Feedback on Nokian Vatiiva Tyres

[JMK]

I was just talking to someone I know that has been at Kal Tire all their life and recently retired. I told him I was looking for BFG-AT and he asked what driving conditions I was addressing. I told him mainly Ice and Snow for winter. He told me that Nokian WR tires are far superior to the BFG-AT for winter conditions, and the ones that have the 'All Weather' designation are a year round tire. I found some very favourable reviews to that effect. It seemed the downside may have been just the looks, they didn't seem to have the same curb appeal as the BFG-AT. However, they do list the Vatiiva tires that have Outlined White Lettering, but it does seem to be listed as a summer tire: http://nokiantires.com/en/tire_vatiiva_ ... son=summer. ANyone have any feedback on these?

[sid]

I have vatiivas on my deli, and my wifes pathfinder. LT235/15 and in my opinion they are some of the best tires ever. very quiet and smooth rolling, excellent in the snow, and more important... rain, cause i live on the north shore, i have taken them off road with no issue, but i guess there is various levels of "off road" but within reason i would think they are more than sufficient. anyway that is my comment. i give em a thumbs up.

sid

[JMK]

Sid, which ones do you have?

The more I read about them the more appealing they seem to become. I've narrowed it down to three apparent choices. I really like the White on Black Sidewall lettering on the Deli, but the third choice, which in fact may be the best for year-round, would mean not having it. The first choice may be a good compromise however:

1: Vatiiva A/T:
Inspired by the Nokian WR, our new Vatiiva All-Purpose S.U.V. and Light Truck Radial, with Outlined White Lettering, provides year-round safety and comfort. The long lasting rubber compound and aggressive look make the non-directional Vatiiva an excellent choice for both S.U.V. and Light Truck Vehicles.


2: Vaviita M/T:
The bold Nokian Vatiiva M/T offers the best when it comes to off road Light Truck and S.U.V. performance. With its scalloped shoulder lugs, getting stuck in the mud is not an option. The tires aggressive tread design works well in muddy conditions and offers great traction on wet, hard surfaces.


3: WR S.U.V. All Weather Plus:
The Nokian WR SUV is a durable friction tire for sport utility vehicles that can be used all year round. This tire provides good grip in the rain and snow, and provides excellent driving comfort on dry roads as well.

[thelazybrownfox]

JMK
When I was enquiring at Kal tire about the Vativas they gave me the pamphlet like what you show but failed to tell me those are not available yet. That set me back to the BFG's.
Those tires look better than the BFGs. The BFG AT KO s are supposed to be quieter than the old model but I still hear them on the highway. BFGs and Vativas are good choices. Good luck.

[JMK]

Oh, thanks for that. This was Calgary and he knew they had some Nokian winter tires for sure, but he didn't say which ones other then that he had the 'All Weather'. I guess I'll find out Monday.

[sid]

Here is the Vatiivas I have, this was my van last summer overheating, but a thermostat later and thats all fixed.
like i say i would reccomend them for a good all round tire for your van. My friend has th BFG's and ya they are more gnarly, but a bit noisy on the road, and i have never not been able to follow him anywhere due to a tire issue. Also there are so many choices and its an expensive thing so you may as well be sure.

anyway good luck, hope this helps.

sid.

[JMK]

Sid,

Are those the M/T or the A/T?

Thanks for the pic.

[sid]

they are not the mt, so must be the at, but different from the pic you posted previously, that looks like more of a summer tire, i got em at Kal, so they will know.

sid

[JMK]

Kal Tire ordered up the Vatiiva A/T's for me. He confirmed my impression that the M/T's would be very noisy on the road which I guess is obvious from the picture. I went with them intead of the other options partly because they have the white sidewall lettering. Takes 2 days for them to get them in. The fellow I talked to said they are a good choice for year round driving and that's what he uses on his Forerunner. I'm not sure of the price because they went on our account, but they appear to actually be less than the BFG-AT. At retail the price would still be similar to Costco's price on the BFG-AT's.

[jessef]

I'm due for some new tires.

Going to go with either Vatiiva A/T or M/T .

You guys running the AT's. How are they for wear ?

[JMK]

In my subjective experience they seem to wear much better than the 17" Yokohama winter tires that are on my car.

I noticed that KAL tire had a limited time special on them that was running about a week ago. If you're quick about it you may still be able to get them on special.

[jessef]

Ordered a set of 31's AT's after talking with two guys who ran the M/T's and switched over.

They said pretty much the same thing as most guys who go from MT to AT or vice versa.

MT - top notch off road/mud but poor wet/city
AT - top notch wet/city but poor off road/mud

Give and take.

What I would love is two sets of tires. 1 for normal driving and 1 mud tire set.