|
The following reviews have been submitted by people like you. They are presented in their raw form, and have not been editted. To return to the Snow Tire FAQ, you may use your browser's "back" button, or you may click on this link: The Snow Tire FAQ. If you would like to add a comment, this link will take you to the form: Snow Tire Comments
For more detailed user submitted reviews, please see the the Reviews Forum in the Snow Tire FAQ Forums. |
| Name: | John Werner | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | john_DoT_werner_AT_snowtire_DoT_info | ||||||||
| City/State: | Fairport, NY | ||||||||
| Home Page: | http://www.snowtire.info | ||||||||
| Date: | Mon Aug 14 09:00:14 2006 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Volvo 964 (RWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Vredestein SnowTrac2 195/60 R 15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... | |||||||||
| Name: | Harvey Mcfadden | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | tires404_AT_yahoo_DoT_ca | ||||||||
| City/State: | Hanover ont canada | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Jan 24 20:24:51 2006 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | 92 spirit (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | all season front blizzack rear 185 70 14 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... -- 30% of all accidents are loss of control --90% of the time it was the rear of the vehicle that lost control first all !! tire companies suggest putting the highest traction tires( if there is a variation )on the rear even on a front wheel drive 50% of tire shops will put the best on the front or rotate the best to the front for winter driving for a explanation which also applies on ice please see http://www.michelinman.com/care/tip6.html and click on the video at the bottom .Also I have made a video that shows that a fwd vehicle can loose control as slow as 20 kph with as little as 3/32 more tread on the front than the rear . I have letters from people who have had their vehicles tired wrong and from an insurance appriaser stating 60% of roll overs had the best tires on the front. My work has been accepted by the MTO, lawyers and Insurance companys Below is some of the info I have put out. Thanks Harvey | |||||||||
| Name: | Jonathan Freedner | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Brunswick, Maine | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Sat Jan 21 16:23:17 2006 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ 80 (4WD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT LT 235/85 R16 120/116 Q Load Range E Studded: YES | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... This is the third winter that I've run the Hakka LT's on my '94 Land Cruiser and I've only worn through 3mm of tread. I expect to use them for several more winters. The LT's have the same basic tread pattern as the Hakka 1's and resist hydroplaning and slushplaning just as well. They have excellent grip on snow & ice and on occasion when I've entered a turn with a little too much speed they are very progressive at their limit and any sideslipping is very easy to recover from--no surprises. I opted for a narrower tire than the OE size (275/70 r16) because I wanted less flotation and a little extra bite. These tires happen to be 10 ply load range E and the max pressure is 80 psi--seriously heavy duty. The narrower tires required different width rims so I mounted them on 16x7 AR-767's. This tire and rim combination is really heavy--perfect for blasting through half-frozen slush. Roads in coastal Maine often have a lot of freeze/thaw conditions and I am absolutely certain that I've picked the ideal winter tire for my vehicle. I strongly recommend these tires for any large truck or SUV. | |||||||||
| Name: | Bryn Epp | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | brynepp_AT_gmail dot com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Toronto, Ontario | ||||||||
| Home Page: | bepp.wirelessnomad.com | ||||||||
| Date: | Mon Jan 9 15:43:04 2006 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Maxda / Chevy 2005 B3000 / 1996 Cavaleir (RWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakapaleta SUV / Hakapaleta RSI 235/75R15 / 195/65R15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... Although I have only had about 500km of driving on my Haka SUV's all I can say is I stopped and the kid behind me didn't. Snow traction with the SUV tires is excellent 70km/h to 0 in <200m on day three of having them mounted. Day four the tires performed excellent in 3-6" of snow, then showed awesome performance on polished ice (50+ Rally cars passing). This is my first rear wheel drive vehicle so my reference to other tires is negligible but when your winter tires outperform your summers (Goodyear Wrangler RT/S) on dry pavement that has to say something. The Hakapaleta RSI's I bought last year and mounted on my trusty Cavalier (RIP), are the best winter tires I have driven to date! After owning a set of Haka 1's a set of Haka Q's the RSI's had by far the best lateral stability while not compromising traction or feed back. These tires helped propel the Cavalier to 19 of 57 cars in the 2005 OWR and only 2nd of the 2WD. These tires still live on my brothers 05 Cavalier and my other Brother has outfitted his Focus with RSI's. | |||||||||
| Name: | Fred | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | fhaxton_AT_rbnet dot com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Virginia | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Fri Dec 30 03:07:38 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Honda Element (4WD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Hakka CQ 215/75/16 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... Original post was lost in hacking incedent. It's hard to rate these tires due to the fact that this is my 1st 4WD & it's a different 4wd configuration. I've been going out in all of the snows, this year and last testing these tires. I can't seem to get stuck even trying. On packed snow/ice they do just fine if there's at least a little something to grip to. Without studs of course black ice is a problem but perhaps do-able with a little luck. A little louder than my crappy Goodyear all season tires, but then again this truck doesn't have the best sound insulation. All in all, I don't think anyone would be disapointed with this tire for an all-out winter tire. I does seem to wear quickly as we had alot of warm weather last winter. Not unexpected for a soft compound tire. I believe this tire is the same as the Hakka "Q" except in truck form. | |||||||||
| Name: | Joe | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | yourworstfantasy69_AT_yahoo_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Wi | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Dec 20 23:18:38 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | 1992 Jag XJ6 (RWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSI 205/75/R15 XL Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... WOW!!!!!!! I put the Hakks on and took "Kitty" through a foot of snow and "Kitty" didn't slide, get stuck or even spin her claws(Tyres).... I have stopped on steep hills, and as long as I dont spin the tyres, I get all the traction I need.... The car doesnt "plow" through corners.... I can take a snow covered side street corner at just under 20 mph before she starts to slide a little. When "Kitty" does loose traction, I just back off a little, and all traction is restored... I feel as comfortable in this big heavy rear wheel drive boat as I do in a standard 4X4 SUV type with standard all season tyres on it. And when someone can even attempt to compair a rear wheel drive to a 4X4 in itself is crazy, but to say that the Nokians make them the same, if not better in insane.... I have left many 4X4's at lights in the nasty weather since I put the Hakks on... Their in nothin better than a Pimp Jag VDP leaving a SUV in a snow dust trail..... All I have to say is put a set of Hakks on your car, and you will never ever go back. And if the Gov't would make them manditory, accidents would drop by 75 percent overnight.... | |||||||||
