Given
97%
while driving a
Subaru Outback
(225/65 R17) on
a combination of roads
for 5,000
average miles
We bought the WR G4 tires to replace the Outback's OEM tires (Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport AS--avoid at all costs or replace immediately!).
What we were looking for: tires that gripped well in the wet, predictable snow and ice handling, quiet and comfortable ride, and moderate to good tread life (at least 40k miles). At 5000 miles, the WR G4's have delivered that and more! Even in torrential rain, whether it's above or below freezing, traction is almost as excellent as in the dry. It's an "all-weather" tire so I expected it to sacrifice some snow and ice capability for warm weather durability. However, I find that its feezing temperature, snow, slush, and ice capabilities are better than all except premium winter tires. We really had to try to get it to lose grip in snow (6" unplowed was max tried), slush, and ice; each time, grip kicked in hard again after maybe a couple wheel spins. The tires handled evasive lane changes (yay for sketchy winter drivers) with full grip and no surprises. The tires are (still) insanely quiet, buffer a lot of road vibration and mute potholes, yet the gas mileage is the best we've ever had on this car. Not sure how Nokian managed this combination. I was a little skeptical on tread life before buying the tires (winter capability and 60k warranty in the same tire?), but they have delivered so far. The treads still look new at 5000k; contact surface is barely worn and all sidewall and tread features, including all those sipes, are intact.
Caveats and more to follow... We have not driven the tires in sustained temperatures above mid 80s F, so we can't comment much on hot weather performance and durability/wear yet. Because these are SUV tires on a crossover/SUV, we did not expect the same snappy response and direct feedback of a sedan/coupe tire.That said, the handling, braking, and feedback are the best we've had on an Outback in 15 years.
Who these tires are for: SUV/crossover owners who prioritize tires that excel during inclement weather across all seasons, who will sacrifice top end winter capability in exchange for no seasonal tire changes, and who seek quiet and durable tires for (often potholed) city roads and highways.