I have a set of 16" rims on order that will be getting Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 winter tires (205/55R16). They'll be getting installed at the end of October, after the car arrives.
I replaced them with Nokian Z-lines and I am loving it (cheaper too!)
I actually had a few sets of the Gen 1 Exit 555 Nittos and felt they were an extremely underated tire. Awesome grip, even when cold, wore like iron, and handled wet conditions like it was child's play.
I'm currently running Nokian eTyer02's A/S <700/AA Rating> on the stock 17''s. With regard to our marvelous New England weather (CT) in the winter- It's either going to be (Bridgestone)Blizzacks, (Nokian) Hakkapeliittas, or (Gislaved) NordFrosts. All on my stock wheels. I used to be a huge Goodyear and Continental Fan. Things changed. Getting older with two in college I sharpen my pencils often to get the absolute best while keeping as much $ in my pocket.
Everybody has their favorites based on dynamic values i.e., cost, grab & release, noise, and/or life of tire. I just completed a modified Cannonball Run with my daughter on her Spring Break from college. Near the end of our 2,300 mile run we arrived one night in Niagara Falls with 34 degrees and slick rain. When we left the following day we cruised south to NYC via Wyoming County NY which was 78 degrees and sunny. We made it to NYC a day later in pouring rain. My Nokian enTyers were superb! Quiet, all weather dominance, and (Subjectively) a slow wear rate. The OEM Continentals had a firmer sidewall and turned in great fuel mileage but the Nokians earned my loyalty with how quiet they are.
Interesting, still doesent change the fact that Nokian makes insane winter-tires, studded or not. Their lifespan is not as good as other brands, but when they're new, damn do they stick well.
All I know is the Hakkapeliitta R2s on my Volvo grip harder than the Michelin all seasons that were on it when I bought the thing in ALL conditions, even in the dry. They're significantly less responsive, but I mean they're winter tires, with those massive gaps between the tread blocks they're gonna feel a bit squidgy. IDGAF what the CEOs are doing, it's still a damn good tire. I got through every bit of snow I attempted that wasn't higher than my actual ground clearance, they're fucking great.
I own a pair of Nokian zLine summer performance tires. Bought them brand new last year, did around 15000~20000km with them and the tread is almost half gone.
They grip magnificently though.
My first two sets were the OEM Conti's and PureContact. They were both great in fuel mileage and (Dry) grab & release specs. I just put on a set of Nokian eTyers 8,000 miles ago . The three areas where (IMHO) the Nokians out perform the Contis is in: quietness, rain & snow. The Contis were better on dry pavement but were noisier.
Hate to be a neighsayer, but I've haven't been really impressed with the Nokian Hakkas. For all the praise they get on the forums, I was pretty disappointed with how they performed. I live in Central NY so we get tons of snow, so I got to test them out in a variety of conditions and they never really seemed to have traction. I had a set of 195 wide studless tires on my Golf. Upgraded to a GTI and the previous owner threw in a set of 225 studded Hakkas with the car. So I've tried these studded and studless, and have tried narrow and wide tires. I'm looking to try some Blizzaks this year if I can get my hands on them. A family member had them on their FWD Audi and the traction on them seemed really impressive; we were driving on a road that was completely covered in snow and he was swerving left and right and the car rode like it was on rails.
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