Nitto Motivo AS Initial Review

[Waynerm002]

Well, the Stinger wouldn't stop after sliding while turning and me trying to correct, braking had no effect, it just rode the curb and hit a tree, and slid into a ditch. Be very careful with these tires.

 

[NoVAGT2]

Well, the Stinger wouldn't stop after sliding while turning and me trying to correct, braking had no effect, it just rode the curb and hit a tree, and slid into a ditch. Be very careful with these tires.

Damn, sorry to hear this.

 

[Waynerm002]

Thanks. Not the best way to go about it, but now I can get the front "E" badge installed.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Dammit, Wayne. D.C. is not the same as the high Rockies or Michigan. You flatlanders think that you know how to drive in the snow and then something catches you. But in "snow country" each driver just has to learn by experience too.

I drive "slow and steady" simply because earlier cars and I have come a cropper, more than once. I'm sorry you learned in your Stinger! But it sounds like it was a relatively slow speed accident, bumper only? Hope so! A ditch, though. That is always a very bad thing. I remember the last time I landed in a ditch: would be twenty plus years ago. A Ford Tempo (this one, in fact; my son escaped with glass in the back of his hand, is all, if you can believe it:
):
the two-lane highway out of our neighborhood was already snow packed and plowed with snow "walls" on either side of the road making the width less than two lanes with new snow falling in almost "white out" intensity, early and still dark. I was on my way to work and got less than half a mile down the road before I reached the first curve, braked, locked and slid off nose down into a ditch. I trudged back to the house and took the other car; leaving my wife to find a tow truck to get "us" out of the ditch. Nothing more than light, cosmetic injury; nothing underneath thank goodness; it was the slowest of speeds, like slow motion.

The previous snow storm (this would be the better part of a month back), I tested the cornering and braking capability of these Motivos, and found them to be comparable to all other A/S tires I have ever used, cornering and braking. The AWD capabilities (had you applied acceleration - totally counter intuitive, I know) might have saved you the trip into the curb and everything that followed. I did a slide without engine power and "went wide" like you described, doing a four wheel drift around a ninety degree subdivision corner (with no cars parked along the street, mind!); it was slow enough, under 20 MPH: the brakes were not employed, just steered around the corner without gas pedal, slid, corrected and then applied some gas to continue. That was instructive: sub 20 MPH and a slide. Next time I applied some gas at the point of slide and the car powered through without going wide like that. So power to all four wheels with these tires is better grip than just riding the corner and going wide (and into a curb, tree and ditch, damnation).

Still, better safe than sorry. Just go "steady and slow". Leave gobs of room between you and anyone(thing) in front.

 

[NoVAGT2]

Be very careful with these tires.

I just wanted to add how much I have appreciated your reviews and insights with these tires (and in general). I will take your warning to heart!

Cheers

 

[Waynerm002]

I tried to add some power and turn but there wasn’t enough grip for it to catch. Silly me reached for the shifter to downshift, haven’t gotten used to using the paddles, so before my mind caught up to do that, it was on the curb, which was snow covered so more like a ramp and then the tree.

 

[MerlintheMad]

You are definitely repariable. Boy, that is going to take a while. Probably spring by the time you're back on the road looking perfectly pretty again.

I know about "grabbing" something that isn't there (where it's "supposed" to be, heh!). The "T" shifter on the GT1 has been a blessing, because it's so much like any other that I am used to. The drive by wire would be a whole nother learning curve I don't need.

(edit to ask: Is your door jammed ajar? If so, then the damage might be a lot more extensive than it looks initially.)

 

[MerlintheMad]

I see that the door looks to be overlapping the brake vent. Damn! That car might be totalled. Don't let your insurance rack up thousands over half the value of the car, and say it's fixable. Because it isn't if there is that much frame compression. Make them total it and get a new one!!

 

[Waynerm002]

I had to go out the passenger side as that door was blocked. I did hear it creak and see the fender move when he opened it to turn the wheel to get it on the flatbed, so it is rubbing. It's more the fender that was pushed back.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I had to go out the passenger side as that door was blocked. I did hear it creak and see the fender move when he opened it to turn the wheel to get it on the flatbed, so it is rubbing. It's more the fender that was pushed back.

