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Two years in the past, Nokian supplied us a set of its then-new, severe-snow-rated Outpost AT SUV tires. Missing an acceptable long-term automobile on which to check them, nevertheless, we had been initially going to say no; however after checking the obtainable sizes, I spotted they’d match my 2011 Wrangler. After briefly buying round, I discovered a set of moderately priced take-off Sport wheels to mount them on and let Nokian know we had been sport to check out its new snow-rated all-terrains.
However after a promising begin, Father Winter packed up and left southeastern Michigan. It has snowed sufficient to warrant using snow tires fewer than a half-dozen occasions since my first winter on the Nokians. And sure, on this case, I am particularly calling the Outposts out as snow tires fairly than winter tires. They’re extreme snow-rated all-terrains, which inherently makes them all-season tires; they will not undergo from irregular put on if run year-round, which is lucky as a result of this set has spent most of its service life tooling round in 50-plus-degree climate.
What now passes for a snowstorm in southeast Michigan (March, 2023).
Thankfully, this in any other case uneventful winter noticed match to supply one genuinely first rate snowstorm. The drifting snow diverse in depth from simply an inch or two in locations to as a lot as 6-8 inches in others — definitely not a noteworthy accumulation for an space that has a protracted, sophisticated relationship with the snowy season, however lots sufficient for some tire testing.
Put merely, my Wrangler isn’t a terrific winter automobile. 4WD is sweet, positive, however my 2-door JK’s brief wheelbase offers it the soundness of a frat pledge on a bender and the rudimentary traction management typically does extra hurt than good. Then there are the open diffs. It is an inexpensive Jeep; I do not know what else to let you know.
Leaving it in 2WD excessive invitations a one-wheel peel at cease lights, however with considered use of the throttle, it is completely drivable. The brakes do not care what number of wheels you’ll be able to energy without delay, so with the Outposts on in 2WD, I am over-braked and under-throttled. It is sluggish going at occasions, particularly if I am pointing uphill at a pink gentle, but it surely beats the heck out of making an attempt to do the identical factor with out snow tires.
As a normal rule of thumb, if I can get round in 2WD, I depart it there, however that does not make for a really informative check, now does it? So 4-high it’s, and it is principally simply straightforward mode. Do not get me incorrect; nothing will make this Jeep “enjoyable” to drive within the strictest sense, but it surely’s quite a bit much less nerve-wracking to drag away from a stoplight in rush hour site visitors when you’ll be able to really put some energy down. That is Michigan, in any case. Solar or snow, we gotta go.
However the Outpost’s biggest energy is its flexibility. There’s nearly no penalty to operating this tire year-round. Winter compounds are likely to harden and grip much less reliably in the summertime, typically turning into noisier and sporting sooner as well. The flip aspect after all is that even a snow-rated all-terrain tire is inherently a comprise in comparison with a correct set of winter tires, however in case you want (or simply need) an all-terrain or just do not wish to mess with tire swapping, the Outpost is a much better compromise than a knobby tire that is not “three-peak” rated.
And I skilled no drawbacks operating the Nokians in the summertime. The set I placed on the Wrangler ran a lot narrower than the Bridgestone Duelers I’ve on my summer time wheels however provide simply as a lot dry grip. The Bridgestones are considerably heavier too. And with tires this massive, you discover. The Outpost AT is almost 15 kilos lighter than a Bridgestone size-for-size, so we’re speaking about 50-plus kilos saved in un-sprung weight. These Bridgestones higher be puncture-proof.
I’ve had no complaints in regards to the Outpost AT’s efficiency in both heat climate or chilly. The one factor that by no means materialized was a snowy path drive, however the climate by no means cooperated lengthy sufficient to supply us the chance to check the Outpost back-to-back in opposition to an analogous A/T. Could possibly be worse; I may have moved to Michigan for the ice fishing.
So lengthy have we stretched this analysis that Nokian has technically discontinued the tire — sure, Nokian killed a brand-new tire only a couple years after launching it. However it’s not as tawdry because it seems; the Outpost AT is now the Outpost nAT. Whereas it does incorporate some minor revisions, the defining distinction is its nation of manufacture. The nAT is produced within the USA; the AT? Nicely, let’s simply say Nokian’s launch timing was particularly poor. After a short interruption in provide, the Outpost nAT seems to be arriving at sellers.
