tirewheelguide
Winter tire Updated October 2026

Nokian WR D4 review

± 7

Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners

Better than 67% of the winter tires we score.

Owners 70 · 73 reviews analysed Road tests 72 · 4 tests

How scores work
Check price on Amazon · WR D4 Compare with another tire
Add your size for an exact match
/R

The Amazon link then searches this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Nokian WR D4 has a Relative Score of 71 out of 100 among winter tires. In 28 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 1 times and in the top three 7 times. Testers rate it best for efficiency (81) and weakest for treadwear (64). 73 owner reviews rate it 70 out of 100. 69% would buy it again.

Projected tread life in 2 wear tests: about 38,000 km (24,000 miles) on average, newest 2018.

Nokian WR D4

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

70/100

From 73 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.

Would buy again 69%
Dry
Overall dry
68
Wet
Overall wet
76
Snow & ice
Overall snow & ice
75
Comfort
Overall comfort
72
Treadwear
Overall treadwear
58
Handling
Overall handling
73

Own these tires? Write a review →

By road tests

72/100

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

Dry
75
Wet
72
Snow
76
Noise
70
Treadwear
64
Efficiency
81
By discipline (% of best in test)
Dry Braking
67%
Dry Handling
67%
Subj. Dry Handling
67%
Wet Braking
60%
Wet Handling
60%
Straight Aquaplaning
60%
Curved Aquaplaning
60%
Side G-Force on Wet surface
60%
Snow Braking
89%
Snow Handling
89%
Snow Traction
89%
Ice Braking
95%
Ice Handling
95%
Inside Noise level
75%
Outside Noise
71%
Rolling Resistance
82%
Wear
82%

What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 73 owner reviews found online.

The Nokian WR D4 is widely regarded as a high-performance winter tire that excels in deep snow and cold-weather traction, offering a quiet and comfortable ride. While many users praise its value and snow-handling capabilities, a significant portion of the user base reports concerns regarding premature tread wear and the structural integrity of the tire's edges over time.

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and confidence in deep snow and slush
  • Very low road noise and high levels of ride comfort
  • Strong fuel efficiency and low rolling resistance
  • Excellent price-to-performance ratio compared to premium competitors

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear, including reports of chunks falling off
  • Inconsistent performance in wet conditions, with some users reporting poor grip
  • Soft compound is prone to damage if used in temperatures above 10-15°C
  • Occasional reports of lateral instability and vague steering feedback

Worth knowing

  • Users with high-torque FWD vehicles frequently noted wheel spin and difficulty putting power down on wet or dry surfaces.
  • Drivers using the tire in mild climates or during warmer shoulder seasons reported significantly faster degradation and 'chunking' of the tread blocks.
  • Some users observed that adjusting tire pressure slightly higher than factory recommendations helped mitigate vague steering feel and improved responsiveness.

28 published test appearances (4 in the score)

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

2020 Wybór Kierowców Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

4th of 8

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

Source: Wybór Kierowców

2019 ADAC 185/65 R15 Winter tire Test · 185/65 R15

10th of 16

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

Source: ADAC

2019 L’Argus Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

6th of 6

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

Source: L’Argus

2018 AMS Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

3rd of 11
Best: Rolling Resistance · 1st Weakest: Dry Handling · 9th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking7th of 11
Wet Handling8th of 11
Dry Braking4th of 11
Dry Handling9th of 11
Snow Braking2nd of 11
Snow Handling3rd of 11
Rolling Resistance1st of 11
Straight Aquaplaning6th of 11
Noise8th of 11
Price6th of 11

Source: Auto Motor und Sport

2018 Auto Express Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

7th of 9

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

Source: Auto Express

2018 ACE All Season and Winter tire Test · 185/65 R15

3rd of 12

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

Source: ACE

2018 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 195/65 R15

9th of 20
Best: Rolling Resistance · 1st Weakest: Wet Braking · 18th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking18th of 20
Wet Handling16th of 20
Dry Braking2nd of 20
Dry Handling14th of 20
Snow Braking7th of 20
Snow Handling2nd of 20
Rolling Resistance1st of 20
Straight Aquaplaning16th of 20
Noise11th of 20
Value9th of 20
Price14th of 20
Wear5th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership1st of 20

