The Nexen Winguard Sport is a mid-range touring winter tyre that stands out in everyday use for its quiet, comfortable ride and strong cold-weather traction. Drivers frequently praise the “winter transformation”, with confident snow and slush grip and reassuring stability for the money. However, professional testing is more critical, repeatedly highlighting weak wet braking and aquaplaning resistance that can limit confidence in heavy rain.
In typical winter conditions the Winguard Sport generally feels predictable and secure, with user feedback describing good wet performance when temperatures are low and acceptable dry grip for normal driving. Value is a major theme, with many owners comparing it favourably to pricier brands given the level of winter traction and refinement.
Where the picture becomes more mixed is on objective safety and efficiency metrics. Multiple independent tests place it mid-to-lower in class overall, mainly due to notable deficits in wet braking and resistance to standing-water aquaplaning, alongside less impressive rolling resistance and wear results in newer comparisons. Real-world reports also point to handling compromises as conditions warm (roughly 4-13°C), including increased understeer and occasional tramlining as the tyres age. Overall, it's an appealing budget-conscious winter choice for comfort and snow-capable traction, but it's less convincing if your priority is top-tier wet braking security and all-round test-leading performance.
The quick answer
Owners say77%from 21 owner reviews84% would buy againRead the reviews
Strengths & weaknessesComfort, SnowDry, ValueRelative to its rivals across every test we hold
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tyre - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated January 2025.
In 215/55 R17, the Nexen Winguard Sport is projected to cost €27.95 per 1,000 km to buy and run - about €1,118 over 40,000 km - based on the price, wear and rolling resistance measured in the 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test.
Tyre purchase + fittingExtra fuel vs the most efficient tyrecost per 1,000 km
Assumes a typical car using 8 l/100km (with rolling resistance causing 20% of fuel use), fuel at €1.65 per litre and €70 fitting per set of four. Purchase prices are from the time of the 2022 test; financing costs are excluded.
Across the 3 wet-braking tests it has featured in, the Nexen Winguard Sport stops 9.8% longer than premium rivals, 4% longer than mid-range rivals and 0.7% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews wet score of 59/100, and owners rate it 7.9/10 in the wet from 21 reviews.
How good is the Nexen Winguard Sport in the dry?
Across the 1 dry-braking test it has featured in, the Nexen Winguard Sport stops 3.4% longer than premium rivals, 1.1% longer than mid-range rivals and 5.3% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews dry score of 52/100, and owners rate it 8.2/10 in the dry from 21 reviews.
How good is the Nexen Winguard Sport in the snow?
Across the 2 snow-braking tests it has featured in, the Nexen Winguard Sport stops 0.9% longer than premium rivals, 0.4% longer than mid-range rivals and 16.4% shorter than budget rivals. Across the 1 snow-traction test, it is 1.2% better than premium rivals, 2% better than mid-range rivals and 63.5% better than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews snow score of 61/100, and owners rate it 9/10 in the snow from 21 reviews.
How fuel efficient is the Nexen Winguard Sport?
Across the 1 test measuring rolling resistance, the Nexen Winguard Sport's rolling resistance is 13.3% higher than premium rivals, 11.7% higher than mid-range rivals and 6.1% higher than budget rivals.
How many miles does the Nexen Winguard Sport last?
Based on test and owner data, the Nexen Winguard Sport is expected to last around 18,829 miles (30,302 km).
More questions about the Nexen Winguard Sport(9)
What do owners say about the Nexen Winguard Sport?
Across 21 owner ratings the Nexen Winguard Sport averages 77%. Owners rate Snow Grip highest at 9 out of 10 and Ice Grip lowest at 5. 6 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 75% of owners score it 70% or better.
How much does the Nexen Winguard Sport cost to run?
In 215/55 R17, the Nexen Winguard Sport is projected to cost €27.95 per 1,000 km to buy and run - about €1,118 over 40,000 km - based on the price, wear and rolling resistance measured in the 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test. The cheapest to run in that test is the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+, at €24.63.
What is the Nexen Winguard Sport's EU tyre label rating?
Across its range, the Nexen Winguard Sport most commonly carries EU label ratings of D for fuel efficiency, C for wet grip and 71 dB for noise.
How comfortable and quiet are the Nexen Winguard Sport?
Owners rate the Nexen Winguard Sport 8.1 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 18 reviews.
How well do the Nexen Winguard Sport wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Nexen Winguard Sport 8.5 out of 10 for wear across 18 reviews. 6 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 7,250 miles.
Would owners buy the Nexen Winguard Sport again?
84% of owners say they would buy the Nexen Winguard Sport again, based on the 19 owner reviews that answered the question. 47% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Nexen Winguard Sport's road noise?
Of the 18 owner reviews analysed for the Nexen Winguard Sport, 8 mention road noise: 6 praise it (quiet) and 2 criticise it (noisy). One owner wrote: "I was chocked how they were silent - the best ever I have tried". Read those reviews
Questions and Answers for the Nexen Winguard Sport
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Most drivers rate the Nexen Winguard Sport highly for winter value, with strong snow/slush traction, confident wet and acceptable dry grip in cold conditions, and notably low noise and good comfort. High-scoring reviews emphasize excellent winter transformation and stability, often comparing favorably to pricier brands. A minority report understeer and weaker wet/dry grip in milder temps, plus some tramlining, especially as tyres age. Overall, the Winguard Sport delivers strong cold-weather performance for the price with minor handling caveats.
What owners mention most counted across 18 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 21 ratings
Owner score77%
Snow Grip90%
Wear85%
Dry Grip82%
Comfort81%
Wet Grip79%
Road Feedback78%
Handling65%
Ice Grip50%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 94%
“Winter 2017/2018 was my first experience with Nexen and in any case with Korean tires, so despite relatively good reviews there was certain skepticism about performance, especially in view of mixed test results (target...”
“Used on my Audi A6 after being stuck in the snow everywhere I went one year with Summer tyres. Absolutely fantastic in the snow. Ploughed through deep areas of snow, slush and ice on un-gritted roads without problem...”
Winter 2017/2018 was my first experience with Nexen and in any case with Korean tires, so despite relatively good reviews there was certain skepticism about performance, especially in view of mixed test results (target was to find tires which are good on snow and ice like Scandinavian type tires, but also good on dry and wet like tires of continental Europe type, and not expensive). Returning home after tires were mounted I was chocked how they were silent - the best ever I have tried. Noise drop was as I would installed a noise insulation. Confort was also on the top, but partly it could be ensured by a little oversizing: 205/60 instead of 205/55.
Winter performance was fully satisfactory. In snow and on ice they were subjectively similar to Bridgestone Blizzak Revo GZ and Michelin X-Ice (I): good grip and braking in snow, but on pure ice they were all relatively weak, especially at temperatures slightly below 0C. All provide better handling than braking, so it's necessary to be careful though as with any tires. On dry and wet pavements Nexen looked far better than both with braking - at emergency braking they didn't slide first meters that was always slightly frightening me. Course-keeping ability on dry pavement may be a little bit worse than that with Michelin (quite similar to Bridgestone), but I could feel it just at speed over 120-130 km/h. Wear after 10K km looks typical. Thus, in overall they are really decent winter tires. Nexen, bravo !
And how to trust all these tire tests ?! Today, in view of my own experience, I may say that there was only one test with Nexen Winguard Sport that looks objective and it was performed in Korea.
Check out how the BEST all seasons tyres perform against premium summer and winter tyres!
tramlines and loses traction on degrees 4-13 C. Third winter and its worst than before, little bit of wear.
Member
Ford
205/55 R16
205 miles
Mostly Country Roads
Spirited
Tiers are ok for the price, well my toughts are you cant get everything without the price...well the tires suits 50E each perfectly. Good grip on weat, 80% would i say from 160 ps mondeo short geard. No noise at all, very little road rezistence, feedback is very nice..what i like about them is low rezistence very nice and smooth accel, sporty feedback
Bought these tyres as my first set of winter tyres. WOW what a difference winter tyres make in cooler weather; anything below about 8 degrees Celsius these seemed to perform better than all the good big brand summer tyres I have owned in the past. I have been running them since november and it is now march and due to living in Scotland I will leave them on until april.
I was a bit apprehensive about buying the Nexen as they were so cheap however I had read a lot of good reviews and I completely agree. These are fantastic tyres for the money, they offer:
increased dry and wet grip on cooler days, traction on snow and ice (I tested them on a snow covered car park and I had to really work hard to get my car to skid!!!!) so they do work!, unless you have snow tyres with spikes don't expect better grip on ice, they are quiet on all surfaces and provide good progression and great feedback. Will 100% buy again.
Really good tyres. In wet and dry I deel very confident with my mustang rwd.
Previous tyres were dunlop wintersport 3D and I would certainly go for these Nexens. Very happy user.
90%
Member
Audi
235/40 R18 V
10,000 miles
A Combination of Roads
Spirited
Used on my Audi A6 after being stuck in the snow everywhere I went one year with Summer tyres. Absolutely fantastic in the snow. Ploughed through deep areas of snow, slush and ice on un-gritted roads without problem. Totally transformed the car in winter weather. Excellent grip in the wet and dry as well. I ended up using the tyres all year round with a 'spirited' driving style. I wouldn't expect them to perform as well as Dunlop/Vredestein on a dry summer's day but they are more than capable as an all-round tyre for typical British weather.
I use this tires on the front wheels only, on the back I have a pair of Hankook Winter ICept Evo W310 Xl, which I used previous winter on the front.
I'm not sure if my evaluation would be correct, given the fact that I don't have all 4 wheels with the same tires (2&2) but I can certainly compare depending on front wheels grip and I can say that the nexens understirs on semi-dry, on ice are awful, on snow they do fine (got out from pretty hard situations with them) on dry they don't wear that bad grip is semi-good - a lot of tire noise when accelerating.
I think they are ok for a low budget but next time I'll go for a premium brand. Safety has no price.
