Nokian WRG4

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Originally Posted by madRiver
Considering the WR G4 for wife's Tiguan.

I have owned the Nokia WRx (NRW before) type tires since around 2000ish. They all seem to last around 40k-50k. If you have an alignment issue(check before install) or do not believe in rotating your tires they tend to get loud at end of life. If you keep up with rotations etc they are fine.

They all offer great winter traction vs an all-season. I'd say superior slush traction over two winter tires I have owned Mich X-Ice/Blizzack. They are not winter tire caliber in terms of deep snow and ice. Thankfully NH we have plows and sanders
smile.gif



I had the WR G3 (assymetric) on my last Passat. It's great for a highly variable winter season. I heard mixed reviews on the directional WR G3 SUV.

I will be getting the WR G4 SUV on the Tiguan also for this winter
 
Originally Posted by shorebreeze
I think that was certainly key for me on the WRG3. I drive about 10,000 miles a year, two thirds of it on the highway, and walk to work unless I'm doing a project out of town (hence the highway). I have oil changes done twice a year and rotate when I change oil. And the car I have (a Chevy Sonic) has been exceptionally good at holding alignment, so all that weight (2800 pounds for a subcompact sedan) was apparently put to good use at least somewhere.

But I'm looking at the CrossClimate+ due to the decisive win in the CR test over the WRG4 in performance in the rain combined with the two tires testing close to each other in winter conditions, and a Costco sale putting the total price installed and with tax at around $480. What's giving me pause is the Nokian is an 11/32 tire with a 500 UTQG rating and the Michelin a 9/32 tire with a 600 rating; so how did such a hard wearing compound do as well in the snow and ice as it did in the CR test? Fluke or for real? The reason I ask is because in the Midwest you can't just stop driving when it's 25 below. For reference, with CR's scoring system, the WRG3 scored a 64; the WRG4 a 59 (improved over the G3 on ice but lagging in the wet); but the CrossClimate+ a 75, achieving a "very good" rating in every single category.



What did the WeatherReady rate?
 
Originally Posted by shorebreeze
WeatherReady has a 60,000 mile warranty and a 700/A/A UTQG


They are $50 more per tire, they are not good enough to make me want to spend at least $200 extra for a set of tires compared to the Nokian WRG4.
 
Originally Posted by Ignatius
Originally Posted by shorebreeze
WeatherReady has a 60,000 mile warranty and a 700/A/A UTQG


They are $50 more per tire, they are not good enough to make me want to spend at least $200 extra for a set of tires compared to the Nokian WRG4.


It's worth it based on my Nokian experience. I wouldn't run WRG for free.
 
Originally Posted by Ws6


Michelin makes quality tires. There is no way I'd consider a Nokian if Michelin is an option. Or Cooper. Or General. Or some no-name re-tread. Well, maybe not that bad, but definitely the worst tires I've ever owned or heard of. (WRG3 SUV)



This has not been my experience. There is no way I would consider a Michelin winter tire. I liked the Michelin all season models I've tried, but it is a different game when it comes to winter tires. The worst performers by far of all the winter sets I've owned is the X-Ice Xi3. Had them installed the same winter on two different vehicles, a 2006 Toyota Sienna in 215/65R16, and on a 2014 VW Passat TDI manual in 215/60R16. Despite the name, I found ice traction to be severely lacking, with wheels always spinning when starting from a stop, no matter how light on the throttle. Did not have that issue with tires before these, or tires after these.

General Altimax Arctic was one of the best ones I've used, always a solid, predictable performer, got me through all kinds of snow and ice conditions confidently.

I have a Cooper/Canadian Tire co-branded tire on my VW Tiguan. Traction wise, I found them neck and neck with the Continental ExtremeWinterContact I had on at the same time on my van. In the end, I would say the Continentals (parent to General), had the advantage. Stopping wise on extremely slick ice, the last foot would cause ABS to kick in on the Cooper, but not the Continental. For the split second starting off extremely slick ice, it was opposite, with a slight initial spin on the Continental but not the Coopers. Into their third winter now, the Coopers have some minor tread chunks coming off from taking them off late in spring, but still well before summer temperatures. But both these offerings were on my best list.

