Tests 77 · 10 tests Owners 61 · 8 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2024 ADAC 17 inch Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Kumho Winter Craft WP52 vs Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
WinGuard Sport 2 leads, 72–69 Narrow edge
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Tests 73 · 9 tests Owners 70 · 61 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (value)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
73
Dry
Winter Craft WP52 +370Why this score
Source Winter Craft WP52 WinGuard Sport 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 82 71 Reviews found online 59 68 Dry Braking (% of best) 100% 96% Dry Handling (% of best) 99% 99% -
74
Wet
Level74Why this score
Source Winter Craft WP52 WinGuard Sport 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 82 73 Reviews found online 62 75 Wet Braking (% of best) 100% 83% Wet Handling (% of best) 99% 97% -
67
Snow
WinGuard Sport 2 +370Why this score
Source Winter Craft WP52 WinGuard Sport 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 72 71 Reviews found online 61 69 Snow Braking (% of best) 96% 92% Snow Handling (% of best) 93% 98% Snow Traction (% of best) 94% 87% -
65
Comfort
WinGuard Sport 2 +267Why this score
Source Winter Craft WP52 WinGuard Sport 2 Professional tests (TWG score) – 65 Reviews found online 60 71 -
67
Noise
WinGuard Sport 2 +1683Why this score
Source Winter Craft WP52 WinGuard Sport 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 67 97 Reviews found online – 62 -
68
Treadwear
WinGuard Sport 2 +472Why this score
Source Winter Craft WP52 WinGuard Sport 2 Professional tests (TWG score) 74 74 Reviews found online 61 69 -
60
Handling
WinGuard Sport 2 +868Why this score
Source Winter Craft WP52 WinGuard Sport 2 Reviews found online 60 68
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Winter Craft WP52 | Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 69 | 72 |
| Dry | 73 | 70 |
| Wet | 74 | 74 |
| Snow | 67 | 70 |
| Comfort | 65 | 67 |
| Noise | 67 | 83 |
| Treadwear | 68 | 72 |
| Handling | 60 | 68 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
69
/ 100
Winter Craft WP52
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 Craft WP52 | WinGuard Sport 2 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 100% #1/16 · 2024 ADAC 17 inch Winter Tyre Test | 96% #12/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +3.7 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% #5/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 99% #5/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 74% #17/20 · 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 89% #8/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | −15.6 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 100% #1/15 · 2023 ADAC 17 inch Winter Tyre Test | 100% #2/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | +0.1 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 96% #3/20 · 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 94% #3/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | +1.9 | Different tests |
| Value | Other | 77% #9/20 · 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | −22.5 | Different tests |
| Wear | Other | 74% #20/20 · 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 79% #10/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | −5.2 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 11% #9/15 · 2023 ADAC 17 inch Winter Tyre Test | 11% #9/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 96% #17/20 · 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 92% #15/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +4.5 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 93% #8/11 · 2023 Sports Cars Winter Tyre Test | 98% #10/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | −5.4 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 94% #9/15 · 2023 ADAC 17 inch Winter Tyre Test | 87% #10/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | +7.5 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 92% #17/20 · 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 88% #14/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | +4.7 | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Total | 0% #16/20 · 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 0% #7/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 100% #2/55 · 2024 Winter 55 Tyre Braking Test | 83% #30/54 · 2023 Winter Tyre Test 54 Set Braking Test | +17.2 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% #4/20 · 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 97% #6/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | +1.9 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Winter Craft WP52
Pros
- Strong price-to-performance ratio
- Reliable traction on snow-covered surfaces
- Solid dry road handling and stability
Cons
- Vague steering feedback and handling feel
- Inconsistent wet-weather braking performance
- Increased road noise compared to summer tires
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 · Kumho Winter Craft WP52 | B · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 80 |
| Rim diameters | — | 15″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10.5/32″ |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
69
/ 100
Kumho Winter Craft WP52
72
/ 100
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
Winner: Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 — better noise, handling and treadwear. Pick the Kumho Winter Craft WP52 if dry matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 83 vs 67 on noise.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 68 vs 60 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 72 vs 68 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Kumho Winter Craft WP52 scores 73 vs 70 on dry.
Tire A · Kumho Winter Craft WP52
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.