Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 review
Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners
Owners 70 · 61 reviews analysed Road tests 73 · 15 tests
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The Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 is generally praised as a budget-friendly performance winter tire that delivers impressive dry and wet handling, low cabin noise, and a comfortable ride compared to pricier alternatives. While most users find them exceptionally capable in cold rain, slush, and light-to-moderate snow, a minority of reviewers report compromises in deep snow traction, ice grip, and occasional long-term quality control issues like out-of-round tires.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
How scores work
- Relative score
- 0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
- Road tests
- 0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
- Owner reviews
- 0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.
By owner reviews
70/100From 61 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
By road tests
73/100Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 specs & sizes
Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Tread depth | 10.5/32″ |
| Sidewall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 51 psi |
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What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 61 owner reviews found online.
The Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 is generally praised as a budget-friendly performance winter tire that delivers impressive dry and wet handling, low cabin noise, and a comfortable ride compared to pricier alternatives. While most users find them exceptionally capable in cold rain, slush, and light-to-moderate snow, a minority of reviewers report compromises in deep snow traction, ice grip, and occasional long-term quality control issues like out-of-round tires.
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
- Solid performance in light-to-moderate snow and slush
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
- Occasional manufacturing defects or durability issues, such as tires developing flat spots or an 'egg shape' causing vibrations
Worth knowing
- Several owners of rear-wheel-drive sedans and performance cars (like BMW and Dodge Charger) appreciated the sporty handling dynamics and balanced wet-weather grip, though RWD applications highlighted limitations on steep icy inclines.
- EV and high-horsepower vehicle owners noted that the softer lateral sidewalls could diminish sharp steering response during spirited driving.
- Drivers utilizing larger 18-inch and 19-inch sizes on vehicles like the VW GTI and Acura TLX praised the surprisingly low road noise for larger winter fitments.
Reviews from our readers
Drivers who have these tires on their car, in their own words. We check every review before it goes live.
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15 published test appearances
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2025 AutoView Winter Tire Test R19 · 275/40R19
3rd of 2
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: AutoView
2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test R18 · 245/40R18
10th of 10
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
2023 Winter tire Test 54 Set Braking Test · 225/45 R18
27th of 54
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 30th of 54 | |
| Snow Braking | 22nd of 54 |
Source: Auto Bild
2023 Autozurnal Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
8th of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 4th of 8 | |
| Wet Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Longitudinal Aquaplaning | 7th of 8 | |
| Transverse Aquaplaning | 8th of 8 | |
| Dry Braking | 5th of 8 | |
| Dry Handling | 5th of 8 | |
| Snow Braking | 7th of 8 | |
| Snow Traction | 8th of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 7th of 8 | |
| Exterior Noise | 1st of 8 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 8th of 8 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 6th of 8 | |
| Subj. Comfort | 6th of 8 | |
| Snow | 7th of 8 | |
| Wet | 7th of 8 | |
| Dry | 7th of 8 | |
| Wet Lateral Stability | 6th of 8 |
Source: Autožurnal
2022 Consumer Reports Performance Winter/Snow Tires · 215/60R18
3rd of 5
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Consumer Reports
2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter tire Test · 245/40 R18
10th of 13
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 12th of 13 | |
| Wet Handling | 6th of 13 | |
| Dry Braking | 12th of 13 | |
| Dry Handling | 5th of 13 | |
| Snow Braking | 10th of 13 | |
| Snow Traction | 10th of 13 | |
| Snow Handling | 10th of 13 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 8th of 13 | |
| Straight Aqua | 8th of 13 | |
| Noise | 2nd of 13 | |
| Price | 1st of 13 |
Source: Auto Bild Sportscars
2021 ADAC 17 Inch Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17
7th of 18
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2020 Winter tire Market Overview - 52 tire Braking Test · 245/45 R18
23rd of 48
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 26th of 48 | |
| Snow Braking | 15th of 48 |
Source: Auto Bild
2019 19 Inch Performance Winter tire Test · 255/35 R19
9th of 11
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 9th of 11 | |
| Wet Handling | 8th of 11 | |
| Dry Braking | 8th of 11 | |
| Dry Handling | 6th of 11 | |
| Snow Braking | 9th of 11 | |
| Snow Handling | 8th of 11 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 9th of 11 | |
| Straight Aqua | 7th of 11 | |
| Noise | 2nd of 11 | |
| Price | 2nd of 11 |
Source: Auto Bild Sportscars
2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch tire Test · 225/45 R17
11th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 17th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 9th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 18th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 6th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 13th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 10th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 19th of 20 | |
| Straight Aqua | 14th of 20 | |
| Noise | 1st of 20 | |
| Value | 3rd of 20 | |
| Price | 3rd of 20 | |
| Wear | 10th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 17th of 20 |
Source: Auto Bild
2019 Winter tire Test Market Overview · 225/45 R17
15th of 45
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 19th of 45 | |
| Snow Braking | 13th of 45 |
Source: Auto Bild
2019 Auto Zeitung Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/55R17
8th of 11
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Zeitung
2018 Autobild UHP Winter tire Test · 195/65 R15
9th of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 9th of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 9th of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 7th of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 1st of 10 | |
| Snow Braking | 3rd of 10 | |
| Snow Handling | 7th of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 10th of 10 | |
| Straight Aqua | 9th of 10 | |
| Noise | 1st of 10 | |
| Price | 2nd of 10 |
Source: Auto Bild
2017 50 Winter tire Shoot Out · 225/50 R17
9th of 45
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2017 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17
10th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 7th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 11th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 12th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 5th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 15th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 9th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 20th of 20 | |
| Straight Aqua | 16th of 20 | |
| Noise | 2nd of 20 | |
| Value | 1st of 20 | |
| Wear | 1st of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 7th of 20 |
Source: Auto Bild
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 compared
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