Nitto Neo Gen Review & Rating for 2024: aging design still delivers sporting performance

When Nitto released the Neo Gen more than ten years ago, it quickly became the darling of the tuning scene, and it’s easy to see why. The non-directional tread design was unique back then and no other tire had this feature. But in terms of outright handling and all-weather performance, the Neo Gen really felt short compared to other competitors like the Bridgestone Potenza and Goodyear Eagle F1.

This is probably the reason why Nitto came up with Motivo, which is essentially the successor to Neo Gen in the all-season ultra-high-performance category. The Motivo not only has a higher 500 UTQG rating than Neo Gen’s paltry 280, but it’s a better all-rounder in terms of all-season grip, comfort, noise, and treadwear. When talking about the UTQG rating, a higher number means lower wear. And as you can see, the Motivo’s wear rating is almost double as the Neo Gen.

Nitto Neo Gen Review: Test Drive

Our Honda Accord is a smooth operator, and that’s what we like about all Accords. The steering is not as direct or sporty, but the way it behaves on the road is commendable. And we’re saying this despite the stiffer lowered suspension in our ride. Luckily for us, the car had adjustable coilover suspension for street driving, and we were able to dial-in the most comfortable damper setting during our test runs.

Of course, we couldn’t resist choosing the stiffest damper setting on high-speed and cornering tests. But we found ourselves loving the softest setting since the stiffer springs compensated for the softer damping.

Dry Traction

Our test vehicle is not a speed demon and we didn’t expect it to handle like a go-kart. But with lowered suspension and Nitto Neo Gen tires, the handling felt stable and secure while braking felt strong. The steering was a bit numb, but it improves significantly as you pile on the speed. We were able to play with the car on empty backroads and traction remained consistent even with our ham-fisted driving manners.

But there are limits to what the tires can do, and this remained evident as we consistently pushed the vehicle to one corner after another. As the tires heated up, we assume it began to overheat a little as the rear of the vehicle began to step out when attacking a winding right-hand turn. We had to apply tons of corrective steering lock to get the vehicle back in shape, which is tricky if you’re a novice driver. Summing it up, Nitto’s Neo Gen is good for speedy driving, but it’s not the best tire if you want to exploit the handling prowess of your high-powered sports car.

Wet Traction

A large majority of our test drive was over sunny and bone-dry roads. It rained a little in the afternoon and were able to briefly drive over wet highways. At low or average speeds, the Neo Gen tires were commendable. But as soon as you step hard on the pedal, the tires began squirming and hunting for grip. It takes a keen driver to notice, but with two passengers and some cargo in the trunk, we felt the lack of wet grip over high-speed cornering in the wet.

Snow Traction

We never tested the tires on snowy roads, but the owner had a story to tell. He drove the car to Michigan last year and there’s some mild snowfall. The tires felt secure until the roads were covered with more than two inches of snow. At that point, he needed to slow down a little since the tires began sliding over the snow and ice-covered surface. But this happened when the tires were new.

During our test run, the Nitto Neo Gen tires on our test vehicle had approximately 7/32” of tread left, which is still acceptable for normal street driving. But in the snow, we’re not so sure. If you need a tire to handle deeper snow in colder weather, Nitto’s Neo Gen is not for you.

Comfort

Comfort is not the strongest trait of Nitto Neo Gen, but we find it comfortable enough over long drives. Most of this has something to do with the Accord’s fine road manners, but things are different when driving over neglected city roads. With stiffer springs and lower-profile rubber, we had to steer clear of minor road irregularities to avoid the jarring sensation inside the cabin. But over smooth highway roads, the ride was comfortable enough to keep us feeling fresh despite the long and arduous drive.

Noise

We’re pretty sure Nitto did its best to apply some touring DNA into Neo Gen, and it worked for quite a while. But with the presence of better and more refined tires like Nitto’s very own Motivo, the Neo Gen felt lacking in this regard, especially as the treads wear out. It’s not as annoying when you’re in the city, but high-speed highway runs will definitely induce more tire roar.

Treadwear

Again, the Nitto Motivo is doubly better in this regard. The Neo Gen tires in our test vehicle were more than a year old, and the treads were beginning to significantly show signs of wear. But in the newer Nitto Motivo, the touring DNA shines through as it tends to last longer than Neo Gen.