Continental IceContact 3 vs Nexen WinGuard WinSpike 3
Ahead in each discipline
The Continental IceContact 3 and the Nexen WinGuard WinSpike 3 have met in one independent test so far, and the IceContact 3 finished ahead. The IceContact 3 was stronger in dry, snow, ice, comfort and value, the WinGuard WinSpike 3 in wet.
Performance profile
13 measurements from the one shared test, each tyre shown as its share of the better figure.
Where each is furthest ahead
IceContact 3
WinGuard WinSpike 3
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 36 m stop against 34.2 m is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 92%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow.
Where each scores higher
IceContact 3
WinGuard WinSpike 3
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tyres of the same season and class: 90 means this tyre out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Every measurement, side by side
Both tyres' figures from the one test that ran them together, on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The bar grows towards the tyre that did better.
| Measurement | IceContact 3 | Gap | WinGuard WinSpike 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry IceContact 3 ahead | |||
| Dry Braking m | 45 | 0.6% | 45.26 |
| Subj. Dry Handling pts | 5 | 25% | 4 |
| Wet WinGuard WinSpike 3 ahead | |||
| Wet Braking m | 48.04 | 3.1% | 46.54 |
| Wet Handling s | 63.71 | 0.4% | 63.46 |
| Straight Aqua km/h | 68.1 | 3.5% | 70.5 |
| Snow IceContact 3 ahead | |||
| Snow Braking m | 11.13 | 5.8% | 11.82 |
| Snow Traction s | 1.77 | 6.8% | 1.9 |
| Snow Handling s | 68.6 | 5% | 72.2 |
| Ice IceContact 3 ahead | |||
| Ice Braking m | 15.93 | 4.9% | 16.75 |
| Ice Traction s | 3.26 | 6.1% | 3.47 |
| Ice Handling s | 86.9 | 5.2% | 91.7 |
| Comfort IceContact 3 ahead | |||
| Noise dB | 73.6 | 1.9 dB | 75.5 |
| Value IceContact 3 ahead | |||
| Fuel Consumption l/100km | 6.3 | 3.1% | 6.5 |
Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tyres shared.
Head to head in 1 test in 2025
Each row is one published test in which both tyres ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | IceContact 3 | Field | WinGuard WinSpike 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The BEST Studded Tyres for 2025 | P3 of 8 | P6 of 8 |
IceContact 3 vs WinGuard WinSpike 3: your questions
Is the Continental IceContact 3 or the Nexen WinGuard WinSpike 3 the better tyre?
The Continental IceContact 3 and the Nexen WinGuard WinSpike 3 have met in one independent test so far, and the IceContact 3 finished ahead. On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the IceContact 3 scores 9.1 and the WinGuard WinSpike 3 6.3 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the IceContact 3 or the WinGuard WinSpike 3?
The WinGuard WinSpike 3 led 3 of the 3 wet measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in the dry?
The IceContact 3 led 2 of the 2 dry measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in snow?
The IceContact 3 led 3 of the 3 snow measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 7.3/10 for the IceContact 3 and 5/10 for the WinGuard WinSpike 3.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the IceContact 3 79% from 3 reviews and the WinGuard WinSpike 3 72% from 1.
More comparisons with these tyres
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Continental IceContact 3 vs Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
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Continental IceContact 3 vs Michelin X Ice Snow
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Continental IceContact 3 vs Michelin X Ice North 4
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Continental IceContact 3 vs Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2
1-7 in 8 shared tests
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Continental IceContact 3 vs Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
2-0 in 4 shared tests
Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tyre wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tyres ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tyre Reviews Score rates each tyre out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tyres can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tyre Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tyres independently since 2007.