I use Nokian Hakkapilita 8 on my Volvo V70 AWD and it's the best stud tires I ever have driven. So I wanted it for my new phev as well. But since hakka 8 doesn't exist in SUV-dimensions I went for the Hakka 7 instead, which I think is one of the best stud tires on the swedish market.
Garrett,
I had my first drive on snow last weekend. Conditions were not the worst, but still i got to test the car. When at the worst hill, i firstly had to reverse back because a front wheel drive saloon car could not get up the hill. I slowly started again and could feel the wheels slipping a bit. When activating the continous 4WD it climed gently and with no issues at all. I had a couple more drives around just to play about and the car was very good, i felt confident and it was a lot easier to drive compared to my old Outlander 2WD that had the same petrol engine as the PHEV. Not sure if i would have as gentle a drive without the studded tires... All in all, smiles all around.
On another note:
I found consumption a bit strange (or good?) though. It used 6.5/100km on the 110km drive up to the cabin (at 650m elevation). On the return in used 5.9/100km, pretty much the same. I thought on the way down i would see much less on average. My old car used 50% on the descend compared to the climb, so i was sligtly confused not getting a better result. I am going back up in a couple of weeks, will make a note again of the consumption.
I guess with warmer temperatues at the top, the battery will last longer on the descend...
To be honest. If the place is reachable by a skilled driver in a 2WD vehicle. It will be a breeze in any 4WD vehicle. I also believe that the Outlander's 4WD works well in struggling conditions (ie. off-road or slippery uphill).
I don't like the performance characteristics of the PHEV 4WD. There is just zero fun in it.