That sounds better. Keep on top of the insurance assessors. If the cost goes over half, call for a "totalled". I'm really nervous after reading about the latest insurance fubar on here. Stinger GT2 AWD ACCIDENT State Farm totally screwed that one up; but made good in the end; Stinger GT2 AWD ACCIDENT but the nightmare!, the lost time. Don't go there!

 

[Waynerm002]

Thanks Merlin. Looking at it and being positive, hopefully it’s just as it looks and no frame damage or engine or transmission issue.

 

[Ucinn]

I went through the snow this weekend. Was a good packing snow and these tires were pretty much like any other all season I've had on various cars before. I'm not an overly aggressive driver to begin with and even less so in snow. Everything worked as expected.. slow breaking was fine and slow acceleration and speed did fine. everything was sure footed. I did hit a couple stretches of road with no one else around and drove a little more aggressively there and there was some spinning of the tires and ABS breaking when driving like there was no snow, but that is expected. I'm definitely not worried about getting stuck anywhere with these.

 

[MerlintheMad]

After Wayne's fiasco has turned into a complete loss of his car, I feel to add to this thread the dire warning that icy conditions are totally different from packing snow.

Know your tire's limits and stay well within them. They are not snow tires in any sense; they are good only as long as you have a healthy respect for the differences in an A/S UHP compound like the Motivos, and a softer A/S compound that is closer to a snow/winter tire (apparently like the Pirellis that Wayne compared the Motivos to unfavorably).

The Motivos are better in all other conditions than a less than UHP tire; but in icy conditions the Motivos are not going to grip as well as a softer A/S compound. They will get you around a corner if you go slower. Plan on going a lot slower if necessary to be on the safe side. And don't test at the limit where you induce a skid.

When I experience more iced conditions, and inclines/declines in snow or on ice, I will report how it goes. Right now, like @Ucinn, I've only experienced heavy packing snow, and slush. Further "adventures" await!

 

[GRStinger]

When I experience more iced conditions, and inclines/declines in snow or on ice, I will report how it goes. Right now, like @Ucinn, I've only experienced heavy packing snow, and slush. Further "adventures" await!

This might sound like a silly point, but my fellow snow-country drivers know what I mean. Not all snow/ice/slush is "created equal". So much depends on: the air temp; the comp of the snow - cold/dry/crystallized vs. wet/'warm' big flakes; temp of the road surface; humidity; temp of the snow/road yesterday. E.g., we had about 8" yesterday. For my morning commute, it wasn't warm - maybe 20F - but the the snow was"sticky" / relatively easy to handle. That snow was plowed, but left a layer. This morning, there was 3" overnight of very cold, fine snow. Laid on to that slippery layer from the day before, it was awful. Like snot on a doorknob. My MO: once I get up to speed on a main road (with nobody behind me) I swing the wheel a bit and hit the brakes pretty hard - see how the ABS kicks in. Just to see what I'm dealing with.

 

[Ucinn]

We had that this morning.. 3 degrees and a small (about .5") of snow on the ground that doesn't pack in this cold. They actually seemed to handle better with this than they did with the packing snow. I'm thinking maybe because the snow wasn't packing into the tread? I'm confident with these tires. But as mentioned above, they do have limitations being a UHP A/S

 

[TwinSnails]

Just installed them, hopefully I’ll see the traction vs the continental extremes.

 

[NoVAGT2]

Just installed them, hopefully I’ll see the traction vs the continental extremes.

I'll be very interested in what you think. I almost bought the Continentals. I've been happy with the Nittos so far.

 

[TwinSnails]

Soooo, wet traction is ~80% of what the continentals were. Lateral traction seems pretty good with a slight reduction in sidewall flex.

I expected a loss of traction with the RWD on launches and there is a loss.

Ironically, they do seem to recover quicker from the wheel spin but definitely break loose quicker, too.

I’m pulling 4lbs of boost in 1st and 2 in 2nd, it’s not a bad tire...maybe better than low end summer performance tires.

 

[Otter]

UCINN, I also am on the north side of Cincinnati and, as might be expected, your driving experiences should be applicable to me most directly. I am curious where you purchased your tires and how they have performed through the rest of the first part of 2019.

 

[westcoastGT]

UCINN, I also am on the north side of Cincinnati and, as might be expected, your driving experiences should be applicable to me most directly. I am curious where you purchased your tires and how they have performed through the rest of the first part of 2019.

lots of other options too......................https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=UHPAS