UPDATE
I have just had the Nokian WR D4 taken off for the summer. They have been replaced with new Goodyear Asymmetric 2, which feel superb so far.
This update is surrounding wear rates. I will post pictures later on comparing the rears to the fronts. I expected the fronts to be more worn than the rears with the Cupra being a FWD car with lots of power and torque, however I didn't expect them to have worn so much. My rough measurements show that they have worn 50% on the front and 10% on the rear. I've clocked 3,000 miles on them.
I have been driving with them on since late October and we had warmish weather then up until around January. I reckon I'll get one more winter out of the 2 front tyres and nothing more; the cost of two tyres was around £320 fitted so I've paid £110 per winter for the front tyres. The front tyres will go on the rear next winter to even the tread wear, so maybe I can get three winters out of them, in which case I've paid £55 per winter per two tyres.
Regardless of wear rate and cost, however, I strongly recommend this tyre if you are looking for winter tyres. They pull you up icy, slushy and snowy roads that would be impassable with normal tyres and they drive like summer tyres otherwise.
My best experience with them so far has been up Woodhead Pass in Derbyshire. A Range Rover Sport with summer tyres couldn't get up a particularly slippery part of this road (to be fair, his tyres were bordering on the legal limit as well). I overtook him and drove on like it was nothing. The look on his face was hilarious (I did offer to give him a lift to his house, but he said he we would struggle on).
Overall, top tyres. Can't wait for the snow next year!
Original post
I had four Nokian WR D4 winter tyres put on my car this morning (Cupra 280), and this being a new tyre, I thought I would share my first impressions for other Leon drivers looking at this tyre.
I decided to stick winter tyres on my stock Cupra 280 alloys, rather than go for a narrower wheel, so the fitment is 235/35/R19. I chose the Nokian WR D4 tyre because it has A class wet braking and a 69db rating at this size. The WR D3, this tyre's predecessor, was one of the best on the market so from my point of view, I went into this thinking this would be the best winter tyre in 2015.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/x4d2rxeo9meklkn/2015-11-03%2009.58.00.jpg?dl=0
Now obviously it is not snowing yet, nor is it really cold out, so the first impressions below are based on an outside temperature of 7-10 Celsius (I expect them to get way better as the temperatures drop).
Pulling away
My steering felt really light. I was actually surprised by how light it felt - like I had no contact with the road whatsoever. But a quick search online has revealed that this is normal for winter tyres until they are run in. However, I put 100 miles on them today already and the steering is just as light as when I got them fitted. The only way I can describe it is it feels like the tyres aren't fitted at all. This isn't a downside, it's just an observation, and strangely they do offer plenty of feedback. You know where they are, but the steering input is smoooooooooth.
Picking up speed
The steering weights up as you pick up speed. And this is when the tyres really start to show their personality. I had Dunlop Sport Maxx all round before, and these tyres find grip in places that those Dunlop's couldn't. Pulling away with a heavy right foot results in no wheel spin on a damp cold road and that's a revelation for me - the car actually pulls in first gear now! Having said that, the car does feel noticeably slower in a straight line than it did with the sporty Dunlop's on. I've put this down to the tyres not bedding in yet, or I hope that's the case, anyway.
Handling
I haven't been near a country road with these tyres yet, but the early signs are very promising. I went into numerous roundabouts a little quicker than I would on my old tyres and these tucked in really well. I was surprised to be honest, because I expected the car to feel more 'floaty' than on summer tyres, but it really doesn't. Quick changes of direction are handled very well and on the motorway at 75mph changing lanes simply inspires confidence. Let's get real though - these are no Michelin PSS or Cups, but they are definitely very grippy in cold, damp conditions.
Ride quality and tyre noise
This is the biggest plus for me! The ride quality on these tyres is absolutely amazing - Sport mode now feels like Comfort mode, and Cupra mode now feels like Sport mode. Comfort mode feels like a barge, so I'll be sticking to Sport! Tyre noise is also far less than my Dunlop’s, and I have no reason to disbelieve that these tyres are putting out 69db. The most amazing thing for me was when I accidentally hit a pothole with the DCC on Sport, and the tyre just soaked it up. Amazing!
Final thoughts
The tyres look really cool - I do have pictures and I'll be sharing them as soon as I'm able to. I'll also update this post when I'm 200 miles in, because I have no doubt their characteristics will change. I'll leave with one final thought, then - I can't wait until it snows. These tyres were developed in very harsh climates so they'll perform admirably in the British weather I would say.
