Initial review on Nokian RSi's...
02-12-2007, 11:48 AM
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Initial review on Nokian RSi's...
Installed them yesterday on my TL. So far they've only seen dry pavement. I'll have about 300 miles on them by the time the snow and ice hits tomorrow. That should be enough to scrub them in...winter weather comments will be posted in this thread shortly thereafter.
Original tires are 235-45-17. I elected to keep the same size, as this car will primarily be driving on dry highways. I wanted as much grip as I could get in snow and ice though, and having previously owned WR's, I wanted something more aggressive because I travel long distances on heavily congested roads.
Anyway, I'm glad I didn't go with a -1 size. The wider tire and shorter sidewall give the car a reasonably responsive feeling in the dry. If you don't drive like an idiot and roll the sidewalls, and you're smooth with your inputs, the tires have a reasonably amount of grip in the dry. I'm happy. BUT, the sidewalls are very soft (as one might expect given the speed rating). Be careful if you want to execute a quick lane change on the highway. The car will simply take it's sweet time changing directions. It's a little scary at 70-80 mph. Again, this was expected, but not exactly welcome. In 24 hours I'll have a chance to test these in the conditions for which they were purchased. Snow with a changover to rain, with sleet and ice to make things interesting.
Original tires are 235-45-17. I elected to keep the same size, as this car will primarily be driving on dry highways. I wanted as much grip as I could get in snow and ice though, and having previously owned WR's, I wanted something more aggressive because I travel long distances on heavily congested roads.
Anyway, I'm glad I didn't go with a -1 size. The wider tire and shorter sidewall give the car a reasonably responsive feeling in the dry. If you don't drive like an idiot and roll the sidewalls, and you're smooth with your inputs, the tires have a reasonably amount of grip in the dry. I'm happy. BUT, the sidewalls are very soft (as one might expect given the speed rating). Be careful if you want to execute a quick lane change on the highway. The car will simply take it's sweet time changing directions. It's a little scary at 70-80 mph. Again, this was expected, but not exactly welcome. In 24 hours I'll have a chance to test these in the conditions for which they were purchased. Snow with a changover to rain, with sleet and ice to make things interesting.
02-12-2007, 01:05 PM
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Not a chance...the S4 needs to be sold...
Putting it out in what is essentially the first storm of the season is asking for trouble. Besides it's detailed and almost ready for the auction block. Just have to put the stock suspension back on the car..
02-13-2007, 07:04 AM
#5
I always bumped the pressure up a bit on the RSi.. now have the hakka2s
hakka2s are better in the dry, and still decent in snow and ice.
However I have the Michelin X-Ice on my wifes car, and i think I like them better than the RSi and the Hakka2, and they were cheaper :-(
However I have the Michelin X-Ice on my wifes car, and i think I like them better than the RSi and the Hakka2, and they were cheaper :-(
02-13-2007, 08:00 AM
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yes, but not in the near future.
I'm going to hold off on the toy for a few years, squirrel away a few pennies, and hopefully come back with a track car or a P car. At least that's what I'm thinking right now...things have a way of changing...
02-13-2007, 08:05 AM
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I know...I read the review on the X Ice tires just before I bought the first two RSi's...
They edged out the RSi's by a little bit. Oddly, it was your feedback that swayed me to the RSi's. The difference in performance between the two is negligible I think. But the price difference makes the Michelins a huge bargain! I cringed as I handed over the CC. It's all good though...I have piece of mind driving 100 miles a day through all the crap we're about to get. Just tune into XM, sit back, and relax while I'm watching the automotive ballet of pirouetting vehicles before me! :-)
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02-13-2007, 10:47 AM
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Can't wait for the review. Taking the day off tomorrow to play in the snow (-:
I am taking the day off tomorrow to play in the snow (-: WRs have been on awaiting this weather.
02-14-2007, 05:21 AM
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Part II - Ice and sleet and some variation of snow
So last night the nor'easter began winding up. On the way home it was 23 degrees, and rain was pelting the windows. Basically, freezing rain. In most areas there was some sleet on the ground already, which helped to provide a little traction, so it wasn't black ice conditions, but "grippy" ice was present.