| Name: | Tony Mangione | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Montreal | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Fri Dec 16 14:53:50 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | BMW 740i (RWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Michelin X-ICE 235/60 R 16 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... Driving a rear-wheel drive car is a bit tricky but with the dynamic stability control it's not so bad. I wasn't impressed with the X-ICE on slightly snow-covered icy roads. I've slid into the middle of intersections many times when I really felt the car should have stopped earlier. We were just hit with a 40cm snowstorm here in Montreal (December 16,2005) and these tires got me to work with no problems at all though. The traction in light but deep snow was incredible. I'm confident going back home as long as there is no ice. In the end, can any tire stop such a heavy car on ice? | |||||||||
| Name: | MF | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | nj | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Wed Dec 7 14:44:54 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Dodge Intrepid (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakka 1 225/60/16 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I needed to be able to get to my father's house every evening after work no matter what due to his alzheimers condition. There could be no excuses. He lived at the top of a small mountainous area in western nj where the snow and ice were such that all season tires often would not get me up the hill with two wheel drive. Even taking running starts, if the temp. and snow conditions were just right, forget it. I originally bought four Cooper snow tires. They were awesome and cheap. I used them on a rear wheel drive limited slip diff. Peugeot 505 wagon. When I got the front wheel drive Intrepid, guess what. I still couldn't get up hills with all seasons if the snow was bad enough. And the snow is always worse in these hills. I bought four Nokian H1s after reading the reviews. Even better than the Coopers. The main difference was both the Coopers and Nokians is they both get excellent traction but the Nokians are less squirrly. I should say that I have on occasion, with my front wheel drive Intrepid passed numerous SUVs stuck on the side of the road with all seasons. Traction on ice is pretty good too. My next snow tires will have studs, however. My father passed away a couple of years ago. I never had a problem getting to his house due to snow. I still believe in the value of four snow tires. It is cheaper than the deductible on the insurance policy. One can stop in less than half the distance, not loose it on the turns. And never get stuck. I didn't need to invest in a snow blower since I don't need to plow the driveway now. | |||||||||
| Name: | Ken G | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Lima, NY | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Dec 6 20:19:24 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Chevy 2002 Suburban (4WD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | BF Goodrich Commercial Traction TA 245 75 R16LT Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... As of today I've bought my second set of these. Years ago I used the GoodYear commercial ExtraGrip tires on my AWD van and was very pleased. However, they became very expensive so I hadn't bought another set of those in quite some time. A few years back I saw these BF Goodrich Commercial Traction TA's at BJ's Wholesale at a reasonable price and gave them a try. Being a different vehicle, it is hard to make a direct comparison but I would say they are very close. Now, realize that these are very agressive tires. They have a very deep tread depth which makes them squirrely at best on dry pavement. But, I didn't buy these for cornering in the summer. These are mainly for churning through the deepest snow and that they do without hesitation. They have a very soft rubber compound which seems to allow them to expel almost all types of snow and also have reasonable grip on ice. For those who like to get your moneys worth, they also last quite a long time if you are willing to put up with the noise and use them over the summer. The previous set I bought I ran for 2 winters and the this past summer and they still have plenty of tread left for a summer tire. I'll run the old set again next summer to use up the rest of the tread. From a rough estimate I've gotten close to 50K miles out of them already and should be able to get another 10 or 20K. I think they are useful for the first 30K or so in the tough winter conditions. So there you have it.. They handle like crap on dry pavement but are great in snow (and mud mind you). I wonder what they would be like if I studded them! | |||||||||
| Name: | Jeff Oswald | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Ballston Lake, NY | ||||||||
| Home Page: | http://amtrak207.saabnet.com/ | ||||||||
| Date: | Sat Dec 3 17:12:28 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | 1988 Saab 900 5 speed (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakkapeliita 2 185/65R15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I purchased thsese in early 2003 as the Gislaveds (NF3) were worn down. I am repeatedly amazed with Nokian's products. The tires currently have around 20,000 miles on them with 6 mm of tread left, which is very easy to determine with the numbers cast in the rubber. After three months of snow (I recently relocated from Rochester having gone to school in Buffalo) I did not hesitate to recommend a set of four for just about anyone in my family. My only gripes: I did not stud them when new, so the ice traction is not as awesome as it could be, but it is still very substantial. The tires have a characteristic noise at moderate speeds, but I also notice the pitch changes slightly when they are on the verge of losing traction. Very handy, even if you don't call that a feature. The softer compound truly is optimized for temperatures below freezing where most "all weather except cold" tires just plain give up. The tread pattern cleans itself very well except for the usual "sipe gripe" of retaining small stones. While I don't drive outlandishly hard, I still enjoy the occasional test of the tires' limits where they never surprise me. Being in an 8 valve, non-turbo model, I can't drag race until there's three inches of snow on the ground, and then the SUVs and AWD pickups and Subarus and lots and lots of other cars prove that this is a superior tire. Snow grip is excellent. I drove in six inches of snow last winter on the local interstate after everyone had gone home and I look down at the speedometer, whoops! I'm going 60 miles an hour. Even without studs, in the few occasions where I have encountered ice the tires do what I expect them to, and even though people near you freak out when they hear tire noise (no ABS for '88) I can still stop in time, in line. The tires magnify the car's inbred capacity to handle well in the winter; if you press a little hard, you get into a "squish" area of understeer, but letting off the throttle brings very fast correction. Their ridiculously linear transition between oversteer or understeer and neutral traction is probably the most understated feature of the tire. The worst situation is what is created by highway crews- snow and slush that is not plowed. This stuff is way more hazardous than just snow. I don't think I will stud my next set either as my ever-important fuel mileage remains a key goal. Dry weather traction is predictable marked down from a summer tire because they are not summer tires. Rain and ponded rain traction is very good; they will hydroplane if you are driving through an inch of standing water, but they recover quickly. I was able to avoid a collision with a pickup truck on wet roads after a Ford pickup blew a stop sign, headed for my fender, and when you put a car sideways on these tires, they are still predictable and grippy. It's the laws of physics, folks: less weight and better grip make Saana a safer car. Every time Nokian comes out with a new tire, it seems to be better than the last. Now the Hakka 4s are headed stateside and the RSi has superceded the Q. THANK YOU, IVALO! | |||||||||
| Name: | CHRIS WERDEIN | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | IMRED420_AT_AOL_DoT_COM | ||||||||
