Tests 75 · 16 tests Owners 74 · 22 reviews
Best test result: #8 of 56 in 2022 Winter Tyre Market Overview (wet braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Winter i cept evo3 vs Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Winter i cept evo3 leads, 74–72 Narrow edge
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Tests 73 · 9 tests Owners 70 · 61 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test (dry handling)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
75
Dry
Winter i cept evo3 +570Why this score
Source Winter i cept evo3 WinGuard Sport 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 75 71 Reviews found online 73 68 Dry Braking (% of best) 96% 95% Dry Handling (% of best) 99% 100% -
86
Wet
Winter i cept evo3 +1274Why this score
Source Winter i cept evo3 WinGuard Sport 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 91 73 Reviews found online 78 75 Wet Braking (% of best) 93% 90% Wet Handling (% of best) 98% 96% -
78
Snow
Winter i cept evo3 +870Why this score
Source Winter i cept evo3 WinGuard Sport 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 80 71 Reviews found online 75 69 Snow Braking (% of best) 95% 94% Snow Handling (% of best) 100% 92% Snow Traction (% of best) 95% 87% -
68
Comfort
Winter i cept evo3 +167Why this score
Source Winter i cept evo3 WinGuard Sport 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 70 65 Reviews found online 64 71 -
33
Noise
WinGuard Sport 2 +5083Why this score
Source Winter i cept evo3 WinGuard Sport 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 10 97 Reviews found online – 62 -
74
Treadwear
Winter i cept evo3 +272Why this score
Source Winter i cept evo3 WinGuard Sport 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 75 74 Reviews found online 73 69 -
72
Handling
Winter i cept evo3 +468Why this score
Source Winter i cept evo3 WinGuard Sport 2 Reviews found online 72 68
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Winter i cept evo3 | Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 72 |
| Dry | 75 | 70 |
| Wet | 86 | 74 |
| Snow | 78 | 70 |
| Comfort | 68 | 67 |
| Noise | 33 | 83 |
| Treadwear | 74 | 72 |
| Handling | 72 | 68 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
74
/ 100
Winter i cept evo3
72
/ 100
WinGuard Sport 2
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Winter i cept evo3 | WinGuard Sport 2 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 96% #7/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 95% #8/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | +1.1 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% #6/11 · 2023 Sports Cars Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/10 · 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test | −1.0 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 94% #5/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 80% #10/10 · 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test | +13.9 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 93% #10/10 · 2022 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | −7.2 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 87% #4/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | 96% #2/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | −9.4 | Different tests |
| Value | Other | 79% #4/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 97% #3/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | −17.5 | Different tests |
| Wear | Other | 83% #14/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | −17.1 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 11% #9/56 · 2022 Winter Tyre Market Overview | 4% #23/48 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test | +6.8 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 95% #13/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test | 94% #22/31 · 2023 Winter Tyre Test 54 Set Braking Test | +1.3 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 100% #2/6 · 2025 High Performance Winter Tyre Test | 92% #10/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | +7.6 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 95% #5/9 · 2023 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test | 87% #10/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | +8.5 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 96% #5/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 94% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | +2.2 | Different tests |
| Subj. Comfort | Subj | 91% #13/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 93% #6/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 | −1.7 | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Total | 0% #9/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 0% #17/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 93% #8/56 · 2022 Winter Tyre Market Overview | 90% #4/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 | +2.9 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 98% #6/11 · 2023 Sports Cars Winter Tyre Test | 96% #11/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +1.8 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Winter i cept evo3
Pros
- Exceptional wet grip and outstanding aquaplaning resistance
- Outstanding snow and ice traction providing high confidence in winter storms
- Great value for money compared to Tier-1 brands like Michelin or Goodyear
Cons
- Slightly increased noise levels or humming compared to summer tires
- Mixed feedback on ride comfort, with some finding them stiffer
- Longer braking distances reported by a few users in specific conditions
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Winter i cept evo3 | B · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 86 | 80 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 22″ | 15″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10.5/32″ |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
74
/ 100
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
72
/ 100
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
Winner: Hankook Winter i cept evo3 — better wet, snow and dry. Pick the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 if noise matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 83 vs 33 on noise.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Winter i cept evo3 scores 86 vs 74 on wet.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Hankook Winter i cept evo3 scores 78 vs 70 on snow.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Winter i cept evo3 scores 75 vs 70 on dry.
Tire A · Hankook Winter i cept evo3
Tire B · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
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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.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.