The RSi's did well overall. I'd say a much better than my WR's on ice (though the WR's don't do well on ice to begin with). Didn't really find any "snow" to play in. Didn't find any black ice either.
This morning...I woke up to 2+ inches of sleet, and it was still coming down in the form of freezing rain and sleet. Most of my 50 mile commute was freezing rain. There was a nice slurry of crap on the ground...no doubt a mixture of salt, sand, sleet, and ice.
The RSi's did fairly well. The 235 wide tires definitely preferred snowplaning at speeds over 40 mph when the muck accumulated to more than 2". That was expected. Acceleration was a little better than the WR's, but not night and day. Braking was good/very good. I was a little suprised that stopping was so good given that the acceleration wasn't quite as good as I was hoping (remember, FWD car...quattro folks won't quibble about acceleration too much). I did notice that driving at speeds of 45+ on snow and ice got a little scary at times. It wasn't the slippery surface, or the grip, it was the soft sidewalls on the tires. Some sliding is expected if you turn the steering wheel back and forth, but the additional play added by the sidewalls was an unwelcome variable to me. I'd have a hard time recovering from a slide at speed. Under 40 the soft sidewalls didn't feel quite so scary.
Now bear in mind, I still haven't found snow, but I'm sure they are quite capable on snow as well. So, would I buy again or recommend these? Probably not, but that decision would be based on price and not performance. I really don't think you're going to find a significant difference in performance going with something like a Michelin X Ice tire, and at a price difference of close ~$70 a tire for the size I was looking at, the RSi's become a tough sell.
One other comment...a -1 size would be better. I'm sure my observations would have been impacted significantly had I done this. I had some odd criteria that led me to a +0 tire with a squishy sidewall and aggressive winter tread pattern. Going with -1 would have left me very unhappy in the dry, and going with an H rated winter tire would have left me more disappointed in snow performance. This was the best middle ground I could find.
This concludes your RSi tire review.
The RSi's did well overall. I'd say a much better than my WR's on ice (though the WR's don't do well on ice to begin with). Didn't really find any "snow" to play in. Didn't find any black ice either.
This morning...I woke up to 2+ inches of sleet, and it was still coming down in the form of freezing rain and sleet. Most of my 50 mile commute was freezing rain. There was a nice slurry of crap on the ground...no doubt a mixture of salt, sand, sleet, and ice.
The RSi's did fairly well. The 235 wide tires definitely preferred snowplaning at speeds over 40 mph when the muck accumulated to more than 2". That was expected. Acceleration was a little better than the WR's, but not night and day. Braking was good/very good. I was a little suprised that stopping was so good given that the acceleration wasn't quite as good as I was hoping (remember, FWD car...quattro folks won't quibble about acceleration too much). I did notice that driving at speeds of 45+ on snow and ice got a little scary at times. It wasn't the slippery surface, or the grip, it was the soft sidewalls on the tires. Some sliding is expected if you turn the steering wheel back and forth, but the additional play added by the sidewalls was an unwelcome variable to me. I'd have a hard time recovering from a slide at speed. Under 40 the soft sidewalls didn't feel quite so scary.
Now bear in mind, I still haven't found snow, but I'm sure they are quite capable on snow as well. So, would I buy again or recommend these? Probably not, but that decision would be based on price and not performance. I really don't think you're going to find a significant difference in performance going with something like a Michelin X Ice tire, and at a price difference of close ~$70 a tire for the size I was looking at, the RSi's become a tough sell.
One other comment...a -1 size would be better. I'm sure my observations would have been impacted significantly had I done this. I had some odd criteria that led me to a +0 tire with a squishy sidewall and aggressive winter tread pattern. Going with -1 would have left me very unhappy in the dry, and going with an H rated winter tire would have left me more disappointed in snow performance. This was the best middle ground I could find.
This concludes your RSi tire review.