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Head-to-head Updated

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 vs Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 — 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 9 + 3 road tests and 61 + 3 owner reviews. How we score

Winter I*cept Evo 4 is ahead, 80–72

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Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
Tire ANexen

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)

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4
Tire BHankook

Winter I*cept Evo 4

Winter

± 5

Tests 82 · 3 tests Owners 82 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2026 Auto Bild Allrad SUV Winter Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

Category by category

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

  1. 70

    Dry

    Winter I*cept Evo 4 +11
    81
    Why this score
    SourceWinGuard Sport 2Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 2 tests7182
    Reviews found online6981

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

    Winter I*cept Evo 4: 60% × 81.5 + 40% × 81.1 = 81

  2. 75

    Wet

    Winter I*cept Evo 4 +15
    90
    Why this score
    SourceWinGuard Sport 2Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 3 tests7394
    Reviews found online7784

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

    Winter I*cept Evo 4: 60% × 93.6 + 40% × 84 = 90

  3. 70

    Snow

    Winter I*cept Evo 4 +5
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinGuard Sport 2Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 3 tests7076
    Reviews found online70≈ 72 (est.)

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

    Winter I*cept Evo 4: 60% × 76.4 + 40% × 72.4 (est.) = 75

    No owner ratings of snow for Winter I*cept Evo 4. The owner half is estimated from its road-test score, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 68

    Comfort

    Winter I*cept Evo 4 +16
    84
    Why this score
    SourceWinGuard Sport 2Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests6490
    Reviews found online7180

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

    Winter I*cept Evo 4: 40% × 89.7 + 60% × 79.7 = 84

  5. 81

    Noise

    WinGuard Sport 2 +6
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinGuard Sport 2Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 2 tests9481
    Reviews found online61≈ 66 (est.)

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

    Winter I*cept Evo 4: 60% × 81 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 75

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter I*cept Evo 4. 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. 73

    Treadwear

    Winter I*cept Evo 4 +3
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinGuard Sport 2Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 1 tests7574
    Reviews found online7181

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

    Winter I*cept Evo 4: 60% × 73.7 + 40% × 80.6 = 76

  7. 70

    Handling (owners)

    Winter I*cept Evo 4 +12
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWinGuard Sport 2Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Reviews found online7082
  8. 34

    Efficiency

    Winter I*cept Evo 4 +38
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinGuard Sport 2Winter I*cept Evo 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 2 tests3472
Scores at a glance
CategoryNexen WinGuard Sport 2Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4
Relative Score 72 80
Dry 70 81
Wet 75 90
Snow 70 75
Comfort 68 84
Noise 81 75
Treadwear 73 76
Handling (owners) 70 82
Efficiency 34 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.

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Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

WinGuard Sport 2

± 5

Winter I*cept Evo 4

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinGuard Sport 2Winter I*cept Evo 4ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 100% #5/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 97% #4/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #5/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 100% #3/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Curved Aquaplaning Wet 68% #8/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 96% #6/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 91% #7/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 97% #10/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 90% #4/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 91% #4/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #3/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 96% #8/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 96% #7/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 99% #7/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 96% #7/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 97% #12/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 92% #8/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 97% #7/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 93% #6/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 98% #2/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 100% #2/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test 98% #8/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wear Treadwear 79% #10/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test 98% #3/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 78% #8/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 98% #4/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Value Cost 97% #3/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test 71% #10/20 · 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #10/10 2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test R18 #3/20 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test – 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
All owner themes in the WinGuard Sport 2 review

Tire B Winter I*cept Evo 4

Pros

  • Impressive ride comfort, with one reviewer rating it better than a summer Bridgestone Alenza and noting good damping of bump noise
  • Very quiet at city speeds, and in one review at all speeds including highways
  • Precise handling, steering feedback and grip, described as responsive and incredible

Cons

  • Noise reportedly increases above about 100 km/h in one review, contradicting the quiet-at-all-speeds claim in another
  • Snow and frost performance remains unverified, as reviewers have not yet tested it in those conditions
All owner themes in the Winter I*cept Evo 4 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 B · Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Sizes available8086
Rim diameters15″ – 20″17″ – 22″
Tread depth11/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—
Sizes in common3939

Which one should you actually buy?

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4

Winner: Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 — better efficiency, comfort and wet. Pick the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 scores 72 vs 34 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 scores 84 vs 68 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 scores 90 vs 75 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 scores 82 vs 70 on handling.

Tire A · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
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Tire B · Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4
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WinGuard Sport 2 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Which is better in the wet, WinGuard Sport 2 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4, 90 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinGuard Sport 2 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4, 81 vs 70 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinGuard Sport 2 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4, 75 vs 70 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinGuard Sport 2 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, 81 vs 75 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinGuard Sport 2 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4, 84 vs 68 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinGuard Sport 2 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4, 76 vs 73 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, WinGuard Sport 2 or Winter I*cept Evo 4?

Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4, 72 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