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 Toyo Snowprox S954 — 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 + 7 road tests and 61 + 5 owner reviews. How we score
WinGuard Sport 2 is ahead, 72–63
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Tests 62 · 7 tests Owners 64 · 5 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 14 in 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test (dry handling (tester's mark))
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
Key facts
- In 4 tests that measured wet braking for both, WinGuard Sport 2 won 2 and Snowprox S954 won 2 (average 86% vs 89% of the best).
- In 4 tests that measured snow braking for both, WinGuard Sport 2 won 4 and Snowprox S954 won 0 (average 95% vs 89% of the best).
-
70
Dry
Snowprox S954 +272Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowprox S954 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 5 tests 71 78 Reviews found online 69 64 Dry Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 94% 97% Dry Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 98% 99% WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 70.8 + 40% × 69.4 = 70
Snowprox S954: 60% × 77.8 + 40% × 63.5 = 72
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75
Wet
WinGuard Sport 2 +768Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowprox S954 Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 7 tests 73 72 Reviews found online 77 63 Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 95% 99% Wet Braking (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 2–2 86% 89% Wet Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–0 96% 96% WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 73.5 + 40% × 77.4 = 75
Snowprox S954: 60% × 71.7 + 40% × 62.7 = 68
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70
Snow
WinGuard Sport 2 +2248Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowprox S954 Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / 7 tests 70 35 Reviews found online 70 67 Snow Braking (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 4–0 95% 89% Snow Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–0 94% 91% Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 87% 79% WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 69.6 = 70
Snowprox S954: 60% × 35.4 + 40% × 66.7 = 48
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68
Comfort
WinGuard Sport 2 +662Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowprox S954 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests 64 58 Reviews found online 71 65 WinGuard Sport 2: 40% × 64.4 + 60% × 70.6 = 68
Snowprox S954: 40% × 57.6 + 60% × 65.2 = 62
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81
Noise
WinGuard Sport 2 +1269Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowprox S954 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 2 tests 94 70 Reviews found online 61 ≈ 66 (est.) Noise (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–0 100% 97% WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 94.3 + 40% × 61.3 = 81
Snowprox S954: 60% × 70.1 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 69
No owner ratings of noise for Snowprox S954. 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.
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73
Treadwear
WinGuard Sport 2 +1063Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowprox S954 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests 75 ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 71 62 WinGuard Sport 2: 60% × 74.8 + 40% × 71.3 = 73
Snowprox S954: 60% × 64.7 (est.) + 40% × 61.5 = 63
No road tests of treadwear for Snowprox S954. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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70
Handling (owners)
WinGuard Sport 2 +466Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowprox S954 Reviews found online 70 66 -
34
Efficiency
Snowprox S954 +2458Why this score
Source WinGuard Sport 2 Snowprox S954 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 4 tests 34 58 Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–1 85% 87%
Scores at a glance
| Category | Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 | Toyo Snowprox S954 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 63 |
| Dry | 70 | 72 |
| Wet | 75 | 68 |
| Snow | 70 | 48 |
| Comfort | 68 | 62 |
| Noise | 81 | 69 |
| Treadwear | 73 | 63 |
| Handling (owners) | 70 | 66 |
| Efficiency | 34 | 58 |
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
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Important
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Less important
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Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Not important
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Recomputed
Headline score
72
/ 100
WinGuard Sport 2
63
/ 100
Snowprox S954
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 6 tests that ran both, Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 finished ahead 5 times and Toyo Snowprox S954 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | WinGuard Sport 2 | Snowprox S954 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 94% | 97% | −2.5 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test · 245/40 R18 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 98% | 99% | −1.1 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test · 245/40 R18 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 80% #6/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 | 100% #1/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 95% | 99% | −3.1 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test · 245/40 R18 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 86% | 89% | −3.3 | 2–2 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test · 245/40 R18 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 96% | 96% | +0.3 | 1–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test · 245/40 R18 |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 95% | 89% | +5.5 | 4–0 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test · 245/40 R18 |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 94% | 91% | +3.4 | 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test · 245/40 R18 |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 87% | 79% | +7.5 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test · 245/40 R18 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 93% #6/8 · 2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 | 40% #13/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise | Noise | 100% | 97% | +2.3 | 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test · 245/40 R18 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 85% | 87% | −1.6 | 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test · 245/40 R18 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 98% | 81% | +17.5 | 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test · 245/40 R18 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #10/10 | #11/10 | – | 5–1 in 6 shared tests Newest: 2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test R18 · 245/40R18 |
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 Snowprox S954
Pros
- Excellent value for the price point
- Strong dry road handling and grip
- Predictable steering feedback near the limit
Cons
- Inconsistent wet weather traction
- Reported understeer on roundabouts and wet surfaces
- Mixed reliability compared to premium winter tire alternatives
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 | B · Toyo Snowprox S954 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 80 | 52 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 20″ | 16″ – 21″ |
| Tread depth | 11/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 33 | 33 |
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
63
/ 100
Toyo Snowprox S954
Winner: Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 — better snow, noise and treadwear. Pick the Toyo Snowprox S954 if efficiency matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want lower fuel or energy use
Toyo Snowprox S954 scores 58 vs 34 on efficiency.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 70 vs 48 on snow.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 81 vs 69 on noise.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 scores 73 vs 63 on treadwear.
Tire A · Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
Tire B · Toyo Snowprox S954
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WinGuard Sport 2 or Snowprox S954?
Which is better in the wet, WinGuard Sport 2 or Snowprox S954?
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, 75 vs 68 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, WinGuard Sport 2 or Snowprox S954?
Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 72 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is better in snow, WinGuard Sport 2 or Snowprox S954?
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, 70 vs 48 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, WinGuard Sport 2 or Snowprox S954?
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, 81 vs 69 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, WinGuard Sport 2 or Snowprox S954?
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, 68 vs 62 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, WinGuard Sport 2 or Snowprox S954?
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, 73 vs 63 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, WinGuard Sport 2 or Snowprox S954?
Toyo Snowprox S954, 58 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