Let's face it - and as the Starks would say - "Winter is coming".
[Initial 200 Mile Road Test - Golf R Winter Tires]
I had the stock Dunflops "ultra-high performance all-seasons" for 5000 miles and I'll have to say they passed the tire test - I mean, they are round - and they didn't kill me in the rain, but high-performance and all-season... come on now - most of us learned lying was bad when we were young.
I decided to pair the stock 18" R wheels (the ones made from depleted uranium) with a pair of 225/40 Hakkapeliita R2's which just came out in the NA market. I ran WRG2's on my tacoma (before it was totaled in a head on collision with a woman (not a physicist) who thought matter can occupy the same space) short answer = no, no it can not. I also drive a Hilux up in Greenland that has Hakkapeliitas on it (different set up - so not a good comparison).
I have 200 miles on them in 2 days - so let's get to initial review.
Noise: louder than stock, but not by much, on a 1-10 scale with stocks being a 3, these are maybe 4-4.5 - the important factor is they remain in the comfort zone - we'll see if the noise changes as the miles rack up.
Grip: No snow yet, but they feel very grippy - I had a chance to test them in a torrential rain last night and at and above highway speed the tire remained confident and sure footed.
Steering Response: Every one fears the "squish" when moving to a real winter tire - we get nothing for free - but I will say this: again on a scale of 1-10, stock Dunlops being 6.5, these are 5.5. Tight turns at high speed and sharp/quick lane changes remain a pleasure - keeping in mind these are winter tires and not summer sports. I was actually impressed by the extra load rating and stiffness of the sidewall compared to other snow tires. I'm currently running them at 35psi (old tires were at 38psi) too early to tell if the pressure needs to be adjusted.
Price: Not cheap, these tires are possibly overkill for the Northeast, however i'm obsessed with research - the only real competition is the new X-Ice3 (they supposedly did slightly better in hydroplaning tests but other tests like stopping distance on ice was still dominated by the Nokian tire).
Now - the surprise:
Fuel Economy: Better than stock. These tires have a very low rolling resistance and in normal daily driving I've noticed a dramatic (2MPG) change between the two tires. It's gone from 24.4 to 26.4 mpg avg during normal driving habits. 200 miles is too early to tell for sure, but I'm interested in seeing what the long term changes are.
I'll post pictures of the new tires, as well as an update as I rack up the miles and get into the snow.
-Corey
[Initial 200 Mile Road Test - Golf R Winter Tires]
I had the stock Dunflops "ultra-high performance all-seasons" for 5000 miles and I'll have to say they passed the tire test - I mean, they are round - and they didn't kill me in the rain, but high-performance and all-season... come on now - most of us learned lying was bad when we were young.
I decided to pair the stock 18" R wheels (the ones made from depleted uranium) with a pair of 225/40 Hakkapeliita R2's which just came out in the NA market. I ran WRG2's on my tacoma (before it was totaled in a head on collision with a woman (not a physicist) who thought matter can occupy the same space) short answer = no, no it can not. I also drive a Hilux up in Greenland that has Hakkapeliitas on it (different set up - so not a good comparison).
I have 200 miles on them in 2 days - so let's get to initial review.
Noise: louder than stock, but not by much, on a 1-10 scale with stocks being a 3, these are maybe 4-4.5 - the important factor is they remain in the comfort zone - we'll see if the noise changes as the miles rack up.
Grip: No snow yet, but they feel very grippy - I had a chance to test them in a torrential rain last night and at and above highway speed the tire remained confident and sure footed.
Steering Response: Every one fears the "squish" when moving to a real winter tire - we get nothing for free - but I will say this: again on a scale of 1-10, stock Dunlops being 6.5, these are 5.5. Tight turns at high speed and sharp/quick lane changes remain a pleasure - keeping in mind these are winter tires and not summer sports. I was actually impressed by the extra load rating and stiffness of the sidewall compared to other snow tires. I'm currently running them at 35psi (old tires were at 38psi) too early to tell if the pressure needs to be adjusted.
Price: Not cheap, these tires are possibly overkill for the Northeast, however i'm obsessed with research - the only real competition is the new X-Ice3 (they supposedly did slightly better in hydroplaning tests but other tests like stopping distance on ice was still dominated by the Nokian tire).
Now - the surprise:
Fuel Economy: Better than stock. These tires have a very low rolling resistance and in normal daily driving I've noticed a dramatic (2MPG) change between the two tires. It's gone from 24.4 to 26.4 mpg avg during normal driving habits. 200 miles is too early to tell for sure, but I'm interested in seeing what the long term changes are.
I'll post pictures of the new tires, as well as an update as I rack up the miles and get into the snow.
-Corey