I have just had the Nokian WR D4 taken off for the summer. They have been replaced with new Goodyear Asymmetric 2, which feel superb so far.
This update is surrounding wear rates. I will post pictures later on comparing the rears to the fronts. I expected the fronts to be more worn than the rears with the Cupra being a FWD car with lots of power and torque, however I didn't expect them to have worn so much. My rough measurements show that they have worn 50% on the front and 10% on the rear. I've clocked 3,000 miles on them.
I have been driving with them on since late October and we had warmish weather then up until around January. I reckon I'll get one more winter out of the 2 front tyres and nothing more; the cost of two tyres was around £320 fitted so I've paid £110 per winter for the front tyres. The front tyres will go on the rear next winter to even the tread wear, so maybe I can get three winters out of them, in which case I've paid £55 per winter per two tyres.
Regardless of wear rate and cost, however, I strongly recommend this tyre if you are looking for winter tyres. They pull you up icy, slushy and snowy roads that would be impassable with normal tyres and they drive like summer tyres otherwise.
My best experience with them so far has been up Woodhead Pass in Derbyshire. A Range Rover Sport with summer tyres couldn't get up a particularly slippery part of this road (to be fair, his tyres were bordering on the legal limit as well). I overtook him and drove on like it was nothing. The look on his face was hilarious (I did offer to give him a lift to his house, but he said he we would struggle on).
Overall, top tyres. Can't wait for the snow next year!
Original post
I had four Nokian WR D4 winter tyres put on my car this morning (Cupra 280), and this being a new tyre, I thought I would share my first impressions for other Leon drivers looking at this tyre.
I decided to stick winter tyres on my stock Cupra 280 alloys, rather than go for a narrower wheel, so the fitment is 235/35/R19. I chose the Nokian WR D4 tyre because it has A class wet braking and a 69db rating at this size. The WR D3, this tyre's predecessor, was one of the best on the market so from my point of view, I went into this thinking this would be the best winter tyre in 2015.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/x4d2rxeo9meklkn/2015-11-03%2009.58.00.jpg?dl=0
Now obviously it is not snowing yet, nor is it really cold out, so the first impressions below are based on an outside temperature of 7-10 Celsius (I expect them to get way better as the temperatures drop).
Pulling away
My steering felt really light. I was actually surprised by how light it felt - like I had no contact with the road whatsoever. But a quick search online has revealed that this is normal for winter tyres until they are run in. However, I put 100 miles on them today already and the steering is just as light as when I got them fitted. The only way I can describe it is it feels like the tyres aren't fitted at all. This isn't a downside, it's just an observation, and strangely they do offer plenty of feedback. You know where they are, but the steering input is smoooooooooth.
Picking up speed
The steering weights up as you pick up speed. And this is when the tyres really start to show their personality. I had Dunlop Sport Maxx all round before, and these tyres find grip in places that those Dunlop's couldn't. Pulling away with a heavy right foot results in no wheel spin on a damp cold road and that's a revelation for me - the car actually pulls in first gear now! Having said that, the car does feel noticeably slower in a straight line than it did with the sporty Dunlop's on. I've put this down to the tyres not bedding in yet, or I hope that's the case, anyway.
Handling
I haven't been near a country road with these tyres yet, but the early signs are very promising. I went into numerous roundabouts a little quicker than I would on my old tyres and these tucked in really well. I was surprised to be honest, because I expected the car to feel more 'floaty' than on summer tyres, but it really doesn't. Quick changes of direction are handled very well and on the motorway at 75mph changing lanes simply inspires confidence. Let's get real though - these are no Michelin PSS or Cups, but they are definitely very grippy in cold, damp conditions.
Ride quality and tyre noise
This is the biggest plus for me! The ride quality on these tyres is absolutely amazing - Sport mode now feels like Comfort mode, and Cupra mode now feels like Sport mode. Comfort mode feels like a barge, so I'll be sticking to Sport! Tyre noise is also far less than my Dunlop’s, and I have no reason to disbelieve that these tyres are putting out 69db. The most amazing thing for me was when I accidentally hit a pothole with the DCC on Sport, and the tyre just soaked it up. Amazing!
Final thoughts
The tyres look really cool - I do have pictures and I'll be sharing them as soon as I'm able to. I'll also update this post when I'm 200 miles in, because I have no doubt their characteristics will change. I'll leave with one final thought, then - I can't wait until it snows. These tyres were developed in very harsh climates so they'll perform admirably in the British weather I would say.
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glad to hear about the grip, haven't tested it much as of yet, hopefully it'll get even better.
