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Nexen WinGuard looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Crugen HT51 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 2 + 0 road tests and 164 + 6 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Crugen HT51 and WinGuard are level at 64.

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Kumho Crugen HT51
Tire AKumho

Crugen HT51

All Season

± 9

Tests 55 · 2 tests Owners 75 · 164 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 9 in 2024 Tire Rack Highway All Season Tyre Test (dry circle)

Nexen WinGuard
Tire BNexen

WinGuard

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 64 · 6 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 65

    Dry

    Crugen HT51 +5
    60
    Why this score
    SourceCrugen HT51WinGuard
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests58≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online7656

    Crugen HT51: 60% × 58.2 + 40% × 75.8 = 65

    WinGuard: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 55.8 = 60

    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).

  2. 67

    Wet

    Crugen HT51 +3
    64
    Why this score
    SourceCrugen HT51WinGuard
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests60≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7862

    Crugen HT51: 60% × 59.5 + 40% × 78 = 67

    WinGuard: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 61.9 = 64

    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).

  3. 49

    Snow

    WinGuard +25
    74
    Why this score
    SourceCrugen HT51WinGuard
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests36≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7076

    Crugen HT51: 60% × 35.7 + 40% × 69.5 = 49

    WinGuard: 60% × 72.2 (est.) + 40% × 75.7 = 74

    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).

  4. 70

    Comfort

    Crugen HT51 +8
    62
    Why this score
    SourceCrugen HT51WinGuard
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7059

    Crugen HT51: 40% × 69 (est.) + 60% × 70.4 = 70

    WinGuard: 40% × 66.8 (est.) + 60% × 59.3 = 62

    No road tests of comfort for Crugen HT51. 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).

  5. 72

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceCrugen HT51WinGuard
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)–
    Reviews found online79–

    Crugen HT51: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 79.1 = 72

    No road tests of noise for Crugen HT51. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 66

    Treadwear

    Crugen HT51 +1
    65
    Why this score
    SourceCrugen HT51WinGuard
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests58≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7665

    Crugen HT51: 60% × 58.4 + 40% × 76.4 = 66

    WinGuard: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 64.8 = 65

    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).

  7. 74

    Handling (owners)

    Crugen HT51 +17
    57
    Why this score
    SourceCrugen HT51WinGuard
    Reviews found online7457
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Crugen HT51Nexen WinGuard
Relative Score 64 64
Dry 65 60
Wet 67 64
Snow 49 74
Comfort 70 62
Noise 72 –
Treadwear 66 65
Handling (owners) 74 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
Neutral
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
Recomputed
Headline score
± 9

Crugen HT51

± 8

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.

DisciplineCategoryCrugen HT51WinGuardΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #9/30 2026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Snow Test #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 Crugen HT51

Pros

  • Exceptional value and lower price point compared to premium competitors
  • Smooth, quiet, and comfortable highway ride
  • Strong dry, wet, and winter/snow traction

Cons

  • Slightly vague or 'squishy' steering feel/sidewall stiffness compared to some OEM tires
  • Potential negative impact on fuel economy (decreased MPG for some truck owners)
  • Occasional reports of accelerated shoulder wear or balancing issues
All owner themes in the Crugen HT51 review

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
All owner themes in the WinGuard review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Crugen HT51 B · Nexen WinGuard
CategoryAll SeasonWinter
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available44—
Rim diameters15″ – 22″—
Tread depth12.5/32″—
UTQG720 A A—
Treadwear warranty70,000 mi—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Crugen HT51

Nexen WinGuard

Too close to call: Kumho Crugen HT51 and Nexen WinGuard are within 2 points overall. Kumho Crugen HT51 is stronger on handling, comfort and dry. Nexen WinGuard is stronger on snow. Nexen WinGuard rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Nexen WinGuard scores 74 vs 49 on snow.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Crugen HT51 scores 74 vs 57 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Crugen HT51 scores 70 vs 62 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho Crugen HT51 scores 65 vs 60 on dry.

Tire A · Kumho Crugen HT51
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Nexen WinGuard
Check price on Amazon

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Crugen HT51 or WinGuard?

Which is better in the wet, Crugen HT51 or WinGuard?

Kumho Crugen HT51, 67 vs 64 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Crugen HT51 or WinGuard?

Kumho Crugen HT51, 65 vs 60 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Crugen HT51 or WinGuard?

Nexen WinGuard, 74 vs 49 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Crugen HT51 or WinGuard?

Kumho Crugen HT51, 70 vs 62 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Crugen HT51 or WinGuard?

Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 65 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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