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brucepick · 12-13-2016, 05:06 PM

I recently did my first tank fillup after driving on my new Nokian R2 winter tires. I'm very pleased. The sidewall imprint is max 47 psi; I'm running them at 50 psi on my 2000 Honda Insight. I went a tad narrower than stock, because the stock 165/65-14's aren't made. I got 155/65-14, and I compensate for the slightly smaller diameter when I calculate and report my fillups and mpg.

The R2 line is a winter tire, using both low rolling resistance and Nokian's most advanced ice traction technologies. I'll summarize both briefly.

Low Rolling Resistance helps the tire roll more easily. Good for mpg. In the US market, NO standards are in place for tires claim to be LRR. Nokian is a European brand (Finland), and Europe DOES have a standard for LRR, with a 5-letter grading system. The R2s aren't sold in EU, so there's no rating letter -but - my point is, Nokian seems to sell mostly in Europe and truly does know how to build a LRR tire.

Ice traction. Tire makers seem to be onto something good now. These are my first Nokians, so I haven't had a chance to test them yet on snow or ice. HOWEVER, I drove on Michelin X-Ice 2 and then X-Ice 3 tires for several years. They claim excellent ice traction (as well as LRR), and I was very impressed. On those slick spots in parking lots, they always gripped better than I expected of snow tires. And one day on the highway, driving to work - I passed several box trucks that had pulled off the road. I had no idea why. Then I realized they'd hit black ice and had no control. My Honda on Michelins was fine - I think I was driving the Accord that winter. I pulled into a commuter lot to see what the road surface was like. Like a skating rink. I almost fell, getting out of my car. Car handled fine.

Yeah, I suppose good winter tires with studs would outperform the X-Ice tires, or the Nokian R2s, with a real cost in mpg. But the Nokians should outperform "regular" winter tires that don't have the newer ice-gripping technology.

And the R2s are LRR. What could be better?

My gas log:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/em-fuel-l...vehicleid=9520

12-13-2016, 05:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
brucepick OCD Master EcoModder Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Eastern CT, USA Posts: 1,936 Outasight - '00 Honda Insight Team Honda Gen-1 Insights 90 day: 54.18 mpg (US) Thanks: 431 Thanked 396 Times in 264 Posts	Riding on Nokian LRR winter tires: R2 I recently did my first tank fillup after driving on my new Nokian R2 winter tires. I'm very pleased. The sidewall imprint is max 47 psi; I'm running them at 50 psi on my 2000 Honda Insight. I went a tad narrower than stock, because the stock 165/65-14's aren't made. I got 155/65-14, and I compensate for the slightly smaller diameter when I calculate and report my fillups and mpg. The R2 line is a winter tire, using both low rolling resistance and Nokian's most advanced ice traction technologies. I'll summarize both briefly. Low Rolling Resistance helps the tire roll more easily. Good for mpg. In the US market, NO standards are in place for tires claim to be LRR. Nokian is a European brand (Finland), and Europe DOES have a standard for LRR, with a 5-letter grading system. The R2s aren't sold in EU, so there's no rating letter -but - my point is, Nokian seems to sell mostly in Europe and truly does know how to build a LRR tire. Ice traction. Tire makers seem to be onto something good now. These are my first Nokians, so I haven't had a chance to test them yet on snow or ice. HOWEVER, I drove on Michelin X-Ice 2 and then X-Ice 3 tires for several years. They claim excellent ice traction (as well as LRR), and I was very impressed. On those slick spots in parking lots, they always gripped better than I expected of snow tires. And one day on the highway, driving to work - I passed several box trucks that had pulled off the road. I had no idea why. Then I realized they'd hit black ice and had no control. My Honda on Michelins was fine - I think I was driving the Accord that winter. I pulled into a commuter lot to see what the road surface was like. Like a skating rink. I almost fell, getting out of my car. Car handled fine. Yeah, I suppose good winter tires with studs would outperform the X-Ice tires, or the Nokian R2s, with a real cost in mpg. But the Nokians should outperform "regular" winter tires that don't have the newer ice-gripping technology. And the R2s are LRR. What could be better? My gas log: http://ecomodder.com/forum/em-fuel-l...vehicleid=9520 __________________ Coast long and prosper. Driving '00 Honda Insight, acquired Feb 2016.