Tests 78 · 7 tests Owners 74 · 50 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (wet handling)
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 vs Nexen WinGuard SUV — 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 7 + 0 road tests and 50 + 5 owner reviews. How we score
Winter i*cept RS2 is ahead, 76–66
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Tests – · none yet Owners 64 · 5 reviews
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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74
Dry
Winter i*cept RS2 +866Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 WinGuard SUV Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests 75 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 72 65 Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 75.2 + 40% × 72.4 = 74
WinGuard SUV: 60% × 66.7 (est.) + 40% × 64.8 = 66
No road tests of dry for WinGuard SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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85
Wet
Winter i*cept RS2 +1768Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 WinGuard SUV Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests 90 ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 79 67 Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 89.8 + 40% × 78.5 = 85
WinGuard SUV: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 66.6 = 68
No road tests of wet for WinGuard SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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77
Snow
Winter i*cept RS2 +1067Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 WinGuard SUV Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests 81 ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 71 64 Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 80.6 + 40% × 71.4 = 77
WinGuard SUV: 60% × 68.3 (est.) + 40% × 64.1 = 67
No road tests of snow for WinGuard SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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71
Comfort
Winter i*cept RS2 +962Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 WinGuard SUV Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 75 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 68 58 Winter i*cept RS2: 40% × 75.2 + 60% × 67.7 = 71
WinGuard SUV: 40% × 67.1 (est.) + 60% × 58.1 = 62
No road tests of comfort for WinGuard SUV. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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60
Noise
WinGuard SUV +666Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 WinGuard SUV Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests 56 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online ≈ 67 (est.) 66 Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 56.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 60
WinGuard SUV: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 65.8 = 66
No owner ratings of noise for Winter i*cept RS2. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
No road tests of noise for WinGuard SUV. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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75
Treadwear
Winter i*cept RS2 +1065Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 WinGuard SUV Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 74 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 76 64 Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 74.5 + 40% × 75.8 = 75
WinGuard SUV: 60% × 65.5 (est.) + 40% × 64.4 = 65
No road tests of treadwear for WinGuard SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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74
Handling (owners)
Winter i*cept RS2 +1757Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 WinGuard SUV Reviews found online 74 57 -
42
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Winter i*cept RS2 WinGuard SUV Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests 42 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 | Nexen WinGuard SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 76 | 66 |
| Dry | 74 | 66 |
| Wet | 85 | 68 |
| Snow | 77 | 67 |
| Comfort | 71 | 62 |
| Noise | 60 | 66 |
| Treadwear | 75 | 65 |
| Handling (owners) | 74 | 57 |
| Efficiency | 42 | – |
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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not 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
76
/ 100
Winter i*cept RS2
66
/ 100
WinGuard SUV
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 | Winter i*cept RS2 | WinGuard SUV | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #3/49 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview | #9/9 2014 Autobild SUV / 4x4 Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Winter i*cept RS2
Pros
- Exceptional grip and handling on wet and dry roads
- Impressive resistance to aquaplaning in heavy rain or standing water
- Strong value for money with a competitive price point
Cons
- Higher than average road noise, especially at highway speeds
- Firm, stiff sidewalls leading to a less comfortable or harsh ride
- Subpar performance and unpredictable grip on ice and black ice
Tire B WinGuard SUV
Pros
- Exceptional grip and traction in hard winter conditions, snow, and ice
- Confident handling and performance when towing heavy loads up steep hills
- Quiet and comfortable ride quality on the road
Cons
- Limited long-term mileage data available from reviewers, as many users drive low annual miles
- Availability in certain niche tire sizes may be limited
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 | B · Nexen WinGuard SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | 37 | 25 |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 17″ | 15″ – 19″ |
| Tread depth | — | 13/32″ |
| Treadwear warranty | — | 30,000 mi |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 1 | 1 |
Which one should you actually buy?
76
/ 100
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
66
/ 100
Nexen WinGuard SUV
Winner: Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — better wet, handling and snow. Pick the Nexen WinGuard SUV if noise matters most to you. Nexen WinGuard SUV rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 5 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 85 vs 68 on wet.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 74 vs 57 on handling.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 77 vs 67 on snow.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 75 vs 65 on treadwear.
Tire A · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Tire B · Nexen WinGuard SUV
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Winter i*cept RS2 or WinGuard SUV?
Which is better in the wet, Winter i*cept RS2 or WinGuard SUV?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 85 vs 68 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winter i*cept RS2 or WinGuard SUV?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 74 vs 66 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Winter i*cept RS2 or WinGuard SUV?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 77 vs 67 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, Winter i*cept RS2 or WinGuard SUV?
Nexen WinGuard SUV, 66 vs 60 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Winter i*cept RS2 or WinGuard SUV?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 71 vs 62 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Winter i*cept RS2 or WinGuard SUV?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 75 vs 65 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