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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho WinterCraft WP72 vs Nexen WinGuard — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

WinterCraft WP72 leads, 69–65 Narrow edge

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Tire AKumho

WinterCraft WP72

Winter

Tests – · none yet Owners 69 · 28 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 2 in 2025 AutoView Winter Tire Test R19 (overall ranking)

Tire BNexen

WinGuard

Winter

Tests – · none yet Owners 63 · 6 reviews

Best test result: #34 of 42 in 2012 Auto Bild 42 Winter Tyre Braking Test (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 65

    Dry

    WinterCraft WP72 +6
    59
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72WinGuard
    Reviews found online6354
  2. 73

    Wet

    WinterCraft WP72 +9
    64
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72WinGuard
    Reviews found online7462
  3. 72

    Snow

    WinGuard +3
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72WinGuard
    Reviews found online7478
  4. 68

    Comfort

    WinterCraft WP72 +3
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72WinGuard
    Reviews found online6661
  5. 66

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72WinGuard
    Reviews found online65–
  6. 69

    Treadwear

    WinterCraft WP72 +4
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72WinGuard
    Reviews found online7165
  7. 65

    Handling

    WinterCraft WP72 +8
    57
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72WinGuard
    Reviews found online6557
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho WinterCraft WP72Nexen WinGuard
Relative Score 69 65
Dry 65 59
Wet 73 64
Snow 72 75
Comfort 68 65
Noise 66 –
Treadwear 69 65
Handling 65 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 and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Less important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

WinterCraft WP72

WinGuard

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinterCraft WP72WinGuardΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 50% #2/2 · 2025 AutoView Winter Tire Test R19 3% #34/42 · 2012 Auto Bild 42 Winter Tyre Braking Test +47.1 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A WinterCraft WP72

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in snow, slush, and deep snow conditions
  • Great value and budget-friendly pricing compared to tier-one premium brands
  • Surprisingly low noise levels and high comfort for a winter tire

Cons

  • Some users reported vague high-speed handling or a 'jelly' sidewall feel at speeds over 50-60 mph
  • A few mentions of increased noise compared to standard all-season tires
  • Potential for flat-spotting due to nylon cord construction, making balancing difficult for some
All owner themes in the WinterCraft WP72 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 WinterCraft WP72 B · Nexen WinGuard
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available25—
Rim diameters18″ – 21″—
Tread depth11/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho WinterCraft WP72

Nexen WinGuard

Winner: Kumho WinterCraft WP72 — better wet, handling and dry. Pick the Nexen WinGuard if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 73 vs 64 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 65 vs 57 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 65 vs 59 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 69 vs 65 on treadwear.

Tire A · Kumho WinterCraft WP72
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Nexen WinGuard
Check price on Amazon

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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.

69

Narrow edge

WinterCraft WP72

Amazon