Nankang Snow SV-2 - First Impressions

[andrewparker]

Nice one on the review.

I am getting my Vredestein Wintrac Extremes delivered tomorrow for the 330i, so this really will be the big test. At the moment on it's summer tyres, the car is completely useless in the snow and slush (still great in the wet though) and can't move on any kind of incline. I'll be posting a review in a few days after I've had the chance to test them 

Cheers, I look forward to reading things from a RWD perspective!

[searly]

Great review

Just feel gutted that I have left it too late for me to do something about it .   Cost V supply and demand is the issue as well as I would like a second pair of wheels to keep them on .  I hate this site some times > I always want , want and it keeps costing me money .

I am still looking for  a second pair of wheels and hopefully demand and cost will drop in the new year .

[coullstar]

Same as Im using.  Used Avon winters last year on my 4motion Golf, only 6ft drifts could stop that. These are good yet they do seem to have a little less traction than the Avons however strangely the braking grip is outstanding compared to the Avons but thats probably down to the different cars.     

[Janner_Sy]

well kent is literally under about a foot of snow everywhere, its absolute carnage.  have to say, im really impressed with the SV-2's. 

Even with deep snow, the wheels are spinning trying to gain grip, but it just keeps going and going.  there are now only 3 cars at the top of our street.  2 of them haven't been moved since it snowed and then theres mine.  everyone else has parked at the bottom.  says it all IMO

[Snoopy]

powdercoated Monza 18's[/b] from November til March, although I never venture out in the snow anyway.

Thats just so wrong on so many levels imo

My mate has the nankangs on his car and i must say im very impressed with them.

[RedRobin]

Do you know if they supply these tyres in 18's? I'm thinking that it might be an excuse to use my powdercoated Monza 18's from November til March, although I never venture out in the snow anyway.

Thats just so wrong on so many levels imo

....Really? Why? 

I no longer have my Monza 17s and my batcave garage is fully loaded so no room for a third set of wheels - I've even got a pair of tyres in my entrance hall!

Bottom left of pic:

[Snoopy]

Just find it a shame to risk such lovley wheels as your monzas in winter.

[RedRobin]

Just find it a shame to risk such lovley wheels as your monzas in winter.

....Thanks for the compliment but winters aren't so harsh down here in <soft southern shandy drinkers land> and I wouldn't be venturing out in the snow anyway - I'm very lucky because unlike many who work I don't have to.

If my Monza's were still diamond-cut I'd be in real trouble again - Road salt is their enemy.

[B3n]

Was going to get a set of these fitted on Saturday but got quoted a price of £148 quite a price increase on what i was quoted earlier in the week so i just decided to get some Conti Sport 3's instead at £123.

Next year im going to get myself a set of 17'' Monza 1's.

I just cant see how the tyre distributors are getting away with putting the price's up so much!!! Ok fair enough if the manufacturers are but places like mytyre etc probably had a fair few of these in stock bought and paid for way before the snow hit.

[LouCyffer]

Supply & demand is the reason. After last winter, there was always going to be more interest in winter rubber this time around. I got my Vredestein Wintracs in September, at £130 per corner (225/45 18), so my winter wheels were ready & waiting. Frankly I'm not surprised at the price rise now.

[Garth]

Supply & demand is the reason. After last winter, there was always going to be more interest in winter rubber this time around. I got my Vredestein Wintracs in September, at £130 per corner (225/45 18), so my winter wheels were ready & waiting. Frankly I'm not surprised at the price rise now.

Similar story here. I was being quoted £170 for my Wintracs (225/45/18 94V) bbut noehad any stock. Ii evntually manged a deal of £145 each with wheels, but even that was a bit more than I had seen earlier in the year. What load rating is the golf? is it 91 or 94? I saw the 91 rating tyres going for quite a bit less than the 94's and wheelbase still had some left
 

[LouCyffer]

Mine are 92W, 18 inch

[andrewparker]

Now the weather has improved I thought I'd give a further appraisal of the Nankang Snow SV-2 tyres.

In snow, ice and slush these tyres never ceased to amaze me, so driving them in drier conditions has given me a chance to rate them from a totally different perspective. The temperature has been approximately 6 - 7°C recently, and the roads have varied from wet/greasy to fully dry. I've found that the tyres struggle for grip under hard acceleration in first and second gear. It's all too easy to trigger the ESP light, something I found very hard to do even in snow! My car has the standard power output, so this would be magnified on a remapped car.

Secondly, they have absolutely no rim protection edge. They actually appear to sit inside the rim edge slightly. This isn't of much a concern for me because I have them on my winter wheels, which I've long since given up being careful with, but it might be worth considering if you're putting them on wheels you value.

[RedRobin]

Now the weather has improved I thought I'd give a further appraisal of the Nankang Snow SV-2 tyres.

In snow, ice and slush these tyres never ceased to amaze me, so driving them in drier conditions has given me a chance to rate them from a totally different perspective. The temperature has been approximately 6 - 7°C recently, and the roads have varied from wet/greasy to fully dry. I've found that the tyres struggle for grip under hard acceleration in first and second gear. It's all too easy to trigger the ESP light, something I found very hard to do even in snow! My car has the standard power output, so this would be magnified on a remapped car.

Secondly, they have absolutely no rim protection edge. They actually appear to sit inside the rim edge slightly. This isn't of much a concern for me because I have them on my winter wheels, which I've long since given up being careful with, but it might be worth considering if you're putting them on wheels you value.

....On the point of lacking rim protection I think that most of us who value our rims aren't going to place our wheels anywhere near situations where a tyre's rim protector would get used. So, a very good thing to know but not a deal-breaker.

Hearing that these tyres "struggle for grip under hard acceleration in first and second gear" is a deal-breaker for me though. But one does have to remember that these Nankangs are "Snow" tyres and so that's what they're primarily designed for. Personally, I simply don't go anywhere in my car if there's snow and ice.

[coullstar]

They only struggle if you floor it.  Ive been driving with then and not had any issues.  Yes they move about slightly more but if I tried doing the same type of driving with my normal tyres Id have been in the ditch by now.  Thats on wet / greasy roads.