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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

Toyo NanoEnergy R38 vs Toyo Proxes TR1 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 8 + 900 owner reviews. How we score

NanoEnergy R38 is ahead, 70–64

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Toyo NanoEnergy R38
Tire AToyo

NanoEnergy R38

Summer

Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 70 · 8 reviews

Toyo Proxes TR1
Tire BToyo

Proxes TR1

Summer

Tests 62 · 1 test Owners 66 · 900 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 6 in 2024 TopTireReview Best UHP Tyres for Asia Test (subj. comfort)

“Avoid TR1.. the sound will become unbearable.. I suggest Yokohama ES32..”

Category by category

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

  1. 71

    Dry

    NanoEnergy R38 +12
    59
    Why this score
    SourceNanoEnergy R38Proxes TR1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)53
    Reviews found online7268

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

    Proxes TR1: 60% × 52.9 + 40% × 68.3 = 59

    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. 72

    Wet

    NanoEnergy R38 +5
    67
    Why this score
    SourceNanoEnergy R38Proxes TR1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 72 (est.)66
    Reviews found online7368

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

    Proxes TR1: 60% × 66.5 + 40% × 68 = 67

    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. 69

    Comfort

    NanoEnergy R38 +4
    65
    Why this score
    SourceNanoEnergy R38Proxes TR1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 69 (est.)68
    Reviews found online6960

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

    Proxes TR1: 60% × 68.2 + 40% × 60.1 = 65

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

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    68
    Why this score
    SourceNanoEnergy R38Proxes TR1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–68
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Proxes TR1: 60% × 68.2 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 68

    No owner ratings of noise for Proxes TR1. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  5. 65

    Treadwear

    NanoEnergy R38 +2
    63
    Why this score
    SourceNanoEnergy R38Proxes TR1
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online6561

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

    Proxes TR1: 60% × 64.3 (est.) + 40% × 61.4 = 63

    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).

    No road tests of treadwear for Proxes TR1. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  6. 71

    Handling (owners)

    NanoEnergy R38 +1
    70
    Why this score
    SourceNanoEnergy R38Proxes TR1
    Reviews found online7170
Scores at a glance
CategoryToyo NanoEnergy R38Toyo Proxes TR1
Relative Score 70 64
Dry 71 59
Wet 72 67
Comfort 69 65
Noise – 68
Treadwear 65 63
Handling (owners) 71 70

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
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

NanoEnergy R38

Proxes TR1

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 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

Tire B Proxes TR1

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and responsive steering feedback
  • High value-for-money proposition compared to premium tier-one brands
  • Attractive and aggressive directional tread design

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise and humming sounds at certain speeds
  • Soft sidewalls that can cause a slight squirm or delayed initial steering response
  • Rapid tread wear, particularly under aggressive driving or on rear axles
All owner themes in the Proxes TR1 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Toyo NanoEnergy R38

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

Tire B

Toyo Proxes TR1

Mixed

Community sentiment regarding the Toyo Proxes TR1 is mixed, with users frequently noting an attractive price point and smooth, comfortable ride when compared to factory tires or run-flats. However, multiple drivers report shortcomings in wet-weather performance, cold grip, and road noise as mileage increases, while several criticize its soft sidewalls for creating imprecise handling at the limit.

r/CarTalkUK ·3 upvotes ·2026-08-25

“I had these exact tyres on my ep3, and they were brilliant compared what the car came with from factory. I can’t remember what they were, but for me , they just didn’t feel right…when I went t for these TR1’s , it felt like cars dynamics completely changed for the better. But my driving was mainly city/motorways and sometimes b-roads. And now I’m reminiscing about my type-r days…”
r/kereta ·2 upvotes ·2026-04-27

“Avoid TR1.. the sound will become unbearable.. I suggest Yokohama ES32..”
corvetteforum.com

“Quote: Originally Posted by gamisou 70l46 did you get yours mounted and balanced for that price? I picked mine up at tiredealsforless.com for $765.12 shipped. They had the best prices that I have seen. Yep, $859 is mounted/balanced and 6% Michigan sales tax. Got them from Tireman, a Ohio/Michigan tire retailer & service center.”
Top themes
#Wet grip performance#Soft sidewall stiffness#Affordable price point#Road noise issues#Ride comfort comparison#Handling at limit#T1R model confusion

Based on 36 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Toyo NanoEnergy R38 B · Toyo Proxes TR1
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—61
Rim diameters—14″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

Toyo NanoEnergy R38

Toyo Proxes TR1

Winner: Toyo NanoEnergy R38 — better dry, wet and comfort. 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 A You want the most grip on dry roads

Toyo NanoEnergy R38 scores 71 vs 59 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Toyo NanoEnergy R38 scores 72 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Toyo NanoEnergy R38 scores 69 vs 65 on comfort.

Tire A · Toyo NanoEnergy R38
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Tire B · Toyo Proxes TR1
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NanoEnergy R38 or Proxes TR1?

Which is better in the wet, NanoEnergy R38 or Proxes TR1?

Toyo NanoEnergy R38, 72 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, NanoEnergy R38 or Proxes TR1?

Toyo NanoEnergy R38, 71 vs 59 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, NanoEnergy R38 or Proxes TR1?

Toyo NanoEnergy R38, 69 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, NanoEnergy R38 or Proxes TR1?

Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 63 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