Lastly, the Nokians. When my van met it's untimely demise after being totaled while sitting in a parking lot, I had an insurance rental fitting with Nokian's Nordman WR SUV. Marketed in North America as all weather, but sold in Europe as winter. Wow is all I could say. They stuck like glue, no matter how slippery the roads were. Not just one of the best, but by far THE best. And this is apparently a value model of theirs. Can't speak long term on these, as they were on a rental, but I did drive it through some of the worst parts of the winter season we had here last year. This was enough to convince me to get the Nokian Rotiiva AT Plus as an all weather option for my truck. Those have yet to see winter conditions, so I have no opinion yet.

My okay, but not phenomenal list included some tires from a ways back (current models when I had them): Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 and Kumho I'Zen KW-11.

I will agree with you, on not going with a no-name or retread, though.
 
Originally Posted by Ws6
Michelin makes quality tires. There is no way I'd consider a Nokian if Michelin is an option. Or Cooper. Or General. Or some no-name re-tread. Well, maybe not that bad, but definitely the worst tires I've ever owned or heard of. (WRG3 SUV)

My Toyo A36's have a 320 treadware rating. They lasted longer than my Nokians, driven and treated the same except on a much more powerful and heavier SUV.
My WRG3 SUV's were loud enough I thought a semi was behind me when new, and only got worse.
They never would balance up, right.
Hydroplaning issues were scary when they got down to 5-8/32.
Traction on snow/ice the very tiny amount I got to test them (I wore them out between March and November, so...) was "meh" on the small patch I encountered right after I got them.
If you buy them through the wrong dealer (Amazon, etc.) Nokian won't honor their treadlife guarantee.

In short...junk.


Have you tried pushing your luck buying a Michelin winter tire from a non-authorized dealer and try to get Michelin to honor their warranty?

BTW, my favorite tire for winter has been a retread, well, a remolded tire.... Green Diamond tires, with its carbide chunks in the tread compound to claw its way through the snow and ice.
 
Originally Posted by UG_Passat
Originally Posted by Ws6
Michelin makes quality tires. There is no way I'd consider a Nokian if Michelin is an option. Or Cooper. Or General. Or some no-name re-tread. Well, maybe not that bad, but definitely the worst tires I've ever owned or heard of. (WRG3 SUV)

My Toyo A36's have a 320 treadware rating. They lasted longer than my Nokians, driven and treated the same except on a much more powerful and heavier SUV.
My WRG3 SUV's were loud enough I thought a semi was behind me when new, and only got worse.
They never would balance up, right.
Hydroplaning issues were scary when they got down to 5-8/32.
Traction on snow/ice the very tiny amount I got to test them (I wore them out between March and November, so...) was "meh" on the small patch I encountered right after I got them.
If you buy them through the wrong dealer (Amazon, etc.) Nokian won't honor their treadlife guarantee.

In short...junk.


Have you tried pushing your luck buying a Michelin winter tire from a non-authorized dealer and try to get Michelin to honor their warranty?

BTW, my favorite tire for winter has been a retread, well, a remolded tire.... Green Diamond tires, with its carbide chunks in the tread compound to claw its way through the snow and ice.

No, I buy Continental. My LX20's were at least as good as my WRG3 SUV's, and they actually held up, weren't loud as an 18-wheeler, and could be properly balanced.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Ws6
Originally Posted by UG_Passat
Originally Posted by Ws6
Michelin makes quality tires. There is no way I'd consider a Nokian if Michelin is an option. Or Cooper. Or General. Or some no-name re-tread. Well, maybe not that bad, but definitely the worst tires I've ever owned or heard of. (WRG3 SUV)

My Toyo A36's have a 320 treadware rating. They lasted longer than my Nokians, driven and treated the same except on a much more powerful and heavier SUV.
My WRG3 SUV's were loud enough I thought a semi was behind me when new, and only got worse.
They never would balance up, right.
Hydroplaning issues were scary when they got down to 5-8/32.
Traction on snow/ice the very tiny amount I got to test them (I wore them out between March and November, so...) was "meh" on the small patch I encountered right after I got them.
If you buy them through the wrong dealer (Amazon, etc.) Nokian won't honor their treadlife guarantee.

