What is the difference b/t Nokian WR & WRG2 tires?

[Silver 2008]

I have had both (although only the G2 on the Prius). The G2 is quieter and has a different rubber compound that is supposed to have lower rolling resistance. The G2 is like half of a WR and half an i3 combined. The half that is i3 design has more siping than the regular i3. I would suspect the G2 would do better in slush and rain than the regular WR based on the tread design. I would also suspect the regular WR would have a slight edge in pure snow or ice, but that is just a guess.

I can attest that the G2 is a low rolling resistance tire. I have easily been able to get 50 MPG plus in town with that tire on. I bought the stock replacement size in 185 width. It is also more stable in crosswinds and handles better than the Integritys.

I bought mine at Tire Factory.

Hope this helps.

Mike

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by Tideland Prius

that's a weird reply.. or did you re-word/simplified it? But yeah ok, makes sense.

That's word-for-word from the tech department at Nokian Tyres (yes, tyres) Inc. Not too many details given, but I'll take it. Looks like the WRG2 is the winner.

I don't really don't feel comfortable buying a tire that is about to be discontinued.

[Tideland Prius]

Well then that is a weird reply from a corporate company.


If you wish. I bought mine when the G2 came out. I didn't feel comfortable buying a new tyre that had no reviews yet. That was Dec 07.

[Aaron]

Would you say the WR has a more "aggressive" tread pattern than the WRG2?

[Tideland Prius]

Not sure. The WR has a decently aggressive tread but the WRG2 has it on one half of the tyre only.

[David Beale]

The difference is the new rubber compound on the WRG2. Go with the newer compound. More advanced engineering. You would expect the WR to outperform the WRG2 on the basis of the more aggressive tread, but that's only 1/2 the story. The rubber compound also makes a big difference.

The tread on 1/2 the WRG2 is the same as the tread on the WR. The WRG2 would be quieter on the road (my WRs do make a little noise).

Looks like you asked Nokian in England.

[jdenenberg]

I was in communication with Nokian Tech support and they said that the rolling resistance of the WR and WRg2 are the same. My WRs (also from TireFactory.net, although they were available locally at a significantly higher price) now have 32k miles on them and they have performed remarkably well. The g2s will be quieter, but may have slightly less snow traction due to the less agressive tread on one edge.

JeffD

[Macomb]

I just bought a set of 4 Hakkapeliitta R tires, 185 65 R15 for my 2006 Prius to replace my stock Integrities which now have 32,000 miles on them and are beginning to show a bit of wear. I spoke at length with Josh to learn what the differences are between the '4', '5', 'R', 'WRG2' and 'WR' tires. The R is primarily snow and ice...not considered an 'all-season' as is the 'WRG2' which has replaced the 'WR'. The '4' and '5' can be studded...something I don't need here in upstate NY--the roads are cleared especially well. I DO want better traction when snow has just fallen or is falling. It can come down pretty fast here. With free shipping and no state tax, these tires are still pretty pricey at $129 each and then follow-on mounting and dynamic balancing here in my home area, but I believe one gets what one pays for. In addition, the tire compound of the 'R' is supposed to be far superior on snow/ice than any other winter-duty only tire. I have a complete, new set of wheels/tires/lugnuts/centercap/tire pressure sensors that I purchased on EBay that I'll use when I remove the R's in the Spring. Both Jack and Josh at the Tire Factory were extremely helpful and answered all my questions. I should receive the four tires on Wednesday. I offer this info in hopes that it will prove helpful for anyone looking for something other than an all-season tire. They do have to be rotated front to rear only and are labeled as Extremely Low Rolling Resistance tire which should enable me to maintain my lifetime MPG of 50.0.