Nokian WRG3 tires
- Thread starter Lyon
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cantdecide
Member
When you are done can you post a list of exactly what you bought, where, how much for the tires and wheels so others can replicate as a package for next winter?
I ordered mine from Point S (formerly The Tire Factory) I don't recall what they charging me as I've yet to actually pick the tires up and I ordered them quite some time ago. I do not recall them being cheap. My plan is to simply mount them and drive them year-round. That's the real beauty of the WRG3: it's a true all-weather tire.
Finally put them on and will be taking a 200 mile trip tomorrow. I'll report back. While I am going over a mountain pass, I'm unlikely to encounter any snow/ice.
goneskiian
Active Member
While I have no objective measures to back this up, the WRG3s seemed much quieter than the Continentals that came on the car. This is especially interesting given that the stock tires had the ContiSilent tech in them (which truly perplexed the guys at the tire store). They handled fantastically for all-seasons and I didn't notice any kind of significant impact on range.
Time will tell how well they hold up on such a heavy vehicle but I think they're going to be great tires. It will be a little while before I have any impressions on them in regards to snow driving.
goneskiian
Active Member
eye.surgeon
Active Member
bcsteeve
Member
Sorry for digging up an old thread, but I think it is appropriate here... I'm considering these same tires for a used S I'm getting in a couple of weeks, as the dealer is offering me rubber of my choice. I'd really appreciate an honest review/update now that you've had them for over a year. Any regrets? How are they wearing? Etc etc.
If what you need are tires for occasional snow and ice and you don't want to swap seasonally, these are your tires. I've gone to real snow tires for the winter because my kids are now on ski team and we're basically living at the mountain. The WRG3 is an amazingly versatile tire.
bcsteeve
Member
Darn, that's not quite what I wanted to hear. I live in the mountains all year round 
In the winter - and we get a real winter - I need to go over serious mountain passes. They are plowed well, but there's only so much they can do. It is the law that your tires have to have the mountain/snowflake symbol between October and April to traverse that pass, and I believe these are the only "all season" tires that have that, as they are supposedly "severe service" tires.
I do know several people that get these tires and I've heard good things, but if you went with proper winters then you must have had a reason.
I'd really *like* to avoid swapping, because while it is the law that i have to have them on in October for the highway... it is often still over 20c (68F) in October and usually well over that come April. So I chew up proper winter tires because it's just too warm. It'd be ultra-convenient to have tires that I can reasonably use all the time.
Maybe WRG3 + chains if it is really bad? To be honest, I've never once used chains or other traction aids... I've always had proper winter tires for winter. That's never bothered me before because I've never spent more than $60 on a tire before this car! I don't mind springing for a 2nd set, but its that combined with increased wear that's going to probably end up costing 16x as much as I'm used to.
In the winter - and we get a real winter - I need to go over serious mountain passes. They are plowed well, but there's only so much they can do. It is the law that your tires have to have the mountain/snowflake symbol between October and April to traverse that pass, and I believe these are the only "all season" tires that have that, as they are supposedly "severe service" tires.I do know several people that get these tires and I've heard good things, but if you went with proper winters then you must have had a reason.
I'd really *like* to avoid swapping, because while it is the law that i have to have them on in October for the highway... it is often still over 20c (68F) in October and usually well over that come April. So I chew up proper winter tires because it's just too warm. It'd be ultra-convenient to have tires that I can reasonably use all the time.
Maybe WRG3 + chains if it is really bad? To be honest, I've never once used chains or other traction aids... I've always had proper winter tires for winter. That's never bothered me before because I've never spent more than $60 on a tire before this car! I don't mind springing for a 2nd set, but its that combined with increased wear that's going to probably end up costing 16x as much as I'm used to.
Darn, that's not quite what I wanted to hear. I live in the mountains all year round
I do know several people that get these tires and I've heard good things, but if you went with proper winters then you must have had a reason.
I'd really *like* to avoid swapping, because while it is the law that i have to have them on in October for the highway... it is often still over 20c (68F) in October and usually well over that come April. So I chew up proper winter tires because it's just too warm. It'd be ultra-convenient to have tires that I can reasonably use all the time.
Maybe WRG3 + chains if it is really bad? To be honest, I've never once used chains or other traction aids... I've always had proper winter tires for winter. That's never bothered me before because I've never spent more than $60 on a tire before this car! I don't mind springing for a 2nd set, but its that combined with increased wear that's going to probably end up costing 16x as much as I'm used to.
I've never felt unsafe driving in snow/ice with the WRG3. It's just that, many weekends, I end the day on the slopes and then drive 150 miles home over the mountains. I think I posted about it last year; the WRG3s are fine (with the dual motor car), the Hakkas are just better. I think if I just had daily snow and was driving around town in it they would be ok. I had long, weekly drives over dark mountain passes when I was really tired.
Get the WRG3 and try them out, they're better than any "all-season" tire and many of the winter sport tires out there. (The Pirelli tires Tesla sells come to mind).
bcsteeve
Member
goneskiian
Active Member
I have kept my WRG3's on over the summer and it's been a really warm one. I've also done a couple big road trips on them. They seem to be wearing quite well but I know they will be less effective next winter after using them all summer too. The range increase over the OEM 22's has been worth it though.
I use WRG3 in the winter. The criteria I use is that if you live where there is a real winter, then get good snow tires. If you don't, then use WRG3 as your winter tires. They really are quite good and only the best winter tires do better (R2, X-Ice, etc.). The biggest difference is that the WRG3 tires don't melt immediately in the heat, and the tread compound is very flexible even in severe cold. (At one time there was a video on the Nokian site that showed they were flexible even after pouring liquid nitrogen on them. Don't know if it's still there or not.) In either case it's a good idea to have a second set of wheels to mount them on. Better for the tires and easier to do a change over.
tander
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- Jul 23, 2012
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Sorry to bring this back to life, just wondering if anybody encountered black ice in these and how they performed? I'm considering getting these or the wrg4, but I had them on a front engine rwd car with no traction control (98 Merced e320, basically worst snow car ever), and they worked fine in snow and moderate ice, very predictable sliding, but on black ice they were basically unusable even for a very experienced winter driver and I had to switch to real snow tires. Anyway just wanted to hear if anybody had used them in black ice on a halfway good snow car?
tander
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- Jul 23, 2012
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Did you ever get these on black ice? Had them too, pretty good made sliding very predictable in everything but sheer ice. Considering the new version instead of snow tires just because they are so much quieter when not on snow might be worth the tradeoff of snow performance to me.
Where I live, there is little snow, but there are ice days where the roads are covered with 6-8 mm of ice--much of it black. Never had an issue (RWD S85). No real issue with noise because many of the highways around here have an aggregate size that makes any tire loud. (Note the new X is much quieter than the 2013 S.)
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