Nankang Noble Sport NS20 review
The Nankang Noble Sport NS20 is a polarizing budget-tier tire that receives highly inconsistent feedback, often depending on the driver's expectations and vehicle application. While many users praise its exceptional value, comfort, and dry-road performance for daily commuting, a significant portion of owners report dangerous handling characteristics, particularly regarding wet-weather grip and persistent understeer.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
By owner reviews
66%By road tests
62.8%What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 37 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.
The Nankang Noble Sport NS20 is a polarizing budget-tier tire that receives highly inconsistent feedback, often depending on the driver's expectations and vehicle application. While many users praise its exceptional value, comfort, and dry-road performance for daily commuting, a significant portion of owners report dangerous handling characteristics, particularly regarding wet-weather grip and persistent understeer.
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio compared to premium brands
- Generally quiet and comfortable ride quality
- Satisfactory dry-weather grip for daily driving
- Good longevity for some users under moderate driving conditions
Cons
- Poor wet-weather traction and high risk of hydroplaning
- Pronounced understeer and vague steering feedback
- Inconsistent quality control, with reports of out-of-round tires and belt failure
- Performance degradation as tread depth decreases
Worth knowing
- Users with performance-oriented vehicles (e.g., Jaguar XK8, Audi A3) frequently report a lack of confidence and safety concerns during spirited driving.
- Owners of luxury sedans (e.g., BMW 7 Series) often report a significant improvement in ride comfort compared to stiff OE run-flat tires.
- Drivers of smaller, lighter vehicles noted that the tire's soft sidewalls can lead to imprecise steering response and excessive understeer.
5 published test appearances
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch tire Test · 265/35 R19
10th of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 10th of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 10th of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 10th of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 10th of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 9th of 10 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 10 | |
| Noise | 5th of 10 | |
| Price | 1st of 10 |
2020 Auto Zeitung Summer tire Test · 225/50 R17
19th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 20th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 15th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 12th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 20th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 20th of 20 | |
| Straight Aqua | 5th of 20 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 20th of 20 | |
| Subj. Comfort | 14th of 20 | |
| Subj. Wet Handling | 16th of 20 | |
| Noise | 19th of 20 | |
| Price | 7th of 20 |
2018 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer tire Test · 245/35 R19
6th of 6
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 6th of 6 | |
| Wet Handling | 6th of 6 | |
| Dry Braking | 6th of 6 | |
| Dry Handling | 6th of 6 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 6th of 6 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 6 | |
| Noise | 3rd of 6 | |
| Price | 1st of 6 |
2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day tire Test · 245/35 R19
9th of 9
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 5th of 9 | |
| Wet Handling | 1st of 9 | |
| Dry Braking | 9th of 9 | |
| Dry Handling | 9th of 9 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 8th of 9 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 9 | |
| Noise | 2nd of 9 | |
| Price | 1st of 9 |
2018 Auto Bild 20 inch UHP tire Test · 245/30 R20
8th of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 8th of 8 | |
| Wet Handling | 8th of 8 | |
| Dry Braking | 8th of 8 | |
| Dry Handling | 8th of 8 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 6th of 8 | |
| Straight Aqua | 1st of 8 | |
| Noise | 2nd of 8 |