| City/State: | BUFFALO NY | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Wed Nov 30 08:40:59 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | BUICK REGAL (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | NOKIAN WR 2157015 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I SELL TIRES AT A FOREIGN CAR REPAIR SHOP AND CANT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE WR AND ALL MY CUSTOMERS HAVE THANKED ME FOR SELLING THEM THE BEST TIRE FOR A BUFFALO NY WINTER !!!!! | |||||||||
| Name: | CHRIS WERDEIN | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | IMRED420_AT_AOL_DoT_COM | ||||||||
| City/State: | BUFFALO NY | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Wed Nov 30 08:40:33 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | BUICK REGAL (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | NOKIAN WR 2157015 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I SELL TIRES AT A FOREIGN CAR REPAIR SHOP AND CANT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE WR AND ALL MY CUSTOMERS HAVE THANKED ME FOR SELLING THEM THE BEST TIRE FOR A BUFFALO NY WINTER !!!!! | |||||||||
| Name: | Laurie | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Anchorage, Alaska | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Nov 29 18:14:42 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Toyota Sienna (AWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakkapeliitta 2 215/60 R 16 Studded: YES | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... My husband has put Hakka tires on my cars for as long as I can remember, and I am always amazed at how they always get me to my destination without any hassles. I joke that I don't even notice when the roads are bad, while my co-workers barely can get to work sometimes. These tires are the best. | |||||||||
| Name: | Scott | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | annon_AT_annon_DoT_net | ||||||||
| City/State: | Anchorage, Alaska | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Nov 29 18:11:29 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Volvo 850 Turbo (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakkapeliitta1 195/65R 15 Studded: YES | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... Excellent tires. I've used Nokians tires for years and they have never let me down in the harshest of winter conditions. | |||||||||
| Name: | Paul L Fisher | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | paul_AT_paul-fisher_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Elkhorn, WI | ||||||||
| Home Page: | www.paul-fisher.com | ||||||||
| Date: | Tue Nov 29 05:39:53 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | VW Golf (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian RSI 195/65R15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... When I first got these, I thought the tire installer had forgotten to pump them up. The car was very wobbly when you cornered. The pressure was wrong but these tires will not be mistaken for performance tires any time soon. In the snow and the slop they are the best tires I have ever owned! | |||||||||
| Name: | Paul L Fisher | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | paul_AT_paul-fisher_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Elkhorn, WI | ||||||||
| Home Page: | www.paul-fisher.com | ||||||||
| Date: | Tue Nov 29 05:36:06 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | BMW 540i (RWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian WR A.W.P. 2 255/40R17rear 235/45R17 front Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... This is the best compromise between dry road performance and snow capability of any snow tire I've had. Nokian considers it an all season tire but it carries the 'severe service' emblem. | |||||||||
| Name: | Chris Duke | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | cduke_AT_canoemail_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Guelph, ON | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Fri Nov 25 09:16:34 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Chrysler caravan (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Canadian Tire Nordic Winter trac P215/70 R15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... These tires are sold by Canadian Tire as a winter snow tire, but this is not a good choice. They have very few groves over 5 centimeters [my rating method]. The rubber is actually fairly hard, not good for gripping. The similar Ice Trac, i have not tested, but does not appear anywhere as good as other quality brands. I am removing the wintertracs and getting real ones on [TBD]. | |||||||||
| Name: | CHRIS CAZEAULT | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | WARRENTON ,VA | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Mon Nov 7 09:52:02 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | 1973 VW SUPER BEETLE (RWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | COOPER WEATHER-MASTER S/T 2 205/70R15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... A FEW YEARS BACK I BOUGHT THE BF GOODRICH WINTER SLALOMS. NOW THEY ARE DISCONTINUED, I DID SOM SEARCHING, AND FOUND THE COOPER'S. THEY DID VERY WELL IN THE SNOW, AND ICE. I GOT ABOUT 20K MILES ON THEM LAST WINTER ,STILL HAVE AT LEAST 1/2 TREAD LIFE LEFT. I WOULD RECOMEND THEM TO AMYONE THAT WANTS EXCELLENT TIRE AT A GOOD PRICE!!!!! | |||||||||
| Name: | Albert | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | aflootman_AT_go_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Cambridge, ON | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Thu Oct 6 09:56:19 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Toyota Corolla (2003) (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice 185/65R15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... Tires are worn out after 4 winters, but have performed well. Were used for 1st winter on Volvo 740GL (same OE tire size as Corolla!), and seemed too small/flexible for the weight of that car (odd wear pattern developed after heavy braking on dry pavement). Aside from this minor damage and occasional balance problems, the tires have made winter driving a joy. | |||||||||
| Name: | Rob Sjoberg | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | rsjoberg_AT_centurytel_DoT_net | ||||||||
| City/State: | Kalispell, MT | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Fri Mar 4 23:30:59 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | VW Vanagon Syncro Westfalia (AWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Winterforce Studdable 205/70/R14 Studded: YES | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... Really exellent tires. I used them for a couple of months on hard packed snow and ice up at Glacier Park and I've been really impressed. They're wearing really well too. I should get quite a few winters out of these. My wife has studded Hakka 1's on her Honda and I would say these are the equal. Of course the AWD on my bus is an unfair advantage. Studs are the way to go in my opinion and these Winterforce tires are a great bargain. | |||||||||
| Name: | Morris Bagnall | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | bagnallsusa_AT_optonline_DoT_net | ||||||||
| City/State: | Hoboken. NJ | ||||||||
| Home Page: | www.icoachdads.com | ||||||||
| Date: | Wed Feb 23 19:27:48 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Toyota Corolla (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Dunlop M2 Wintersport 195/65/15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I was a little surprised how good these tires were when trying to climb a steep incline in snowy Vermont. They stuck! Also they allowed me to keep pace with all the 4WD's on the highway with little slippage sideways (and when they did they recovered quickly). They aren't your deep snow tire like many tested on here but as a moderate snow tire I found them reassuring. I gather there is a new variant ou, the M3 which I'll get next time (which won't be for a couple of years). | |||||||||
| Name: | Cathy Zeeb | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | cathian_AT_vail_DoT_net | ||||||||
| City/State: | Edwards, CO | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Fri Feb 18 11:19:17 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Subaru Legacy Sedan (AWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Winterforce Studdable 205/55/R16 Studded: YES | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I had these tires mounted brand new 44 days ago and the studs are already smooth to the tire | |||||||||