Source: Auto Bild

2018 ADAC Winter tire Test - 175/65 R14 · 175/65 R14

4th of 12

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

Source: ADAC

2018 ADAC Winter tire Test - 205/55 R16 · 205/55 R16

10th of 16

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

Source: ADAC

2018 51 Winter tire Shootout · 195/65 R15

14th of 52

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

2017 AC Winter tire Test - 185/65 R15 · 185/65 R15

1st of 8
Best: Dry Braking · 1st Weakest: Snow Braking · 5th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking3rd of 8
Wet Handling3rd of 8
Dry Braking1st of 8
Snow Braking5th of 8
Snow Traction5th of 8
Ice Braking2nd of 8
Ice Handling5th of 8
Rolling Resistance2nd of 8
Straight Aquaplaning3rd of 8
Ice Traction4th of 8

2017 50 Winter tire Shoot Out · 225/50 R17

11th of 45

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

2017 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17

14th of 20
Best: Dry Braking · 2nd Weakest: Wear · 20th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking11th of 20
Wet Handling7th of 20
Dry Braking2nd of 20
Dry Handling16th of 20
Snow Braking9th of 20
Snow Handling13th of 20
Rolling Resistance12th of 20
Straight Aquaplaning9th of 20
Noise9th of 20
Value18th of 20
Wear20th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership19th of 20

Source: Auto Bild

2017 ADAC SUV Winter tire Test - 215/65 R16 · 215/65 R16

4th of 16

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

Source: ADAC

2017 ADAC Winter tire Test - 195/65 R15 · 195/65 R15

11th of 16

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

Source: ADAC

2017 Auto Express Winter tire Test · 225/45 R17

5th of 8

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

Source: Auto Express

2017 ADAC Winter Tire Test R16 · 195/65R16

10th of 10

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

Source: ADAC

2016 AMS Winter SUV tire Test · 215/60 R17

2nd of 10

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

Source: Auto Motor und Sport

2016 Auto Express Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

2nd of 8

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

Source: Auto Express

2016 AutoBild Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

7th of 20

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

Source: Auto Bild

2016 Winter tire Market Overview · 205/55 R16

7th of 43

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

2016 AZ Winter tire Test - 205/55 R16 · 205/55 R16

2nd of 14

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

2016 ADAC Winter tire Test - 185/65 R15 · 185/65 R15

3rd of 15

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

Source: ADAC

2016 ADAC Winter tire Test - 225/45 R17 · 225/45 R17

6th of 13

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

Source: ADAC

2015 AMS UHP Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17

5th of 10

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

Source: Auto Motor und Sport

2015 ACE 17 Inch Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17

4th of 8

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

Source: ACE

2015 Sport Auto 19 Inch Winter tire Test · 235/35 R19

5th of 7

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

Source: Sport Auto

2015 Auto Bild Performance Winter tire Test · 225/40 R18

6th of 8

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

Source: Auto Bild

Nokian WR D4 specs & sizes

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

Specifications
EU label: wet gripB
EU label: energyC in 75% of sizes
EU label: external noise69 dB
SizeRetailer
195/60 R16 Amazon
225/55 R17 Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

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

Driving on the Nokian WR D4? Tell other drivers how it grips, rides and wears.

Write a review
Overall rating
Rate what you have tried (optional)
Dry grip
Wet grip
Snow & ice
Handling
Ride comfort
Quietness
Treadwear
Would you buy them again? (optional)

At least 40 characters.

Leave it empty to post anonymously.

We read every review before it goes live. Your IP address is never shown; a scrambled form of it is kept for up to a year to stop spam.

Other tires to consider

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

Top rated winter tires

  1. Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3

    15 owner reviews · 35 tests

    85 Check price on Amazon
  2. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

    34 owner reviews · 23 tests

    88 Check price on Amazon
  3. Michelin Alpin 7

    12 owner reviews · 12 tests

    82 Check price on Amazon

More from Nokian

  1. Nokian Outpost APT

    67 owner reviews

    79 Check price on Amazon
  2. Nokian Snowproof P

    10 owner reviews · 5 tests

    77 Check price on Amazon
  3. Nokian Snowproof 2

    9 owner reviews · 4 tests

    76 Check price on Amazon
All Nokian tires

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.