Author Topic: All-seasons for my Corolla - recommendations? (Read 3998 times)

siwash · « **on:** October 12, 2006, 05:26:18 pm »

Hi folks

Time for new tires for my 04 Corolla. Currently, I have the original tires on the car - I believe Good Years

Can someone out there recommend decent tires at a modest price. Not sure I will keep the car after the lease so I don't want to break the bank... but I don't want to go to cheap, either..No motomasters!

What about some of the less common brands like Hankook, Gislaved, etc?

thanks

siwash · « **Reply #1 on:** October 14, 2006, 09:53:05 am »

Anyone?

Trainman · « **Reply #2 on:** October 14, 2006, 11:41:16 am »

We have had good luck with Hankooks in the past for AS and currently run Hankook winters on the Sienna. We are very happy with them. Less happy with the Hankook LT truck tires I have right now on the Pathfinder but that is not relevant to a Corolla

We have not had to buy AS for a few years (waiting for the Dunlop's on the Sienna to wear down a bit more before replacing them, maybe next spring) so can not help with specific suggestions.

siwash · « **Reply #3 on:** October 14, 2006, 11:49:02 am »

Thanks much...

Any fa,iliar with the Nokian WR "All weather" - i understand this is a new bread of 'all-season' tire... almost replacing a winter tire but still decent for summer. Any first hand experience with these?

I don't switch to winters and one can get away with this in the GTA so I'd like something that gives me the 'best of both worlds'! The only thing is I wonder about things like fuel ecn and tread life - I suppose these are affected with this type of 'hybrid'

Thanks again

Trainman · « **Reply #4 on:** October 14, 2006, 05:11:31 pm »

Quote from: siwash on October 14, 2006, 11:49:02 am

Thanks much...

Any fa,iliar with the Nokian WR "All weather" - i understand this is a new bread of 'all-season' tire... almost replacing a winter tire but still decent for summer. Any first hand experience with these?

I don't switch to winters and one can get away with this in the GTA so I'd like something that gives me the 'best of both worlds'! The only thing is I wonder about things like fuel ecn and tread life - I suppose these are affected with this type of 'hybrid'

Thanks again

There has been quite a bit of discussion here about the Nokian AS/Winters, generally buried within a thread. People seem to like them but I have no experience with them at all and do not know anyone who does run them.

PJungnitsch · « **Reply #5 on:** October 15, 2006, 01:52:25 am »

The closest I've found for a test is a Norwegian one, handily compiled into an English Excel spreadsheet:

http://members.shaw.ca/red90/Winter_Tire_Test_2005.xls

Click on the tab for 2004. In summary the proper winter tires are much better than the WR in ice and snow, though it in turn smokes them in the dry. Unfortunately they don't test a 'regular' all season tire so it's possible to see how much of an improvement the WR is.

A German test also rates the WR at the bottom of the winter tire pack, but likewise doesn't compare it to regular all seasons.

OTOH from people who have them all I've heard about the WR's in winter is good.

Pdf file source:

http://www.snowtire.info/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

84im · « **Reply #6 on:** October 15, 2006, 02:16:22 pm »

The latest Consumer Reports tested a bunch of all-season tires.
Top three H rated tires:
Dunlop SP Sport 5000
Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S
Falken Ziex ZE 512 (best bang for the buck)

supertaz · « **Reply #7 on:** October 18, 2006, 07:04:10 pm »

Quote from: 84im on October 15, 2006, 02:16:22 pm

The latest Consumer Reports tested a bunch of all-season tires.
Top three H rated tires:
Dunlop SP Sport 5000
Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S
Falken Ziex ZE 512 (best bang for the buck)[/b]

From what I've read in a France Forum......they are not good at all. Few studies made in Germany came to the same conclusions.....

http://www.forum-auto.com/sqlforum/section13/sujet181632.htm

morty · « **Reply #8 on:** October 18, 2006, 10:55:45 pm »

I havent read the latest consumer test, but I am surprised to see the Dunlop SP5000. Are you sure this isnt an old test?

siwash · « **Reply #9 on:** October 19, 2006, 07:27:38 pm »

i'm leaning toward the Nolian WR's - unless someone can convince me otherwise!

Altair 4 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 20, 2006, 09:54:55 am »

Quote from: siwash on October 19, 2006, 07:27:38 pm

i'm leaning toward the Nolian WR's - unless someone can convince me otherwise!

