What snow/winter tires on your Rogue?

[axel10]

I have been battling the severe winter awakening we had here in Calgary over the last few days - and the stock Contis 4x4 have managed well. Exactly what I would expect out of a truck like tire, but then again, they have less than 16,000 Km on them. Just saying...

[philipa_240sx]

The Conti's are ok in snow when the tire is new.... but wait until the 2nd and 3rd winter driving on them.

I do not trust ANY all season tire to do a winter tire's job. The difference in grip is considerable... IMHO well worth it. The $$$ I spend on good snow tires has saved my bacon more than once.

[NVHeck]

I bought my Nokian Hakka R's (215/70R16) for about $232 ea installed. Taxes are not included, and there is a $5 environmental fee in Ontario.

This will by my 4th set of Nokian's. I've owned the original Hakka 1, 2 sets of Hakka RSi''s, and now the R. I have been pleased with all of them. If you take care of them, they will actually last a long time. Typically I get 4 winters out of them... and the wife is going on winter #5 with hers (admittedly, the rubber is getting a bit hard now).

The RSi's really excelled in snow and moderate amounts of ice. I have yet to test out the R's, but the snow will be here soon. I've found the ABS and VDC are also more effective.

You can't go wrong with Nokian's. The Finns have been making snow tires for years... the Hakka series was introduced in 1936. Nokian is also the only tire mfg in the world with their own permanent winter tire testing facility... Ivalo 200mi north of the arctic circle in Northern Finland.

I got Nokian Hakka R's (215/70R16) for 225 Ea. I got some Multi fit wheels and didnt get any Sensors.
Total cost was $1380. The multi fit wheels went on very easy, I lifted it up and tightened it up in 3 rounds till i got 80 lbs of torque. The wheels are centered as there are no vibrations through them.
I am very happy with them. They have definetaly been worth it. Ive been getting lots of use of it as it has snowed 60 cm in the last week here. I have been getting low gas milage through the snow but im sure this is completly normal (Is it?) 450 kms per tank instead of the typical 600+km. and i have Nitogen in them and keep the pressure up with tempurature fluctuations. Im going to quote someone else but the tires make the Rogue Eat Snow For Breakfast. Also How long does it take for the "new tire film" to wear out?

[philipa_240sx]

You mean the molding release agent?

Depends in temperature... it typically wears out after a few days of driving in warm weather, maybe a few weeks during winter.

Back in my racing days, we used to drive the car 10-15 laps on the track during practice. That was enough to get a good heat cycle on them and remove the mold release agent.

[Qashqai]

Today I purchased four Nokian Hakkapeliitta R SUV's for $ 224 including balancing and installation. It also comes with a life time "balance" warranty (if the weight falls, they will re-balance the wheel for free). Since I don't have the TPMS sensor and have a yellow warning light all winter, I spoiled myself by purchasing an alloy wheel instead of an ugly steel wheel. The steel wheels were all $ 50 - $ 60, so I did not mind spending $ 40 more and get an alloy rim for $ 111each.

The four Hakka's, four alloy rims, balancing, installation, environment fee ($ 23, mandatory in Ontario), hub centric kit, high pressure tire valve came to $ 1600. If you wan't to learn where I bought from, send me a message (I don't want to make advertisement of the company).

Thank you Philippa for all your advices on Nokian tires. I am happy with my choice.

I have a $ 37000 car, so I don't mind spending $ 1600 and drive it with more confident. It is a good investment for my family and people around me.

I hope I won't have another rear-ended accident because of a stupid driver who uses a four season or even summer tire!!!

[brickbox]

Folks, I finally ended up buying a 2012 SL AWD with all the bells and whistles and 18" rims. Can someone please confirm that 16" steel rims (215/70/16) winter tires will work on this car?

I have spent the past hour reading multiple threads and I cannot find data on whether SL brakes are the same size as S & SV( I found few posts from SV owners stating they down sized to 16" from their 17"). I might have missed something - but I did try the awesome search function on the forum. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.

P.S: Sorry for resurrecting such an old thread.