Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Primacy HP vs Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 — 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 204 + 35 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Primacy HP 65, Roadian HTX RH5 64.

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Michelin Primacy HP
Tire AMichelin

Primacy HP

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 63 · 204 reviews

“Sounds as if Aus is rationalising inventory John. Pity because the HP is a good dirt road tyre with stones around. That said the XM2 is also a tough tyre & designed to take knocks that would damage High Performance summer tyres.”

Category by category

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

  1. 65

    Dry

    Primacy HP +3
    62
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy HPRoadian HTX RH5
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online6459

    Primacy HP: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 63.9 = 65

    Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 64.4 (est.) + 40% × 59.4 = 62

    No road tests of dry for Primacy HP. 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 Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 66

    Wet

    Level
    66
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy HPRoadian HTX RH5
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6564

    Primacy HP: 60% × 67.1 (est.) + 40% × 65 = 66

    Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.1 = 66

    No road tests of wet for Primacy HP. 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 Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    63
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy HPRoadian HTX RH5
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online–59

    Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 58.7 = 63

    No road tests of snow for Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 65

    Comfort

    Primacy HP +3
    62
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy HPRoadian HTX RH5
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6155

    Primacy HP: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 61 = 65

    Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 66.7 (est.) + 40% × 54.9 = 62

    No road tests of comfort for Primacy HP or Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    68
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy HPRoadian HTX RH5
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online–70

    Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 69.8 = 68

    No road tests of noise for Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 64

    Treadwear

    Roadian HTX RH5 +1
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy HPRoadian HTX RH5
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6265

    Primacy HP: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 62.3 = 64

    Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 65.6 (est.) + 40% × 65.4 = 65

    No road tests of treadwear for Primacy HP. 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 Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 62

    Handling (owners)

    Primacy HP +3
    59
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy HPRoadian HTX RH5
    Reviews found online6259
Scores at a glance
Michelin Primacy HP vs Nexen Roadian HTX RH5: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryMichelin Primacy HPNexen Roadian HTX RH5
Relative Score 65 64
Dry 65 62
Wet 66 66
Snow – 63
Comfort 65 62
Noise – 68
Treadwear 64 65
Handling (owners) 62 59

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

Primacy HP

Roadian HTX RH5

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 Primacy HP

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and longevity
  • Strong dry-road grip and handling
  • High fuel efficiency and low rolling resistance

Cons

  • Noticeable decline in wet-weather grip as tread depth decreases
  • High retail price compared to competitors
  • Increased road noise as the tire ages
All owner themes in the Primacy HP review

Tire B Roadian HTX RH5

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Michelin Primacy HP

Mixed

Community opinion on the Michelin Primacy HP is divided depending on use case: enthusiasts frequently criticize them for lacking grip compared to dedicated Pilot Sport performance tires, though many appreciate their playful, low-traction slide characteristics on cars like the GR86/BRZ. Owners also note their low rolling resistance and suitability for mild climates, but raise occasional discussions around shoulder cracking with age and their limitation as summer-only rubber.

r/ft86 ·2 upvotes ·2016-01-21

“PSA: The Stock Michelin Primacy HP tires are SUMMER tires! I figured, given that winter has finally arrived in much of the US, I'd make a quick reminder that this car ships in the US with summer only tires. I've noticed that this fact is rarely mentioned in threads about snowy weather or winter tires, and I myself didn't realize this until just before I bought mine. A quick explanation for the non-car guys in the sub. Most cars in the US sell new with all-season tires mounted. These are tires that maintain a balance to allow them to work OK on hot dry pavement, in the rain, and in winter weather. Not great, but OK. They're a jack of all trades, master of none In contrast, these cars (at least in the US market) shipped with summer-only tires. This means that they are NOT OK for use in winter weather--even just cold dry pavement. Summer tires are made of a compound that is too hard in cold weather, therefore not sticky even on clean pavement. In addition, they often lack the open spaces in the tread that are necessary for good snow traction.”

gr86.org ·2024-11-11

“So long as you’ve got some tread, the stock Primacy HP tires are plenty safe for Bay Area weather all year ‘round. Just don’t drive anywhere that gets real winter weather or freezing temps. I’d avoid trips up to Tahoe in January. And don’t climb Mt. Diablo or Mt. Hamilton when they get their occasional dusting of snow. (I live in upstate NY now, so I’m familiar with tires & winter conditions …but I’m also a Bay Area native.)”

mbworld.org

“I have these tires on my 2013 GL550 and they handle really well here in Chicago. They are a little loud for me, but do great in the snow and rain.”

Top themes
#grip vs playfulness#comparison to pilot sport#summer tire limitations#tread cracking concerns#low rolling resistance#oem fitment discussion

Based on 36 community posts

Tire B

Nexen Roadian HTX RH5

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Primacy HP B · Nexen Roadian HTX RH5
CategorySummerAll-Season tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available144
Rim diameters17″15″ – 22″
Tread depth—11/32″
UTQG—640 A A
Treadwear warranty—65,000 mi
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Primacy HP

Nexen Roadian HTX RH5

Too close to call: Michelin Primacy HP and Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 are within 2 points overall. Michelin Primacy HP is stronger on dry and comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Primacy HP scores 65 vs 62 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Primacy HP scores 65 vs 62 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Primacy HP
Tire B · Nexen Roadian HTX RH5

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Primacy HP or Roadian HTX RH5?

Which is better in the wet, Primacy HP or Roadian HTX RH5?

Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 66 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Primacy HP or Roadian HTX RH5?

Michelin Primacy HP, 65 vs 62 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Primacy HP or Roadian HTX RH5?

Michelin Primacy HP, 65 vs 62 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Primacy HP or Roadian HTX RH5?

Neither, by our numbers: 64 vs 65 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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