I bought the Nokian WR's last this summer, replacing a set of Continental CH 95 touring tires that were OEM on my vehicle (touted as all-season but don't believe it!).

I got a good deal on the Nokians, and have put about 3,200 km on them, including a 1,300 km interstate trip. They have not seen snow yet. Here's my take on them:

On the plus side: Excellent in wet weather. High mileage "warranty." No impact on fuel efficiency versus the Conti's that I had previously (compared the same trip from the previous year - I actually did a bit better with the Nokians on). Excellent comments when searching the web for reviews (including VW, BMW, and Subie sites) for snow conditions. Not as good as some of the other Nokian dedicated winter tire offerings, but much better than any other all-season rubber.

On the minus side: A tad noisier than the Contis (but very much in the acceptable range - wife never noticed the difference but I can hear them a bit especially on turns). Perhaps a bit of loss in dry weather handling (not on my personal experience - I got a kid in the car most of the time and I drive like my grandma).

Actually, I can't wait for snow to try them out in the white stuff. The Continentals I had were less than margin in the snow, even when new.

PJungnitsch · « **Reply #11 on:** October 22, 2006, 02:11:44 pm »

I see the latest Consumer reports tested the WR's. Again they get tested against dedicated winters. Seem to do pretty well.

phil · « **Reply #12 on:** October 22, 2006, 08:06:49 pm »

Anyone find it odd that the tire that many rave about--the Dunlop Wintersport--comes in last? Most surveys rate it near the top, and the 2006 German ADAC test had it come in second only to the Ultragrip 7 in the 15 inch class, but much lower in the 16 class, much like the CR test. I had no idea that size would make such a difference in the winter capabilities of a tire.

I also wonder how much better the 3D is than the M3.

HeliDriver · « **Reply #13 on:** October 23, 2006, 08:07:09 pm »

Quote from: phil on October 22, 2006, 08:06:49 pm

Anyone find it odd that the tire that many rave about--the Dunlop Wintersport--comes in last? Most surveys rate it near the top, and the 2006 German ADAC test had it come in second only to the Ultragrip 7 in the 15 inch class, but much lower in the 16 class, much like the CR test. I had no idea that size would make such a difference in the winter capabilities of a tire.

I also wonder how much better the 3D is than the M3.

What seems really odd to me is the huge difference between the H- and V-rated Dunlops (tires were the same size in this test).

Seems very strange that the V-rated tire would have a worse handling score than the H-rated tire. Stranger still that the V-rated tire had a quieter, more comfortable ride, and also had much better snow traction.

Too bad CR provides next to no information regarding exactly how they perform these tests: How many sets of each tire did they test? How many different drivers were part of the test? Were all the tires mounted on exactly the same model of car? Were all of the objective measurements taken on the same day? At the same location? By the same driver? The list goes on...

Altair 4 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 23, 2006, 08:21:50 pm »

Quote from: PJungnitsch on October 22, 2006, 02:11:44 pm

I see the latest Consumer reports tested the WR's. Again they get tested against dedicated winters. Seem to do pretty well.

I haven't seen the article. What size was used in this test on what kind of vehicle? FWD, RWD, or AWD?

84im · « **Reply #15 on:** October 23, 2006, 08:47:03 pm »

I believe they used a P205/55R16 tire size. They didn't mention what vehicle the tires were mounted on (that I could find).
Morty, the tire test is from their lated issue (November 2006)

morty · « **Reply #16 on:** October 23, 2006, 11:20:01 pm »

Interesting...I think you can get very dramtically differring results depending on what temperatures the tires are tested at. In reality all of these tires are very close. On any graph some must place higher than others even though there are small differences in real world performance.

PJungnitsch · « **Reply #17 on:** October 24, 2006, 01:32:14 am »

Years ago I went from Yokohama Guardex on the drive wheels (full red on the CU test of the time for snow traction) to Michelin Arctic Alpin (half red). The Guardex were noticeably better as far as drive traction on snow/ice went, and I have been reminded of that when I start off in slippery conditions every winter since.

PJungnitsch · « **Reply #18 on:** October 24, 2006, 01:47:59 am »

The CR winter tire test (AFAIK regular speed rating) last year:

morty · « **Reply #19 on:** October 26, 2006, 12:54:07 pm »

I am curious...does anyone have the actual hard magazine? If so does it explain the conditions of the test? I am an online member and the test information is limited. All they really show are results.