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Winter tire Updated November 2026

Nokian WR A4 review

± 8

Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners

Better than 67% of the winter tires we score.

Owners 76 · 24 reviews analysed Road tests 68 · 5 tests

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Nokian WR A4 has a Relative Score of 71 out of 100 among winter tires. In 7 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 0 times and in the top three 0 times. Testers rate it best for efficiency (81) and weakest for noise (63). 24 owner reviews rate it 76 out of 100. 81% would buy it again.

Projected tread life in 1 wear test: about 37,000 km (23,000 miles), newest 2020.

Owners rate it 9 points higher than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.

Nokian WR A4

Two scoring systems, side by side

Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.

How scores work
Relative score
0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
Road tests
0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
Owner reviews
0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.

Full methodology

By owner reviews

76/100

From 24 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.

Would buy again 81%
Dry
Overall dry
75
Wet
Overall wet
82
Snow & ice
Overall snow & ice
76
Comfort
Overall comfort
75
Treadwear
Overall treadwear
71
Handling
Overall handling
75

Own these tires? Write a review →

By road tests

68/100

Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.

Dry
74
Wet
66
Snow
66
Noise
63
Treadwear
65
Efficiency
81
By discipline (% of best in test)
Dry Braking
55%
Dry Handling
46%
Wet Braking
30%
Wet Handling
27%
Straight Aquaplaning
12%
Snow Braking
46%
Snow Handling
37%
Snow Traction
50%
Inside Noise level
47%
Rolling Resistance
91%
Price
38%
Wear
20%

What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 24 owner reviews found online.

The Nokian WR A4 is widely regarded as a highly capable winter tire that excels in dry and wet conditions, often outperforming competitors in stability and noise levels. While most users praise its snow traction and longevity, a minority of drivers report issues with sidewall softness and handling precision at high speeds on specific vehicle setups.

Pros

  • Exceptional dry and wet road handling for a winter tire
  • Impressive longevity and tread wear resistance
  • Low road noise levels, often quieter than summer tires
  • Strong traction in snow and slushy conditions

Cons

  • Potential for sidewall flex or softness on certain vehicle/rim combinations
  • Occasional reports of vibration or increased braking distance on dry pavement
  • Mixed performance on pure ice compared to studded alternatives

Worth knowing

  • Users with RWD vehicles frequently report high satisfaction with snow climbing capabilities.
  • Drivers with low-profile, wide tire configurations (e.g., 19-inch rims) occasionally report handling instability or 'drifting' at highway speeds due to sidewall deflection.

7 published test appearances (5 in the score)

Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.

2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter tire Test · 245/45 R18

17th of 20
Best: Rolling Resistance · 3rd Weakest: Snow Handling · 19th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking11th of 20
Wet Handling14th of 20
Dry Braking10th of 20
Dry Handling8th of 20
Snow Braking17th of 20
Snow Traction11th of 20
Snow Handling19th of 20
Rolling Resistance3rd of 20
Straight Aquaplaning18th of 20
Noise6th of 20
Value13th of 20
Wear17th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership2nd of 20

Source: Auto Bild

2020 Winter tire Market Overview - 52 tire Braking Test · 245/45 R18

12th of 48
Best: Wet Braking · 12th Weakest: Snow Braking · 20th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking12th of 48
Snow Braking20th of 48

Source: Auto Bild

2019 19 Inch Performance Winter tire Test · 255/35 R19

10th of 11
Best: Rolling Resistance · 3rd Weakest: Wet Braking · 11th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking11th of 11
Wet Handling10th of 11
Dry Braking6th of 11
Dry Handling9th of 11
Snow Braking4th of 11
Snow Handling6th of 11
Rolling Resistance3rd of 11
Straight Aquaplaning11th of 11
Noise10th of 11
Price8th of 11

Source: Auto Bild Sportscars

2019 Auto Zeitung Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/55R17

6th of 13

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Auto Zeitung

2017 Sport Auto Winter tire Test · 225/40 R18

7th of 10
Best: Dry Braking · 2nd Weakest: Wet Handling · 8th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking7th of 10
Wet Handling8th of 10
Dry Braking2nd of 10
Dry Handling2nd of 10
Snow Braking4th of 10
Snow Handling8th of 10

Source: Sport Auto

2017 235/55 R17 SUV Winter tire Test · 235/55 R17

5th of 8

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

2017 AMS Performance 18 inch Winter tire Test · 225/40 R18

5th of 10
Best: Dry Braking · 1st Weakest: Wet Handling · 10th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking9th of 10
Wet Handling10th of 10
Dry Braking1st of 10
Dry Handling1st of 10
Snow Braking10th of 10
Snow Handling9th of 10
Rolling Resistance1st of 10
Straight Aquaplaning10th of 10
Noise3rd of 10

Source: Auto Motor und Sport

Nokian WR A4 specs & sizes

Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.

Specifications
EU label: wet gripB
EU label: energyC in 80% of sizes
EU label: external noise69–74 dB
SizeRetailer
215/55 R17 Amazon
235/55 R17 Amazon
235/45 R18 Amazon
255/55 R18 Amazon
235/40 R19 Amazon
255/40 R19 Amazon
245/40 R20 Amazon
265/30 R21 Amazon
285/30 R21 Amazon

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Reviews from our readers

Drivers who have these tires on their car, in their own words. We check every review before it goes live.

No reviews from our readers yet

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Ranked by our Relative score, weighed against how many reviews and tests stand behind it.

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