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Toyo NanoEnergy R38 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Solus TA31 vs Toyo NanoEnergy R38 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 78 + 8 owner reviews. How we score

NanoEnergy R38 is ahead, 70–58

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Kumho Solus TA31
Tire AKumho

Solus TA31

All Season

Tests – · none yet Owners 52 · 78 reviews

Toyo NanoEnergy R38
Tire BToyo

NanoEnergy R38

Summer

Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 70 · 8 reviews

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 58

    Dry

    NanoEnergy R38 +13
    71
    Why this score
    SourceSolus TA31NanoEnergy R38
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online5272

    Solus TA31: 60% × 61.3 (est.) + 40% × 51.8 = 58

    NanoEnergy R38: 60% × 69.5 (est.) + 40% × 72.2 = 71

    No road tests of dry for Solus TA31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    No road tests of dry for NanoEnergy R38. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 60

    Wet

    NanoEnergy R38 +12
    72
    Why this score
    SourceSolus TA31NanoEnergy R38
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online5773

    Solus TA31: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 56.8 = 60

    NanoEnergy R38: 60% × 71.7 (est.) + 40% × 73.2 = 72

    No road tests of wet for Solus TA31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    No road tests of wet for NanoEnergy R38. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 53

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceSolus TA31NanoEnergy R38
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 60 (est.)–
    Reviews found online41–

    Solus TA31: 60% × 60.4 (est.) + 40% × 41.1 = 53

    No road tests of snow for Solus TA31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 62

    Comfort

    NanoEnergy R38 +7
    69
    Why this score
    SourceSolus TA31NanoEnergy R38
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5569

    Solus TA31: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 54.6 = 62

    NanoEnergy R38: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 69.1 = 69

    No road tests of comfort for Solus TA31 or NanoEnergy R38. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 65

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceSolus TA31NanoEnergy R38
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)–
    Reviews found online61–

    Solus TA31: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 60.6 = 65

    No road tests of noise for Solus TA31. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 57

    Treadwear

    NanoEnergy R38 +8
    65
    Why this score
    SourceSolus TA31NanoEnergy R38
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online5265

    Solus TA31: 60% × 61.3 (est.) + 40% × 51.7 = 57

    NanoEnergy R38: 60% × 65.3 (est.) + 40% × 64.6 = 65

    No road tests of treadwear for Solus TA31. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

    No road tests of treadwear for NanoEnergy R38. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 51

    Handling (owners)

    NanoEnergy R38 +20
    71
    Why this score
    SourceSolus TA31NanoEnergy R38
    Reviews found online5171
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Solus TA31Toyo NanoEnergy R38
Relative Score 58 70
Dry 58 71
Wet 60 72
Snow 53 –
Comfort 62 69
Noise 65 –
Treadwear 57 65
Handling (owners) 51 71

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Solus TA31

NanoEnergy R38

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Solus TA31

Pros

  • Exceptional value and budget-friendly pricing
  • Very low road noise and a comfortable, smooth ride
  • Good dry and wet traction for everyday commuting

Cons

  • Poor performance in snow and ice conditions
  • Soft sidewalls leading to reduced high-speed stability and less sharp handling
  • Inconsistent tread wear reported by some users, leading to premature replacement
All owner themes in the Solus TA31 review

Tire B NanoEnergy R38

Pros

  • Reliable wet and dry grip with predictable handling limits
  • Good value for money compared to premium brand alternatives
  • Solid longevity and mileage, with respectable tread wear reported

Cons

  • Slightly increased road noise reported by some users
  • Limited size or availability challenges noted by consumers wanting replacements
All owner themes in the NanoEnergy R38 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Solus TA31 B · Toyo NanoEnergy R38
CategoryAll SeasonSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available22—
Rim diameters15″ – 20″—
Tread depth9.5/32″—
UTQG500 A A—
Treadwear warranty60,000 mi—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Solus TA31

Toyo NanoEnergy R38

Winner: Toyo NanoEnergy R38 — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Toyo NanoEnergy R38 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 8 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Toyo NanoEnergy R38 scores 71 vs 51 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Toyo NanoEnergy R38 scores 71 vs 58 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Toyo NanoEnergy R38 scores 72 vs 60 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Toyo NanoEnergy R38 scores 65 vs 57 on treadwear.

Tire A · Kumho Solus TA31
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Tire B · Toyo NanoEnergy R38
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Solus TA31 or NanoEnergy R38?

Which is better in the wet, Solus TA31 or NanoEnergy R38?

Toyo NanoEnergy R38, 72 vs 60 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Solus TA31 or NanoEnergy R38?

Toyo NanoEnergy R38, 71 vs 58 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Solus TA31 or NanoEnergy R38?

Toyo NanoEnergy R38, 69 vs 62 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Solus TA31 or NanoEnergy R38?

Toyo NanoEnergy R38, 65 vs 57 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology