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Last updated 11/07/2024 - Originally published 11/07/2024
Written by SimpleTire
Falken Tires, a brand owned by Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc., was founded in Japan in 1983 and is now headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, California. It is well-known for its all-season, all-terrain, ultra-high performance, and winter tires. On the other hand, Nexen, South Korea's first tire producer, was founded more than 80 years ago. They are now ahead of the competition, using cutting-edge manufacturing equipment to produce tires.
Falken’s Wildpeak tires are popular in racing due to their long tread life, excellent handling, year-round adaptability, and quiet ride quality. A highway-terrain, all-season tire, the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 is designed for pickup trucks and offers drivers impressive longevity, confident handling, and great traction.
Nexen's US division was created in 2005, and they now provide tires such as the Roadian series for light trucks and SUVs. Designed for use on cargo vans and light trucks, the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL is a highway-terrain, all-season tire that offers great handling, reliable traction, and good longevity.
How do these tires differ from one another? Here is a comparison of the handling, traction, and longevity of the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 and the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL using SimpleScore (SimpleTire's proprietary tire rating system).
Falken Wildpeak H/T02 tires
Today’s pickup truck drivers need tires that can handle everything from construction site activities to towing and hauling jobs. The Wildpeak H/T02 redefines the highway-terrain tire, providing year-round industry-leading performance and durability. H/T02’s advanced 4D Nano Design and 3D Canyon Sipe Technology improve its all-season drivability. Wildpeak H/T02 LT-size tires have gained an "HD" badge on the sidewall, indicating their heavy-duty construction, following extensive testing with ¾-ton diesel pickup trucks. It is a class apart for customers who expect reliability and longevity from their truck tires.
On average, the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 gets an overall SimpleScore of 8.4 thanks to its solid traction, great longevity, and reliable handling.
Nexen Roadian CT8 HL tires
The Roadian CT8 HL incorporates a half-depth transverse groove in the middle block to maintain the ideal rigidity balance. Additionally, square-shaped tire dimples reduce stress, enhancing tread life and durability. Backed by Nexen's Total Coverage Warranty, which includes 36 Months of Roadside Assistance and a 45-day or 500-mile Free Trial, the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL features square-shaped dimples for a longer tread life and a traverse groove in the center block for enhanced performance.
On average, the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL sports an overall SimpleScore of 8 because of its great traction, confident handling, and decent longevity.
Falken Wildpeak H/T02 vs Nexen Roadian CT8 HL tires on traction
Highway-terrain tires have an all-season tread pattern which means these tires can offer traction in dry, wet, and light winter weather conditions. Traction is crucial for tires as the ability of a vehicle to efficiently accelerate, brake, and corner is attributed to it. Let's see how the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 and the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL compare in terms of traction.
Engineered for today’s pickup trucks, the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 features an Advanced 4D Nano design and 3D Canyon Sipe technology to ensure superior traction. Its all-season tread pattern offers traction in dry, wet, and light winter weather conditions. As a result, the Wildpeak H/T02 gets a great traction score of 8.3.
Thanks to the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL’s all-season tread pattern, it sports a fine 8.1 traction score. Its wide grooves, transverse groove in the middle block, additional siping, and all-season rubber compound all contribute to improved traction and year-round performance.
In terms of traction, they are closely positioned against one another, the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL gets a great score of 8.1, but the Falken Wildpeak H/T 02 wins out with an 8.3.
ADVANTAGE: Falken Wildpeak H/T02
Falken Wildpeak H/T02 vs Nexen Roadian CT8 HL tires on handling
Handling plays a significant role in a car's performance and its fun-to-drive factor. Let's take a look at the Wildpeak H/T02 and the Roadian CT8 HL’s handling scores.
The Falken Wildpeak H/T02’s rigid tread blocks and tough sidewall offer greater stability while its advanced technologies such as 4D Nano Design and 3D Canyon Sipe technology improve its handling performance. As a result, the Wildpeak H/T02 sports a great handling score of 8.4.
Similarly, the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL sports a decent handling score (8.5). Its symmetrical tread pattern boosts handling performance in dry, wet, and light winter weather conditions and highways. For a cargo van and light truck driver, the Roadian CT8 HL offers a great steering response.
In terms of handling, they are closely matched; the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 obtains a reliable score of 8.4, while the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL edges it over with an 8.5.
ADVANTAGE: Nexen Roadian CT8 HL
Falken Wildpeak H/T02 vs Nexen Roadian CT8 HL tires on longevity
Longevity is a key factor in assessing tire quality because worn tires can be dangerous and impair your vehicle's performance. So, how do the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 and the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL stack up against each other for longevity?
The Falken Wildpeak H/T02 comes with a 75,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty for P-metric sizes and a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty for LT-metric sizes (Cargo sizes are not backed by a warranty). Its robust structure ensures solid durability. Sturdy sidewalls and stiff tread blocks provide increased stability and longevity. As a result, it secures an impressive longevity score of 8.8.
Backed by Nexen's Total Coverage Warranty, which includes 36 months of roadside assistance and a 45-day or 500-mile free trial, the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL has square-shaped dimples in the tread to reduce stress for longer tread life and a traverse groove within the center block for improved performance. However, its longevity score is not as great as Falken’s, yet it is a solid score of 7.6.
In terms of longevity, the Falken Wilpeak H/T02 outperforms the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL.
ADVANTAGE: Falken Wilpeak H/T02
When to use each
Highway-terrain tires are ideal for highways and paved roads. The Falken Wildpeak H/T02 and the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL, two great highway-terrain tires, are solid options for everyday commuting, lengthy interstate excursions, and city driving. However, these cannot be used in mud-terrain or dunes, and in harsh winter weather conditions. Switch to mud-terrain tires for muddy or duney terrains or consider the winter tires for harsh winter weather conditions.
Which one should you choose?
So, which of these highway-terrain tires will be a good fit for your vehicle? If you see the SimpleScore, the Falken outperforms the Nexen, however, the Nexen also has some unique features that make it desirable for high-way driving. Let’s check out their prices to find out if there is any difference.
Comparing the prices of the 225/75R16C tire size, the Falken Widlpeak H/T02 costs around $167 per tire, and four such tires cost $668, while the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL costs around $198 per tire and four such tires cost $792 (a difference of $124).
Based on SimpleScore, you should choose the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 if you:
- Drive a full–size SUV like the GMC C 1500, a mid-size SUV Honda Passport, or a luxury SUV [Jeep Grand Cherokee])https://simpletire.com/vehicles/jeep-tires/grand-cherokee)
- Prefer better traction (8.3 vs 8.1)
- Want superior longevity (8.8 vs 7.6)
- Want a highway-terrain, all-season tire with great performance at less price
- Prefer a tire with a mileage warranty (up to 75,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty)
On the other hand, you can choose the Nexen Roadian CT8 HL if you:
- Drive a light commercial vehicle like the Ford Transit, a light commercial van Nissan NV200, or a full-size van Chevrolet Express
- Prefer better handling (8.5 vs 8.4)
- Want to take advantage of Nexen’s Total Coverage Warranty
Falken and Nexen make some of the most reliable highway-terrain tires in the industry. Both the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 and Nexen Roadian CT8 HL carry their legacy. While the Nexen Roadian CT8HL offers better handling, the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 offers better longevity and traction. However, select a tire based on traction, handling, price, and your driving requirements and budget.
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents will be more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.