Tests 73 · 9 tests Owners 71 · 61 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test (noise)
Head-to-head
Updated
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 vs Riken Snowtime B2 — 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 + 0 road tests and 61 + 7 owner reviews. How we score
WinGuard Sport 2 is ahead, 71–66
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 – · none yet Owners 65 · 7 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
70
Dry
WinGuard Sport 2 +565Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowtime B2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests 71 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 69 63 WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 70.8 + 40% × 69.4 = 70
Snowtime B2: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 62.9 = 65
No road tests of dry for Snowtime B2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
-
75
Wet
WinGuard Sport 2 +966Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowtime B2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / – tests 73 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 77 64 WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 73.5 + 40% × 77.4 = 75
Snowtime B2: 60% × 67.2 (est.) + 40% × 64.3 = 66
No road tests of wet for Snowtime B2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
70
Snow
Snowtime B2 +171Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowtime B2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / – tests 70 ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 70 72 WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 69.6 = 70
Snowtime B2: 60% × 70.8 (est.) + 40% × 71.5 = 71
No road tests of snow for Snowtime B2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
-
68
Comfort
WinGuard Sport 2 +266Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowtime B2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 64 ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 71 64 WinGuard Sport 2: 40% × 64.4 + 60% × 70.6 = 68
Snowtime B2: 40% × 67.8 (est.) + 60% × 64.2 = 66
No road tests of comfort for Snowtime B2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
-
81
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowtime B2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests 94 – Reviews found online 61 – WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 94.3 + 40% × 61.3 = 81
-
73
Treadwear
WinGuard Sport 2 +964Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowtime B2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests 75 ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 71 63 WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 74.8 + 40% × 71.3 = 73
Snowtime B2: 60% × 65.2 (est.) + 40% × 62.9 = 64
No road tests of treadwear for Snowtime B2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
70
Handling (owners)
WinGuard Sport 2 +1456Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowtime B2 Reviews found online 70 56 -
34
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowtime B2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests 34 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 | Riken Snowtime B2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 71 | 66 |
| Dry | 70 | 65 |
| Wet | 75 | 66 |
| Snow | 70 | 71 |
| Comfort | 68 | 66 |
| Noise | 81 | – |
| Treadwear | 73 | 64 |
| Handling (owners) | 70 | 56 |
| Efficiency | 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
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
71
/ 100
WinGuard Sport 2
66
/ 100
Snowtime B2
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 finished ahead 1 times and Riken Snowtime B2 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | WinGuard Sport 2 | Snowtime B2 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #9/45 | #39/45 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2017 50 Winter Tyre Shoot Out · 225/50 R17 |
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 Snowtime B2
Pros
- Reliable and effective grip in snow and standing water
- Surprisingly low noise levels, often quieter than summer tires
- Good wear characteristics and long tread life
Cons
- Lower handling limits in dry and wet conditions compared to summer tires
- Potential for sudden loss of traction or breaking away on wet bends
- Average baseline performance for high-speed or spirited driving
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 | B · Riken Snowtime B2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 80 | 12 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 20″ | 13″ – 14″ |
| Tread depth | 11/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 0 | 0 |
Which one should you actually buy?
71
/ 100
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
66
/ 100
Riken Snowtime B2
Winner: Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 — better handling, wet and treadwear. Where the Riken Snowtime B2 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Riken Snowtime B2 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 70 vs 56 on handling.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 75 vs 66 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 73 vs 64 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 70 vs 65 on dry.
Tire A · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
Tire B · Riken Snowtime B2
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
WinGuard Sport 2 or Snowtime B2?
Which is better in the wet, WinGuard Sport 2 or Snowtime B2?
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, 75 vs 66 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, WinGuard Sport 2 or Snowtime B2?
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, 70 vs 65 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, WinGuard Sport 2 or Snowtime B2?
Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 71 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, WinGuard Sport 2 or Snowtime B2?
Neither, by our numbers: 68 vs 66 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, WinGuard Sport 2 or Snowtime B2?
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, 73 vs 64 on our treadwear 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