Audi Q7 Tires

brioboy

This is a great post, exactly on point. I researched Nokian a couple of years ago and gave up when the size for my car was not available at the time and went to Michelin winter tires on my Highlander Hybrid. They have been great for Vancouver to Whistler in rain and snow. Now my AllSeason tires are done so I plan to get these Nokian tires in the spring and I won't have to do twice a year changes. This post adds to 2 high recommendations from knowledgeable people in the industry, not tire dealers.

altair4

I've run one set of Nokian WRs and two sets of Nokian WRG2s.

All of them were good in the snow and excellent in the wet. They run quiet, will match Michelin for wear, and have some really nice innovative features. I'd be running another set right now but the local dealer is too sketchy and won't honor the 50K mileage warranty on them (wouldn't even look at the tires on the car).

Nokian makes a great tire, but check your local dealer out carefully. Nokian's dealer network is pretty thin on the ground where I live. Unfortunately, that bit me on the butt. I decided to move on to another brand with a better dealer network (in my area).

jgsuv

Hi Brio boy,

Have read your posts on Toyota HH and tyres and you seem to have a great grasp on the car and how to manage it for winter conditions. I am relocating to Vancouver from Australia, and thinking of picking up a 2008 HH but have been worrid about the negative coverage online in terms of snow performance, and general AWD performance on anything other than bitumen.

Are you overall happy with the cars performance in rain, snow,mud? Have you ever been in deep snow conditions, or gone uphill on a dirt track in muddy conditions?

My needs for the car is not genuine off-roading. I just want really good, safe traction in snow and slush up in alpine areas, and to be able to cope with simple off road acces tracks in spring and summer for camping. The kind of tracks that are graded and maintained, but sometimes get a bit sketchy after lots of rain and mud. Nothing that is dedicated for serus 4WD only access with low gear range etc.

I realise tyres play a big part so would look to add proper winter tyres. But apart from that, do you have any other advice about using this vehicle in BC. Would you choose it all over again?

My other options are Honda Pilot or Kia Sorento. They are probably both better for light off road, but i have to realistic that most of the time this car will cart the kids to daycare and do grocery runs. The HH lower emissions and lower gas cost are my key reasons to buy. Im coming from Honda Crv so havent owned one of these larger SUV's before.

any advice is very much appreciated.

Cheers, Jon

brioboy

Welcome to Vancouver, Jon! If you are an Aussie, you will be right at home in Whistler! I am no car expert and can only contribute my experience. I have had 4 Subarus, as well as many other cars in my 60 years of driving, and still have my 96 SVX, all Subarus have had great performance on the Sea-to-Sky highway from West Vancouver to Whistler. I was all set to buy another Subaru 5 years ago and on a whim we looked at a Highlander, my wife loved it, particularly the high up-front vision and we went for the hybrid, not for gas saving but tax saving at the time - both provincial and federal governments had rebate programmes that did not apply to Subaru. Our 2006 HH has been a great performer, great power, great room, truly bulletproof. Rain, snow, ice, no problem - two feet of snow in our driveway at Whister, no problem. Tires were no problem but I saw on the HH forum lots of problems with tires on the later models with bigger wheels, limited availability and bad wear, which you may have spotted. I don't think I would go for a later model, as they are bigger and probably wouldn't fit comfortably in my garage, ours is a perfect size.
The JD Power website lists the 06/07 HH as one of the 10 most reliable cars on the road. If I have to get another car, it would likely be a toss-up between a Venza and a Subuaru Outback - we like the AWD for peace of mind going back and forth to Whistler - not really necessary but comfortable for us.
You have an enormous choice here and depends on whether you are looking for new or used - you should be able to find one that suits your needs.
Good luck, Jon, sorry it took awhile to get back to you.

jgsuv

Hi BioBoy,

This is really great feedback thank you so much for taking the time to get back to me. I have a lot more confidence in the HH knowing someone has used it successfully on the sea to sky and in Whistler.
My budget won't stretch to new, but I'll see If I can afford a 2008 as I need to space and would like the 3rd row seating. I've seen that there are more and more good winter tyres available in the larger size now, and think that the tyres account for many of the handling problems in snow that others have had.
By the way I'm from th UK, but my kids are Aussie so I know where to take them of they want to hear some Aussie accents!

Thanks again, Jon

stever

i like Nokian WR-G2 tires too (just got a set for my old Outback).

But let's try broadening the name of the discussion in case some other owners prefer a different brand.

brioboy

Jon, I am worried that I am misleading you. It sounds like you need more people room and along with that is room for stuff. Whistler is only at 680 metres, top of the mountains is 2200 metres, most times, no problem on the highway. Vancouver at sea level rarely gets snow and it doesn't last. Our 06 HH is perfect for the two of us. If you need the third row for kids, no room for any gear. A top box is a high reach and I suspect you would be better off with something like a Sienna. Much more room for people and stuff and probably come in cheaper than a Hybrid Highlander, whatever year. And as I mentioned, don't buy a HH for gas saving, it's a big vehicle and you won't get the advertised consumption. If you want to follow up, drop me a line at . All best.

brioboy

Right on, Steve! My local mechanic has used these tires on his VW Passat for 2 years and says they are the best. It's just a matter of gettin the right size and the more drivers that demand them the better!

jgsuv

Brioboy,

Thanks for getting in touch and appreciate your help. We are 2 adults 2 kids, the 3rd row would just be for occasional use with visit g relatives, but normally folded down for hauling stuff around. Will take a good look at the Sienna tho as you rate it highly. Do they make an AWD? I'll take a look.

Thanks again for your input. Great to connect with someone who knows the roads and conditions in the area.

Cheers Jon

brioboy

Replaced my Michelin winter tires with WRG2 tires - hooray! May be my imagination but the vehicle seems lighter-footed and more nimble, corners nicely, although nothing wrong with the Michelins, they had good grip but the fuel usage was definitely higher.

brioboy

Jon, hadn't checked for awhile, I think Sienna does have both FWD and AWD but you should check Toyota's Canadian website - .ca - and get all the info you like - I recommend Open Road Toyota locally. Do look around - Subaru is great, too and there is lots of choice of other brands.
Cheers