Nankang Sportnex CR S vs Yokohama Advan A052
Across two shared, independent tests (AutoBild Track Day 2026 and Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track 2025), a consistent theme appears. The A052 repeatedly looks like the wet-weather ace-quicker and shorter-stopping in the wet with a clear margin-while the CR-S tends to be the more complete “track day tool,” especially once you care about repeatability, long-run pace and overall scoring. If you're choosing between them, the real question becomes: do you prioritize wet confidence and subjective feel, or do you want a steadier tyre over a full session?
Test Results
Independent comparison tyre tests are the best source of data to get tyre information from, and the good news is there have been two tests which compare both tyres directly!
| Tyre | Test Wins | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Nankang Sportnex CR S | two |
While it might look like the Nankang Sportnex CR S is better than the Yokohama Advan A052 purely based on the higher number of test wins, tyres are very complicated objects which means where one tyre is better than the other can be more important in real world use.
Let's look at how the two tyres compare across multiple tyre test categories.
Key Strengths
- Stronger dry braking in both shared tests (30.7 m vs 30.98 m; 28.9 m vs 29.2 m), suggesting more consistent decel capability in the dry
- Better long-run pace/consistency in both tests (157.42 s vs 158.98 s; 100.57 s vs 100.88 s), aligning with track-day session use rather than single-lap hero runs
- Well-rounded balance reported by AutoBild with no major weaknesses and comparatively low pick-up, helping keep the tread surface cleaner over time
- Durability indicators are strong (Tire Rack wear notes among best in test), supporting value for frequent track users
- Best-in-pair wet braking and wet handling in both tests with clear margins (e.g., 47.2 m vs 50.1 m wet braking; 31.15 s vs 33.01 s wet handling)
- More favorable subjective ratings in Tire Rack for both dry handling (8.75 vs 8.25) and wet handling (7.25 vs 6.5), reflecting driver confidence and “feel”
- Wet stability and ABS compatibility highlighted by AutoBild, making hard braking in the wet more predictable
- Composed road manners for the category (firm but controlled ride, moderate noise), making it easier to live with for dual-use road/track drivers
Dry Braking
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Nankang Sportnex CR S was better during two dry braking tests. On average the Nankang Sportnex CR S stopped the vehicle in 0.96% less distance than the Yokohama Advan A052.
Best In Dry Braking: Nankang Sportnex CR S
See how the Dry Braking winner was calculated >>
Dry Handling [s]
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Nankang Sportnex CR S and Yokohama Advan A052 performed equally well in dry handling [s] tests.
Best In Dry Handling [s]: Both tyres performed equally well
See how the Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Dry Handling Long Run [s]
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Nankang Sportnex CR S was better during two dry handling long run [s] tests. On average the Nankang Sportnex CR S was on average 0.72% faster than the Yokohama Advan A052.
Best In Dry Handling Long Run [s]: Nankang Sportnex CR S
See how the Dry Handling Long Run winner was calculated >>
Subj. Dry Handling
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Yokohama Advan A052 was better during one subj. dry handling tests. On average the Yokohama Advan A052 scored 5.71% more points than the Nankang Sportnex CR S.
Best In Subj. Dry Handling: Yokohama Advan A052
See how the Subj. Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Yokohama Advan A052 was better during two wet braking tests. On average the Yokohama Advan A052 stopped the vehicle in 5.03% less distance than the Nankang Sportnex CR S.
Best In Wet Braking: Yokohama Advan A052
See how the Wet Braking winner was calculated >>
Wet Handling [s]
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Yokohama Advan A052 was better during two wet handling [s] tests. On average the Yokohama Advan A052 was 3.99% faster around a wet lap than the Nankang Sportnex CR S.
Best In Wet Handling [s]: Yokohama Advan A052
See how the Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Subj. Wet Handling
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Yokohama Advan A052 was better during one subj. wet handling tests. On average the Yokohama Advan A052 scored 10.34% more points than the Nankang Sportnex CR S.
Best In Subj. Wet Handling: Yokohama Advan A052
See how the Subj. Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Subj. Comfort
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Nankang Sportnex CR S and Yokohama Advan A052 performed equally well in subj. comfort tests.
