DrDubzz
New member
I recently traded in my beloved 2010 SR5 for a '14 SR5 Premium. Much like the 2010, which came with the awful Dunlop Grandtreks, this new one had the mediocre at best Bridgestone Dueler h/t 864iis (if you have to name a tire like that, it can't be very good).
The 2010 was made from a mushy, rolly-in-the-corners lumbering beast to a spry, sporty all weather all terrain beast by simply throwing on a set of Cooper Discoverer ATRs. The handling instantly improved, wet traction went from frightening to amazing, and after we drove from Texas to Alaska, it handled our first winter here without an issue.
The bridgestones on the 14 were ok... kind of, but I had little confidence as winter is approaching, so I began researching new tires. I had Cooper Discoverer AT3s on the 2010 for a couple months prior to trade in, and really liked them, but never tested them in any sort of weather. After much looking, reading, and pricing, I narrowed my decision down to the Cooper AT3s and the Nokian Rotiiva. I wanted a tire for 12 months of the year, I don't care, at this point, to run a dedicated winter set up (I have two winters left here and they plow the roads really well). I knew the coopers would be great, but the Nokians caught my eye as they are severe weather rated (snowflake) and come from a brand renowned for winter tires. Reviews were about equal, Nokians cost a bit more, but eventually (today) I went with the Rotiivas as the Coopers were out of stock and I wouldn't be able to get back to the tire shop for some time. Plus, I already have a buyer lined up for the Bridgestones.
Why start this thread? I'd like this to be a place to discuss tires with regards to performance (in all seasons/terrains), cost, value, etc.
The Rotiivas are a newer tire, and Nokian is not a common brand across the US, so I wanted to make an easy to search for repository for tire reviews. Have a set of AT3s? Tell us how they do in rain, snow, mud, etc. Duratracs? BFG All Terrains, etc? Post it here.
I will add updates as the seasons progress up here for the Nokians. But I can tell you just from driving home in the cold rain that the steering feel, responsiveness, traction, stopping, and turning have all improved from the OEM tires. I'm looking forward to the snow getting here just to see how these do.
Now for pictures, everyone likes pictures
Old ride
New Whip plus tires
The 2010 was made from a mushy, rolly-in-the-corners lumbering beast to a spry, sporty all weather all terrain beast by simply throwing on a set of Cooper Discoverer ATRs. The handling instantly improved, wet traction went from frightening to amazing, and after we drove from Texas to Alaska, it handled our first winter here without an issue.
The bridgestones on the 14 were ok... kind of, but I had little confidence as winter is approaching, so I began researching new tires. I had Cooper Discoverer AT3s on the 2010 for a couple months prior to trade in, and really liked them, but never tested them in any sort of weather. After much looking, reading, and pricing, I narrowed my decision down to the Cooper AT3s and the Nokian Rotiiva. I wanted a tire for 12 months of the year, I don't care, at this point, to run a dedicated winter set up (I have two winters left here and they plow the roads really well). I knew the coopers would be great, but the Nokians caught my eye as they are severe weather rated (snowflake) and come from a brand renowned for winter tires. Reviews were about equal, Nokians cost a bit more, but eventually (today) I went with the Rotiivas as the Coopers were out of stock and I wouldn't be able to get back to the tire shop for some time. Plus, I already have a buyer lined up for the Bridgestones.
Why start this thread? I'd like this to be a place to discuss tires with regards to performance (in all seasons/terrains), cost, value, etc.
The Rotiivas are a newer tire, and Nokian is not a common brand across the US, so I wanted to make an easy to search for repository for tire reviews. Have a set of AT3s? Tell us how they do in rain, snow, mud, etc. Duratracs? BFG All Terrains, etc? Post it here.
I will add updates as the seasons progress up here for the Nokians. But I can tell you just from driving home in the cold rain that the steering feel, responsiveness, traction, stopping, and turning have all improved from the OEM tires. I'm looking forward to the snow getting here just to see how these do.
Now for pictures, everyone likes pictures
Old ride
New Whip plus tires
