I live in an urban area in Latvia and mostly drive in the city. Winters have become milder now, and the roads are cleaned and salted well, so I went for Central European winter tires instead of Nordic friction or studded ones. I was planning to buy a set of new Hankook i*cept RS3, but then a bargain deal came up: slightly used Nokian Snowproof 2 98H XL, used just for one winter, almost new condition.
I’ve been driving on them for a month now (-2 C..+5 C) with a couple of snowfalls. I can’t complain about grip on tarmac - no issues experienced in dry or wet. I think these tires are more comfort-oriented than sporty in terms of handling. Steering feel has become just a smidge more numb. On the other hand, ride comfort has improved. The ride feels premium and quiet. Small bumps and road joints are soaked up well. Nokian Snowproof 2 is definitely better for comfort than my previous tires - Fulda Kristall Control HP2.
The grip on freshly fallen snow is pretty good and assured. Tried a few RWD slides with DSC off, very controllable. Also, the Snowproof 2 are remarkably confident for slushy city driving conditions. However, when I needed to drive on an icy gravel road - not a pleasant experience; definitely a weak spot for this type of tire. On polished snow/ice don’t expect much, drive carefully and smoothly, then the tires are somewhat predictable. Ice braking and acceleration are acceptable, but handling on ice tends to be understeery. In fact, while driving on an icy forest road I had to do gentle left-foot braking into the turns to prevent understeer even at 20 mph. If you often need to drive on ice, Central European winter tires are not the right choice.
The Nokian Snowproof 2 is one of the less expensive premium winter tires, but not far behind high-cost top-tier rivals. I’m satisfied overall.
I’ve been driving on them for a month now (-2 C..+5 C) with a couple of snowfalls. I can’t complain about grip on tarmac - no issues experienced in dry or wet. I think these tires are more comfort-oriented than sporty in terms of handling. Steering feel has become just a smidge more numb. On the other hand, ride comfort has improved. The ride feels premium and quiet. Small bumps and road joints are soaked up well. Nokian Snowproof 2 is definitely better for comfort than my previous tires - Fulda Kristall Control HP2.
The grip on freshly fallen snow is pretty good and assured. Tried a few RWD slides with DSC off, very controllable. Also, the Snowproof 2 are remarkably confident for slushy city driving conditions. However, when I needed to drive on an icy gravel road - not a pleasant experience; definitely a weak spot for this type of tire. On polished snow/ice don’t expect much, drive carefully and smoothly, then the tires are somewhat predictable. Ice braking and acceleration are acceptable, but handling on ice tends to be understeery. In fact, while driving on an icy forest road I had to do gentle left-foot braking into the turns to prevent understeer even at 20 mph. If you often need to drive on ice, Central European winter tires are not the right choice.
The Nokian Snowproof 2 is one of the less expensive premium winter tires, but not far behind high-cost top-tier rivals. I’m satisfied overall.