Nexen Winguard Sport review
The Nexen Winguard Sport is widely regarded as a high-value winter tire that offers impressive traction in snow and slush for its price point. While most users praise its comfort, low noise levels, and reliable cold-weather performance, a minority of drivers report inconsistent grip in wet or icy conditions compared to premium alternatives.
Owners rate it 10.5 points higher than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
By owner reviews
83.8%By road tests
73.3%What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 46 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.
The Nexen Winguard Sport is widely regarded as a high-value winter tire that offers impressive traction in snow and slush for its price point. While most users praise its comfort, low noise levels, and reliable cold-weather performance, a minority of drivers report inconsistent grip in wet or icy conditions compared to premium alternatives.
Pros
- Excellent value for money compared to premium winter tire brands
- Strong traction and confidence in snow and slush
- Low road noise and high ride comfort
- Good durability and tread life for a mid-range tire
Cons
- Inconsistent performance in wet or icy conditions for some users
- Potential for uneven tread wear
- Reported decrease in fuel economy for some vehicles
- Not intended for high-performance dry-weather driving
Worth knowing
- BMW and Audi owners frequently report that the tires significantly improve winter capability on RWD and FWD platforms, often comparing them favorably to more expensive brands like Blizzaks.
- Users with performance-oriented vehicles (e.g., VW GTI, Subaru WRX) note a marked improvement in winter safety over stock summer tires, though some report understeer during spirited dry-weather driving.
3 published test appearances
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2023 Winter tire Test 54 Set Braking Test · 225/45 R18
48th of 54
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 48th of 54 |
2022 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 215/55 R17
14th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 16th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 10th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 15th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 7th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 17th of 20 | |
| Snow Traction | 4th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 19th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 18th of 20 | |
| Straight Aqua | 16th of 20 | |
| Noise | 1st of 20 | |
| Value | 4th of 20 | |
| Price | 2nd of 20 | |
| Wear | 18th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 13th of 20 |
2022 Winter tire Market Overview · 215/55 R17
15th of 56
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 17th of 56 | |
| Snow Braking | 19th of 56 |