Hankook Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) vs Nexen Winguard Winspike 3

Hankook Tires and Nexen Tires are two popular tire manufacturers that design high-quality tires in many categories. However, both brands have established themselves as key players in the winter tire market with their range of great tires.

Hankook and Nexen uses state of the art manufacturing processes with precision to deliver highly reliable and durable tires such as the Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) and Winguard Winspike 3. Both of these tires are designed for passenger vehicles such as CUVS, SUVs, sedans, and coupes, and offer drivers strong traction and great handling performance. These two tires are some of the best in the segment and understandably we would want to know the better one among them. Today, we will compare Hankook Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) v Nexen Winguard Winspike 3 tires using SimpleScore to show where each tire outshines the other to help you understand the right fit for you.

Hankook Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) tires

The Hankook Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) is a studdable winter tire that can be used on sedans, coupes, SUVs, CUVs, and light trucks. Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified, the Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) is built with a wide center block for improved performance and traction. The 3D sipe technology further increased the traction, whereas the zigzag winter grooves help in increasing wet traction. Moreover, the Ultra High Tensile steel belt improves puncture resistance and durability for a longer tread life. The tire also won the Red Dot Design Award in 2020.

On average, the Hankook Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) boasts a great score of 8.7 thanks to its great traction, handling, and longevity.

Nexen Winguard Winspike 3 tires

Nexen is a lesser-known brand that has recently established itself as a core player with its reliable, budget-friendly, and durable tires. The Nexen Winguard Winspike 3 is a studdable tire that is a close competitor to a tire such as the Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) because of its directional tread pattern, angled grooves, and dense siping that enhance the performance, durability, and traction of the tire. Also Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified, the Winguard Winspike 3 tire can be a great fit for your passenger vehicle.

On average, the Winguard Winspike 3 boasts a great SimpleScore 8.6 thanks to its great handling, traction, and longevity.

Hankook Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) vs Nexen Winguard Winspike 3 tires on traction

Traction is one of the most important factors when it comes to winter tires as good traction on ice, slush, snow, and colder roads is one of the deciding factors. Winter tires are engineered to deliver reliable traction on challenging terrains, and the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification depicts good traction for the tires.

Boasting a great traction score of 8.5 out of 10, the Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) features a claw edge and side edge on both sides of the tread for better grip performance on deep snow roads. Moreover, the ice slit design technology and optimized stud pin improve the traction considerably.

The Wingaurd Winspike 3 has a slightly higher traction of 8.51 out of 10 because of the rubber compound and dense siping that helps the tire claw into the snow to minimize slip. Additionally, the V-shaped tread pattern increases wet grip and the zig-zag grooves boost the traction of the tire further.

When it comes to winter weather traction, both tires have similar performance with Winguard Winspike 3 having a slight edge. It is important to mention that both of these tires are studdable tires and using studs, where permitted, can boost the traction significantly. The Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) uses TSMI #11 studs and the Winguard Winspike 3 uses TSMI #12 studs.

ADVANTAGE: Winguard Winspike 3

Hankook Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) vs Nexen Winguard Winspike 3 tires on handling

While traction is arguably one of the most important factors for winter tires, handling can be a close second as the tires should be able to switch lanes and make turns confidently.

The Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) boasts a great traction score of 8.5 out of 10 because of the Ultra High Tensile steel belt technology that makes the structure hard for better handling and cornering performance even at higher speeds.

On the contrary, Winguard Winsipke 3 has a good (but lower) traction score of 7.2. However, the tire does feature a center rib block designed as a single block running around the tire that gives drivers good control on handling and cornering performance.

In the case of handling, Hankook is the clear winner for these two tires because of its higher score.

ADVANTAGE: Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249)

Hankook Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) vs Nexen Winguard Winspike 3 tires on longevity

Durability and longevity are important factors in all tires, as no driver wants a set of tires that will wear out quickly.

The Hankook Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) boasts an excellent longevity score of 9.1 out of 10 because of the Ultra High Tensile steel belt technology. This technology improves the puncture resistance of the tire while increasing the durability and longevity of the tire.

The Winguard Winspike 3, also, boasts a high score of 9.1 out of 10 for longevity making it a close competitor for the Hankook tire. This tire ensures longevity with the help of its robust construction and the V-shaped tread pattern that resists uneven tread wear for longer tread life.

Both the Hankook Winter i* pike RS2 (W249) and Winguard Winspike 3 have similar longevity, with no clear winner.

ADVANTAGE: Tie

When to use each

Both the Hankook Winter i* pike RS2 (W249) and Winguard Winspike 3 are winter tires and are not intended for use in temperatures that are consistently above 45 degrees. While you can use it on dry roads without ice, snow, or slush, the performance might differ. However, it should not be used in hotter temperatures as the rubber compound is solely designed for winter weather conditions.

Moreover, as both tires are studdable tires, you can use them everywhere without studs and with studs, where permitted.

Which one should you choose?

So, which winter tire might be the better fit for you? Well, the answer comes down to your own personal preferences. As stated above, both the Hankook Winter i* pike RS2 (W249) and Nexen Winguard Winspike 3 have similar performance with the former tire performing much better in the handling department. The Winguard Winsipke 3 does take a slight lead in the traction department and performs similarly in the longevity area. This difference gives Hankook an average overall performance of 8.7 and the Nexen 8.6.

There is a slight difference between the price of the tire. While the Hankook Winter i* Pike RS2 (W429) is priced at around $106.99 per tire with the set costing $427.96, the Nexen Winguard Winspike 3 is priced at $115.96 per tire, adding up to $463.84 for a set. Also considering, Nexen is a lesser known brand, the performance matches the more well known Hankook.

Based on SimpleScore, you should choose the Hankook Winter i* Pike RS2 (W249) if you:

• Drive a car like the Subaru XV Crosstrek or a luxury car like the Acura CL 3.2
• Want a tire with an overall better SimpleScore (8.7 v 8.6)
• Want better handling (8.5 v 7.2)
• Want the slightly more affordable tire

Conversely, you should choose the Nexen Winguard Winspike 3 if you:

• Drive a CUV or SUV (think Honda CR-V or Kia Telluride
• Want better traction (8.51 vs 8.5)
• Are willing to pay a little bit more for a set of tires

Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.