The Nankang AS1 is a touring summer tire with favorable owner reports of tread life, dry grip and low purchase cost. Its independent test record is weak, especially for wet braking, handling and aquaplaning resistance.
The quick answer
Owners say69%from 19 owner reviews67% would buy againRead the reviews
Strengths & weaknessesComfort, ValueWetRelative to its rivals across every test we hold
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated November 2025.
Across the 2 wet-braking tests it has featured in, the Nankang AS1 stops 18.7% longer than premium rivals, 14.3% longer than mid-range rivals and 17.5% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews wet score of 17/100, and owners rate it 6.1/10 in the wet from 19 reviews.
How good is the Nankang AS1 in the dry?
Across the 2 dry-braking tests it has featured in, the Nankang AS1 stops 5.5% longer than premium rivals, 3.2% longer than mid-range rivals and 4.8% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews dry score of 21/100, and owners rate it 7.8/10 in the dry from 19 reviews.
How fuel efficient is the Nankang AS1?
Across the 2 tests measuring rolling resistance, the Nankang AS1's rolling resistance is 7.9% higher than premium rivals, 5.2% higher than mid-range rivals and 9.3% higher than budget rivals.
What do owners say about the Nankang AS1?
Across 19 owner ratings the Nankang AS1 averages 69%. Owners rate Dry Grip highest at 7.8 out of 10 and Wet Grip lowest at 6.1. 7 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 67% of owners score it 70% or better.
How comfortable and quiet are the Nankang AS1?
Owners rate the Nankang AS1 6.9 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 18 reviews.
More questions about the Nankang AS1(4)
How well do the Nankang AS1 wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Nankang AS1 7.1 out of 10 for wear across 18 reviews. 7 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 6,000 miles.
Would owners buy the Nankang AS1 again?
67% of owners say they would buy the Nankang AS1 again, based on the 18 owner reviews that answered the question. 44% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Nankang AS1's wet grip?
Of the 18 owner reviews analyzed for the Nankang AS1, 10 mention wet grip: 3 praise it (confident wet grip) and 7 criticise it (weak wet grip). One owner wrote: "awful on wet roads would go as far as dangerous , no grip just pulling out of junctions in the wet". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Nankang AS1's tread life?
Of the 18 owner reviews analyzed for the Nankang AS1, 9 mention tread life: 8 praise it (long-lasting) and 1 criticise it (wears quickly). One owner wrote: "I am stunned at how well they have lasted". Read those reviews
Owners of the Nankang AS1 most often praise its tread life, dry grip and value for money, with 12 of 18 written reviews positive overall. The average score is 69.2%, and accounts from owners using the tire through its life generally support the favorable wear comments. Wet grip is the main reservation, criticised in around two in five reviews, sometimes with reports of sliding or wheelspin during ordinary road use. Three reviews praise wet grip, so experience is not uniform, but the balance of comments is negative. Noise is divided almost evenly, with four favorable comments and three complaints, rather than a clear strength or weakness.
What owners mention most counted across 18 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 19 ratings
Owner score69%
Dry Grip78%
Wear71%
Comfort69%
Road Feedback68%
Handling63%
Wet Grip61%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 89%
“Installed on an always fully laden LWB VW T6 Transporter with lowered uprated suspension. I am stunned at how well they have lasted and only one puncture and that was a nail, the van is driven off road onsite during the...”
“Fitted to the rear of an S-Class. Ok in the dry, but noisy. In the wet, outright dangerous, next to no grip. Snap overseer. Wore out in little over a month, compared to six normally for a premium tire with equivalent...”
“I used 6 sets of Nankang As1 on high motorway mileage company car Peugeot 3008hdi. Oe set was Continental that lasted 25k, replaced by Michelin that also lasted 25k. All four corners wore at same rate without swapping...”
I used 6 sets of Nankang As1 on high motorway mileage company car Peugeot 3008hdi. Oe set was Continental that lasted 25k, replaced by Michelin that also lasted 25k. All four corners wore at same rate without swapping fronts to rears. Continental were a hard & noisy ride but handled OK. Michelin quieter, softer & handled better.
Thereafter I used 6 sets of Nankang As1 at half the price and all 6 sets did 25k, no punctures, no balance or irregular wear issues. No brainier, fitted 3 sets Nankang As1 to my own private car over last 5 years, typically last 25 to 30 k. Driven safely and sensibly according to conditions they are as good as premium brands at half the cost.
Installed on an always fully laden LWB VW T6 Transporter with lowered uprated suspension.
I am stunned at how well they have lasted and only one puncture and that was a nail, the van is driven off road onsite during the day. I use these rims and tires between March and October and then switch to winter rims and tires.
Only slight weakness is during torrential rain, but that probably says more about me than the tires; I will certainly buy again shortly.
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
At £87 a corner instead of £185 ish for PS5s it was well worth a shot. Can’t really complain for the price as well. The only thing I will say is the confidence is just not as pronounced as top tier tires. If you’re driving in strong spirits, specially in a FWD car, you will find the limit much more easily.
But in this economy. Saving near £400 and adapting your driving style is just a no brainer. When I can afford to get PS5s again I will. But it’s just too tight and these work fine.
Pros though. Great on economy and long runs. Wear quite well and road noise is excellent.
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Very good in the dry but awful on wet roads would go as far as dangerous , no grip just pulling out of junctions in the wet , wear is good but would never buy again
Fitted to the rear of an S-Class. Ok in the dry, but noisy.
In the wet, outright dangerous, next to no grip. Snap overseer.
Wore out in little over a month, compared to six normally for a premium tire with equivalent driving.
Avoid!
Fitted to front axle of S8 and so far used only in dry warm or damp warm conditions but reasonably impressed. S8's handling dynamics are very stable and safe to start with and have not had to test braking distances yet but overall good experience so far with comfort, noise levels and handling.
We use the AS1 as a designated tire for the Citroen c1 race series, yes you heard correctly , a c1!!
They are put through 24 hr races and I can only say I'm amazed at the grip in both wet and dry conditions, I was always a bit of a brand snob but now will be using nankangs on all my road cars as well!
Didn't really notice road noise but grip and wear rate is fantastic!
Bought four of these tryes and had wheel and car vibration at 60 mph.
Went back the where I bought the tires from and they rebalanced the front wheels and it was still no good.
I then after a few weeks of getting my cars suspension checked out all of which were good.
I then went to our local Honda dealer and they checked the tires again and they found that two tires were out of round and not balancedable.
In effect no good at all.
Won't by them or recommend them to anyone'...
I drive a classic mini and normally run Yoko A539's but was urgently in need of two tires to get through a MOT. With budget in mind, I tentatively purchased two AS1's @ £31 a tire delivered (a little over the cost of 1 Yoko), result! Now I normally drive quite spiritedly ;-) but was initially cautious with these tires. My first outing was on a 200+ mile club run along many B roads. Starting out, I soon realised these tires were a lot more capable than I thought. In fact, I would say they are equally as good as the Yoko's. Road feedback is good, there's a little sliding around corners (when I'm really harsh) but it adds to the fun and they've never let go. Wet driving requires a little more attention but none less than the Yoko's ever needed. I'm no longer a brand snob and I am no a brand advocate for the AS1's in a 13". Will buy again! :-)
90%
Member
Volkswagen
175/50 R13
Track
Spirited
excellent tire, handeling on dry, and on wet. Most off time used on track. descending fast, but it's worth it. maybe if drive nat so aggressively, then tire life time, will be longer.
two tire sets of driven, and buy again