Best In Subj. Comfort: Both tyres performed equally well
See how the Subj. Comfort winner was calculated >>
Subj. Noise
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Nankang Sportnex CR S and Yokohama Advan A052 performed equally well in subj. noise tests.
Best In Subj. Noise: Both tyres performed equally well
See how the Subj. Noise winner was calculated >>
Real World Driver Reviews
Tyre Reviews also collects real world driver reviews for the Nankang Sportnex CR S and Yokohama Advan A052.
In total the Nankang Sportnex CR S has been reviewed 1 times and drivers have given the tyre 64% overall.
The Yokohama Advan A052 has been reviewed 14 times and drivers have given the tyre 82% overall.
This means in real world driving, people prefer the Yokohama Advan A052.
Conclusion
In the wet, the Yokohama Advan A052 is the clear performance leader in this pairing, winning wet braking and wet handling in both tests with meaningful gaps (e.g., AutoBild wet braking 47.2 m vs 50.1 m; wet handling 129.17 s vs 133.96 s; Tire Rack wet handling 31.15 s vs 33.01 s). Testers repeatedly attribute this to its very soft compound and strong wet/ABS synergy, giving it a stable, predictable hard-braking character on wet surfaces and high ultimate wet pace-though with caveats around hydroplaning sensitivity and, in AutoBild's long-run dry work, faster degradation/pick-up.
Practical takeaway: if your track days include real rain risk, road drives home in bad weather, or you want wet performance as a priority, the A052 is the safer bet on pace and stopping. If your priority is repeatable lap times across a session, consistent dry braking, and a more “all-round” trackday tyre that tends to score better overall, the CR-S is the smarter choice-especially for drivers who value durability and long-run stability over having the wet benchmark.
Key Differences
- Wet performance is the biggest separator: A052 wins wet braking and wet handling in both tests by ~4-6% (and several seconds on-track), making it the rain-favored option
- Long-run dry performance favors the CR-S: it beats the A052 on sustained-lap metrics in both tests, matching reports of the A052 degrading/picking up more when pushed over multiple laps
- Dry braking advantage consistently goes to the CR-S (small but repeatable margins), while the A052 is noted as feeling slightly spongy in AutoBild dry braking with more ABS activity
- Single-lap/handling results are mixed: A052 wins AutoBild dry handling by 0.51%, but CR-S wins Tire Rack dry handling by 0.77%-suggesting setup/track sensitivity rather than a universal winner
- Subjective feel leans Yokohama: Tire Rack ratings favor the A052 in both dry and wet handling, whereas the CR-S is often described as fast but less communicative/less confidence-inspiring at the limit
- Use-case orientation differs: CR-S behaves like the more session-resilient, value-leaning trackday tyre; A052 behaves like the wet-pace specialist that can trade away some long-run robustness in hot/dry conditions due to its very soft compound
Overall Winner: Yokohama Advan A052
Based on the tyre test data and user reviews we have in our database, the Yokohama Advan A052 has demonstrated better overall performance in this comparison. However, as you can see from the spider diagram above, each tyre has its own strengths which should be considered in your final tyre buying choice.Similar Comparisons
Looking for more tyre comparisons? Here are other direct comparisons involving these tyres:
Nankang Sportnex CR S Top Comparisons
No other comparisons available for this tyre.
Yokohama Advan A052 Top Comparisons
No other comparisons available for this tyre.
Footnote
This page has been developed using tyre industry testing best practices. This means we are only comparing tests which have had both tyres in the same test.
Why is this important? Tyre testing is heavily affected by things like surface grip levels and surface temperature, which means you can only compare values from the same day. During a tyre test external condition changes are calculated into the overall results, but it is not possible to calculate this between tyre tests performed on different days or at different locations.
As a result you will see other tests on Tyre Reviews which feature both the %s and %s, but as they weren't conducted on the same day, the results are not comparable.
Lots of other websites do this sort of tyre comparison, Tyre Reviews doesn't.
Discussion
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