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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife vs Nexen CP661 — Compared (May 2026)

Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.

Tire A Goodyear

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife

Premium Touring Summer tire

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
57/100
4 owner reviews
Dry
79
Wet
42
Snow
74
Comfort
71
Treadwear
85
Handling
48

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Nexen

Nexen CP661

Summer Touring tires

Nexen CP661 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
74/100
10 owner reviews
Dry
77
Wet
71
Snow
–
Comfort
76
Treadwear
80
Handling
72

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Nexen CP661 — better wet, handling and comfort. Pick the Goodyear Assurance MaxLife if treadwear matters most to you.
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Category breakdown

6 categories, side by side

Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.

Dry

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Assurance MaxLife leads by 2
A — Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
79
B — Nexen CP661
77
Why this score
SourceAssurance MaxLifeCP661
Tire Rack owners 91 –
Tyre Reviews owners 75 77
SimpleTire owners 85 –

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) CP661 leads by 29
A — Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
42
B — Nexen CP661
71
Why this score
SourceAssurance MaxLifeCP661
Tire Rack owners 85 –
Tyre Reviews owners 30 71
SimpleTire owners 80 –

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
74
B — Nexen CP661
–
Why this score
SourceAssurance MaxLifeCP661
Tire Rack owners 73 –
SimpleTire owners 80 –

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) CP661 leads by 5
A — Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
71
B — Nexen CP661
76
Why this score
SourceAssurance MaxLifeCP661
Tire Rack owners 86 –
Tyre Reviews owners 65 76
SimpleTire owners 95 –

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Assurance MaxLife leads by 5
A — Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
85
B — Nexen CP661
80
Why this score
SourceAssurance MaxLifeCP661
Tire Rack owners 87 –
Tyre Reviews owners 83 80
SimpleTire owners 90 –

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) CP661 leads by 24
A — Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
48
B — Nexen CP661
72
Why this score
SourceAssurance MaxLifeCP661
Tyre Reviews owners 48 72

Scores at a glance

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife vs Nexen CP661: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryGoodyear Assurance MaxLifeNexen CP661
Relative Score 65 75
Dry 79 77
Wet 42 71
Snow 74 –
Comfort 71 76
Treadwear 85 80
Handling 48 72

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

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Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Neutral
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Important
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

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

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Goodyear Assurance MaxLife

The Goodyear Assurance MaxLife is widely regarded as a high-longevity tire that excels in daily commuting and highway driving, though it sacrifices performance in wet conditions. While users appreciate the exceptional tread life and quiet ride, the consensus indicates significant concerns regarding traction in rain and standing water.

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and durability
  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Reliable performance for standard daily commuting

Cons

  • Poor traction and handling in wet conditions
  • Noticeable reduction in fuel efficiency compared to OEM alternatives
  • Lack of sidewall protection for rim safety

Observations

  • Tesla Model 3 owners reported significant safety concerns regarding wet-weather handling and a lack of rim protection.
  • High-mileage drivers, such as rideshare operators, report high satisfaction with noise levels and tread endurance over long distances.
Tire B Nexen CP661

The Nexen CP661 is widely regarded as a high-value budget tire that consistently exceeds expectations for daily driving and family-oriented vehicles. Users report reliable grip in both wet and dry conditions, alongside commendable tread longevity and low noise levels, making it a strong competitor against more expensive premium brands.

Pros

  • Exceptional value for money compared to premium alternatives.
  • Reliable and consistent grip in both wet and dry weather conditions.
  • Impressive tread life, with some users reporting significantly higher mileage than premium tires.
  • Low road noise levels contributing to a comfortable ride quality.

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread wear reports, with some users experiencing premature replacement intervals.
  • Performance is optimized for standard commuting rather than high-performance driving.
  • Limited availability of specific speed ratings or sizes for specialized vehicles.

Observations

  • Users driving front-wheel-drive hatchbacks noted excellent straight-line tracking and stability on motorway surfaces.
  • Owners of family-oriented vehicles ('mum buses') frequently praised the tire for providing a safe and confident driving experience in varied road conditions.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Goodyear Assurance MaxLife B · Nexen CP661
CategoryPremium Touring Summer tireSummer Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available46—
Rim diameters15″ – 20″—
Tread depth11 - 13/32″—
UTQG820 A B—
Treadwear warranty85,000 mi—
SidewallVertical Serrated Band—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear

Nexen

Winner: Nexen CP661 — better wet, handling and comfort. Pick the Goodyear Assurance MaxLife if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Nexen CP661 scores 71 vs 42 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Nexen CP661 scores 72 vs 48 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife scores 85 vs 80 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Nexen CP661 scores 76 vs 71 on comfort.

Tire A · Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
Tire B · Nexen CP661

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.

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