In short...junk.


Have you tried pushing your luck buying a Michelin winter tire from a non-authorized dealer and try to get Michelin to honor their warranty?

BTW, my favorite tire for winter has been a retread, well, a remolded tire.... Green Diamond tires, with its carbide chunks in the tread compound to claw its way through the snow and ice.

No, I buy Continental. My LX20's were at least as good as my WRG3 SUV's, and they actually held up, weren't loud as an 18-wheeler, and could be properly balanced.


Then try to buy Continental tires from an unauthorized reseller and see if Continental honors their Total Confidence Plan in case you have premature wear.
 
Originally Posted by UG_Passat
Originally Posted by Ws6
Originally Posted by UG_Passat
Originally Posted by Ws6
Michelin makes quality tires. There is no way I'd consider a Nokian if Michelin is an option. Or Cooper. Or General. Or some no-name re-tread. Well, maybe not that bad, but definitely the worst tires I've ever owned or heard of. (WRG3 SUV)

My Toyo A36's have a 320 treadware rating. They lasted longer than my Nokians, driven and treated the same except on a much more powerful and heavier SUV.
My WRG3 SUV's were loud enough I thought a semi was behind me when new, and only got worse.
They never would balance up, right.
Hydroplaning issues were scary when they got down to 5-8/32.
Traction on snow/ice the very tiny amount I got to test them (I wore them out between March and November, so...) was "meh" on the small patch I encountered right after I got them.
If you buy them through the wrong dealer (Amazon, etc.) Nokian won't honor their treadlife guarantee.

In short...junk.


Have you tried pushing your luck buying a Michelin winter tire from a non-authorized dealer and try to get Michelin to honor their warranty?

BTW, my favorite tire for winter has been a retread, well, a remolded tire.... Green Diamond tires, with its carbide chunks in the tread compound to claw its way through the snow and ice.

No, I buy Continental. My LX20's were at least as good as my WRG3 SUV's, and they actually held up, weren't loud as an 18-wheeler, and could be properly balanced.


Then try to buy Continental tires from an unauthorized reseller and see if Continental honors their Total Confidence Plan in case you have premature wear.

https://www.continental-tires.com/car/tires/technical-services/warranty
Quote
As your warranty is based on your sales contract at point of purchase you should first consult with the shop/dealer where you originally purchased the tire(s), if your are unable to do this then we recommend you visit a tire dealer that offers our brands - to assist in handling your warranty issue.

Sounds like they have a plan for that...
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Ws6
Originally Posted by UG_Passat
Originally Posted by Ws6
Originally Posted by UG_Passat
Ws6 said:
Michelin makes quality tires. There is no way I'd consider a Nokian if Michelin is an option. Or Cooper. Or General. Or some no-name re-tread. Well, maybe not that bad, but definitely the worst tires I've ever owned or heard of. (WRG3 SUV)

My Toyo A36's have a 320 treadware rating. They lasted longer than my Nokians, driven and treated the same except on a much more powerful and heavier SUV.
My WRG3 SUV's were loud enough I thought a semi was behind me when new, and only got worse.
They never would balance up, right.
Hydroplaning issues were scary when they got down to 5-8/32.
Traction on snow/ice the very tiny amount I got to test them (I wore them out between March and November, so...) was "meh" on the small patch I encountered right after I got them.
If you buy them through the wrong dealer (Amazon, etc.) Nokian won't honor their treadlife guarantee.

In short...junk.


