Here’s what I think about Nankang NS-25 tires after spending a week driving a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu with these on all four corners.

If you’ve tuned into my blog anytime within this week, you’ll know that I had the chance to drive a newer Chevrolet Malibu around for a week and I took note of what tires this Malibu had, they were a set of Nankang NS-25 All-Season UHP.

Scroll through the three photos below!

After a week of rigorous highway and city driving with these tires, often with a full load and all our luggage, I can confidently say that the Nankang NS-25 is a surprisingly adept tire for the price and performed well past my expectations.

If you didn’t tell me, I would’ve guessed these were more expensive tires than they really were.

Specs

If you didn’t already know, while a majority of Nankang tires are made in Taiwan, Nankang does have at least one Chinese factory.

These NS-25’s, however, were made in Taiwan

Here’s Nankang’s description of the NS-25

As the photos show above, this Chevrolet Malibu was equipped with 225/55/17, a fairly standard sized tire for today’s larger mid-sized sedan.

This particular set of NS-25’s has atTreadwear rating of 500, Traction A and Temperature A, all in line with this tire’s mission as a value-packed tire that promises not to disappoint when pushed.

Ample grip

As mentioned, I took these NS-25’s through the wringer. Since the Chevrolet Malibu had one of those newer Ecotec Turbo engine’s, speed picked up quickly and I had fun exploiting the Malibu’s quick, off the line nature.

I may or may not have touched 100 MPH at one point overtaking a truck but only because I didn’t realize the speed building up so quickly as turbo engines stifle engine noises.

At highway speeds and making maneuvers in Bay Area traffic, in warm weather, these tires had all the grip someone driving a Malibu needs. There was a curvy bit of road on I-152 between Gilroy and San Jose that most who commute that area know.

Anyway, in our Toyota Corolla, it’s sticking in the left lane for me as, well, it’s a Corolla. This Malibu with these Nankangs however, I felt confident bombing down I-152 with these NS-25’s showing no sign of losing traction or getting squirrelly on me.

Around town, even when I gave this Malibu the beans and with all that torque down low,  I could not get these tires to squeal. Just like the highway, I had all the grip around town.

Quiet

For an all-season UHP, I did not hear any tire noise at speed or when making maneuvers. It could be that modern cars are so well isolated from outside noises, but tire noise you hear and feel, at least, through your steering wheel.

Firm yet forgiving sidewalls

For being 55 series tires, I didn’t detect any tire flex when driving around. Going over bumps, these tires soaked up the worst that the Bay Area offered.

Final Thoughts

Since these tires were only tested in late-spring, I can’t speak on how well they do in the rain. I encountered a light sprinkle but not enough to really form an opinion on these tires rain performance.

Looking at the tread pattern, I’m sure they evacuate normal amounts of water on the road just fine.

SimpleTire.com has these exact tires at $71 apiece, which is an absolute steal for what you’re getting.

If you’re on the fence on these tires, at that price, it’s an easy decision.

I recommend Nankang NS-25’s to anyone, no reservations.

Have you tried NS-25s or bought a set? Let me know your thoughts on these tires in the comments below!