Nokian WR A3 Reviews - Page 2

Given 89% while driving a Ford Mondeo Titanium X Sport (235/45 R18 V) on a combination of roads for 6,000 spirited miles
Used these from November 2014 to April 2015. From memory only a very light dusting of snow on two days here in Somerset. Standard wheel/tire size is 235/40/19.

These are the first cold weather tires that I have used, and I did a bit of reading before deciding to buy them. Cost/performance wise, I think they are excellent.

These felt softer and more comfortable compared to the standard 19" Bridgestone 050 tires on this car, and are noticeably quieter.
As they are softer, they are not as precise/responsive when cornering when compared to the Bridgestones, but that is to be expected due to the size/tire difference. After getting used to this it corners fine and with plenty of grip in the dry and wet. I do tend to drive round roundabouts a bit quick, so they did understeer a little on a few occasions, but nothing that was not controllable. Generally feedback was good.

They also performed well on muddy forest tracks when I went on Wales Rally GB. I would say better traction than summer tires and less wheelspin.

Rolling resistance is less with these compared to the summer 19's, I notice it anyway, and fuel consumption didn't drop considering all the electrics that are on in the winter months.

Can't really comment on its performance in snow, as we didn't really get any in my part of Somerset, though they seemed good on icey roads.

Tire depths after 6 months, 6000 miles are as follows: n/s/f = 5mm, o/s/f = 5.5mm, both rears 7mm (n/s/r marginally lower). I'm more than happy with this as I normally go through a pair of front tires in 12K-15K miles in my old car (ST24 with soft tires).

I'll definitely buy these again when it comes round to it, but that will be 2 years away and tires will have change by then, so would have to read up again. Certainly recommended for anyone looking now.
Helpful 36 - tire reviewed on September 21, 2015
Given 93% while driving a Ford S Max (225/45 R17) on mostly motorways for 12 spirited miles
I have just swooped my Michelin Primacy HP's back onto my S Max 140 tdci after 21,000 kms of winter motoring with the Nokia's.

The front tires are about half worn and the rears look like new. First impressions going back to the Michelins are that the French tires are much noisier over course road surfaces and ride quality also inferior. To be honest I was reluctant to put the Michelins back on as I had been so pleased with the Nokias.

Although we did not experience much snow in northern Europe in the winter just past, the Nokias were supremely capable in the range of weather that did occur.
Helpful 37 - tire reviewed on April 24, 2015
Given 53% while driving a Subaru Forester sti (225/50 R17) on mostly country roads for 2,000 spirited miles
These were my third set of Nokian WR's and I was expecting great things on the new motor, but have ended up rather disappointed. The great thing about these tires in the past was their great all round ability, very important in the UK where we rarely get an "all snow" winter. I noticed when fitting them that the rim protector bead previously present had gone, a query to Nokian resulted in the reply "it's to reduce rolling resistance". Seems that's not all that's changed, the carcass feels less rigid and road feedback has dropped to the point where it can be positively worrying in a performance car even when not driving hard. They're still great in the snow, but in mixed conditions I can't recommend them to a driver with any sporting pretensions.
Helpful 23 - tire reviewed on April 14, 2015
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Given 80% while driving a Kia Motors (225/45 R17) on mostly country roads for 8,000 spirited miles
The percentage score above will give an impression these are a decent purchase,and to a degree they were. I spotted them in magazine group tests and they came top or close to top,so I thought they should be a good bet. First impressions were very good.They were fitted just as the weather started do dip towards freezing,grip on the greasy roads that come with winter was much improved over the premium summer tires they were replacing,no dramatic increase in road noise,with decent dry braking even when the temperature increased into double figures,also they cleared standing water with no real problem. Ultimately lateral grip isn't that of a summer tire,but personally I would say you can't really expect a winter tire to act the same way. The real problem with these winter tires began the second season they were used,four inches of snow!, The car there fitted to is a diesel,so it will pull away on idle,great for snow. Not with these tires it wasn't,constant kicking in of the traction control paired with constant steering inputs to maintain a straight line. To be fair they were better than a summer tire but in comparison with the michelin A4's I ran previously they were shocking.So had a shot at swapping the fronts to the rear. Nokian's have a second wear indicator built into the tire in shape of a snow flake. When this has disappeared they say it's time to replace your tires. All four were well within this limit,close to 3mm left on the most worn. Still,I moved the tires with more life to the front. Result?exactly the same. So to recap,a winter tire that does a good impression of a reasonable summer tire,but falls flat when it faces what it should do well,snow. They have since been replaced with continental T850'S,big improvement over the Nokians but still not quite up to A4's. Looks like price premium on the Michelins might be worth paying.
Helpful 27 - tire reviewed on March 18, 2015
Given 84% while driving a Ford S Max (225/50 R17 V) on mostly motorways for 31,000 average miles
Excellent on dry, with good steering precision and shortest stopping.
Not the same on wet and snow, where the steering precision is Ok but not the traction and the stopping.
Average comfort.
Helpful 27 - tire reviewed on February 21, 2015
Given 100% while driving a Mercedes Benz CLK 220 CDI Sport (225/45 R17 W) on a combination of roads for 1,000 spirited miles
bought a set of 17s with alloys from nordic tires very reasonabley priced they dont make the size for the rears so opted for the 17ins, first snow fell in january time to test them , drove through heavy snow no problem up and down hills all untreated no problem corners like a dry road braking very good now its mostly ice on side roads still no problems ,verdict great tires inspires confidence when driving in snow and icy roads
Helpful 25 - tire reviewed on February 2, 2015
Given 45% while driving a Volvo XC70 D5 (235/50 R18) on a combination of roads for 0 average miles
I got these tires on original Volvo wheels from Volvo dealer. I thought it would be a great winter tire. I was deeply disappointed. Slipping on snow, unstable etc. I was afraid that DSTC system has broken at time. In the end I changed them for Dunlop 4D. Now again I feel like on safe, stable, reliable winter tires. Never more Nokian WR ...
Helpful 26 - tire reviewed on January 27, 2015
Given 100% while driving a Toyota Avensis (225/45 R17 V) on a combination of roads for 4,000 average miles
Bought the WR A3 with a little doubt, as I had in the past the W+, and they really sucked.
But to my surprise they are excellent, and I especially thank for the previous reviews of this tire from this site which made the decision final for me.
I searched for a durable tire, to be able to use it on dry roads especially (let's face it: 98% of the time we drive on clear roads, as the governments usually take care of this aspect), that was conformable (as in quiet), and with good traction and capabilities.

