Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 Tire Review and Rating

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Nexen Roadian HTX RH5

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Pros

  • On and off-road performance
  • Plenty of grip on dry and wet roads
  • Marvelous aquaplaning resistance
  • Comfortable with low noise

Cons

  • Only usable in light snow conditions
  • Limited off-roading capabilities

In recent years, tire manufacturers heard the owners’ need to combine a touring and an off-road tire. To be fair, this won’t mean that you’ll get the best touring and off-road performance in one package. Despite that, manufacturers like Nexen are trying to improve these kinds of products.

The Roadian HTX RH5 is one of those products. A touring tire with off-roading capabilities designed for SUV or light truck owners. Nexen is known for making some good tires, so let’s see if this one follows the trend.

What are the features of the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5?

Looking at the features, Nexen doesn’t make some bold claims about razor-sharp handling or any kind of sporty properties. Instead, the company focused on creating a long-lasting and comfortable touring tire that can be driven off-road.

Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 Tire Review

The tread pattern with the zig-zag design is made so that the tire has improved traction, which should help in accelerating and braking. It should also help a lot in snow conditions because the tire can dig in, and the blocks with find traction.

In addition to that, the sipes and grooves are designed specifically for this tire to help with off-road driving. The idea behind this is to enable the tire to have self-cleaning properties and extract the mud from the grooves. It will help keep the tread clean and provide maximum traction at all times.

Speaking of grooves, one of the many tasks is water extraction. Like most touring tires, it has 4 circumferential grooves and plenty of sipes designed to improve traction on wet roads.

In terms of driving performance, Nexen made the shoulder ribs of the Roadian HTX RH5 wider than usual. The result of this should be improved handling without compromise in terms of noise, thanks to the last feature.

The center and shoulder ribs of the Roadian HTX RH5 are multi-sequenced, which has two goals – to reduce tire noise and improve tire longevity.

How does it behave on dry tarmac?

As a touring tire, the Roadian HTX RH5 has decent performance on dry tarmac. Nexen’s improvements and technology helped it have plenty of on-road properties.

The grip levels in the corners are good enough and won’t start sliding all over the place at any speed. You should be aware that the tire isn’t designed to be pushed hard, so the grip and traction in those cases are not very spectacular.

On the driving side of things, responsiveness and feedback are not something that the Roadian HTX RH5 will win any trophies. It takes inputs and will follow your commands, and that’s all you’re going to get out of this tire.

How does it behave over wet and slippery roads?

Wet performance is a bit better story, and the Roadian HTX RH5 seems to be doing pretty good in those conditions. In some cases, I felt like the tire has a bit more grip in the corners when compared with the performance on dry roads.

Traction is also excellent, which means that the tread pattern is doing its job and gets your car moving. With decently short braking distances, the Roadian HTX RH5 is a very safe tire in less-than-ideal conditions.

The grooves and sipes offer their combined power to move water away from the blocks and produce an excellent aquaplaning resistance. It keeps the tire stable and planted even at higher speeds.

How is it over snow?

If you look at the Roadian HTX RH5 as an all-season touring tire, the performance is good enough. When you consider that it’s an off-road tire, I would have expected a bit better snow performance.

In lighter conditions, the tire is fine. It can find traction thanks to the zig-zag pattern and get you moving. The cornering grip is also pretty good and will keep things safe and stable. Unfortunately, harsher snow conditions are not ideal for this tire as it will struggle even to find enough grip to get you moving.

Is it comfortable and refined?

Yes, the Roadian HTX RH5 is comfortable and quiet despite being classified as an off-road tire. These kinds of tires are mostly comfortable due to the higher and softer sidewall. They are plagued by noise as the tread isn’t designed for low noise.

In this class, you probably won’t find many other tires as comfortable as the Roadian HTX RH5. The tire absorbs every imperfection, and even bigger potholes won’t be an issue. Part of the shock will be dampened by the tire, and the rest will be taken care of by the suspension.

Noise levels are surprisingly low. On the one hand, you have a touring tire, which should have terrific refinement, but you also have an off-road capable tire that is almost always loud. In this case, the Roadian HTX RH5 took the touring road, and Nexen successfully made it quiet.

Is it good for off-roading?

Nexen managed to decently combine on and off-road performance, meaning that the Roadian HTX RH5 is good enough for off-roading. When I say good enough, I mean that it’s better than any other all-season touring tire but far from a dedicated off-road one.

In various non-extreme conditions, the tire performs well and has plenty of grip. Traction also isn’t an issue, even in muddy situations. The tire will start to dig in until it finds traction and then it gets going.

Once the conditions start to get a bit more extreme, the Roadian HTX RH5 will struggle. Deeper mud patches should be avoided, just as rock-crawling.

Is the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 ideal for sporty driving?

The Roadian HTX RH5 isn’t very good at sporty driving, and you shouldn’t expect it to be. The tire is made to be comfortable and long-lasting on and off-road.

Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 Warranty

As a cheaper alternative to the premium models, you will be surprised by Nexen’s warranty. Since the tire comes with several speed ratings, the warranty isn’t the same on all of them.

The Roadian HTX RH5 comes with either a 40,000-mile treadwear warranty or with 65,000-mile, depending on which model you choose.

Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 Pricing: Is it worth the money?

If you consider that you are getting a touring and an off-roading tire combined into one, the Roadian HTX RH5 is worth it. The price starts from around $110, which isn’t too bad for a tire of this category.

You won’t get the absolute best performance from both sides, but an excellent combination to satisfy most people’s needs.

Should I buy the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5?

You should buy the Roadian HTX RH5, but only under certain conditions. This is a tire that is aimed at SUV or light truck owners that occasionally do some off-roading. With that aside, the Roadian HTX RH5 is still an all-season touring tire that performs decently on the road.

The dry roads shouldn’t be a problem if you keep your driving civilized. Nexen worked on the rubber compound and tread design to offer plenty of grip and traction. In the corners, the tire will keep you planted and will remain stable at higher speeds. You shouldn’t look for any kind of driving dynamics because there are none. It is not the fastest responding tire in the world, and the feedback through the steering wheel is very faint.

The Roadian HTX RH5 is slightly better at keeping things under control in rainy conditions, thanks to the somewhat better grip levels. You still won’t be able to go racing with it, but it will grip very well. Traction is also superb, which is the result of the tread design. The best thing about it is the aquaplaning resistance and the fact that the tire doesn’t flinch in heavy rain.

Snow performance seems to be the weakest segment of this tire because the performance is like most all-season tires. In lighter conditions, the tire will be drivable, but deeper snow will cause a problem.

Since it’s an off-road tire, I have to mention this as well. Don’t expect it to be good in every off-roading scenario. You can drive it over gravel, mud, or some rocky terrain. Once the conditions start to worsen up, you will notice the lack of performance.

Comfort and noise levels are superb, something that I wasn’t expecting, at least in the noise department. The Roadian HTX RH5 offers a very comfortable ride with no sudden shocks or vibrations. Noise levels are significantly lower even though the tire is also designed for off-roading.

For the price, Nexen managed to put in quite a long warranty. This was another surprise when you consider that this is a tire designed for off-roading. With up to a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty, the tire is on the edge of the warranty length of premium tire manufacturers.

I cannot fault this tire. Nexen managed to combine on and off-road performance into one tire without too many compromises. If you’re a light truck or an SUV owner that does occasional off-roading, the Roadian HTX RH5 could be the right tire for you.

What Vehicles Will the Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 Fit?

  • Chevrolet Silverado, Tahoe, Avalanche, S10, Suburban, K2500,
  • Colorado, Blazer
  • Dodge Ram, Durango, Dakota
  • Ford Expedition, Escape, Ranger, Bronco, F-150, Excursion, Explorer
  • GMC Yukon, Sierra, Canyon
  • Honda Element, CR-V
  • Hummer H3, H2
  • Isuzu Trooper
  • Jeep Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Liberty
  • Land Rover Discovery
  • Lexus GX470
  • Mazda B4000
  • Mercury Mountaineer
  • Mitsubishi Montero
  • Nissan Titan, Xterra, Frontier, Armada, Pathfinder
  • Toyota Tacoma, Tundra, FJ Cruiser, Sequoia, 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Highlander

Since I won’t be able to outline every SUV and light truck in existence, I’ve made a sample list of cars that the Roadian HTX RH5 can be fitted to.

Tire Sizes for Nexen Roadian HTX RH5

15″

  • 225/70R15
  • 235/70R15
  • LT 255/70R15
  • 265/70R15
  • 235/75R15
  • LT 31X10.50R15

16″

  • 235/65R16
  • 255/65R16
  • 225/70R16
  • 235/70R16
  • 245/70R16
  • 255/70R16
  • 265/70R16
  • 275/70R16
  • LT 225/75R16
  • 225/75R16 XL
  • 235/75R16
  • LT 245/75R16
  • 245/75R16
  • LT 265/75R16
  • 265/75R16
  • LT 215/85R16
  • LT 235/85R16

17″

  • 225/65R17
  • 235/65R17
  • 245/65R17
  • 255/65R17
  • 265/65R17
  • 275/65R17
  • 285/65R17
  • 235/70R17 XL
  • 245/70R17
  • 255/70R17
  • LT 265/70R17
  • 265/70R17
  • LT 245/75R17
  • LT 235/80R17

18″

  • 225/60R18
  • 235/60R18
  • 245/60R18
  • 265/60R18
  • 275/60R18
  • 285/60R18
  • 235/65R18
  • 255/65R18
  • 265/65R18
  • 275/65R18
  • 255/70R18
  • 265/70R18

19″

  • 245/55R19
  • 255/60R19

20″

  • 265/50R20
  • 275/55R20
  • 275/60R20

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