Tests 72 · 1 test Owners 67 · 42 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 7 in 2024 Classic Car Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)
Nexen SB652 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Vredestein Sprint Classic vs Nexen SB652 — 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 1 + 0 road tests and 42 + 6 owner reviews. How we score
Sprint Classic is ahead, 69–63
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Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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66
Dry
Sprint Classic +462Why this score
Source Sprint Classic SB652 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 64 ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 68 59 Sprint Classic: 60% × 64.5 + 40% × 67.7 = 66
SB652: 60% × 64.1 (est.) + 40% × 58.6 = 62
No road tests of dry for SB652. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
-
74
Wet
Sprint Classic +1163Why this score
Source Sprint Classic SB652 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 78 ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 68 60 Sprint Classic: 60% × 78.2 + 40% × 67.5 = 74
SB652: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 59.6 = 63
No road tests of wet for SB652. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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70
Comfort
Sprint Classic +367Why this score
Source Sprint Classic SB652 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 70 66 Sprint Classic: 40% × 69 (est.) + 60% × 70.4 = 70
SB652: 40% × 68.2 (est.) + 60% × 66.3 = 67
No road tests of comfort for Sprint Classic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for SB652. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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73
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Sprint Classic SB652 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 77 – Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) – Sprint Classic: 60% × 76.8 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 73
No owner ratings of noise for Sprint Classic. 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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65
Treadwear
Level65Why this score
Source Sprint Classic SB652 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 65 64 Sprint Classic: 60% × 65.8 (est.) + 40% × 64.6 = 65
SB652: 60% × 65.5 (est.) + 40% × 63.6 = 65
No road tests of treadwear for Sprint Classic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
No road tests of treadwear for SB652. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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64
Handling (owners)
Sprint Classic +460Why this score
Source Sprint Classic SB652 Reviews found online 64 60 -
63
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Sprint Classic SB652 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 63 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Vredestein Sprint Classic | Nexen SB652 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 69 | 63 |
| Dry | 66 | 62 |
| Wet | 74 | 63 |
| Comfort | 70 | 67 |
| Noise | 73 | – |
| Treadwear | 65 | 65 |
| Handling (owners) | 64 | 60 |
| Efficiency | 63 | – |
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
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
69
/ 100
Sprint Classic
63
/ 100
SB652
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Sprint Classic
Pros
- Authentic period-correct appearance for vintage and classic vehicles
- Cost-effective alternative compared to premium classic competitors
- Good dry and wet grip, boosting driving confidence
Cons
- Reports of premature cracking on the inside sidewall after a few years of low-mileage use
- High-profile design makes them sensitive to tire pressures
- Vague steering feedback on the limit due to tall sidewalls
Tire B SB652
Pros
- Excellent value for money and low purchase price
- High level of ride comfort and compliance
- Predictable handling and feedback during spirited driving
Cons
- Inconsistent tread life, ranging from rapid wear under hard use to decent longevity on lighter vehicles
- Modest grip levels in wet conditions
- Not suitable for high-performance driving demands
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Vredestein Sprint Classic | B · Nexen SB652 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| UTQG | 160 - 220 A B | 400 A A |
Which one should you actually buy?
69
/ 100
Vredestein Sprint Classic
63
/ 100
Nexen SB652
Winner: Vredestein Sprint Classic — better wet, dry and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score. Nexen SB652 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Vredestein Sprint Classic scores 74 vs 63 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Vredestein Sprint Classic scores 66 vs 62 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Vredestein Sprint Classic scores 70 vs 67 on comfort.
Tire A · Vredestein Sprint Classic
Tire B · Nexen SB652
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Sprint Classic or SB652?
Which is better in the wet, Sprint Classic or SB652?
Vredestein Sprint Classic, 74 vs 63 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Sprint Classic or SB652?
Vredestein Sprint Classic, 66 vs 62 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Sprint Classic or SB652?
Vredestein Sprint Classic, 70 vs 67 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Sprint Classic or SB652?
Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 65 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.
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