Have you tried pushing your luck buying a Michelin winter tire from a non-authorized dealer and try to get Michelin to honor their warranty?

BTW, my favorite tire for winter has been a retread, well, a remolded tire.... Green Diamond tires, with its carbide chunks in the tread compound to claw its way through the snow and ice.

No, I buy Continental. My LX20's were at least as good as my WRG3 SUV's, and they actually held up, weren't loud as an 18-wheeler, and could be properly balanced.


Then try to buy Continental tires from an unauthorized reseller and see if Continental honors their Total Confidence Plan in case you have premature wear.

https://www.continental-tires.com/car/tires/technical-services/warranty
Quote
As your warranty is based on your sales contract at point of purchase you should first consult with the shop/dealer where you originally purchased the tire(s), if your are unable to do this then we recommend you visit a tire dealer that offers our brands - to assist in handling your warranty issue.

Sounds like they have a plan for that...
Click to expand...
Good luck with that... As many shops have the mentality of: you didn't buy it from me this, I have no obligation to help you in your warranty claims
 
Originally Posted by UG_Passat

Good luck with that... As many shops have the mentality of: you didn't buy it from me this, I have no obligation to help you in your warranty claims


Luckily, my Continental tires last a while, instead of only 30% of their warranteed life, so I've never had t o try it. I'll let you know when they perform as badly as Nokians and it becomes a problem. Don't hold your breath.
 
Originally Posted by Ignatius
Originally Posted by shorebreeze
WeatherReady has a 60,000 mile warranty and a 700/A/A UTQG


They are $50 more per tire, they are not good enough to make me want to spend at least $200 extra for a set of tires compared to the Nokian WRG4.


Cost is not an object here; in my 195/65/15 size the Michelin Crossclimates are actually slightly cheaper than the Nokian WRG4s due to a Costco sale.....about $480 for the set installed versus $525
 
I hear good things about the Crossclimates but my WRG3s are past 35K and still solid. Only reason I might lose them soon is for a new car with WRG4s
banana2.gif
 
So I went with the CrossClimates; the CR review on the Nokians in wet gave me pause. But I will be interested to hear how people do with them.....it's rare for any kind of all-season to ace the ice score like that. My WRG3's were retired from my Chevy Sonic with about 51,000 miles, no uneven wear whatsoever, and the #4 still showing on the tread indicator, but with lots of signs of cracking in the tire rubber after just over five years on the vehicle.
 
Had nokian WR-G2's on the 2013 outback they were great, went through the snow and ice with 4/32 tread depth when semis were sliding off the roads.( going to funeral in blizzard 3 hours away)
they did wear fairly fast.. IIRC about 38000 miles and they were worn to 3/32 then one blew on the highway(run low on air from puncture before tpms dummy light came on)
by far the best of the 4 tire sets that have been on the outback.

The "I need tires today" available yokohama yk740 have been less than great.. mediocre all around.

I was considering nokian wr-g4 for the 2020 elantra, but will most likely go with continential wintercontact si on steelies. I can get the wheel/tire set for the same price as just 4 wr-g4's.

Since it gets driven hard most likely next year the oem tires will be replaced with some UHP tires.. continental dws06 or similar.
The oem tires are HORRIBLE! on the grooved roads we have here(that is where they cut grooves into the road in the direction of travel).. the oem tires get sucked side to side so bad its almost whiplash, they are a 4 rib design.

Driving my Jeep on the same roads with the firestone destination AT you can notice the road surface but its mild vs whiplash in the elantra.. and we drive on the grooved road almost daily.
 
Having 2 sets of wheels, winter/summer changeover on 3 (4Runner, Highlander, LX570) of the 4 vehicles I maintain all a pain in my rear and never again after experiencing a year and 20,000k miles with the WRG4SUV on my GX460.
[Linked Image]


wrg4.jpg
 
I'll take a Nokian or Continental tire (winter & summer) over anything else I have ever bought, and it took me a while to learn and re-learn.
 
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