| Name: | Garrett Waddell | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | gps_DoT_waddell_AT_verizon_DoT_net | ||||||||
| City/State: | Richland, Washington | ||||||||
| Home Page: | N/A | ||||||||
| Date: | Sat Feb 12 16:10:15 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Subaru 2.5L Outback, 5MT (AWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Goodyear Assurance Triple Tred 225X60TR16 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... ire Report Goodyear Assurance Triple-Tread Vehicle - 2004 2.5I Subaru Outback Wagon, 5MT Disclaimer: This is a Tire Report, NOT a tire recommendation. After reading many discouraging reports from Subaru Outback owners, and other car owners whose vehicles came equipped with OEM Bridgestone Potenza RE92 tires, I decided, with winter approaching, to buy new tires for my car. Although my tires had only 4500 miles on them, and handled acceptably on dry pavement, I knew about the hydroplaning issues and the feeling that they were dangerous in winter driving (snow and ice) conditions. I am already familiar with Blizzak WS50 tires because I have them on a RWD 6MT, 95 Pontiac Trans Am, and I have other Blizzak studless ice tires on a 92 Ford Explorer, I considered those tires at the top of my list of winter tires. However, because buying tires for the AWD Outback requires 4 tires, and because I did not want to buy 4 new tires and still have to deal with hydroplaning and poor tire wear when summer returned, I also looked for a “better” All Season tire as a possible replacement for the RE92s. I considered the BF Goodrich Traction H tire which got very good reviews for snow traction on the TireRack tire review section. However, I noted that they also had some negative comments, such as “excessive tire cupping” at early mileage, and possibly some alignment issues. I also considered the Turanza and the Michelin tires. However, while reading the survey results, I read several reports of this new Goodyear Triple Tread tire which (on the surface) seemed to be all things to all seasons, and to fill all needs (dry weather, rain, and winter conditions). In addition, it had several unique features: 1) It had a 30 day “trial period”, 2) It had a rebate, making it cheap, and 3) It had an 80,000 mile wear rating (740?). On the down side, they are only “T” speed rated. I decided on the basis of the owner’s reviews, to buy a set. I ordered a set of 4, in size 225X60TR16 from Discount Tire.com (because the TireRack was out of them) for $105ea ($420.00 to my door, with no tax and no shipping they were slightly cheaper than the TireRack at $104ea + shipping), minus the $50.00 rebate. Most people seemed to think they were great in snow, in spite of the fact that there had been little or no snow at that time (I bought mine at Thanksgiving). However, there were a few negative comments that seemed to indicate a possible “tramlining” problem on some cars. Also, some people felt they rode harsher, and some felt they were noisy (and were quicker steering). My experience: I had my tires mounted at a local tire store for $11.00/tire, mounted and balanced (hand torqued). Where my Blizzak tires gave a very “mushy” handling feeling, these Triple Tread tires give a very crisp handling feeling on dry or wet surface roads. I now have 6700 miles, and thus about 2200 miles of mostly winter miles here in the northwest (Washington state). We have had a late winter this year, so I have had no “deep” snow to drive in (yet). However, we had about 2” here in the Tri-Cities, and I have been on two ski trips; one to Mt. Hood and to Mt. Bachelor in Oregon, and one to Schweitzer Resort near Sandpoint, Idaho (I90 has ruts due to studded tire wear). In all cases, I had fresh snow on pavement, fresh snow over ice, and old hardpacked, rutted snow to drive on as well as ice covered parking lots. I can report that I have had absolutely NO problems whatsoever. The tires are quieter on most surfaces than the Bridgestones (however, some rough pavement results in high relative noise levels). The tires provide very quick steering, and high levels of lateral acceleration (grip) wet or dry. When they reach their limits, they provide a very gradual breakaway. My car has only 165HP, so I can’t induce “power oversteer” in wet or dry conditions, however, on snow or ice, my limited slip differential can pro | |||||||||
| Name: | |||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | |||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Mon Jan 24 18:19:25 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | () | ||||||||
| Tire: | Studded: | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... | |||||||||
| Name: | bball | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | |||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Sat Jan 22 21:38:17 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | 2005 gmc sierra denali crew cab truck (AWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | nokian hakkepiliita suv 265/70/r17 Studded: YES | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... expensive but worth the price. makes snow/ice and slush like dry pavement. not as good as a bfg mud terrain in deep snow (8-12inches) i do not drive this truck off road. get them studded if your state allows.i only run these 2-3months a year | |||||||||
| Name: | Daniel Ho | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | dkyho at hotmail dot com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Edmonton, AB | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Wed Jan 19 23:52:19 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Toyota 1998 Camry (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Hankook W401 205/70R14 Studded: YES | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... Cars: 1998 Camry, 205/70R14, studded. 1991 Mercury Sable, 205/70R14, no studs. 1989 Mitsubishi Galant, 185/70R14, studded. All wear Hankook W401's for 6 months out of the year. Excellent snow and ice tire when studded. They have very good braking and acceleration ability. On the non-ABS equipped Galant, I could threshold brake like a pro and tell which of the 4 tires was locking up just from listening to the tires and receiving tactile feedback from the steering wheel and brake pedal. Braking on true glare ice, is hit or miss, even with studded. Sometimes they really bite in, sometimes the rate of deceleration is a bit lacking. That's all relatively speaking...on glare ice from 30mph, I'd say I stop at least 10 car lengths sooner than on my all-seasons. The tread design is more snow tire than ice tire, with relatively mild siping and unusually aggressive void areas. The sipes go all the way down to the wear bar indicator depth, and the open tread design clears itself of snow and slush. The lateral control is phenomenal. The tire gives lots of feedback, lets go progressively, and is easy to catch when the limits are exceeded; a very forgiving tire. I can corner and drift the FWD Camry and Galant with the throttle, and I can tell within 1 or 2 MPH where the 10/10th's limit of adhesion is when cornering. On the unstudded Sable the limits are murkier, say 2 to 5 MPH, but that may be due to the more sluggish responses and limited steering feedback of that car. With any of my all-seasons, the 9/10ths limit is very unpredictable and impossible to catch on snow except by getting off the throttle and praying that the tires bite again. The W401's are a tire that rewards aggressive acceleration out of a corner. Noisy when studded, they make a whirling noise on pavement. The W401's on the unstudded Sable are almost silent, go figure. Ditto the Galant's set, when the studs wore down. This is the only tire I can think of where the greater the wear, the quieter the tire. Dry and wet traction of the studded versions aren't that good compared to all-seasons. In fact, on dry pavement, the Galant with these tires made a great drifting machine, quite surprising for a FWD car! The tires feel rubbery cornering on dry pavement, but they are impossible to squeal...they just slide sideways without a whisper. Can't drift the Camry though, there's too much body roll to be any fun. The most amazing thing about the Hankooks is that when I sold the Galant, after 5 winters on the W401's, they still had about 11/32" of tread left! In other words, they only wore 2/32" over 30 months/32,000km of winter travel. The studs might have contributed to the exra-long lifespan of the tire, but I'm not certain. It makes me wonder why anyone would by a Blizzak or Graspic that only lasts 2 winters. | |||||||||
