Winter Tires - Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSi vs. Michelin Pilot Aplin PA2

Every year, around this time, the weather starts to turn cold, and I conduct my annual obsessive-compulsive winter tire review. Last season I took a bold move and selected the Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSi’s for my Mini Cooper S, and Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2’s for my (now sold) Acura Integra. Living in Maryland, we do get snow, but living in the suburbs our streets are plowed quickly and snowfall is usually light.

This year, the Acura is gone, and I now live in a house with a 150’ driveway. I live on a major arterial, so I expect that road to be plowed quickly, but I still need to navigate my excessively long driveway. I think the Mini, with it’s Scandinavian RSI’s, will be perfectly suited for that task, but I worry about my new 2006 Audi A3, with it’s OEM all season tires. I may upgrade my A3 to the Michelin PA2’s for the winter, and buy a new set of wheels/tires for the summer.

Nokian RSi: With the RSi’s on my Mini, in snow and ice, the car handles brilliantly. It really feels like you are driving a rally car, all I need are drunk spectators standing on the side of the road, ringing cowbells and blasting air horns, for the image to be complete. One snowy night last year, I was heading home in the Mini, with the RSI’s mounted, taking a familiar highway off ramp at a fast clip, probably a bit too fast for the icy conditions. I had a truck tailgating me, one of those “monster” truck’s that the local youths seem to like. About half way through the off ramp, I noticed the headlights in my rear view mirror start to move side to side, eventually backing way off my pace. The big 4WD truck, with its lift kit, could not keep up with my Mini in the snow. I attribute that performance completely to the RSi’s, they are simply amazing in snow.

Good Points: AMAZING in snow. Mini’s beg to be driven, but a Mini with RSI’s begs to be driven through 6” of snow. Decent handling in the wet, not as crisp as a summer tire in wet weather, but much better cold weather handling.

Bad Points: Dry grip. The RSi have adequate dry weather grip, but due to the tall tread blocks, the tires feel “squishy”. There is a noticeable delay with steering, throttle and break inputs, as the tire transfers the change in speed to the pavement. Very disconcerting at first, but once you get used to it, it becomes less of a problem.

Analysis: If your winter weather includes plenty of snow, I highly recommend the RSi’s as a winter tire. In Central Maryland, they may be a bit overkill, but any farther north or inland, I would equip all of my cars with a set for the winter. Not recommended as a all season tire, but as a winter-only tire, absolutely top notch. Absolutely recommended for people living in areas with severe weather conditions.

Michelin Alpin PA2: I found the PA2’s to be a great compromise winter tire. Exceptional dry and wet weather handling, and good snow/ice performance. Not as extreme of a tire as the RSi’s, but without the RSi’s compromises. I drove the PA2’s for a winter on my old Integra, and they performed flawlessly. If I had to buy winter tires for my Mini again, I’d be very tempted to run the PA2’s, and not have to worry about compromised dry weather handling. However, if I had to navigate my 150’ driveway with several inches of snow on the ground, I’d much prefer the RSi’s to the PA2’s.

Good Points: Great wet weather and cold/dry weather performance. Acceptable snow/ice performance, if you anticipate your roads will be plowed quickly. Winter performance vastly superior to the standard “80,000 mile” all season radial’s. Not as compromised in dry weather as the RSi’s, no noticeable tread squirm under acceleration, deceleration or turning.

Bad Points: Not an uber snow tire. If people regularly use chains in your neck of the woods, the RSi would be a much better choice.

Analysis: An excellent, all-around, winter tire. Not many bad points, does not have the outstanding snow/ice performance of the RSi, but is vastly better in the snow than any all season tire, and has much better dry/wet road manners than a full-on snow tire. An outstanding compromise tire for those who live in areas with cold winters, where the roads are well maintained. I absolutely recommend the PA2’s to anyone living in a area with moderate to severe winters.

Final Thoughts: I'll keep the RSI's for the Mini, and buy a set of the PA2's for the Audi.