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Last updated 3/11/2025 - Originally published 3/11/2025
Written by SimpleTire, Expertly reviewed by Brett Antosh
Firestone and Nexen are two well-established tire manufacturers, known for their premium and performance-driven tire lineups. Founded in 1900 by Harvey Firestone, Firestone has become a trusted name in the industry and is now a part of the Bridgestone family, offering a variety of high-quality tires across different segments. Nexen, on the other hand, was founded in 1942 and is based in South Korea. The tire manufacturer leverages advanced technology to engineer high-quality tires for modern vehicles. Both brands boast decades of experience and offer a wide selection of all-season, all-terrain, ultra-high-performance, winter, summer, and all-weather tires for various driving needs.
All-season tires are a go-to choice for many drivers, offering a balance of traction, handling, and durability in dry, wet, and light winter conditions. Their versatility makes them ideal for year-round driving, providing long-lasting tread life and reliable performance.
Today, we’re comparing two popular all-season highway tires from Firestone and Nexen—the Firestone Transforce HT3 and Nexen Roadian HTX RH5. In this Transforce HT3 vs Roadian HTX RH5 tire comparison, we'll explore their key similarities and differences to help you determine which tire is the right fit for your vehicle.
Firestone Transforce HT3 tires
The Firestone Transforce HT3 is a durable all-season light truck tire, engineered for both on- and off-road performance. With its rugged construction, reinforced sidewalls, and wear-resistant tread compound, this tire provides the confidence to tackle unpaved roads while ensuring consistent grip and responsive handling on highways.
Built with heavy-duty durability and enhanced wet traction in mind, the Firestone Transforce HT3 earns a solid 8.0 out of 10 on the SimpleScore scale.
Get Firestone Transforce HT3 tires at the best deals for your vehicle here
Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 tires
The Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 is designed to offer reliable performance and excellent value for truck and SUV owners who primarily drive on highways. Featuring a symmetric tread design, this tire delivers solid handling and stability across various road conditions.
Wide shoulder blocks and lateral grooves enhance traction on both dry and wet surfaces, while multiple sipes and grooves provide additional biting edges for improved grip in light snow. To further ensure safety on wet roads, the four wide circumferential grooves help channel water away from the tread, reducing the risk of hydroplaning.
Backed by a 65,000-mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 earns a SimpleScore of 8.2, making it a dependable and budget-friendly highway terrain tire.
Get Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 tires at the best deals for your vehicle here
Firestone Transforce HT3 vs Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 tires on traction
Traction is a critical factor across all tire categories, influencing how well a tire grips both wet and dry surfaces. It plays a vital role in maintaining vehicle control, especially at high speeds or in challenging conditions like water, slush, mud, snow, and ice. A tire's traction is primarily shaped by its rubber compound and tread design.
The Firestone Transforce HT3 secures a solid traction score of 8.3, thanks to its advanced tread pattern that efficiently channels water away from the tread, ensuring confident wet traction.
Meanwhile, the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 also received a great traction score of 8.3. Featuring wide grooves and angled tread blocks, this tire efficiently evacuates water, reducing the risk of hydroplaning on wet roads. Additionally, its multiple sipes create extra biting edges, enhancing grip on dry, wet, and lightly snowy surfaces.
Both tires boast a great SimpleScore of 8.3 in traction and will deliver confident performance on paved roads.
ADVANTAGE: Tie
Firestone Transforce HT3 vs Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 tires on handling
When purchasing a tire, handling is a crucial factor, as it directly impacts vehicle control, especially at higher speeds. Superior handling ensures smooth maneuvering, effortless turns, and easy lane changes, significantly enhancing the driving experience. A tire’s tread design, rubber composition, and advanced technology all contribute to its handling performance.
The Firestone Transforce HT3 stands out with a strong handling score of 8.5. Built with a sturdy construction, it delivers responsive handling both on- and off-road. Its reinforced sidewalls offer protection against cuts and chips, while its robust design helps maintain the tire’s shape on rough terrains for enhanced stability.
On the other hand, the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 earns a respectable 8.4 handling score. Designed with angled tread blocks, it ensures steady road contact, delivering a balanced driving experience. The HTX RH5 performs well in both dry and wet conditions, where its tread pattern promotes smooth, controlled handling.
With a minor difference, the Transforce HT3 comes out on the top in handling performance. However, both tires will deliver responsive traction throughout their tread life.
ADVANTAGE: Firestone Transforce HT3
Firestone Transforce HT3 vs Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 tires on longevity
When selecting tires, longevity is a crucial factor, as it determines how long a tire lasts before needing replacement. As the tread wears down over time, choosing a tire with enhanced durability is essential for consistent handling and traction. A tire's longevity is influenced by tread pattern, rubber compound, and overall design.
The Firestone Transforce HT3 delivers reliable longevity with its wear-resistant tread compound, earning a respectable 7.3 SimpleScore. However, it does not come with a limited manufacturer tread life warranty.
In contrast, the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 excels in longevity, earning an impressive 8.7 SimpleScore. It is backed by a 40,000-mile warranty for LT-metric sizes and a 65,000-mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty for P-metric sizes. Designed with a durable tread pattern and reinforced sidewalls, the Roadian HTX RH5 outperforms its competitors in tread life and durability.
The Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 comes out on the top in longevity with a much better SimpleScore and a mileage warranty, which is missing in its competitor.
ADVANTAGE: Nexen Roadian HTX RH5
When to use each
Both Firestone Transforce HT3 and Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 are high-quality all-season tires designed for year-round use in dry, wet, or light winter weather conditions. These tires deliver great traction on wet and dry roads and are most suited for driving on paved surfaces. Additionally, as these tires are not Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified, they should not be used in moderate to severe winter weather conditions, where winter tires are more suitable.
The Transforce HT3 is also suited for light off-road use. However, if you are looking for a set of tires specifically for use on rough terrains, all-terrain tires or rugged-terrain tires might be a better fit.
Which one should you choose?
So, which all-season tire might be the right fit for you? Well, the answer solely depends on your personal preference as both tires have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. For instance, the Firestone tire scores better in handling and is a tire from one of the leading tire manufacturers in the world. The Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 beats the Transforce HT3 in longevity and has a mileage warranty. Another important factor to consider before purchasing a tire is its price, where the Nexen tire justifies its performance.
The Firestone Transforce HT3 costs $170.98 per tire or $683.92 for a set of four. Conversely, the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 costs around $128.96 per tire or $515.84 for a set of four for the tire size LT215/85R16.
(Note - Prices may vary depending on the tire size.)
Based on SimpleScore, you should purchase the Firestone Transforce HT3 if you:
- Drive a vehicle like the Ford F-150 or a something like the Nissan Frontier
- Want a tire with better handing (8.5 vs 8.4)
- Want a set of tires that can be used on paved and unpaved roads
- Are willing to pay more for better handling
You can go for the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 if you:
- Drive vehicles like the Ford Ranger 2000, Nissan Murano, or Chevrolet Tahoe
- Want a tire with better longevity (8.8 vs 7.3) and a mileage warranty of up to 65,000-mile
- Want a more affordable tire that will also last longer
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.