I need to replace the tires on our 2004 allroad 4.2. I think I would like a winter rated tire with all season durability. I have had Nokians before on a VW Jetta and an A4 and like their winter performace, but have not had them on the allroad yet. When I went to the Nokian web site (www.nokiantires.com), the 225/55/17 size selector shows a match on the RSi and the SUV version of the WR.

The RSi is more of a winter only tire, which would require my purchasing another set of tires next spring or suffer faster wear during the warmer months. The WR SUV is more of the all season tire I was looking for. The allroad, at 4,277 pounds, is as heavy as some SUVs, but I am not sure if there is something else with the SUV version of the WR that would make it inappropriate for the allroad. The passenger car version of the WR did not have this specific tire size. The regular WR has a 235/55/17, but I don't really want to go wider for a winter tire.

Now for the questions:

Is the WR SUV a good match or would it perhaps ride too stiffly? Should I get a different sized regular WR instead? Should I just get the RSi and plan on getting another set of tires for warmer months? Should I give up on the Nokian tires and get another brand? I am near Chicago (NW suburbs) and can easily get to the Indiana TireRack location. Are there other tires or factors that I should consider? Thanks for any insights.