Finally got my new Nokian WR-G2 SUV tires installed last week and am loving them. They're in stock 17" size (225/60-17), they're V-rated and cost a fair amount less than many of the other tires available in that size ($146/each). I really liked the stock Michelin Latitude HP's but between their extra cost ($223/each) and the fact the vast majority of reviews I've read said they're mediocre to poor in winter conditions--I decided to try the Nokians.

http://www.nokiantyres.com/products

For those of you not familiar with them, Nokian is a Finnish "tyre" company known in Europe and Canada as being one of the top winter tire manufacturers and do a good amount of business in the U.S. market, too. Although winter tires are their claim to fame (and I've run them on past vehicles with excellent results), they've recently gotten into the "all season" tire market here in the U.S.--mostly because "all season" tires don't exist in Europe (many countries actually require dedicated snow tires by law). So far, all the reviews I've run across have spoken favorably about them, so I thought I'd give them a shot.

Here's some pics of them on my '08 EX AWD:





You can see they have a fairly deep asymmetrical tread pattern with lots of siping for snow/ice traction, but they're not directional so you can rotate them in a "criss-cross" pattern to maximize wear. They're also a low-rolling resistance tire and even with the additional sidewall plies on the SUV version I bought, each still weighs less than the stock Michelins I replaced. In the dry and wet, they are comfortable yet well controlled and handle very crisply in corners. Somehow they make the EX seem even more agile, which may also be the "fresh" alignment--or perhaps just a sign that after 53k miles, the original Michelins had gotten too "long in the tooth". Either way, I highly recommend them.

Will post an update once I get some white stuff to test them in

Thanks for reading......
Tim

ps: For you guys/girls running 18" rims, they also have this version tire available in size 235/55-18 which--although a slightly larger circumference--would still work fine with minimal speedometer impact.

Quick update on my Nokian WR-G2 SUV tires in wintery conditions:

Very impressed. Maintained excellent traction in 3+ inches of snow (with ice beginning to form underneath) during acceleration, lateral/turns and especially when stopping. I was also very impressed with how this vehicle's traction systems keep the vehicle under control--even when you're trying to push their limits. The ABS, traction control and stability control all operate in concert with each other in a way which is very seamless, subtle are barely noticeable most of the time; not like with so many vehicles whose systems jerk power around back and forth and side to side to the point where they seem to be fighting one another. The EX felt very stable and well controlled, even when clawing its way up the small mountain we live on which still had not been plowed.

Also, for the first time I now understand why the rear brakes on these cars tend to wear faster than on many other makes; the rear traction control was working overtime on the way up the hill, but the "plumes" of snow being thrown by the rear wheels was impressive!

Very happy with my EX in the snow--and my choice in tires. Thanks for the bandwidth!
Tim

ps: check out how the sipes in the Nokians do a good job at holding onto the snow for better traction; this is what allows a winter tire to perform well, 'cause nothing does a better job of sticking to snow than snow!

Very nice review...

Yes, you're right. Nokians are loved up here by a lot of folks.

We finally got some Snow and our Winter Pirelli's really grab too.

Thanks for your report and pictures.

I am down to 3/32nd tread depth and I finally settled on Yokohomas YK580s 235/R60/17 in lieu of the 225s. Other than speedo changes,are these tires ok? Rubbing? I am in Fla so no winter issues.

mikey1951 wrote:I am down to 3/32nd tread depth and I finally settled on Yokohomas YK580s 235/R60/17 in lieu of the 225s. Other than speedo changes,are these tires ok? Rubbing? I am in Fla so no winter issues.

Nah, according to the tire sizing tool I've used for years, going with a 235 instead of a 225 won't even make a 2 MPH difference on your speedo, so you should be fine. There are folks here on the board who've gone with 245s and said there were no issues whatsoever.

Here's the tire sizing tool I use:

http://www.sjdsm.com/tech/tire_size.htm

Hope that helps,
Tim

thx for the info Tim.

Tim.. Looking for tires in the coming months and read your comments on the Nokians.. I'm in Eastern Pa so I'm thinking our weather conditions are similiar... are you still happy with them? wear going ok? Found a place on line that will sell them 164 ea delivered... Also going to try to source some local dealers possibly...Let me know if you still like them... I also have 17" w/michelins. Bought my Ex cert Pre-owned w/19k and I am assuming they were originals.

SteveKnows wrote:Tim.. Looking for tires in the coming months and read your comments on the Nokians.. I'm in Eastern Pa so I'm thinking our weather conditions are similiar... are you still happy with them? wear going ok? Found a place on line that will sell them 164 ea delivered... Also going to try to source some local dealers possibly...Let me know if you still like them... I also have 17" w/michelins. Bought my Ex cert Pre-owned w/19k and I am assuming they were originals.

Hey Steve-

Yes, I'm still very happy with the Nokians. They don't seem to be wearing at all really, but at the same time I've probably put only 2-3k miles on them to date. I'm glad I actually got a chance (albeit only 1 since this past winter was a non-event) to try them out in the snow back in October and they were awesome, but I'm equally as happy with how well they do in wet and dry conditions, too. If you do end up pulling the trigger on a set, make sure you go with the "SUV" version because I do feel the extra sidewall ply offers a bit more lateral stability and tighter handling than the non-SUV version of the tire. And even with the extra ply, they're still lighter than the stock Michelins which came on our cars.

Originally, I tried sourcing them locally, too, but the only supplier I found was Jack Williams Tire, who a few years ago quoted me $225/each for a set of these for my old Subaru. WAY overpriced. Personally, if I had to do it all over again, I would still order from Tiresavings.net in a heartbeat which I recall was also around $165/each.

Hope that helps. Keep me posted.....

Cheers,
Tim