Tests – · none yet Owners 65 · 17 reviews
Nexen WinGuard looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV vs Nexen WinGuard — 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 0 + 0 road tests and 17 + 6 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: Winterforce 2 UV 67, WinGuard 66.
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Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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65
Dry
Winterforce 2 UV +560Why this score
Source Winterforce 2 UV WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 63 (est.) Reviews found online 64 56 Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 63.6 = 65
WinGuard: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 55.8 = 60
No road tests of dry for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
No road tests of dry for WinGuard. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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70
Wet
Winterforce 2 UV +664Why this score
Source Winterforce 2 UV WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 70 62 Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 70.4 (est.) + 40% × 70.1 = 70
WinGuard: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 61.9 = 64
No road tests of wet for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
No road tests of wet for WinGuard. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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72
Snow
WinGuard +274Why this score
Source Winterforce 2 UV WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 73 76 Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 72.8 = 72
WinGuard: 60% × 72.2 (est.) + 40% × 75.7 = 74
No road tests of snow for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
No road tests of snow for WinGuard. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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61
Comfort
WinGuard +162Why this score
Source Winterforce 2 UV WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 57 59 Winterforce 2 UV: 40% × 66.3 (est.) + 60% × 57.1 = 61
WinGuard: 40% × 66.8 (est.) + 60% × 59.3 = 62
No road tests of comfort for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for WinGuard. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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61
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Winterforce 2 UV WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) – Reviews found online 54 – Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 54 = 61
No road tests of noise for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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62
Treadwear
WinGuard +365Why this score
Source Winterforce 2 UV WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 64 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 59 65 Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 63.7 (est.) + 40% × 58.6 = 62
WinGuard: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 64.8 = 65
No road tests of treadwear for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
No road tests of treadwear for WinGuard. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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–
Handling (owners)
No comparison57Why this score
Source Winterforce 2 UV WinGuard Reviews found online – 57
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone Winterforce 2 UV | Nexen WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 67 | 66 |
| Dry | 65 | 60 |
| Wet | 70 | 64 |
| Snow | 72 | 74 |
| Comfort | 61 | 62 |
| Noise | 61 | – |
| Treadwear | 62 | 65 |
| Handling (owners) | – | 57 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
67
/ 100
Winterforce 2 UV
66
/ 100
WinGuard
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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.
| Discipline | Category | Winterforce 2 UV | WinGuard | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #8/8 2022 Consumer Reports Winter/Snow Truck/SUV Tires | #26/50 2013 Winter Tyre Overview - Braking | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Winterforce 2 UV
Pros
- Strong snow traction: one 4WD owner reported no slipping in 8 inches of snow, and an Explorer owner said it never needed 4x4 after 47 inches of snow in a week
- Good value for the money: reviewers repeatedly describe it as a great winter tire for the price, and one calls it the best balance of price and longevity
- Good wet-weather performance reported by some, including no hydroplaning on puddles and 'great all around' traction
Cons
- Increased road noise is mentioned by some reviewers, attributed to the aggressive winter tread, though others describe noise as very low
- Reduced wet-weather starting traction: one reviewer reports wheelspin when pulling away from a red light in the rain
- Fast wear if used in warm weather: one reviewer who ran them in summer notes this is not recommended and that they wear quickly
Tire B WinGuard
Pros
- Strong traction and handling in snow-covered conditions
- Noticeable improvement in grip over summer tires in cold weather
- Confidence-inspiring braking performance on mountain passes
Cons
- Mediocre performance on ice
- Poor dry-weather handling when temperatures exceed 10°C
- Occasional difficulty with uphill starts in deep snow
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Firestone Winterforce 2 UV | B · Nexen WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 30 | — |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 18″ | — |
| Tread depth | 12/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
67
/ 100
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV
66
/ 100
Nexen WinGuard
Too close to call: Firestone Winterforce 2 UV and Nexen WinGuard are within 2 points overall. Firestone Winterforce 2 UV is stronger on wet and dry. Nexen WinGuard is stronger on treadwear. Firestone Winterforce 2 UV rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 17 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Nexen WinGuard rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV scores 70 vs 64 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV scores 65 vs 60 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Nexen WinGuard scores 65 vs 62 on treadwear.
Tire A · Firestone Winterforce 2 UV
Tire B · Nexen WinGuard
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Winterforce 2 UV or WinGuard?
Which is better in the wet, Winterforce 2 UV or WinGuard?
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV, 70 vs 64 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winterforce 2 UV or WinGuard?
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV, 65 vs 60 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Winterforce 2 UV or WinGuard?
Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 74 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Winterforce 2 UV or WinGuard?
Neither, by our numbers: 61 vs 62 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, Winterforce 2 UV or WinGuard?
Nexen WinGuard, 65 vs 62 on our treadwear 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