Tests 73 · 9 tests Owners 70 · 61 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test (dry handling)
Head-to-head
Updated
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 vs Hankook Winter i cept evo3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Winter i cept evo3 leads, 74–72 Narrow edge
Add your size for an exact match
/R
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Tests 75 · 16 tests Owners 74 · 22 reviews
Best test result: #8 of 56 in 2022 Winter Tyre Market Overview (wet braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
70
Dry
Winter i cept evo3 +575Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Winter i cept evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 71 75 Reviews found online 68 73 Dry Braking (% of best) 95% 96% Dry Handling (% of best) 100% 99% -
74
Wet
Winter i cept evo3 +1286Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Winter i cept evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 73 91 Reviews found online 75 78 Wet Braking (% of best) 90% 93% Wet Handling (% of best) 96% 98% -
70
Snow
Winter i cept evo3 +878Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Winter i cept evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 71 80 Reviews found online 69 75 Snow Braking (% of best) 94% 95% Snow Handling (% of best) 92% 100% Snow Traction (% of best) 87% 95% -
67
Comfort
Winter i cept evo3 +168Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Winter i cept evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 65 70 Reviews found online 71 64 -
83
Noise
WinGuard Sport 2 +5033Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Winter i cept evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 97 10 Reviews found online 62 – -
72
Treadwear
Winter i cept evo3 +274Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Winter i cept evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 74 75 Reviews found online 69 73 -
68
Handling
Winter i cept evo3 +472Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Winter i cept evo3 Reviews found online 68 72
Scores at a glance
| Category | Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 | Hankook Winter i cept evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 74 |
| Dry | 70 | 75 |
| Wet | 74 | 86 |
| Snow | 70 | 78 |
| Comfort | 67 | 68 |
| Noise | 83 | 33 |
| Treadwear | 72 | 74 |
| Handling | 68 | 72 |
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.
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
72
/ 100
WinGuard Sport 2
74
/ 100
Winter i cept evo3
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 | WinGuard Sport 2 | Winter i cept evo3 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 95% #8/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | 96% #7/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | −1.1 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 100% #1/10 · 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test | 99% #6/11 · 2023 Sports Cars Winter Tyre Test | +1.0 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 80% #10/10 · 2018 Autobild UHP Winter Tyre Test | 94% #5/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | −13.9 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 100% #1/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | 93% #10/10 · 2022 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | +7.2 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 96% #2/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | 87% #4/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | +9.4 | Different tests |
| Value | Other | 97% #3/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | 79% #4/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | +17.5 | Different tests |
| Wear | Other | 100% #1/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 83% #14/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | +17.1 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 4% #23/48 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test | 11% #9/56 · 2022 Winter Tyre Market Overview | −6.8 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 94% #22/31 · 2023 Winter Tyre Test 54 Set Braking Test | 95% #13/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test | −1.3 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 92% #10/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | 100% #2/6 · 2025 High Performance Winter Tyre Test | −7.6 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 87% #10/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | 95% #5/9 · 2023 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test | −8.5 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 94% #7/11 · 2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test | 96% #5/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | −2.2 | Different tests |
| Subj. Comfort | Subj | 93% #6/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 | 91% #13/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | +1.7 | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Total | 0% #17/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | 0% #9/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 90% #4/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 | 93% #8/56 · 2022 Winter Tyre Market Overview | −2.9 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 96% #11/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 98% #6/11 · 2023 Sports Cars Winter Tyre Test | −1.8 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A 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
Tire B Winter i cept evo3
Pros
- Exceptional wet grip and outstanding aquaplaning resistance
- Outstanding snow and ice traction providing high confidence in winter storms
- Great value for money compared to Tier-1 brands like Michelin or Goodyear
Cons
- Slightly increased noise levels or humming compared to summer tires
- Mixed feedback on ride comfort, with some finding them stiffer
- Longer braking distances reported by a few users in specific conditions
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 | B · Hankook Winter i cept evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 80 | 86 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 20″ | 17″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | 10.5/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
74
/ 100
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
Winner: Hankook Winter i cept evo3 — better wet, snow and dry. Pick the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 if noise matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 83 vs 33 on noise.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Winter i cept evo3 scores 86 vs 74 on wet.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Hankook Winter i cept evo3 scores 78 vs 70 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Winter i cept evo3 scores 75 vs 70 on dry.
Tire A · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
Tire B · Hankook Winter i cept evo3
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
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.