For anyone who's curious about how they are, I've finally mounted some Nokian WRG5 all-weather tires. I've been excited to get these on, and as the temperatures are starting to dip, the timing seems about right. I've only had the tires on since this afternoon, but I'll post more as I drive it. Initial impressions now, more to come as I get mileage, and especially any snow/ice performance.

For context, we used to put Blizzak DM-V2s on our old GLE before we got the EQE SUV, which were simply stunning in deep snow and ice. However, for EVs, I think the efficiency drawbacks, and the fact that we don't get that much snow where we live, made looking at all-weather tires an interesting proposition. Two contenders were Michelin CrossClimate 2s, which my dad has, and the Nokian WRG5s. My dad had WRG3s once before, and they were pretty good, so I decided to try the WRG5s over the CC2s because of supposedly lower rolling resistance and better snow performance (though they are both very good).

1. The tires are definitely louder than stock. No way around this. Kind of like a very muffled roar. Quieter than a dedicated severe winter snow tire though. Unlikely to bother me all that much - and I'm super sensitive to those kinds of noises.
2. I don't know about the rest of you, but the 255/45R20 wheels suffer from a very annoying Tire Cavity Resonance issue. It has persisted across all tires I've had on the car, whether with or without foam blocks. Foam helps, but it's still there. Nobody can hear us on the phone while we're on Bluetooth without us yelling at the microphone when not stopped because this resonance kicks in at about 207-218 Hz or so and the noise cancelling freaks out. Maybe it's an issue with the microphone, but looking at a spectrum analyzer, that hum is definitely there, and it's in the range of human voice as well. Oddly, doesn't happen on the sedan, but I ordered that car with 19" wheels. However, with the Nokians, the tread blocks seem to induce an all-out hum with the TCR right at 70 MPH. Goes away at lower and higher speeds. I have the tires overinflated a bit as we're going to see a temperature drop, we'll see if that improves or not. I don't recall the CC2s doing this on my dad's car, but I may not have heard them when they were at 70 MPH. This one is going to need some attention, and I'll report back if I find a way to mitigate it. Ultimately it's an issue with the wheel, not the tire, but the WRG5 causes the issue to show in different conditions.
3. Road feel is pretty good. Slightly less responsive than stock high-performance all-seasons, but that's to be expected. Very marginal difference there, and feels great on short and long drives.

So, I've only tested on a few short trips in 65°F weather, I'll report back with more insights, especially if we get some solid precipitation any time soon.

 

Looking forward to future updates of your experience with these tires. I was thinking about them for my GLE but they debuted at the end of the winter season last year with no online reviews anywhere, particularly from Tyre Reviews. So I ended up with Michelin Alpin 5 from MBUSA when they had buy 3 get 4th for $1 instead. I'll be putting those tires on next week.

 

Okay! Update time. We've had about 8 inches of snow this morning, followed by ice, and now more snow. I've gotta say, the WRG5s are unstoppable. They're not quite a set of Blizzaks, but darn close. Maybe 85% or closer to a full-on winter tire. The snow and ice are all the way up to the front lip of the car, and it just goes. Completely without drama. You really have to push the brake pedal hard to get any ABS involvement. It can basically regen almost the entire time - on inches of snow and ice! There are no circumstances on hills or otherwise where there were concerns of getting stuck. Combine that with the fact that you can leave them on when it's 90 °F and not panic about the tires falling apart like a winter tire, and it's truly spectacular. I knew it'd be good, given they're Nokians, but man, I'm really impressed. I have some Insta360 videos recorded with the camera on the top of the car. The car's ESP kicks on so imperceptibly, and combined with the exceptional traction of the WRG5s, even if you floor the accelerator, there's a very imperceptible amount of wheelspin when you start moving. You really have to scan the footage to find any at all. I'll post if I can stitch something together. I highly recommend these tires!

Further qualification: I'd compare the WRG5's performance to a set of Dunlop WinterSport SP3 tires - very similar performance and handling characteristics, and the Dunlop is a full-on winter tire. I had those years ago on a GLK and loved them. The Nokians definitely have that same sort of driving confidence. There's almost no point to comparing them to the stock all-seasons - those would have immediate ABS intervention, lots of ESP activation, and while the car's ESP does a great job on all-seasons, the acceleration, braking and cornering don't come anywhere near what the WRG5s can do. If you're on the fence, just go for it! There is range loss, yes, but the peace of mind with these is amazing.

 

Thank you for remembering to update us. Interesting to hear your perspective especially outfitted on a heavy EV. Very little online reviews out there even though they have been out a year now.

 

I've been very happy with Nokian tires in general with both AS and snow. I don't know why they are not more widely used. I have Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9's on my EQB--the thing is a snow monster, although way noisier than AS.

 

Great update - thanks. I had a set of Nokian winter tires on a car a few years ago and they were probably the best tires (for their purpose) I've ever had;.
I'm a big fan of the Cross Climate also, but when looking for replacement I will def consider these. Appreciate it!