedicated winter/summer as Nokians aren't cheap.

That and Kal-Tire (Only seller of Nokian's i think) are a bunch of bone heads, they dropped my XC90 off the jack/hoist and did a ton of damage to it while fixing a flat. Had to have a rental car for a weekend and never could get it aligned properly after. Volvo ended up finding a bent bolt that was the cause after a week long diagnosis.

[tvp2003]

Sorry if it's been discussed previously on this thread -- thoughts on buying used tires on kijiji? We bought a new car and I'm thinking of buying dedicated winters this year (used Nokian all-weathers on our previous two cars but found they wore down too quickly for the price). Found some potentially good deals (tires and tires + rims); is it just buyer beware in terms of age, condition, and looking for any damage or repairs?

Other option we're considering is buying from the US and picking them up in Montana.

Ps will a shop care if they have to mount/balance used tires instead of new ones? I'm guessing they do it all the time for people who don't get separate rims for their winters...

[btimbit]

I get used tires all the time, no problem with that. Just make sure you check each tire closely, make sure they're worn evenly. It is buyer beware but I've never had an issue. Most shops won't have an issue mounting either

[bossy22]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Kal just asked Nokian to rebrand some of their winter tires with a better tread wear rating.

They beat all seasons, but are still lacking compared to dedicated winters and summers, and wear faster too.

I found this as well with the Nokian All Weather tires. Jack of all trades, master of nothing. I found them noisy, didn't handle as well in the summer as my all seasons, and weren't as good on ice as my winter tires. I prefer to have two sets of tires. However, if you can't have two sets of tires, the Nokians are decent.

[taffeyb]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Sorry if it's been discussed previously on this thread -- thoughts on buying used tires on kijiji? We bought a new car and I'm thinking of buying dedicated winters this year (used Nokian all-weathers on our previous two cars but found they wore down too quickly for the price). Found some potentially good deals (tires and tires + rims); is it just buyer beware in terms of age, condition, and looking for any damage or repairs?

Other option we're considering is buying from the US and picking them up in Montana.

Ps will a shop care if they have to mount/balance used tires instead of new ones? I'm guessing they do it all the time for people who don't get separate rims for their winters...

I've bought 3 sets of winter tires over the last few years from Kijiji. Never had a problem. In all three cases, it was because they no longer owned the car that the tires came from. Just be sure to check for wear and if they are mounted on rims, check the air pressures. If one tire is quite different than the others, there may be a problem. The steelies used on winter tires damage easily if you hit a pot hole. Dents the rim and causes a bad seal and, hence, a leak.

[ken0042]

Thanks everybody for the feedback on the all weather tires. As it turns out my new car doesn't have TPMS, so I will get another set of rims and tires. Also any of my friends who were raving about them also haven't used them for 2 winters yet.

Regarding used, my only concern would be how much people want for them. I see ads where people are offering 20% off new; which to me isn't worth it. If you have used 20% of the tires (and the best 20% at that)- they should be offering a better discount.

[tvp2003]

Thanks. I was doing some more research last night and they suggest replacing a winter tire when there is only 6/32 left, versus a regular tire (3/32). Is that right? Do winter tires typically have more tread to start with?

[Bill Bumface]

When buying used tires, check the age. I've seen people trying to sell some really old tires on Kijiji before, and just because there is lots of tread left, doesn't mean they are safe. Part of the investigation into Paul Walker's death revealed his Carrera GT was on 9 year old tires, and that may have been a contributing factor:

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Thanks. I was doing some more research last night and they suggest replacing a winter tire when there is only 6/32 left, versus a regular tire (3/32). Is that right? Do winter tires typically have more tread to start with?

The tires are more effective in snow when they have more tread left.

If you are considering buying tires on Kijiji I would buy a tire depth gauge, they are very cheap. Last year I was looking on Kijiji for tires and most people don't understand tread depth and usually just make up a percent of tread wear. I personally couldn't find a good deal and just ended up buying new.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

When buying used tires, check the age. I've seen people trying to sell some really old tires on Kijiji before, and just because there is lots of tread left, doesn't mean they are safe. Part of the investigation into Paul Walker's death revealed his Carrera GT was on 9 year old tires, and that may have been a contributing factor:

Good advice. I bought a set off of Kijiji a few years back, but mainly for the alloy rims that they came on. It was only afterwards that I did some looking, and they pre-dated the "apline logo" of modern winter tires. They were definitely better than all-seasons for a few winters, and I still have the rims of course, but they were nowhere near as good as the el cheapo but modern winters I had on my other car.

I just replaced a couple of months ago, but I have yet to bolt them on. I'm secretly looking forward to testing them out when the snow starts flying.

[lazy_programmer]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Thanks. I was doing some more research last night and they suggest replacing a winter tire when there is only 6/32 left, versus a regular tire (3/32). Is that right? Do winter tires typically have more tread to start with?

These were some numbers I found this past year:

Intial tread depth:
Blizzak ws80 - 12/32"
Xice 3 - 10.5/32"
Nokian R2 - 12/32"

Recommended wear:
The Nokian claim to be good down to 4/32". I did not see anything definitive for the Blizzak or Xice, but I have followed the 6/32" rule for my blizzaks especially since the compound is gone at about %55 of tread wear.

[tvp2003]

^^ Thanks. So a used winter tire with "50%" of tread remaining is effectively dead. That is good to know...

[lazy_programmer]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

^^ Thanks. So a used winter tire with "50%" of tread remaining is effectively dead. That is good to know...

To be accurate, tires like the Blizzaks or Toyo GSi5 have a proprietary winter tire compound on the first %55 or so of the tread, after that it's a regular winter compound if that makes any sense. I have the toyo on my truck, and the had the blizzaks on my minivan, and definitely noticed less traction by the 3 or 4 winter.

Tires like Xice and Nokian are the same compound throughout the entire tire. I don't know tires like the Xice/Nokian do after their tread is down %50.

To this end, this winter, I got nokians for the minvan to see for myself. I suspect tread depth will probably be a factor regardless of compound type, but just want to test for my own sake.

[BlackArcher101]

The depth at which you should replace the tire is dependent on the tire. Some have the siping extending only to half of the total tread depth, so essentially becomes useless on ice at 50%. Some have siping that extend to almost the complete depth. However, at that point the ability for the tire to shed snow/slush becomes minimal and you would be looking at decreased snow traction.

[CarlLester]

There are some old posts about guys picking up the Federal Himalayas. Can anyone comment on how they were? Are they good enough to save the money and bypass Blizzak or X-Ice, etc?

[chalms04]

Tread at 4/32 vs new, courtesy beyond.ca

Blizzak WS70:




Nokian WR:


Michelin Xi3:

[DoubleF]

Wow... the xi3 is the only one that looks reasonably legit at 4. I don't know if that's a good thing or dangerous as some people might mistake that look as being that the tires are still ok for use.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by CarlLester

There are some old posts about guys picking up the Federal Himalayas. Can anyone comment on how they were? Are they good enough to save the money and bypass Blizzak or X-Ice, etc?

That's what I run. Very good on ice, good in deep snow, rather mediocre on dry. My comparison point is to performance winters though.

My wife's car has the General Altimax Arctic, and they are another great value choice. Amazing in deep snow, and pretty good on ice. Still a bit squishy on dry pavement, but I'd say slightly better than the Himalayas, although she is running a smaller sidewall, so it's not necessarily a fair comparison.

I'd easily buy either of the two again, and I'd just go for whatever is cheaper of the two.