One run with unnamed "market leading ecologically designed summer tyre", one with their Hakkapeliitta R studless snow tire, and finally a run with their unnamed prototype tire: Interesting, but I wish there were more specifics in this test. Is tire #3 their EnTyre? What is the "market leading" tire, Michelin Energy Saver A/S? Too many unknowns: their marketing department seems in disarray, especially considering their limitted availability in North America. We used Nokian WRG2 as winter tires on our previous '06 Civic Hybrid: they imposed at least 10% mileage penalty, compared to the stock Bridgestone Insignia SE200_02, or the Ecopia EP20 we replaced them with.
Hi Mendel, Yep, its not full of specifics. The test was done the 3 March, 2010. So, presumably, tire three was a hopped-up laboratory version of the eNtyre as the eNtyre was released this summer. They say in the end that the full suite of features in the Tire #3 was not ready for the real world. This is the kind of test that can be easily replicated though. Say at Hybridfest. Which is probably the only way we are going to get hard info between brands. I also liked that they used a 2010 Prius for the test. Even the video below although more specific, has no information how poor the original tire compound was in comparison to other brands: So, what is more deceptive, the company that comes out and tells you up front it was an experiment. Or the company that tells you their new tires are better than their old, but gives no information as to how poor the old standard tires were?
I wonder if some cars are more prone by tire changes, more likely to have mileage tank with install of snow's: within a week of getting our 2010 Prius we put Michelin X-Ice on, with no apparent impact, though this is purely seat-of-pants, not much of a mileage log to compare with. Yeah, I guess Nokian could at least have identified that base line summer tire. They seem a good company, but with mixed marketing. In Vancouver (and maybe right across Canada) Kal Tire is the source, no one else carries Nokian.
It's Canada-wide. This is why I bought my Nokians from Washingston state. They're half the price Kal-Tire was charging.
I run Nokian WRG2s on my Prius. The mileage is the same as it was with the OEM Goodyear Integrity tires and with Micheline MXV4+ Energy tires. New tires take a bit to break in, but after that all three of these tires produced very similar mileage. Tom
I am PROBABLY going to go with those soon. My 2010 has 13k miles after 5 months, but over the next five months I will be making bi-weekly commutes between Los Angeles (where the winters can be anywhere from 40 degrees and rainy to 95 and sunny) and Astoria Oregon (where the winters tend to stay between 20 and 45), and we all know how good OEM tires are. There is likely to be little snow on the ground, but probably ice at times in Oregon. My problem is that I can't use winter tires in southern California. On the plus side, since Astoria is a Finnish town, I can get Nokians there easily. Just not sure if I should, or if so which ones. Suggestions are appreciated. Thanks, Norm
I have WRg2s on my 2003 and they are excellent in the rain and snow. I'm up in BC. They wear pretty fast though at treadwear 400. They corner like performance tires and are very quiet. They get very good mileage once worn in. The treadwear is my only minus on these but I tend corner fast and the fronts are the ones that are wearing faster. I should have got an alignment when I replaced my transmission though so it could be that it's out. Five stars. The rears are still at 8 mm fom 10 mm after one year. The fronts are at 5 mm.
I was VERY happy with the Nokian i3 tires. I almost prefer them over the Yokohama dB Super E-Spec (because of better wear). I'm tossed up between the 2 but the Nokians definitely looked nicer. If the new tire is better than the I3's then I would seriously consider them for my next purchase!
