Topic: Winter tires or "all weather" tires?

[sw3611]

Hello,
I'm from Edmonton, AB, I drive an 02' Honda Civic. I'm due for new tires and planning to buy some in October. I am concerned about ice and driving safely in the winter because I often have my three children in the car with me. At Kal tire they had suggested I buy the Nokian All Weather tires ($702 all in). I just want to know if anyone has any feedback about these tires in terms of how safe they are for driving in and out of the city in icy conditions in the winter. Money is a factor, but safety comes first in this case. Thanks!

[rrocket]

Nokian makes very good winter tires.  Was this the Nokian WR they were offering you?

[PJungnitsch]

My parents have the Nokian WR all-weather tires on their Versa for a few years now and they have been working very well. Greatly improved traction and braking in winter, and still quiet.

[Trainman]

You may want to read this review on the Nokian All Weather (WR) tires:

http://www.canadiandriver.com/2003/07/15/tire-test-nokian-wr-all-weather-plus.htm

This is the summary:

"To Sum It Up

So the WR hasn’t broken any rules: it’s still a compromise. But its priorities have been shuffled compared with most all season tires: winter and wet traction are most important, and dry performance, while good, is clearly not the WR’s forte.

In our harsh Canadian climate, I recommend using dedicated winter tires to everybody. But if you don’t want the hassle and expense of owning two sets of tires, the Nokian WR is the next best thing."

I too would recommend dedicated winters, especially for areas like Edmonton.  However, as the review notes, if budget or the hassle of changing tires twice a year is an issue then these may be a good compromise.

Also look here for some suggestions for winter tires as I too am looking for some for our van:

http://www.canadiandriver.com/forum/index.php/topic,63925.0.html

Canadian Tire has some good prices right now for the Nordic, you should be able to do better than the Kal Tire price for a set of dedicated winters if that is what you end up going for.

[ovr50]

The OP states that safety is #1.

In that case, I would say real winter tires are the best way to go, the WRs, while good, are still inferior to real winters, particularily in a place like Edm.

[sailor723]

If I was driving in Edmonton and worried about the safety of kids in the car I'd definitely use proper winter tires if I could possibly afford it. If not,the Nokians would be a second choice but I'd be prepared to stay in on bad driving days.

[UmroAyyar]

I have the Nokian WR G2 tires on my car, quite suitable for a car driven in Toronto. The kind of driving conditions you get in Edmonton, I'd err on the side of safety and get dedicated winter tires.

Nokian WR G2 are very good tires, but they are still quite a few notches below dedicated winter tires.

[weebl]

I agree with what others are saying.  But here's a little bit more info we could use that might help with a decision:  how many kms do you drive in a year?

With high enough kms, you really do need 2 sets of tires, and if you keep the car for a while, costs end up not really being any different than owning just one year round set.

With low km driving, I can see the rationale for 1 set.  The Nokian WR is essentially a marketing spin on an H-rated tire, where the winter performance is decent, and the wear on the rubber during the summer is at an acceptable level.  You will pay a huge premium on these tires, as they pretty much dominate the "all-weather" category (I believe Yokohama may have introduced one, but I haven't heard a thing about it since it's debut), they are THE name in winter tires, and Kal-Tire is the exclusive distributor.  You could achieve similar results with one winter tire that comes to mind - the Hankook Ice Bear WS300.  For year-round use, I only recommend it if you do low kms each year and drive primarily only in the city.

There are a few posters on here who are adament against winter tire use in the summer.  However as many others have pointed out, the drawbacks of a winter tire in the summer are far less serious than the drawbacks of an all-season or summer tire in the winter.

[sw3611]

Thanks so much for all of the feedback! Much appreciated.

[Noobee]

Just to clarify, the WR's have been replaced with the WRG2s.  I'll be getting the WRG2s within a few weeks as that's when Kal-Tire will be having a sale. I dont' drive much but I also have a set of chains and as we all know, dry performance is not a priority in Vancouver as it rains here quite a bit.  However, I am curious on how dry performance would be affected.  For someone who lives in Edmonton, I would encourage them to have a set of (4) dedicated winter tires; however, I always hear stories of people, usually European drivers who claim to have gone through the Rockies with snow on the ground or have lived in Alberta but didn't use snow tires.

[MedicineMan]

Have any of you guys seen the OK Tire ad about a contest where you can win a set of All-in-One tires?  According to the blurb:  "The new All-in-One tire isn't an all season tire, it's actually two tires in one: half is rated for winter driving, half handles wet and dry roads."  At first glance, I thought it looked a lot like the Nokian WRG2 due to the asymmetric tread pattern.  As it turns out, if you check the rules for the contest, they are Hankook Optimo 4S tires.

I couldn't find much info about these tires.  The most compelling piece of info comes from this site, which appears to be a press release:

. . . the results of the tests by Auto Bild, Europe's largest automobile magazine. Eight all-season-products from various makers were tested on a VW Golf with the dimensions 195/65 R 15 T/H/V. The Optimo 4S (standing for four seasons), was - according to Auto Bild's editor - the only tested tyre "that outperforms in any kind of weather". He also praised its "dynamic handling quality on snow-covered roads as well as short braking distances on wet as well as dry courses," making the tyre one of only two to receive the magazine’s "exemplary" rating.

Anyway, I thought I would bring this up as an alternative to the "all weather" Nokians.  Does anyone have any experience with these tires? 

