Dunlop, founded by one of the area’s pioneers, John Boyd Dunlop, in 1888, no longer needs introduction. It is nothing less than one of the oldest tire brands in the world! In comparison, Nexen is much younger. Founded in 1942, this South Korean manufacturer produces some of the most recognized tires for their quality, just like Dunlop. Blackcircles Canada, your online tire specialist, gives you all the details you need to know about these two tire giants, then compares them in this Nexen vs. Dunlop match, so you can make the most informed choice for your next tires!
Nexen, a young but ambitious manufacturer, offers an incredible choice of tires.
Nexen: when virtue doesn’t wait for years to offer high-tech tires!
It is not because you are relatively young and new in an industry sector that you can’t be among the best. This is currently being proven by Nexen, a tire manufacturer from South Korea. In fact, Nexen has quickly become one of the best tire designers and producers in the world, thanks to an unparalleled focus on research and development. And this has paid off, as Nexen, through its technologies, has been the recipient of four prestigious awards over the last ten years (2011: IF Design Award, 2012: Dot Design Award, 2013: G-Mark Award, 2014: IDEA Award).
A wide selection of tires covering ALL needs for all vehicles.
As a manufacturer with cutting edge know-how, Nexen does not rank as a specialist focusing on a particular niche. On the contrary: they strive to offer their innovations to a maximum of driver profiles, via an impressive range of tires (no less than 46 different references on blackcircles.ca at the time of writing!). This wide choice of models allows Nexen to offer as many specialized tires, such as the Nexen Roadian AT PRO RA8, designed for off-road performance, as it does more general purpose tires, such as the NEXEN NFERA SU1, used by Hyundai for its Veloster and Kona. Nexen also offers formidable winter tires such as the NEXEN Winguard Winspike WH62, which are studdable for better traction on frozen roads and provide stable roadholding and ride.
So, with the countless options offered by Nexen in Canada, you’re sure to find THE Nexen tire that will give you shorter braking distances, optimized rolling resistance for less fuel consumption, and extraordinary durability (NEXEN ARIA AH7: 125,000 km warranty!) while benefiting from low rolling noise.
Dunlop: a veteran offering less choice, but the highest quality products!
One of the oldest companies, with accomplishments that wrote the history of the industry.
Although the Dunlop factory did not open until 1889, the manufacturer’s unofficial beginnings began slightly earlier and in a rather original way. For example, in 1888, John Boyd Dunlop, seeing that his son was having difficulty operating his tricycle, decided to glue strips made of rubber and blow air underneath them. Inflatable tires as we know them were born! His invention was taken up again in 1889 by the cyclist Willie Hume, who won several sporting events. And this was only the beginning, since the manufacturer would soon enjoy enormous success, this time in motorsports (1923: first victory at the Grand Prix, 1924: first victory at 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1937: tenth victory at Le Mans). Dunlop thus became a legend for its incredible know-how.
But just because you’re one of the oldest tire manufacturers doesn’t mean you’ve lost all your vigor. Quite the contrary: 132 years after its birth, Dunlop has never been so technologically prolific. Hydro-Pad, Evaqua Grooves, Active Traction Sipe System: you can count on the best performance in terms of grip, when cornering, accelerating and braking!
A choice that remains vast in Canada, but primarily oriented towards sports vehicles.
With such a sporty pedigree, it would have been surprising if Dunlop hadn’t offered a line of tires primarily oriented towards sportiness on blackcircles.ca. And so it’s only logical that the majority of the options offered by the manufacturer are designed for performance cars, with, first and foremost, the extraordinary Dunlop Signature HP, an all-season tire for sedans and sports coupes with unparalleled handling and grip, all for an attractive longevity for this type of tire (75,000 km treadwear warranty). The number of references for this type of tire is just as impressive at Dunlop, including the SP Sport 5000, SP Sport 7000 A/S, Sport Maxx RT, SP Sport 01 Dsst ROF, SP Winter Sport 4D, and the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D, which are designed for sporty winter use.
With its expertise in winter tires for high performance cars, it was only natural for Dunlop to use this it for more general purpose tires, such as the Winter INTER Maxx SJ8, whose extraordinary low temperature tread compound flexibility results in amazing traction on snow-covered roads, or the WINTER Maxx 2, which offers incredible snow and cornering stability, while extremely reducing aquaplaning risks. In addition to this type of tire, the manufacturer offers an all-season tire, the SIGNATURE II, which offers impressive versatility, since it can be mounted on a sports coupe or a minivan!
Finally, the last tire worthy of mention is the Dunlop Enasave which, thanks to a tread designed to offer low rolling resistance, allows you to optimize your vehicle’s energy-efficient performance in an impressive way.
Conclusion: Nexen for choice and quality, Dunlop for ultimate performance.
All in all, Nexen and Dunlop currently occupy very special positions in terms of the number of models available and the content of their product lines on the blackcircles Canada website. Indeed, Nexen wants to be a manufacturer offering state-of-the-art technologies at an excellent price-quality ratio for all conductor profiles, with 46 models on our site. Dunlop, for its part, is more focused on offering luxury and performance vehicles, both in 4-season and winter tires, hence the fact that they offer only 35 models on our website. However, Dunlop does offer an extremely versatile model, the SIGNATURE II, which can be safely fitted to any type of vehicle, as well as “green” tires, the Dunlop Enasave.
So it all depends on what you are looking for in terms of tires: for high quality tires at a very competitive price-performance ratio, Nexen will be your best option. If, on the other hand, you own a high-end and/or high-performance vehicle and want the best for it, then you should look to Dunlop. Either way, pick up your Nexen or Dunlop tires online at blackcircles Canada, where you’re sure to find the tires you want at the best prices in the country!
