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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Winter Craft WP51 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 3 + 9 road tests and 15 + 61 owner reviews. How we score

WinGuard Sport 2 is ahead, 72–67

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Kumho Winter Craft WP51
Tire AKumho

Winter Craft WP51

Winter

± 8

Tests 65 · 3 tests Owners 69 · 15 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 11 in 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test (noise)

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. 62

    Dry

    WinGuard Sport 2 +8
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51WinGuard Sport 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 6 tests6171
    Reviews found online6469

    Winter Craft WP51: 60% × 60.7 + 40% × 64.1 = 62

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

  2. 68

    Wet

    WinGuard Sport 2 +7
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51WinGuard Sport 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 9 tests6673
    Reviews found online7077

    Winter Craft WP51: 60% × 66.4 + 40% × 69.9 = 68

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

  3. 70

    Snow

    Level
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51WinGuard Sport 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 9 tests6770
    Reviews found online7470

    Winter Craft WP51: 60% × 66.7 + 40% × 74.1 = 70

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

  4. 70

    Comfort

    Winter Craft WP51 +2
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51WinGuard Sport 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 69 (est.)64
    Reviews found online7071

    Winter Craft WP51: 40% × 68.9 (est.) + 60% × 70.1 = 70

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

    No road tests of comfort for Winter Craft WP51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 69

    Noise

    WinGuard Sport 2 +12
    81
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51WinGuard Sport 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 6 tests7194
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)61

    Winter Craft WP51: 60% × 70.9 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 69

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

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter Craft WP51. 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. 67

    Treadwear

    WinGuard Sport 2 +6
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51WinGuard Sport 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 67 (est.)75
    Reviews found online6871

    Winter Craft WP51: 60% × 67 (est.) + 40% × 67.9 = 67

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

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter Craft WP51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 66

    Handling (owners)

    WinGuard Sport 2 +4
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51WinGuard Sport 2
    Reviews found online6670
  8. 55

    Efficiency

    Winter Craft WP51 +21
    34
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51WinGuard Sport 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 6 tests5534
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Winter Craft WP51Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
Relative Score 67 72
Dry 62 70
Wet 68 75
Snow 70 70
Comfort 70 68
Noise 69 81
Treadwear 67 73
Handling (owners) 66 70
Efficiency 55 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 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
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Important
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Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Not important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Winter Craft WP51

± 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.

DisciplineCategoryWinter Craft WP51WinGuard Sport 2ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 91% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 100% #5/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 97% #10/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 91% #7/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 91% #7/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 85% #32/49 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview 90% #4/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 90% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 99% #3/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 92% #29/35 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview 96% #7/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 97% #5/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 96% #7/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 89% #8/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 92% #8/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Noise Noise 100% #1/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 78% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 78% #8/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 92% #2/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #16/16 2021 ADAC Winter Tire Test R15 #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 Craft WP51

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and reliability in deep snow and slush
  • High price-to-performance ratio compared to premium brands
  • Solid durability and tread life for the price point

Cons

  • Noticeable increase in road noise
  • Mediocre wet-weather braking and traction
  • Lack of steering feedback and stability on dry pavement
All owner themes in the Winter Craft WP51 review

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 · Kumho Winter Craft WP51 B · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available480
Rim diameters13″ – 15″15″ – 20″
Tread depth—11/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi
Sizes in common00

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Winter Craft WP51

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2

Winner: Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 — better noise, dry and wet. Pick the Kumho Winter Craft WP51 if efficiency matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 55 vs 34 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 81 vs 69 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 70 vs 62 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 75 vs 68 on wet.

Tire A · Kumho Winter Craft WP51
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Tire B · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
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Winter Craft WP51 or WinGuard Sport 2?

Which is better in the wet, Winter Craft WP51 or WinGuard Sport 2?

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, 75 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Craft WP51 or WinGuard Sport 2?

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, 70 vs 62 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter Craft WP51 or WinGuard Sport 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 70 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Winter Craft WP51 or WinGuard Sport 2?

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, 81 vs 69 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter Craft WP51 or WinGuard Sport 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 68 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Winter Craft WP51 or WinGuard Sport 2?

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, 73 vs 67 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Winter Craft WP51 or WinGuard Sport 2?

Kumho Winter Craft WP51, 55 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