| Name: | Sledge | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Saginaw, MI | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Mon Jan 17 19:47:46 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | 2001 Honda Civic EX (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian WR 185/65-HR15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... As much as I am impressed with my Honda automobile, I am equally puzzled and disappointed with their tire selection. The Firestone FR690 is quite possibly the worst tire ever manufactured for a modern automobile. If you don't believe me, go check out the reviews section of TireRack.com (http://tinyurl.com/6rbjq). They are very loud while driving on a highway. Any mildly aggressive driving causes them to howl and scream. Driving in a rainstorm is not fun because they hydroplane very easily. Driving in the snow is downright dangerous. Skis have more traction in snow than these tires. I was stupid enough to continue using them for several winters. I came very close to losing control and crashing more than once. For the winter of 2004 I decided that enough is enough and I was going to purchase real tires. I began searching the net for auto enthusiast forums. Many have subforums dedicated to wheels and tires. I found several targeted to Audi, Saab, Subaru, BMW, and Volvo owners. I came across a reference to the Nokian WR. I had never heard of the Nokian Tire company before this. The basic gist of the posts I read was that if you're not willing to buy dedicated snow tires, the WR is the way to go. After looking through many people's opinions, I decided this was the tire for me. I ordered a set through TireFactory.net and had them installed. A set of four, mounted, balanced, and installed cost me about $480. In every way, the WRs are superior to the FR690s they replaced. They are quiet and have superb traction in dry, wet, snow, slush, and icy conditions. My fuel economy has not dropped. IMHO, the only major downside to these tires is their cost. | |||||||||
| Name: | Richard Dedo | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | richdedo_AT_yahoo_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Greensburg, Pa 15601 | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Mon Jan 17 15:27:34 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Dodge Stratus (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian WR 195/65/15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I will be trying these out | |||||||||
| Name: | Richard Dedo | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | richdedo_AT_yahoo_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Greensburg, Pa 15601 | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Mon Jan 17 15:25:11 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Dodge Stratus (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian WR 195/65/15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I deliver Pizza, and I need to get around when I NEED to get around. | |||||||||
| Name: | RK | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | New York, NY | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Jan 11 13:39:13 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | 2004 Audi Allroad Quattro 4.2 (AWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian WR 225/55 R 17 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I bought these Nokian WRs after being very dissapointed with the OEM Goodyears Wrangler F1s the car came with. I can't believe Audi was so negligent/cheap with it's choice of tires. So far the Nokians have performed quite well in light to moderate snow. I use them year round because I was getting tired of swapping them for summer tires. They're a little soft/squishy at high speeds, but then again they really shouldn't be driven at Autobahn speeds. I'm waiting for some heavy snow to really give them a test... | |||||||||
| Name: | Michael | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Calgary, Alberta | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Jan 4 15:16:43 2005 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Subaru 1998 - Legacy 2.5GT (AWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian WR 205/55 R16 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... The weather in Calgary is very diverse. You can enver count on the roads being wet, dry, snowy, or icy. This year 2004, we woke up and enjoyed a nice brown christmas. The roads were extremely bare; however, when I leaving the folks place after dinner I had to brush off a good 4 inches from my car. While driving encountered extreme cross winds pushing you one way, while having 6" snow drifts pulling you to the other. The 'All Weather' tire is perfect for the Calgary climate. Most would imagine that by mid May you shouldn't have to worry about winter driving, but until you experience waking up to a Blizzard after a week of driving with the sunroof open and all windows down you never now. I always considered paying the money for dedicated summer and winter tires, but unless I have a full garage with hoist and pit crew, I don't think I will go that route. It is annoying paying the money for excellent winter tires, and then spend the winter months driving on dry pavement waiting for the snowfall to make use of them as you watch the tread depth drop after every use. Then come spring, you put on the summer tires to find that a month later you can even get off your driveway! I have been using the Nokian WR's for 2 season and have no real complaints about them. I have never been stuck in the winter, and it is nice to climb the residential hills knowing that if you have to stop you can get going again, after swerving to avoid the car spinning their tires making a nice patch of ice as they think the solution to driving up the hill is more gas! The summer handeling and traction is just as good if not better as the Michellen MXV4 which is a reasonable all season, but come winter time there is no comparison. All in all, I can't see driving on anything else, unless other manufacturers come out with a comparible tire. Even though the car equiped with the Nokian WR for the 2004 review wasn't working, the review over all suggests that it may be comparible with the other manufacturers studless tires. Also note, find any other tire with the Severe Service Emblem with a tread life guarentee, but a guarentee of 100,000Km (62,000Mi), none the less! | |||||||||
| Name: | Roy | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | |||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Wed Dec 29 16:31:51 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Dodge Neon (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Halk 1 175/70x14 Studded: YES | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... Used for long distance driving, winter rally, and ice race. Fantastic ice and snow traction, long wear, reasonable dry/wet handling. Would recomend any of the Nokian products. | |||||||||
| Name: | Jeremy | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Toronto | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Thu Dec 23 10:50:33 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Mazda Protege (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakapaleta 2 185/ 65-14 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I highly recommend these tires for winter. the soft compound shines in heavy snow and ice. Even though my car is lowered, I plowed though high snow as if it's not there. These tires are even "Studdable", but our laws don't allow Studs. I have to admit that in dry weather and high speeds does wear out thread quickly. If you are a person who corners hard, you will feel your car wobble (solution: just don't drive like an idiot). Even though they are expensive, they are worth it. (Made in Finland) Highly recommend them. | |||||||||
