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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Winter vs Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 4 + 9 road tests and 2 + 61 owner reviews. How we score

Winter leads, 76–72 Narrow edge

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Dunlop Winter
Tire ADunlop

Winter

Winter

± 5

Tests 79 · 4 tests Owners 74 · 2 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 225/50 R17 (wear)

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
Tire BNexen

WinGuard Sport 2

Winter

± 5

Tests 73 · 9 tests Owners 71 · 61 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test (noise)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 73

    Dry

    Winter +3
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterWinGuard Sport 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 6 tests7571
    Reviews found online7169

    Winter: 60% × 75 + 40% × 70.9 = 73

    WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 70.8 + 40% × 69.4 = 70

  2. 79

    Wet

    Winter +4
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterWinGuard Sport 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 9 tests8173
    Reviews found online7777

    Winter: 60% × 80.9 + 40% × 76.8 = 79

    WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 73.5 + 40% × 77.4 = 75

  3. 78

    Snow

    Winter +8
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterWinGuard Sport 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 9 tests8070
    Reviews found online7470

    Winter: 60% × 79.9 + 40% × 74 = 78

    WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 69.6 = 70

  4. 73

    Comfort

    Winter +5
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinterWinGuard Sport 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 1 tests7664
    Reviews found online7271

    Winter: 40% × 75.8 + 60% × 71.9 = 73

    WinGuard Sport 2: 40% × 64.4 + 60% × 70.6 = 68

  5. 74

    Noise

    WinGuard Sport 2 +7
    81
    Why this score
    SourceWinterWinGuard Sport 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 6 tests7994
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)61

    Winter: 60% × 79.3 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 74

    WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 94.3 + 40% × 61.3 = 81

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 78

    Treadwear

    Winter +5
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterWinGuard Sport 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 2 tests8375
    Reviews found online≈ 72 (est.)71

    Winter: 60% × 82.6 + 40% × 72.3 (est.) = 78

    WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 74.8 + 40% × 71.3 = 73

    No owner ratings of treadwear for Winter. The owner half is estimated from its road-test score, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 71

    Handling (owners)

    Winter +1
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterWinGuard Sport 2
    Reviews found online7170
  8. 74

    Efficiency

    Winter +40
    34
    Why this score
    SourceWinterWinGuard Sport 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 6 tests7434
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop WinterNexen WinGuard Sport 2
Relative Score 76 72
Dry 73 70
Wet 79 75
Snow 78 70
Comfort 73 68
Noise 74 81
Treadwear 78 73
Handling (owners) 71 70
Efficiency 74 34

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
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Important
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Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

Winter

± 5

WinGuard Sport 2

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryWinterWinGuard Sport 2ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 97% #4/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test 100% #5/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #4/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Curved Aquaplaning Wet 86% #4/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test 68% #8/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 95% #6/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test 91% #7/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 87% #9/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test 90% #4/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 97% #9/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test 99% #3/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 95% #9/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test 96% #7/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 99% #6/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test 96% #7/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 97% #5/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test 92% #8/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 90% #9/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test 93% #6/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Noise Noise 98% #4/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wear Treadwear 100% #1/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 225/50 R17 79% #10/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 91% #5/12 · 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test 78% #8/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Total Cost of Ownership Cost #7/20 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test #17/20 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test – Different tests
Value Cost 76% #6/15 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 225/50 R17 97% #3/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #6/12 2026 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test #10/10 2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test R18 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Winter

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Tire B WinGuard Sport 2

Pros

  • Excellent value and affordable price point compared to premium winter tires
  • Low noise levels and high comfort, often rivaling all-season or summer tires
  • Strong grip and stability on cold dry and wet pavement

Cons

  • Subpar performance on hard-packed ice and deep snow compared to dedicated heavy-duty winter tires
  • Soft sidewalls can lead to slightly vague handling or a 'rolly' feeling in hard cornering
  • Reports of higher rolling resistance resulting in a minor drop in fuel economy
All owner themes in the WinGuard Sport 2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Winter B · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available6280
Rim diameters15″ – 21″15″ – 20″
Tread depth—11/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi
Sizes in common4040

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Winter

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2

Narrow edge: Dunlop Winter — better efficiency, snow and comfort. Pick the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Dunlop Winter scores 74 vs 34 on efficiency.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Dunlop Winter scores 78 vs 70 on snow.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 81 vs 74 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop Winter scores 73 vs 68 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop Winter
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Tire B · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
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Winter or WinGuard Sport 2?

Which is better in the wet, Winter or WinGuard Sport 2?

Dunlop Winter, 79 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter or WinGuard Sport 2?

Dunlop Winter, 73 vs 70 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter or WinGuard Sport 2?

Dunlop Winter, 78 vs 70 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Winter or WinGuard Sport 2?

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, 81 vs 74 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter or WinGuard Sport 2?

Dunlop Winter, 73 vs 68 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter or WinGuard Sport 2?

Dunlop Winter, 78 vs 73 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Winter or WinGuard Sport 2?

Dunlop Winter, 74 vs 34 on our efficiency score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology