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Nokian All Weather Plus WR tires -- do they wear out fast?

I found a local Nokian dealer and have been prepared to pay the $600 for a set of four. The fellow said they're good for 50,000 miles. But my Honda (independent) mechanic told me this morning that, while they're great in winter, if I run them in the summer they'll wear out quickly. "You'll get about two winters out of them." He went on to suggest I instead go to Tirerack or Tires Direct and get a set of Blizzaks on their own wheels for about the same price. Since they come mounted, I can seasonally change out the tires myself. The car is a 2004 Accord sedan, 4 cyl.

I had looked at Tirerack some time ago to see what they offer with tire/wheel combinations, and they say I have to make sure the wheels I buy will not interfere with anything, such as the brakes... How would I know before ordering, and isn't that for them to have already figured out per the car I'm specifying?

Opinions?

Reply to
Howard Lester
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If you drive 25,000 miles per year, you'll get two winters out of them.

Reply to
News

No. He's wrong. They actually wear quite well.

He's thinking that they're dedicated winter/snow tires. They're not. They're just a fantastic all-season tire that qualifies, due to advanced engineering, for the snowflake emblem of a winter tire.

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" wrote

But my Honda

OK, good. So you're recommending I just get the Nokians put on and be done with it, yes? :-) That'd certainly make life simpler than maintaining a whole extra set of tires on their own wheels.

Another related question: the Nokian dealer said I should put a 40 lb sandbag (or other weight) in the trunk along each side (80 lbs total extra weights) "because the Accord's rear is so light." Again, my Honda mechanic disagreed, saying "those weights would lift the front end off the ground." No, of course they wouldn't lift "off the ground," but would presumably give the front less traction. ? Is the Honda guy wrong again?

Reply to
Howard Lester

That's exactly what I did.

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

It will change the dynamics of the car away from how the Honda engineers designed it, yes.

On the other hand, 80lbs isn't much more than an annoyance; the car is well within its limits to have 160lbs in the back seat (a person), so...

But your mechanic sounds like one of those fathers tossing nuggets of "wisdom" at his daughter--"wisdom" that he accumulated over years of driving his 59 Chevy. In other words, I don't really think much of his "wisdom".

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" wrote

Understood. With that in mind, would you recommend I go ahead and put extra weight in the trunk, or first try driving in snow without it and see how the car responds/feels? This is a 4-cyl Accord sedan with auto transmission. Weight distribution is 1964 front, 1249 rear. It was the tire dealer who suggested I add the weight.

Reply to
Howard Lester

If you put good and identical winter tires on all four corners, you will preserve the relative handling dynamics that the engineers intended.

Try it without the weight and see what you think. You'll find that it works just fine that way.

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" wrote

I will be getting four Nokian WR's, and I'll first try it out without the added weight -- thanks for your advice.

Reply to
Howard Lester

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