| Name: | Greg W | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Burlington, Ontario | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Thu Dec 23 10:25:48 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Lexus IS-300 (RWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakkapeliita-2 205/55-R16 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... Used the info on your site to help decide what snows to get for my car - I'm back to RWD for the first time in many years. Awesome traction - have driven through 6-8 inch rain soaked, uncut snow w/o getting stuck. Have travelled where FWD with all seasons cannot. Amazing tires! Great info on the site - thx! | |||||||||
| Name: | Clay Wachob | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | wacho4_AT_37_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Churchville/Bel Air, Maryland | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Sun Dec 19 20:36:07 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Jeep Cherokee 1996 (4WD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | BFGoodrich All terrains KO 235/75/r15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I put theese on my fiance's cherokee over a year ago. In my opinion these are the best all around tires for both on and off road in the snow. Prior to this jeep, my only expierience was with rear wheel drive vehicles, older cars, a truck, and a van. Nothing will help a full size van much in snow. My best expierience out of these were goodyear weatherhandlers both with and without studs(no I don't think they are reccomended in these tires) on the old buicks. They would go through all but the real bad stuff. The best ties on the van, believe it or not, were BFG Mud terrains wfich I lightly siped with a utility knife. All these vehicles were daily drivers, Used on a farm and at least a tiny bit of off road use. I plan on expierimenting on my 99 cherokee i recently got. | |||||||||
| Name: | Jerome Dionne | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | jerome_DoT_dionne_AT_trow_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Montreal, Quebec | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Wed Dec 15 10:56:21 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Mazda 3 Sport GT (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakkapeliitta 2 205/55 R 16 Studded: YES | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I live in the west outskirt of Montreal City on a little mountain where I have a 8 km winding road to commute everyday. This is mainly what motivated the purchase the Hakka2 Studded tires and the fact that I wanted the best for my brand new car. I bought them in early november and had them on stealies to replace my OEM 205/50 R 17 Goodyear RS-A mounted on my aluminium wheels. I had them on for about 2 weeks before it snowed last week. So far we had a day or two of icing rain followed by about 16 inches of snowf in the last week which made me grin from ear to ear. First - Ice: The tires grip way more than studless tires but way less than I expected. After thinking about it the stud aren't screws and one should not rely on them to stop from higher speeds but rather have them as a safety for stoping in an emergency. I tried to stop and go in my entrance way (150 feet uphill, moderate incline) a few wheel spin and go, amazing (the mark left on the ice made me smile) Second - Snow: Wow!!! sublime. The tire grip on snow like a mad dog on a bone. It does not matter if there is an inch or 10 inches of snow on the ground, the car will go foward. However, I found the tire where actualy making a high pitch note when on snow at around 60 to 80 km/h which I never had before, not even on dry pavement. Third - Noise: Yes they are louder than my OEM all-season tire, but It is a small thing to get over with, not even enough to have to raise the radio. However, the concrete road are killers, you can than clearly hear the studs. To put that into perspective, my buddy Venture minivan shod with Goodyear Ultra Grip is way louder than my Hakka2 studded. Fourth - Drawbacks: Little more noise, the price is on the highend, 205 CDN$ + taxes a pop and the fact that you can not access underground multi-level garage (because of the sealing membrane covering the concrete slab will be damaged by the studs) Fifth - Dry: The tires are good, the sidewalls are softer than my OEM 17 inches which makes the car a little wobbely or less surefooted in crosswinds but I knew it when I purchased because of their lesser speed rating than my OEM. On a final note I think I will never go back to anything less than these tires. I just hope Nokian will bring their Hakka4 in the near future, since I think my tires will last 2 winters (60,000 km a year, 20,000 km per winter). You have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Jerome | |||||||||
| Name: | Aaron Pudlo | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | pudlo_AT_cyberwc_DoT_net | ||||||||
| City/State: | Limerick, Maine | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Sun Dec 12 19:56:51 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | 2004 Subaru Forester (AWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian hakkapeliitta q 215/60R16 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... Nice whoosh when you brake, but more importantly a great winter tire for this climate where terrible road conditions can alternate w/ dry pavement (not just day to day, but within the same trip). Don't put on too early or leave on too late as they don't like heat & get super squishy! They're even better on dry or wet pavement than the all seasons (yokohama geolanders)that came w/ my Forester. Favorite thing: Passing someone & knowing they can't catch you w/o wiping out! I always try to talk my friends into real winter tires, but they never listen & continue to slide around on their all seasons.... | |||||||||
| Name: | Fred | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | fhaxton*at*rbnet_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Fincastle VA | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Sat Dec 11 00:07:59 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Pontiac 6000 (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakka 1 195/70/14 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... Excellent in snow/slush. Climbed 20% + grades in 6" slush with no slip. Very good on packed icy snow. Black ice is doable but about what you'd expect with a non-studded tire. Unstopable in snow even with just FWD. Leave many 4wd SUV's with all-season radials in the dust. | |||||||||
| Name: | Michael Platt | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | mplatt911_AT_yahoo_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Fitchburg/Mass | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Dec 7 14:50:13 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Dodge Magnum RT (AWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian SUV 235/60/18 Studded: YES | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I have owned four sets of Nokian snows on other cars, primarily Audi quattros. With the AWD-RT Hemi powered Magnum, this was my first venture into 18" sizes. To be safe I had them studded. A little noisy around town but near silent on the highway. Great for an SUV tire I had to put on a passenger vehicle. | |||||||||
| Name: | Mark Koskenmaki | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | mark_AT_neofast_DoT_net | ||||||||
| City/State: | weston, oregon | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Nov 30 09:26:17 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Plymouth Sundance (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Cooper Weathermaster XGR 195/70-14 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I have never driven any snows that are good as these. Not even studs compare to these in snow. Whether it's glare ice or snow, or frost on the road, or snow worn shiny smooth, they NEVER give up. Even if you spin, lock the tires, or turn beyond your limits, the tires never just "give up", they continue to pull in the direction they're pointing you. YOu can lock all 4 and stop rapidly, and the moment you let up, it recovers lateral directional stability. While FWD cars do well in snow, I would bet these would exceed the performance of ANY tire tested here so far. | |||||||||
| Name: | Mark Koskenmaki | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | mark_AT_neofast_DoT_net | ||||||||
