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Last updated 6/12/2024 - Originally published 6/12/2024
Written by SimpleTire
Do you seriously consider highway-terrain tires for traveling long distances? Such tires, available with an all-season tread, are predominantly meant for the realm of light trucks and SUVs, though the tires can be found on a few other types of vehicles as well. These types of all-season tires are intended for cars that spend a lot of time on the pavement. Much like Grand Touring or all-season car tires, they offer drivers year-round grip, long wear, smooth and quiet ride, and competent and predictable handling.
You can consider a highway-terrain tire to be a more durable variant of an all-season or grand touring tire for an automobile. In this writeup, we're going to examine two high-quality highway-terrain tires, Falken Wildpeak H/T02 and Nexen Roadian HTX RH5.
At SimpleTire, we have created the SimpleScore grading system to provide you with an instant overview of the performance and worth of every tire. We examine the specifications, reviews, and other information about a tire before converting it into a number score between one and ten.
Falken Wildpeak H/T02 tires
Though the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 is officially categorized as an all-season highway tire, don't let that mislead you — in real sense, it is a strong, long-lasting tire for light trucks and SUVs with a Heavy Duty LT designation that indicates increased weight capacity and a sturdy build. With its tough upper sidewall, "support bridge" tread blocks for added stiffness, damage-resistant tread compound, confident stability, and a variable limited manufacturer tread life warranty (as per different sizes), the Wildpeak H/T02 is unassumingly resilient. The silica-rich tread compound, a tread pattern that includes four circumferential and lateral grooves, Advanced 4D Nano Technology, and 3D Canyon Sipes Technology, ensures that the tire offers great control, increased grip, and improved fuel efficiency. The Wildpeak H/T 02 offers drivers a smorgasbord of features, including great road manners, precise cornering, controlled steering response, and strong braking. As per its capabilities, we found the Falken Wildpeak H/T 02 suitable for an impressive average SimpleScore of 8.5.
Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 tires
As an all-season highway tire, the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 is a decent product with favorable levels of steering performance and grip. It is available in different sizes and accordingly gets a variable warranty. A wide center block of the tire provides better grip and highly durable materials used in construction ensure an increased tread life. The reinforced shoulders enable the Roadian HTX RH5 to generate improved handling and cornering performance. Additionally, an optimized tread design decreases fuel consumption and road noise. As a highway tire suitable for light trucks and SUVs, the Roadian HTX RH5 receives an average SimpleScore of 8.4.
Falken Wildpeak H/T02 vs Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 tires on traction
The Falken Wildpeak H/T02 features angled and lateral grooves, sipes, circumferential grooves, and a silica-rich tread composition that offers better traction in rainy conditions. Notably, it performs fairly well in light snow and is available with an average traction SimpleScore of 8.3. However, these tires aren’t as great as the competition when it comes to traction performance in wet or cold weather.
On the other hand, a forward-oriented four-channel groove design is incorporated into the Roadian HTX RH5 to improve drainage and hydroplaning on wet roads. It provides a good amount of grip due to its three- and four-division tread pattern. Additionally, wide shoulders and independent tread blocks also assist in improving traction. All these qualities, award the HTX RH5 with an average traction SimpleScore of 8.4.
ADVANTAGE: Nexen Roadian HTX RH5
Falken Wildpeak H/T02 vs Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 tires on handling
It is a closely fought battle between the compared Falken and the Nexen tires in the handling category. While the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 registers an 8.3, the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 also doesn’t lose the race and secures an average handling SimpleScore of 8.3. The Wildpeak H/T02 is very predictable when it comes to handling and has a slight tendency to oversteer or understeer, It is a tire that remains composed even on rough or uneven pavements. There’s a solid center rib in place for a quick steering response.
On the other hand, the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 receives H, S, T, and R speed ratings, making it quicker than the Falken. The tire features reinforced shoulder blocks for enhanced cornering and handling performance.
ADVANTAGE: Nexen Roadian HTX RH5
Falken Wildpeak H/T02 vs Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 tires on longevity
The Falken tires come in hot with an excellent average longevity SimpleScore of 9.1 due to factors such as a limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty that ranges from 50,000 miles (LT-metric sizes) to 70,000 miles (P-metric sizes) and a high tread depth. An HD badge, synonymous for Heavy Duty construction, is visible on the tire’s sidewall. Concerning longevity and durability, this tire is a class of its own.
On the other hand, the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 also features a variable limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty that lies between 40,000 miles (P-metric sizes) and 65,000 miles ( LT-metric sizes). Expect to find the same tread depth as the Wildpeak H/T02 on this all-season tire. The Roadian HTX RH5 features an optimized tread pattern for lower fuel consumption, resulting in fewer trips to the gas station. The three- and four-division tread design enhances wear performance for the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5, making it good enough for an average longevity SimpleScore of 8.6.
ADVANTAGE: Falken Wildpeak H/T02
When to use each
While reviewing these tires, we found that both of them are suitable for heavy vehicles such as pickup trucks and SUVs, and both have the same tread depth. What we didn’t expect was for the two tires to be so evenly matched in terms of handling performance. In terms of sheer technology, we felt that the Falken was far ahead of the Nexen. However, the Nexen could be better off in terms of wet performance. The Wildpeak H/T02 is also a great tire in terms of hauling abilities.
The next section of this comparison will help you reach the purchase decision faster.
Which one should you choose?
After comparing the two tires across a variety of parameters, we would like to inform you about their prices. While SimpleTire’s price on the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 begins from $102.99 per tire ($411.96 for 4), the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5’s starting price is $106.80 per tire ($427.20 for 4). We think that the Falken offers drivers more bang for their buck due to the combination of features and lower price.
Here’s why we think you should purchase the Falken Wildpeak H/T02:
- The higher warranty
- The cheaper tire
- More features and long-lasting tread life
Compared to the above, the reasons below are sufficient to choose the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5:
- Better handling
- Better traction
- Higher speed rating options for various sizes
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help, and our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.