Kumho Solus TA51+ vs Nexen Primus AS T1
- TR Score
- 8.2/10
- Owners say
- -
- TR Score
- 4.9/10
- Owners say
- -
In the 2 independent tests that ran both tires, the Kumho Solus TA51+ finished ahead 2 times and the Primus AS T1 not once. The Solus TA51+ stopped 10.8% shorter in the wet.
Data updated
Which should you buy?
Choose the Kumho Solus TA51+ if you want the best all-round touring tire with clearly better wet safety and stronger overall test results. Consider the Nexen Primus AS T1 mainly if upfront cost and low weight are your top priorities and you drive mostly in dry, low-demand conditions-its wet braking shortfall is significant enough that it's hard to recommend as a default family all-season choice.
Where the Solus TA51+ is stronger
- Dry 5/6 Stopped 1.3% shorter in the dry (2 tests)
- Wet 2/2 Stopped 10.8% shorter in the wet (2 tests)
Where the Primus AS T1 is stronger
- Keen value proposition in context (noted as one of the cheapest options in the all-season test)
- Low weight (9.59 kg in the comfort test), beneficial for efficiency/unsprung mass
- Generally decent subjective comfort and tidy, predictable dry manners at normal speeds
The measured tallies (wins out of measurements in the shared tests) come straight from the tables below. The written verdict and bullet points are analysis of those tests and of owner reviews; where they and the figures disagree, the figures are right.
Solus TA51+ vs Primus AS T1 at a glance
| Category | Solus TA51+ | Gap | Primus AS T1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared tests won2 shared tests | 2 | 0 | |
| Dry6 measurements | 5 | The Solus TA51+ stopped 1.3% shorter in the dry (2 tests) | 1 |
| Wet2 measurements | 2 | The Solus TA51+ stopped 10.8% shorter in the wet (2 tests) | 0 |
| Comfort5 measurements | 2 | Level between the two. | 2 |
| Tire Reviews Scoreevery test and review we hold | 8.2/10 | The Solus TA51+ by 3.3 | 4.9/10 |
Wins count every measurement the shared tests recorded for both tires; a tick marks the tire ahead on that line. Subjective driver scores count as wins but are never averaged, because each test uses its own scale.
Head to head in 2 tests in 2026
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | Solus TA51+ | Field | Primus AS T1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is Expensive Better? 2026 AutoView Korean All-Season Tire Test | P5 of 9 | P9 of 9 | |
| 2026 AutoView Mid-Range Comfort Tire Test | P1 of 5 | P2 of 5 |
Performance profile
5 measurements from the 2 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Solus TA51+
Primus AS T1
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 97%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 3 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
Solus TA51+
Primus AS T1
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tires posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Open a discipline for its measurements, and a measurement for every test's figure.
| Measurement | Solus TA51+ | Gap | Primus AS T1 | Wins | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 137 | 1.3% | 139 | 2-0 | |||||||||
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| 44.2 | 1.5% | 43.6 | 1-0 | |||||||||
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| scored | 4.5% | scored | 1-1 | |||||||||
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| 45.7 | 3.4% | 44.2 | 1-0 | |||||||||
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| 111 | 10.8% | 124 | 2-0 | |||||||||
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| scored | 0.5% | scored | 1-1 | |||||||||
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| scored | = | scored | 0-0 | |||||||||
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| 55.89 | 0.3 dB | 56.13 | 1-1 | |||||||||
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Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tires shared. "Scored" rows are subjective driver ratings: each test uses its own scale, so only the wins are counted.
Scores beyond the shared tests
On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Solus TA51+ scores 8.2 and the Primus AS T1 4.9 out of 10.
| Solus TA51+ | Category | Primus AS T1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | Dry | 42 | ||
| 51 | Wet | 13 | ||
| 50 | Comfort | 51 | ||
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Sizes, EU label and lineage
| Category | Solus TA51+ | Primus AS T1 |
|---|---|---|
| Season | All Season | All Season |
Reading the results
Written from the test results and owner reviews above. It is analysis, not a measurement: where it and the tables disagree, the tables are right.
Kumho's Solus TA51+ and Nexen's Primus AS T1 sit in the same mainstream touring, all-season space for passenger cars, so the real question isn't whether they're “good enough” day-to-day-it's where the compromises fall when you push them in braking, wet safety, and high-speed stability. With two AutoView head-to-head tests (in different sizes and test briefs), we can see a consistent performance pattern rather than a one-off result.
Across both comparisons, the TA51+ comes through as the more complete tire: it repeatedly stops shorter (especially in the wet) and tends to carry more grip at the limit. The Primus AS T1 counters with a strong value angle (notably low weight and keen pricing) and decent subjective manners, but its wet braking deficit is large enough to dominate the buying decision for many drivers.
Conclusion
The clearest separator is wet braking. In AutoView's all-season test, the Kumho stops in 35.386 m versus Nexen's 38.38 m (about 3.0 m longer). In the mid-range comfort test, the gap is even bigger: 32.19 m versus 37.35 m (over 5 m longer). That's not a marginal difference-it's the kind of stopping-distance penalty that can meaningfully change outcomes in real rain-soaked emergency braking, and it aligns with the testers' comments about the Nexen struggling to hold a clean line as speeds rise.
Beyond wet safety, the Kumho also trends ahead dynamically: better dry braking in both tests (40.813 m vs 41.356 m; 42.88 m vs 43.42 m) and higher dry limit grip where measured (dry circle speed 73.53 km/h vs 71.11 km/h; dry handling 71.16 km/h vs 70.14 km/h). Comfort and noise are more mixed: Nexen edges comfort in the all-season test (6.5 vs 6.2) and is fractionally quieter there (52.362 dB vs 52.471 dB), but Kumho leads in the comfort-focused test (8.1 vs 7.8) and is quieter (59.3 dB vs 59.9 dB). Put simply: the TA51+ is the safer, more rounded touring choice, while the Primus AS T1 is a “value and lightness” play that asks you to accept a serious wet-braking compromise.
Practical takeaway: if you drive in frequent rain, carry family passengers, or value predictable control at motorway speeds, the Kumho Solus TA51+ is the confident pick. The Nexen Primus AS T1 only makes sense if your priorities strongly favor low purchase price/low weight and your driving conditions are predominantly dry and conservative-while fully acknowledging the wet-stop deficit.
Solus TA51+ vs Primus AS T1: your questions
Is the Kumho Solus TA51+ or the Nexen Primus AS T1 the better tire?
In the 2 independent tests that ran both tires, the Kumho Solus TA51+ finished ahead 2 times and the Primus AS T1 not once. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Solus TA51+ scores 8.2 and the Primus AS T1 4.9 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Solus TA51+ or the Primus AS T1?
The Solus TA51+ led 2 of the 2 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 10.8% shorter in the wet across 2 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The Solus TA51+ led 5 of the 6 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 1.3% shorter in the dry across 2 tests.
Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.
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