When comparing Nexen vs. Cooper Tires, which brand can provide tires that complete your driving requirements?
Cooper Tires are recognized for their durable and long-lasting qualities. Meanwhile, Nexen focuses on quality mid-range tires at affordable prices.
Here is a table based on our tire review to show how the two brands compare.
| Nexen | Cooper Tires | |
| Performance | Cooper Tires has better tire performance on dry, wet, and snow roads | |
| Tire Variety | Nexen has more tire options. | |
| Comfort | Both brands have similar comfort levels | |
| Durability | Cooper has better durability due to their consistent UTQG rating | |
| Tread Life | Cooper offers warranty coverage for all of their tires | |
To better grasp how the two tires perform, our comprehensive comparison review for Cooper vs. Nexen Tires is below.
Table of Contents
Overview
1. Cooper Tires
Established in 1914, Cooper is one of the oldest US tire manufacturers. The company became the official supplier of tires for the AI Grand Prix, Formula One, FIA World Rallycross Championship, and various prestigious races across the globe.
2. Nexen Tires
Nexen Tires is a Korean-based tire manufacturer established in 1942 as the Heung-a Tire Industry. The company saw a massive development during the 80s when they made their Yangsan factory. This tire brand has expanded its reach with plants built in Europe and research facilities in the US.
Differences
1. Performance
You can determine the overall performance of the two brands by checking their all-season tire lines, such as the CS5 Grand Touring and Nexen Classe Premiere CP671.
- Wet
Cooper’s tires sport unique features like the Coupled Silica compound mold for better traction in wet conditions. They also have excellent hydroplaning resistance from the lateral grooves.
Although not as good as Cooper, Nexen tires also have decent wet performance thanks to their tread’s deep grooves, which prevent hydroplaning and allow for better contact with the road.
- Dry
Cooper is again the winner on dry roads – its products are implemented with large tread blocks, allowing for improved handling, lateral traction, and shorter braking distance.
Meanwhile, Nexen has noticeably inferior dry traction and steering response despite its decent cornering and stable driving.
- Snow
Another highlight of Cooper tires is the 3D Micro-Gauge Sipes that give you a reliable grip on frozen roads.
In contrast, Nexen all-season tires don’t do well on ice roads, so you’ll have to opt for winter-specific ones, such as the Nexen Winguard Sport 2. However, these tires have somewhat disappointing wet handling.
2. Tire Variety
Cooper Tires only has a total of 21 different product lines available. On the other hand, Nexen Tires has around 23 tires for passenger cars alone. Note that we are not counting Nexen’s SUV and performance tires.
Based on the number of tire families, Nexen easily wins this category.
3. Durability
A good measure of both brands’ overall durability is their average UTQG rating, which measures a tire’s treadwear, traction, and temperature.
In this category, Nexen is only averaging around 300AB to 560AB. The highest-rated tire is the Nexen Roadian AT II with a 560AB, an all-terrain tire for light trucks.
On the other hand, Cooper has a much better UTQG average – 260AA to 780AB. Furthermore, Cooper has multiple tires with 600AA ratings, such as the Adventure H/T, CS5 Ultra Touring, and Discoverer CTS.
For this category, Cooper is the clear winner.
4. Ride Comfort
To see how the comfort levels of both brands compare, we look at their grand touring all-season line: the Nexen Classe Premiere CP671 and Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring.
To cut a long story short, both the Nexen and Cooper tires can achieve a comfortable ride. So we’d say that it’s a tie in this category:
- The tire from Nexen comes with lateral grooves and straight center rib blocks, resulting in a quiet and comfortable ride, even at high speeds.
- Implemented with Stabiledge Performance, Cooper tires are incredibly stable, regardless of speed.
5. Tread Life
The tread life of both brands is usually determined by the tread wear warranty for their tires. If going by just mileage warranty alone, both Nexen and Cooper offer coverage of up to 70,000–80,000 miles.
However, Cooper has the advantage here due to their consistent mileage coverage. A lot of Nexen’s tires, such as their Roadian and Winguard series, do not have coverage. On the other hand, almost every Cooper tire family is backed by a warranty.
6. Tire Price
Cooper Tires has an average price of $110 to $200 in most tire dealerships for passenger vehicle tires.
On the other hand, Nexen tires for passenger cars can cost about $90 to $210.
7. Pros and Cons
Nexen Tires
- Extensive tire selection with 23 product lines for passenger cars
- Competitive pricing for passenger cars
- Extensive warranty coverage of 80,000 miles for Aria AH7
- Poor all-season tire performance
- Low average UTQG rating compared to Coopers
Cooper Tires
- Up to 80,000 miles warranty coverage
- Better UTQG of 780AA rating
- Better performance on dry, wet, and snow roads
- A limited selection of 21 tires
Which Tire is Better?
Based on their performance, UTQG rating, and tread life, Cooper is the better choice. The US company shows why it ranks among the largest tire manufacturers in the world.
Are Nexen tires good as a runner-up brand? The tire manufacturer still offers extensive warranty coverage for specific products. In addition, the comfort factor of their tires is at par with Cooper.
Below are three notable tires from both brands:
Cooper Tires Lines
- Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring: This tire is known for its advanced tread compound, providing exceptional traction on wet and dry roads. The Wear Square visual indicator makes it easy to gauge tread life.
- Cooper Discoverer AT3: Designed for off-road adventures, this tire features a durable tread pattern that can tackle mud, rocks, and gravel. It also offers a quiet and comfortable ride on highways.
- Cooper Zeon RS3-G1: This high-performance tire is optimized for excellent grip and handling. Its 3D siping technology enhances stability, allowing drivers to navigate turns confidently.
Nexen Tires Lines
- Nexen N’Fera SU1: Tailored for high-speed driving, this tire offers superb cornering capabilities thanks to its specialized tread pattern. The enhanced rubber compound also provides longer tread life.
- Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8: This all-terrain tire is designed for both on-road and off-road usage. It features a zig-zag sipe design and an open outside shoulder for improved traction.
- Nexen Classe Premiere CP671: Focused on providing a stable and comfortable ride, this tire features a central rib and large shoulder blocks for better cornering.
Conclusion
The winner in the comparison between Nexen vs. Cooper tires is the latter. The US manufacturer offers better overall performance than the Korean brand. Cooper also has consistently better durability and tread life than its competitor.
That said, Nexen still has the edge over tire variety and is equal in comfort.