| City/State: | Weston, Oregon | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Nov 30 09:21:59 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Dodge D250 (RWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Cooper Discoverer M+S LT265/75R16 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... These are without a doubt, the absolute BEST Light Truck dedicated snow tire. They won't got 10,000 miles on dry pavement without wearing to the cords, but in snow, they are absolutely without peer. I drive a diesel 2wd, and in the snow it easily will punch through where the snowplow put up a foot or more. I can climb 5-8 degree inclines without adding weight, especially when it's just snow, and not ice underneath. Nothing will turn a 2WD into a 4WD, but 4 of these on a 4 WD will not make a deep snow digger, but will make one heck of a good snow road vehicle. | |||||||||
| Name: | Bill Middleton | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Schwenksville, PA | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Fri Nov 26 07:12:42 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Volkswagen Golf (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Kumho KW11 Izen Stud 195-65R15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... | |||||||||
| Name: | Mike | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Erie County Pa | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Thu Nov 25 21:40:15 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | 1996 Camaro (RWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakka 2 225/60/16 Studded: YES | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... We average over 10' snow per year. The only problem these tires ever got me into - 18" heavy wet snow + 12" ground clearance + excellent traction = car completely hung up on snow. I have run this same set of studded Hakka 2's since 1998, 50 miles a day, Nov - March & they still show near 1/2 tread. | |||||||||
| Name: | Bruce Hunt | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | brucedog2_AT_msn_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Erie, Pa | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Nov 23 14:41:22 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Volkswagen Quantum (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Gislaved Nord Frost 3 175/65R14 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... Although I have never run the Nokain Hakkapelita's, I have been using the Gislaved for years and swear they are the best there is. We live in the lake effect snow area on the south shore of Lake Erie and get plenty of snow. The Gislaved is quiet and smooth on dry pavement but really come to life in the snow, the deeper the better. As a Volvo service advisor I have recommended them for years and have never had a disappointed customer. They tend to last longer than the Blizzaks (I wore them out in one low snow season). I do tend to drive aggresively but not on the edge. I have had them on various VW's with great success. We live on a steep hill and my wife works nights so she insists on studded snows on her Volvo 240 (originally put them on her old Chevy Celebrity and she fell in love with them). Unfortunately they are getting harder to find. I usually run them 2 winters and burn them off the following summer (at that point they make a great summer tire). | |||||||||
| Name: | Skip Dunn | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Eagle River, Alaska | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Wed Nov 17 07:26:14 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | '04 Acura, '93 Toyota, '91Mitsu, '91 Ford MDX, Forerunner, Montero, F250 (4WD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian SUV and #10 235/65R17, 235/70R15 and 235/75/R16 Studded: YES | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... We've been running studded Nokia(n) tires for about 8 years up a driveway that scares some people into walking down even when it is dry gravel. Sometimes winter gives us a special treat, with a snow covered road it will rain and freeze, making a sheet of ice out of a road with five very tight switch-backs. At times we resort to chains for a day or so 'till the road has some texture. This road gains 900 ft. of elevation in half a mile. AKA Three Roll Hill. | |||||||||
| Name: | Kevin Fridman | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | onecanoe_AT_peoplepc_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | East Aurora, NY | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Mon Nov 15 17:49:21 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | 1997 Ford Taurus GL 4 Dr Sedan (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Dunlop Draspics DS-1 205/65 R 15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... These suprised me right out of the box. After having them mounted I drove home in nice weather. I felt like I was floating. The reviews of poor emergency handling are right on. When I stopped on dry pavement my anti-lock brakes kicked in. We got rid of the car this year and I had to buy new snows. This time I went for the Dunlop Sport M3s. I have to have more stability on dry pavement and the reviews on Tire Rack looked very good. I'll check in around January to say how they are. | |||||||||
| Name: | Geoff Devine | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | geoff_AT_geoffdevine_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Portsmouth, NH | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Fri Nov 5 09:28:26 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Mercury Mountaineer V8 (RWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakka SUV 235/70R16 Studded: YES | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... The classic problem with an SUV is that their braking and cornering abilities down hills on snow & ice are terrible. Weight is the enemy. I've driven SUVs since the mid-1980's and I've always had to be extra careful in winter driving to compensate for this limitation in the breed. Studded Nokians change that and you can more or less ignore the elements as long as you watch your rearview mirror to ensure you don't get clobbered by the SUV behind you that is running stock tires. Braking on ice is like being on a dry road. My first brake test on ice produced a huge grin. Road noise is truly impressive at highway speeds. It turns what is usually a fairly quiet SUV into a piece of farm equipment. There's some vibration transmitted to the steering wheel at 75 mph. My wife drives the car most of the time and says she just slows down a little cranks up the iPod volume. I just deal with the noise and vibration at my usual speed limit + 15. This is not a setup for a flatland commuter car. Mine goes to Vermont on weekends and sees limited use midweek. If you're trying to optimize for black ice, this is the setup. | |||||||||
| Name: | Geoff Devine | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | geoff_AT_geoffdevine_DoT_com | ||||||||
| City/State: | Portsmouth, NH | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Fri Nov 5 09:16:15 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | VW GTI (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakka Q 195/65R15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... 3 seasons, 30,000+ miles. The car goes to Killington, Vermont every weekend and commutes 80 miles per day midweek with lots of 75-80 mph highway time. I think I'll just be able to eek out a 4th season. Outstanding ice and hardpack performance. Poor handling with flabby-feeling sidewalls. Feels like 4 gum-erasers when temperatures are well above freezing. Road noise is noticable but not horrible. | |||||||||
| Name: | John Werner | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | john_DoT_werner_AT_snowtire_DoT_info | ||||||||
| City/State: | Fairport, NY | ||||||||
| Home Page: | http://www.snowtire.info | ||||||||
| Date: | Sun Oct 31 13:47:12 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Volvo 960 Wagon (RWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Green Diamond Inari 185/65 R 15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I like this tire. It's tread pattern works well in heavy snow, and the green diamond crystals get a bite in the ice -- not as good as studs, but better then just rubber. The tires' ice traction actually gets better the more you run them because there are more crystals showing. | |||||||||
