If you are currently struggling or ever struggled with making the right tire choice for your car, then you need to know, you are not alone.
A lot of people have similar struggles, especially when it comes to choosing between brands such as Nexen and Hankook. So, Nexen vs Hankook – which is better?
These are two tire brands with great features and specs that make it hard to simply write off one and go for the other.
Comparison between these two tire brands is found commonly on the internet, especially on car forums and chat rooms. I do not blame anyone who is yet to make a decision on which of these brands is best for his or her car.
This is because several things are featured or brought into the equation when such a decision is to be made.
You are not simply comparing the two based on the quality of material used in the construction, but rather, the tire’s price, griping under a wet road condition, fuel economy, size and width, handling and traction, drying comfort, reviews from current and previous users and many more, are all brought up.
In this article, a lot will be said about the need for such a comparison, and the pros and cons of the two tire brands, providing you with all the information you need to make an informed decision regarding what is best for your car in terms your driving style, the condition of the road, the affordability of the tire, it’s durability and many more.
Highlights:
- Nexen tires are more affordable than Hankook tires
- Both offer good wet grip, making them suitable for various weather conditions.
- Hankook tires, despite being slightly more expensive, are considered worth the price due to their premium quality and performance.
Why the Comparison Between Nexen and Hankook?
One may ask, what the essence of this comparison is? Such a question however is more likely to come from those who have never found themselves stranded and confused as to which tire to go for while shopping for a tire in the market.
Regarding tire brands, a single brand is unlikely to hold the key to all your problems, you may find a brand with an incredible track record of durability and yet be unable to afford it due to the expensive price tag.
Comparisons between tire brands are necessary because through these comparisons, the properties of one brand over the other are brought to light and the buyer is made aware of what to expect from each brand in terms of performance, braking, durability, fitting and other highly sort after properties in a tire.
A helpful pointer in this regard is the comment of other users of these tire brands. Learning from experience does not necessarily mean your personal experience, rather, it mostly refers to the experience of others.
Luckily, others have had the opportunity of experiencing the two different brands of tires and have shared this with others on Internet forums and other places. These are helpful guides that could help others make the right decision.
The experience of others is not entirely reliable. This is because the performance of the tire is influenced by driver factors such as the style of driving of the person behind the wheel.
Therefore, other factors must be combined with the testimonials of other users of the tire brands to be able to decide whether it is worth your money or not.
Some of such factors will include the level of technology employed in the company. The use of robots for example in some of the points in the chain of production increased the efficiency and perfection of the finished product as it takes away human error.
The construction material, the amount of testing carried out on the product before its final design and mass production, and the involvement of experts, engineers, and professional drivers in this process, all play a significant role in how the final product turns out to be.
Let us proceed at this point to take a closer look at what Nexen and Hankook have in common and the subtle differences between the two tire brands.
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Differences and Similarities Between Nexen and Hankook
Before proceeding to give a detailed breakdown of the similarities and differences between Nexen and Hankook, here is a small table that summarizes this.
Features | Nexen | Hankook |
Price | Cheaper | More expensive |
Durability | Highly durable | Highly durable |
Wet grip | Good | Excellent |
Rankings | 10 | 7 |
Price
When Hankook tires are compared to other brands other than Nexen, it commonly stands out as the cheaper brand. However, in this instance, Nexen tires are far more affordable than Hankook and can therefore be gotten for a cheaper price.
Although Hankook tires may be slightly more expensive than other brands, they are definitely worth the price. However, despite this, when intending to change all four tires and carry out other maintenance in the car, the much more affordable Nexen tires are a better option in this instance.
A good question to put forward at this point is, why Hankook tires are this expensive? Is there a justification for the price of Hankook tires or is the company simply ripping off its customers by selling an overtly inflated product? Several factors decide the price of tires.
In the case of Hankook tires, these factors include how much it costs to manufacture the tire, the type of construction material used, the design of the tire, the degree of robotic involvement, the testing set u9 for the prototype, and many other factors.
Hankook has today been listed among the top 10 best-rated tire companies in the world. This means they are considered by many as a premium brand.
Although the company has managed to keep the price within an affordable range, it is still well above the price of products such as Nexen tires.
Part of what explains this high price tag is the cost of production. Today, the company uses fewer human hands in the manufacturing of the tire, this role has been taken over by robots which are more efficient and cause fewer manufacturing errors.
The tires undergo several levels of testing, following which detectable errors are sorted out before mass production.
Fuel Economy
Unknown to many, your tires are a significant determinant of your car’s ability to economize fuel consumption. The tire’s performance, size, weight, grip, and reaction amongst other features are key in determining the gas mileage.
Both Nexen and Hankook are popular for their incredible performance and improved fuel economy. Hankook however gets more praise in this regard.
Wet Grip
Depending on the climate condition of the part of the world you live in, having tires that do well under rainy weather conditions can be considered a priority.
Thankfully, most tires including Nexen and Hankook are tested under a stimulated wet road condition to evaluate the performance of these tires under these conditions for which the two tire brands do excellently well.
Driving Comfort
For someone who does a lot of jogging, I can tell you that your shoes are central to the comfort you feel while jogging.
A similar principle applies to car tires, shoes are to humans as tires are to cars. Similar to shoes, they are the part of the car that directly contact the road.
They play more roles than moving the car, the comfort of your driving, possible duration, and noise are all associated with the type of tire in use in the car.
For best-performing tires, accountable noise, and good wet grip, Hankook is the leading choice in this regard.
User Rating
What a user says about their previous experience with a tire brand cannot be discarded nor can it be used as the sole source of branding the tire’s poor performance.
There is a rating system that has rated Hankook as number 7 on the list of top tire companies in the world while rating Nexen as number 10 in that same list.
Durability
Almost every driver aims to get as much usage out of their car tires as possible.
However, with tires whose tread starts wearing off as soon as it hits the road, it does not take long before such become markedly worn out and unusable, demanding a replacement.
While statements and testimonies are implying the superior durability of Nexen tires abound on some of the tire forums, durability has more to do with the driving style of the person constantly behind the wheel, the condition of the road upon which the tire is commonly driven over and another similar factor.
Hankook has a facility charged with post-manufacturing testing of their tires for durability. Here different road conditions are stimulated to mimic the real-life conditions out there in which the tires will be exposed when sold out.
There is also the involvement of expert drivers, engineers, and other professionals who attempt to analyze the findings and rate the level of durability, suggesting what can be done to improve on this further before final production.
Braking Performance
How prompt a car is brought to a top even the brake pedals are marched is a factor of the amount of grip the tires have on the road.
Quality of construction materials, design of tread pattern, and other aspects of the tire design are crucial to deciding what the braking distance is.
Nexen VS Hankook – Conclusion
At this point, you may have realized how tricky the decision is when the options you are presented with are Hankook and Nexen tires.
Depending on the amount in your pocket or how much you are willing to spend on tires, Hankook is the most preferred choice based on performance while Nexen is mostly better in terms of price and durability.
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I am passionate about all things automotive and have a deep understanding of the topic. As a mechanic, I use my free time to share knowledge of everyday challenges that any car owner can experience – helping you make informed decisions about tires.