I drove outside of the country for 2000km without any problems, the grip was very good comparing to other winter tires that I drove before; grip on wet and ice is good, and in snow is very controlable, making the car very nice to be driven by handbrake if you prefer (of course, on closed to public roads :) ). On a normal snowy roads it offers you this ability to play with it, as the loss of traction is very predictible, and very progresive.

It's not to noisy, although it has a little bit of sound, but nothing to be bothered of.

On top of everything, the treadwear is incredible! It's much better even than the summer GY Asymmetric 2. After 5000km i can still see the 8mm mark within the center of the treadwear; very smart and useful invention with the measurement, but seeing that they keep going without wearing much makes me more happy as I realise now that a tire price you see in fact at the end of their life, based on how much it costs per km, and how much you can cover using them.

The WR A3s are a very good investment, and I highly recommend them to anyone how uses their car mostly on normal roads, paved roads.
Helpful 24 - tire reviewed on January 14, 2015
Given 94% while driving a Alfa Romeo (225/55 R17 V) on mostly country roads for 2,000 average miles
I was using WR A3 mostly on suburban roads and mountain roads covered by snow or ice. Grip is excellent on snowy surfaces. However they are good in deep snow too. Braking on wet and dry road is very good for winter tires. I felt safe driving on this tires!
Helpful 27 - tire reviewed on January 10, 2015
Given 95% while driving a Audi A6 3.0 TDI Quattro (235/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 27,000 average miles
I've driven these tires for over 42000 km, with this being their second season. Tread depth is currently 5 mm from the original 8 mm so not bad at all, especially considering that they've seen a fair bit of summer and motorway driving.

They have been driven across Europe multiple times, and seen much of the Alps during the winter, including wet weather, deep snow, and ice (not recommended for regular ice driving! Use studded tires for that). I didn't think they would perform so well on account of their relatively large width, but so far they have proven themselves to be remarkably reliable, although having a four wheel drive car also helps, no doubt.

Only thing to keep in mind, if driving on the Autobahn, is that they are limited to 200 km/h, but that's hardly a problem I would think.
Helpful 82 - tire reviewed on January 9, 2015
Given 91% while driving a Ford S Max (225/45 R17) on mostly motorways for 4,000 spirited miles
I bought these Nokians after reading the reviews on this website and I have not been disappointed. For the last four years I have fitted Kumho 27 winter tires which also have an asymetric tread pattern, but the Nokians are abfar better all rounder.

So far I have travelled around 3000 miles on this set of tires. They are fitted to a Ford S Max 140 bhp Tdci on steel wheels. The original summer tires are Michelin Pilot.

What I wanted in a winter tire is one that does not compromise on dry grip, quiet running or handling. If anything these Nokians are just as good if not better than the Michelins.

This is a very quiet running tire that offers superior comfort on fast road driving, absorbing tarmac strips and minor imperfections without troubling the suspension. Turn in is sharp and directional stability is excellent. Wet grip is awesome with the tires very resistant to breaking away even under hard acceleration. Likewise cornering grip in the wet is first rate. As for dry braking and cornering, although I am an enthusiastic driver, I have come nowhere close to the limits of these tires.

I recently drove through the Alps and back. The only weather we did not encounter was snow, so I cannot as yet report on the Nokians performance in those conditions. However on ice, slush or just wet and greasy roads, the tires kept the car secure and gave you great confidence.

Regarding snow, I did not buy these tires to be out and out snow performers. If you live up a mountain pass, then no doubt the Michelin Alpin or similar may be better. But for the winter weather conditions we are likely to experience in the UK or northern Europe, these tires tick all the boxes at a great price. Also I would suggest they are good enough to leave on all year round.

As for tire wear, the S Max has a reputation for eating front tires. So far the front tires have barely any less tread than the rears and being an asymetric tread pattern, they should wear better than the usual chunky cut snow tire tread.

So in conclusion, buy this tire with confidence. Remember, the Finns know a thing or two about driving on snow and winter tire technology.
Helpful 28 - tire reviewed on December 21, 2014
Given 86% while driving a SEAT Ibiza FR 1.4 TSI (205/50 R16) on mostly country roads for 3,000 spirited miles
Great tires , would recommend to anyone looking for a new set of winter tires. Dry grip is very good and i was suprised at how good the wet grip is. With 3000 miles on them i am seeing very little wear. The only downside is road feedback which could be better.
Helpful 24 - tire reviewed on December 14, 2014