| Name: | Roger | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Detroit, MI | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Mar 16 07:02:34 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Saab 9-5 Sedan (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakkapeliitta Q 195/65 R 15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... Best in cold climates. I lost a lot of tread life the first winter with daily high temps in the 45 degree F range most of the winter. I ran these for three years but should have replaced them after only two seasons (i.e. 20 to 25,000 miles). Ice traction is fantastic. I deliberately stood on my brakes one morning while approaching an ice covered intersection at 45mph, damn near sent myself into the windshield, but the ABS never engaged! The tires grip that well. Tire noise was equal to or less than my summer Michelins. | |||||||||
| Name: | |||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | |||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Thu Mar 11 16:06:42 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | () | ||||||||
| Tire: | Studded: | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... | |||||||||
| Name: | |||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | |||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Thu Mar 11 16:06:31 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | () | ||||||||
| Tire: | Studded: | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... | |||||||||
| Name: | Justin N. | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Exton, PA | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Thu Feb 26 22:39:35 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | 2001 Honda Accord EX-V6 (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian WR 205/65/15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... My first experience with "snow" tires even though these are all-seasons (all-weather as Nokian describes them). I was impressed with the wet traction of these tires. No hydroplaning what so ever. Snow and slush traction is also impressive. I did have slight fish tailing in deeper unplowed snow when making sharp turns. No problems with straight driving, though. Only drove in ice once and I got to work safely. I chose these over strictly snow tires because they are H rated so I would not be giving up much cornering stability compared to my summer V rated tires. | |||||||||
| Name: | Pra | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Shortsville, NY | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Fri Jan 30 20:04:55 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Chevy '87 C10 Pickup truck (RWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Hakkapeliitta SUV 235/75 R15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I only just had these put on a day or two ago, so no in depth review. But they are a very nice upgrade from the all seasons. With a 350 V8 and RWD, I didn't feel confident without snow tires. Originally I was trying to get Bridgestone Blizzak Winter Deullers, but Tirerack didn't have any in stock. Some Canadian friends had recommended Nokian in the past so I thought I would give them a go. These work well when driving thru drifts, and on steep driveways, without any weight in the bed. Plus apparently they can be kept on year-round, which will save me a few dollars in mounting/dismounting. Got them from Murphy's Tures in Canandaigua, $97 each including mounting and balancing. I think I will get some Nokian 4-seasons for the wife's Taurus next season | |||||||||
| Name: | Pra | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Shortsville, NY | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Fri Jan 30 19:56:21 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Ford Taurus SE (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 205/65 R15 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... I put these on at the end of October, too early for the late winter we are having. So they spent quite a few days in 70 degrees+ weather. Now when the snows finally came, I knew it was money well spent. Fantastic traction in snow. My wife can go out in any weather and I know she will be OK. Saved me from hitting a deer in the snow, if I had my old all-seasons on I would have hit her for sure. Unfortunately a month or so later, at the exact same spot, the b###### deer ran right in to the side of the Taurus. Took out the passenger door. Anyway whilst it was getting repaired we had a rental 2003 Nissan Altima 2.5 S. Lots of power, but we quickly realised that the all-seasons were absolutely horrific on snow. Perhaps we are spoilt by the Blizzaks. One thing I do worry about is the tread wear, I have a bit over 6000 miles on it (from Oct 2003), and a lot of the siping is nearly gone. Also the grip seems to have diminished, perhaps due to the limited 55% of multi-cell compound. So I will prob need to get another set of tires for next winter. I think Nokian next time, with 100% winter compound. (see review above). | |||||||||
| Name: | Matthew Little | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | jesco_AT_sympatico_DoT_ca | ||||||||
| City/State: | Waterloo Ontario | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Jan 27 09:44:25 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | VW new Beetle TDI (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Bridgestone Blizzak Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... excellent... gives the bug almost the same controll and capability as our Subaru and Toyota LC. I feel safe and have no fear taking the kids out in this car in almost any weather. One warning... you will be able to stop with these tires... traffic behind you may not... I got rearended because of this... As you read these reviews you will see that these tires are on all my vehicles... they are worth every cent. Note that having them mounted on "winter" rims is the easy way to go. Of the three sets of these tires I am running I am in the 4th winter for two sets and the 3rd winter for the last. Very good wear... lots of tread left. Also, they seem to clear themselves very well in various snow conditions and they handle ice well (driving style is important here). I will be strongly inclined to buy Blizzaks when the current sets wear down. | |||||||||
| Name: | Matthew Little | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | jesco_AT_sympatico_DoT_ca | ||||||||
| City/State: | Waterloo Ontario | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Jan 27 09:35:18 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Subaru Forester (AWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Bridgestone Blizzak Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... very good in all road conditions experienced between November and April. Replaced the crappy standard tire (Geolander)Subaru put on the vehicle and created a completely different vehicle. This car/SUV is almost as good in the snow as my Toyota Landcruiser... | |||||||||
| Name: | Matthew Little | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | jesco_AT_sympatico_DoT_ca | ||||||||
| City/State: | Waterloo Ontario | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Jan 27 09:31:17 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Toyota Landcruiser bj70 (4WD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Bridgestone Blizzak 10.5X31 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... fantastic... very pleased with the tire... adds incredible control to an already superbly handling truck... | |||||||||
| Name: | Matthew Little | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | jesco_AT_sympatico_DoT_ca | ||||||||
| City/State: | Waterloo Ontario | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Tue Jan 27 09:29:29 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Toyota Landcruiser bj70 (4WD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Bridgestone Blizzak 10.5X31 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: | |||||||||
| Wrote... fantastic... once you go snow you never go back... | |||||||||
| Name: | Marc | ||||||||
| E-Mail: | |||||||||
| City/State: | Montreal, Quebec | ||||||||
| Home Page: | |||||||||
| Date: | Mon Jan 26 20:36:36 2004 | ||||||||
| Vehicle: | Ford Focus SE Sport Wagon (FWD) | ||||||||
| Tire: | Nokian Hakkapeliitta Q 185/70 R 14 Studded: NO | ||||||||
| Driving Style: | |||||||||
| Traction: |
| ||||||||
| Tire Noise: |