Trip report: Nokian WR-G2 205/55/16 vs Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 225/50/16

Lum

Well, after a couple of brown trousers moments last week I couldn't wait for these tyres to arrive.

Last week in the snow with the F1s I'm coming downhill on a single track lane, doing about 15mph and it starts sliding, needed very gentle braking to bring it under control enough to actually make the corner at the bottom and not hit the stone wall.

This weekend, on a privately owned car park with no public access, all iced up, at a very low speed and a hard lock you could get some lovely donuts going on with very little effort. By the time the 4WD kicks in, you're already sliding.

And the night before last, coming out of an industrial estate again doing 15mph and braked well in advance of the stop line, ABS goes bonkers and I slide straight into the main road.

So yeah, time to try a different tyre.

Initial impressions were a bit weird, because of the soft compound and chunky tread if you steer suddenly there is a little squiggle as the tread flexes before it grips, and it grips hard. If you don't drive like a nob you'll probably never notice this, but this was a test in the interests of science.

Back to that road coming out of the industrial park, braked in plenty of time, ABS still kicked in, just a single boing noise and the car stopped well in advance of the stop line making me look a bit stupid, then had to accelerate before a white van drove into the back of me, this resulted in a faster right turn onto the main road than I anticipated but that went without a hitch and no sliding and no nasty reactions when chainging from the ice covered side street to the ice free main road.

Onto that privately owned car park and I couldn't get the car to donut at all. A shame really as I was enjoying that the other night, but if your interest is in safety rather than pratting about, this is what you want.

I haven't tried that downhill yet as that's on my route home from work, but I'm sure it'll be a lot safer than last week.

Another fun moment, approaching a roundabout with a left turn lane and a straight ahead lane. The straight ahead lane is iced over and the left turn lane is clear so there is a massive queue in the left lane. I just drove into the straight ahead lane, straight past everybody and was able to enter the roundabout from a standing start at a perfectly normal speed thus avoiding all the people queueing in the wrong lane.

According to a review I read, they're not as good in the snow as the more expensive Continental TS830, but better in the wet. I haven't seen figures for ice. If the snow gets that bad that this is a problem, I have 4 snow chains in the boot so this isn't an issue for me, though if you don't want to faff with chains then the Contis may be a better choice.

All in all, I'd recommend them, if you can actually find a set. The only thing I'd be wary of is they do give you a lot more confidence in these conditions and I can see how this would easilly lead to what I call "WRX driver syndrome" where you think you have tons of grip until about 2 seconds before you land on your roof in some farmer's field. If there's sheet ice you probably still wont be able to stop, so owning a set of these isn't an excuse to drive like it's a hot summers afternoon.

For reference the car is the Cefiro SE-4 which is RWD, with part time 4WD. I haven't put these tyres on the Mondeo because that's a company car and work wont pay for them. I'm not insured to use my own car for company business so if the roads are impassable in the Mondeo then I stay at home. I'll still be able to get around in my own car for personal business.

And no, I don't work for Nokian.

Edit: Just to clarify I haven't tried these in actual snow yet, just icy roads and cold but clear roads.

adon30

The tread flex will ease off a little as they bed in and will also be less noticeable in colder conditions. However when it warms up be careful as it will feel a bit strange.

The Nokians are well used here in the UK due to cost and avaliability and get some decent write ups by users.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Nokian/WRG2.htm
I haven't tried Nokians yet but currently use the Vredstein Wintrac Extremes I have as they work well on sportier low profiles. Shame Vredstein is in difficulties and supply has dried up otherwise they would probably the tyre of choice for most people.

Lum

<smug mode>

First proper snow this morning and I had a physio appointment at 9. Had no problems other than being tailgated by an X5, so just pulled over to let them tailgate someone else. On the return journey I avoided the massive queue by driving up the unploughed lane.

Well worth the money.

Oh, and while I was out, my GF took this photo. I wouldn't fancy driving an RWD Transit in this weather:



I suspect we'll be going out to the Brecons with the camera a bit later.

hubert_cumberdale

wow where do you live i love driving in the snow

f1's must have been savage in the snow bit smooth arent they great for water etc tho

i have these on one of my cars but im not brave enough to challenge snow using them lol

Lum

South Wales, about half an hour south of the Brecons

And yes F1s are great in the wet, but performance suffers in the cold meaning that the Nokians are just better for this time of year.

You still can't drive like a nob, about 15 - 20 max on the "gritted and ploughed"* roads around here.

Worst part of the trip was when I got out of the hospital, the snow had fallen that heavily that it looked like my car had been parked there overnight.

*allegedly gritted and ploughed, not much evidence of this though.

Lum

Well, back from the Brecons and once again the benefits of winter tyres are obvious.

Plenty of roads where the snow was so deep I was flattening it with my front splitter, but could still accelerate and brake without problems. Compared to the trip last year, on Eagle F1s where most of it was a controlled slide and 3 point turns were done with pushing, it was almost like being on a normal road. Providing you don't drive like a !!!!, and keep an eye out for potential ice, you can't really go wrong. I'd still recommend engine braking where possible though, just to be a little safer.

When we stopped to get out, had to push snow away with the car door it was that deep. Still drove out just fine.

On the return journey, there was some bloke in a little Pug 306 stuck half way around a corner on a very slight incline, just spinning his wheels. I offered him a push, then drove around him, reversed into a snow bank that was previously a layby and got out to push. Some guys in a 4x4 showed up and stopped to push too. This bloke carries on wheelspinning on the flat. 4x4 driver asks if I need a push out of that snow bank and I'm all "nah, it'll be fine" and drove out leaving behind a gawping 4x4 driver.

I guess it doesn't help that the Cefiro looks American and rear wheel drive.

Overtaking people in the unploughed lane of the Heads of the Valleys road is fun too, what is less fun is having to stop regularly to clear out compacted snow from under the wiper blades.

Stopped for chips on the way back at Bacca's in Aberbargoed. Normally they deliver but not today as the little van is snowed in.

Pictures to come when my GF gets around to processing them.

mikey72

I've got the same tyres.
When you have actually used winter tyres, it kind of dispells all the "it's the driver, and not the tyres" stories on here from people that haven't used them, doesn't it?

Lum

Absolutely. Plenty of the places I've been today would have literally been inaccessible if I was still on the summer tyres.

Last year the snow wasn't anywhere near as bad and we ended up having to push the car into places that I could drive into today.

Paradigm

mikey72 wrote: »

I've got the same tyres.
When you have actually used winter tyres, it kind of dispells all the "it's the driver, and not the tyres" stories on here from people that haven't used them, doesn't it?

It certainly does, especially the "I've driven 1.8 million miles & never been stuck" merchants

I have a set of Hankook Icebears, bought last autumn, & the difference they make is untrue...

My local tyre guy charges me £40 to swap them from my summer stuff which are about as grippy as skis in snow!

I really need to look out for some cheap wheels & leave the winters fitted to them so I can change 'em myself.

Lum

Got a couple of pictures, just to give an idea of the snow the WR-G2s had to deal with




In the second one, I'm on my way back, having already ploughed and flattened the centre of the road on my way out.

Wig

How did you cope with hills, did you do any steep bits?

Nice thread, when I get 4 spare steels, I will do the same. I have two spare already, need another two.