BTW, I have the Nokian WRG2s.  I can't say much yet about their performance in the snow/slush/ice since I bought them after the Big Dump of December 2008 in Vancouver (in fact, the Big Dump convinced me to buy them).  They seem to be tailor-made for the Lower Mainland climate, with the almost year-round wet weather and rare periods of snow and ice.

[Thinking Out Loud]

With low km driving, I can see the rationale for 1 set.  The Nokian WR is essentially a marketing spin on an H-rated tire, where the winter performance is decent, and the wear on the rubber during the summer is at an acceptable level.  You will pay a huge premium on these tires, as they pretty much dominate the "all-weather" category (I believe Yokohama may have introduced one, but I haven't heard a thing about it since it's debut), they are THE name in winter tires, and Kal-Tire is the exclusive distributor.  You could achieve similar results with one winter tire that comes to mind - the Hankook Ice Bear WS300.  For year-round use, I only recommend it if you do low kms each year and drive primarily only in the city.

That's why I got WRG2's.....too expensive to justify two sets in the city for local commuting - at least based on typical Toronto snow falls and clearing.  No change in driving dynamics or noise as I can feel/hear in the dry....have to wait for rain and snow for the other 'weather' impact.  The tread pattern is very aggressive to the Dunlops it wore before, by a mile.

Have any of you guys seen the OK Tire ad about a contest where you can win a set of All-in-One tires?  According to the blurb:  "The new All-in-One tire isn't an all season tire, it's actually two tires in one: half is rated for winter driving, half handles wet and dry roads."  At first glance, I thought it looked a lot like the Nokian WRG2 due to the asymmetric tread pattern.  As it turns out, if you check the rules for the contest, they are Hankook Optimo 4S tires.

Anyway, I thought I would bring this up as an alternative to the "all weather" Nokians.  Does anyone have any experience with these tires? 

BTW, I have the Nokian WRG2s.  I can't say much yet about their performance in the snow/slush/ice since I bought them after the Big Dump of December 2008 in Vancouver (in fact, the Big Dump convinced me to buy them).  They seem to be tailor-made for the Lower Mainland climate, with the almost year-round wet weather and rare periods of snow and ice.

The guys at Kal said there were no tires better than the Nokians WR G2 for 'All Weather' ....but that was the general consensus from other dealers who don't sell them for that matter.

[DKaz]

Noobee, I still don't get how you can balk at the EuroWinters but go for the WR G2s. They're great in slush and ice but just adequate in snow. The EuroWinters are likely the same. H-Speed rated winters will never be as good as lower speed rated winters.

[weebl]

Have any of you guys seen the OK Tire ad about a contest where you can win a set of All-in-One tires?  According to the blurb:  "The new All-in-One tire isn't an all season tire, it's actually two tires in one: half is rated for winter driving, half handles wet and dry roads."  At first glance, I thought it looked a lot like the Nokian WRG2 due to the asymmetric tread pattern.  As it turns out, if you check the rules for the contest, they are Hankook Optimo 4S tires.

They look promising.  Found a PDF on this tire on Hankook's global website:  http://global.hankooktire.com/Handler/RequestFileHandler.ashx?fileName=PRODUCT/h730%20leaflet2.pdf&siteCode=

Like the Nokian WRG2s, they have the severe winter service logo.

[Noobee]

Noobee, I still don't get how you can balk at the EuroWinters but go for the WR G2s. They're great in slush and ice but just adequate in snow. The EuroWinters are likely the same. H-Speed rated winters will never be as good as lower speed rated winters.

Cuz the EW are a dedicated winter tire, the WR G2s aren't.  If one is looking for a dedicated winter tire then don't go with either the WR G2s or the EWs. However, if you want an all season tire, then both are fine.  In fact I have learned some people drive similar winter tires as the EWs all year!  BTW, the Nokian's meet the severe winter rating (barely) with only 1/5 stars according to the APA (Automobile Protection Association).  http://www.apa.ca/template.asp?DocID=297

[UmroAyyar]

It will be 3rd winter for the Nokian WR G2 driving in Toronto. Since we don't get heavy snow dumps, it works out. The best tire to use from fall to the onset of winter though.

[Noobee]

It will be 3rd winter for the Nokian WR G2 driving in Toronto. Since we don't get heavy snow dumps, it works out. The best tire to use from fall to the onset of winter though.

Really, you don't get heavy dumps of snow? So you wouldnt recommend the Nokians in the sprng and summer then?

[UmroAyyar]

It will be 3rd winter for the Nokian WR G2 driving in Toronto. Since we don't get heavy snow dumps, it works out. The best tire to use from fall to the onset of winter though.

Really, you don't get heavy dumps of snow? So you wouldnt recommend the Nokians in the sprng and summer then?

Its pretty good in summer too. Its not for taking spirited corners. Quiet, comfortable, decent tread wear as well. Since, I don't have space to store two sets of tires. I went with Nokian WRG2.

[airbalancer]

It will be 3rd winter for the Nokian WR G2 driving in Toronto. Since we don't get heavy snow dumps, it works out. The best tire to use from fall to the onset of winter though.

Really, you don't get heavy dumps of snow? So you wouldnt recommend the Nokians in the sprng and summer then?

Its pretty good in summer too. Its not for taking spirited corners. Quiet, comfortable, decent tread wear as well. Since, I don't have space to store two sets of tires. I went with Nokian WRG2.

Really, your son could use the wheels as a jungle gym in his room 

[Noobee]

Its pretty good in summer too. Its not for taking spirited corners. Quiet, comfortable, decent tread wear as well.

What happens if you take sharp or aggressive corners?