Nexen Tire has a history of making tires since 1942 and this Korea-headquartered tire brand has earned a huge respect amongst automobile enthusiasts in the US by offering a reliable range of tires for passenger cars, CUVs, SUVs, light trucks, and performance cars.

The Nexen Winguard Winspike WS62 is a studdable winter tire that’s designed for use on CUVs and SUVs, and provides better traction and performance on snow and ice. Nexen has incorporated various innovative technologies to ensure that this tire serves way better than its forerunners.

In this Nexen Winguard Winspike WS62 review, we will present a transparent analysis to help potential purchasers understand and learn more about the tire and see if the tire meets their needs or not.

Features and Benefits

The Winguard Winspike WS62 has everything that you expect in a winter tire. Its rubber compound is greatly optimized to perform in freezing temperatures and the tread design is specific to meet the driving needs on snow and ice. But, there’re a lot more things in this tire, which are discussed in the features and benefits below:

• Superior grip on snow and ice – The tire is Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified and is engineered for use in extreme winter conditions. The flexible rubber compound allows it to perform in freezing temperatures below 40 degrees of Fahrenheit and its directional tread pattern with detailed elements provides a good number of biting edges to maintain a solid grip on snow and ice. Similarly, it can be pinned with studs to achieve better grip and provide drivers with greater confidence while driving on ice and snow-covered surfaces.
• Better handling and stability – The continuous center rib block of the tire is designed to provide better handling and boost steering responsiveness. Additionally, it also provides high-speed stability to the tire.
• Enhanced wet traction – The Winguard Winspike WS62 also has elements to enhance driving in wet conditions. The rubber compound and the sipes of this tire provide better hold on the pavement and reduce the risk of slipping. The V-shaped tread pattern and zigzag grooves help in evacuating the water very efficiently and improving the aquaplaning resistance.
• Improved braking efficiency – The Nexen Winguard Winspike WS62 is good for use without studs in snow conditions. The grooves on the tread, detailed siping, and bigger tread blocks with sharper edges ensure that the tire gets a better hold of the surfaces and brings the vehicle to a halt in no time.
• Increased comfort levels – The Winguard Winspike WS62 offers decent driving comfort. The tread remains smooth and soft on uneven roads, thus avoiding bouncy rides and offering comfortable rides.
• Quieter rides – Noisy rides are very common in the case of winter tires, but the variable tread arrangement of shoulder and center tread blocks controls the tread noise to offer a pleasant driving experience.

The Winguard Winspike WS62 is available in a total of 24 sizes that vary between 15- to 20-inch rims, making it suitable for use on a wide variety of CUVs and SUVs. Many of these sizes are listed below:

• 235/75R15
• 215/70R16
• 235/60R16
• 215/65R17
• 225/65R17
• 235/65R17
• 225/55R18
• 235/55R18
• 245/60R18
• 235/55R19
• 255/55R19
• 265/50R20

As these tires can be pinned with studs, it is recommended that you check your local regulations regarding the use of studs because some states may either permit the use of studs for a specific period or might not allow the use of studs on tires at all.

While many buyers expect to buy a set of tires that are backed by a limited manufacturer tread life warranty, most winter tires, like the Winspike WS62, are not covered by a tread life warranty.

Pros and Cons

With all the features and benefits of the tire discussed, let’s go over the pros and cons.

• Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified
• Longer tread life than its competitors
• Better wet weather performance than other similar winter tires
• Superior ride comfort and admirable rolling resistance

You cannot expect a tire to be perfect in all aspects, while the Winguard Winspike WS62 surprises with some really great skills, it has its limitations too:

• Not covered by any limited manufacturer tread life warranty
• Noise levels are higher, especially while driving at high speeds or on highways
• Dry braking performance isn’t the best
• Peers offer better handling and braking performance on ice and snow
• Average traction and grip in extreme weather conditions
• Some sizes of this tire are more expensive than competitors

SimpleTire’s view on Nexen Winguard Winspike WS62 tires

If you are looking for a tire that is dedicated to the winter season and has all the basic elements that you would want in a winter tire, the Nexen Winguard Winspike WS62 can be considered. That being said, its traction and grip on snow and ice aren’t the best in the segment. They can serve you well, but if you are switching from a Nokian- or Bridgestone-branded winter tire, you might not experience the same level of winter performance, especially in extreme conditions.

It is a Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified tire and has longer tread life than most competitors, but its braking and handling performance in dry and wintry conditions is very limited. Yes, in wet conditions, it has an edge over its competitors and even its ride comfort and rolling resistance are way better than many other choices offered in the segment. The tread noise at lower speeds and on wintry conditions remains in control but while driving at high speeds and on pavement, the tire is relatively louder. For some sizes, the tire is more expensive than its competitors.

The Nexen Winguard Winspike WS62 has its competition with the likes of Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 SUV, Hankook Winter i* Pike RS2 (W429) Studded, Cooper Evolution Winter, and Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2.

Vehicles the Nexen Winguard Winspike WS62 is a good replacement tire for

The Nexen Winguard Winspike WS62 is made for use on CUVs and SUVs and can be used as a replacement tire on vehicles like BMW X3, Buick Envision, Ford Escape, GMC Terrain, Lexus NX300, Subaru Outback, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, Honda CR-V, and Chevrolet Equinox.