Nokian Tires

[dtlayman]

I learned about Nokian tires here a few months ago and soon after that tried to find a dealer in our town where we could purchase them.  We couldn't find a dealer here but found a distributor for this area who for the past 2 months has not been able to get them either.  Has anyone purchased Nokian tires lately?  Where? What model? Price? Have they performed well?  Thank you!

[Outrageous]

I've been using the NRW model (predecessor to the WR) on our Ford Taurus wagon year-round and am pretty satisfied. Bought locally--about $100 each, but slightly smaller size than XC uses. Check Nokian's dealer locator: http://www.nokiantires.com/newsite/map.cfm
There seems to be an updated version of the WR called WR A.W.P. 2 SUV (all weather performance?): http://www.nokiantires.com/newsite/tires_popup.cfm?id=17

[bigtomhammer]

I plan on getting the Nokian WR when the stocks wear out but here is a question for you all, how loud are they on the road?  Are they a smooth riding tire?  

Would love to have the WR AWP but don't come in my size so for now, I am stuck with the regular WR.

[gibbons]

I just put on a set of brand new WRs two days ago, and was bummed to see the new AWP model! Dang!

So, I did some digging, and found something interesting. The AWP product code is T443416. That's the same product code as was on the label on my lowly regular old WRs. I think that they are giving them the AWP nick-name to expand their appeal without having to really do anything to the tire or manufacturing molds. I am guessing they are the same.

But before I bought them, I tracked down the Nokian tire sales engineer and talked at length with him. I am sure he would have leveled with me if there was something else coming out, because he knows I am a Nokian fanatic. It will be interesting to call him about the AWPs!

By the way, I am waiting for a real snow to compare the WRs to the Qs which we have on our Subaru. We have searched out patches of snow and ice here and there, and I am thinking that the WRs are dramatically close to the Qs. A full science fair quality test will follow as soon as it snows.