Nankang Sportnex AS-2+ review
Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners
Better than 15% of the summer tires we score.
Owners 43 · 992 reviews analysed Road tests 58 · 4 tests
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Nankang Sportnex AS-2+ has a Relative Score of 51 out of 100 among summer tires. In 7 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 0 times and in the top three 0 times. Testers rate it best for wet (71) and weakest for dry (43). 992 owner reviews rate it 43 out of 100. 52% would buy it again.
- Weak point: Dry 43 — 16th of 16 (2018 Test World Summer tire Test), 13th of 13 (2019 Swedish Summer tire Test)
Owners rate it 15 points lower than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
How scores work
- Relative score
- 0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
- Road tests
- 0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
- Owner reviews
- 0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.
By owner reviews
43/100From 992 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
By road tests
58/100Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.
What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 992 owner reviews found online.
The Nankang Sportnex AS2+ is widely regarded as a strong-value, mid-priced ultra-high-performance all-season tyre, with most reviewers praising its wet and dry grip, steering feedback and low-to-moderate road noise relative to its cost. Several owners compare it favourably with premium brands such as Michelin, Continental and Bridgestone. Satisfaction is tempered by frequent complaints about fast tread wear, plus a minority of serious reports of poor wet grip, sidewall bulges and cracking.
Pros
- Strong value for money, with many reviewers saying it performs close to or better than premium tyres costing considerably more
- Good to excellent wet grip and water dispersion for most users, with some preferring it to Continental SportContact 5 and Bridgestone Potenza
- Confident dry grip, braking and steering feedback, especially once the tyre is warm
- Quiet, comfortable ride reported by many drivers, including some who found it quieter than their previous tyres
- Stable, secure handling in varied conditions, including winter rain and motorway driving
Cons
- Rapid tread wear is the most common complaint, with several reviewers reporting 4,000–13,000 miles of life and tyres reaching the wear limit or wearing in the centre
- Inconsistent wet performance: a few reviewers described slides, aquaplaning, ABS activation and poor traction, in stark contrast to the majority view
- Durability and quality concerns, including sidewall bulges, side-wall cracking, peeling and blowouts within months
- Soft sidewalls and less precise steering than premium tyres, with reports of vagueness, understeer, drift and lower grip on hard cornering or full throttle
- Poor grip when cold, and some reports of harsh ride or increased road noise compared with previous tyres
Worth knowing
- Heavier or more powerful vehicles, such as the Range Rover Sport, Audi A4/A5 and BMW 5 Series, produced the most polarised results. One Range Rover Sport owner found the rears bald after 4,000 miles, while a 2-tonne 4WD diesel owner reported 20,000 miles on the front and 25,000 on the rear.
- Large wheels and low-profile sizes (18–20 inch, including staggered 245/35R20 and 285/30R20 setups) drew praise for feedback and grip, but also comments on rigidity, soft sidewalls at high speed and fast wear. A 225/35R18 fitted on an 8.5-inch rim (a stretched fit) gave good warm grip.
- Commuter saloons such as the BMW 520d and Mondeo ST estate reported short life of roughly 10,000 miles, while a small number of sporty cars (Focus ST, Octavia VRS) divided opinion, with the Focus ST owner finding grip limits too low for spirited driving.
7 published test appearances (4 in the score)
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2021 Sport Auto UHP Summer tire Test · 275/35 R19
7th of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 6th of 8 | |
| Wet Handling | 6th of 8 | |
| Wet Circle | 7th of 8 | |
| Dry Braking | 8th of 8 | |
| Dry Handling | 8th of 8 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 4th of 8 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 1st of 8 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 8th of 8 | |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | 5th of 8 | |
| Noise | 1st of 8 | |
| Price | 1st of 8 |
Source: Sport Auto
2019 Swedish Summer tire Test · 205/55 R16
13th of 13
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 13th of 13 | |
| Dry Braking | 13th of 13 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 12th of 13 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 12th of 13 | |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | 11th of 13 |
2019 Summer 53 tire Braking Shootout · 225/45 R17
37th of 45
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 34th of 45 | |
| Dry Braking | 36th of 45 |
Source: Auto Bild
2018 Test World Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17
14th of 16
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 15th of 16 | |
| Wet Handling | 6th of 16 | |
| Dry Braking | 16th of 16 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 2nd of 16 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 15th of 16 | |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | 12th of 16 | |
| Noise | 16th of 16 |
Source: Test World
2017 Auto Express Summer tire Test · 205/55 R16
10th of 11
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Express
2017 Auto Bild Summer tire Shootout · 225/50 R17
23rd of 43
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
2016 Test World Performance tire Test · 225/40 R18
8th of 13
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Test World
Reviews from our readers
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