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Firestone Winterforce 2 UV vs Nexen WinGuard — Compared (May 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
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7 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Why this score
| Source | Winterforce 2 UV | WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 89 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 67 |
| SimpleTire owners | 93 | – |
Wet
Why this score
| Source | Winterforce 2 UV | WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 89 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 65 |
| SimpleTire owners | 91 | – |
Snow
Why this score
| Source | Winterforce 2 UV | WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 89 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 100 |
| SimpleTire owners | 94 | – |
Comfort
Why this score
| Source | Winterforce 2 UV | WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 83 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 72 |
| SimpleTire owners | 88 | – |
Noise
Why this score
| Source | Winterforce 2 UV | WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 80 | – |
Treadwear
Why this score
| Source | Winterforce 2 UV | WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 85 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 80 |
| SimpleTire owners | 83 | – |
Handling
Why this score
| Source | Winterforce 2 UV | WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 60 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone Winterforce 2 UV | Nexen WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 87 | 74 |
| Dry | 87 | 67 |
| Wet | 89 | 65 |
| Snow | 91 | 100 |
| Comfort | 84 | 72 |
| Noise | 80 | – |
| Treadwear | 86 | 80 |
| Handling | 86 | 60 |
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.
Tire A
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
The Nexen WinGuard is generally regarded as a capable budget-friendly winter tire that provides a significant performance upgrade over summer tires in cold and snowy conditions. While most users report reliable traction and confidence-inspiring handling in winter environments, some reviewers note that its performance on ice and in warmer temperatures is limited compared to premium alternatives.
Pros
- Strong traction and handling in snow-covered conditions
- Noticeable improvement in grip over summer tires in cold weather
- Confidence-inspiring braking performance on mountain passes
- High value-for-money proposition
Cons
- Mediocre performance on ice
- Poor dry-weather handling when temperatures exceed 10°C
- Occasional difficulty with uphill starts in deep snow
Observations
- Users report that the tire performs best when temperatures remain consistently below 4°C.
- Performance is noted to be highly effective for mountain driving and steep inclines, though traction can be inconsistent during initial acceleration from a standstill.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Firestone Winterforce 2 UV | B · Nexen WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Category | — | Winter Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | — | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 30 | — |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 18″ | — |
| Tread depth | 12/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
Firestone
Nexen
Winner: Firestone Winterforce 2 UV — better handling, wet and dry. Pick the Nexen WinGuard if snow matters most to you.
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV scores 86 vs 60 on handling.
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV scores 89 vs 65 on wet.
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV scores 87 vs 67 on dry.
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV scores 84 vs 72 on comfort.
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.