The Kleber Krisalp HP3 and the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2, both notable for their distinctive winter performance, are now in the spotlight. Let’s dig deeper into their features to reveal a better tire for your needs.
Table of Contents
Sizes Info
The Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 comes in 15 to 20 inches with following.
- Speed ratings: H and V.
- Load ratings: SL and XL.
- Tread depth: 10.5/32″ on all.
- Weight: 15 to 30 lbs.
- Tread warranty: None.
On the other side, the Kleber Krisalp HP3 (review) comes in 14 to 20 inches, (99 total sizes), in following specs.
- Speed ratings: T and H.
- Load ratings: SL and XL.
- Tread depth: 10/32″.
- Weight: 16 to 32 lbs.
- Tread warranty: None.
Ice Traction
The Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 displays remarkable proficiency on icy surfaces, surpassing its counterpart with confidence.
In fact, it stands as one of the finest ice tires available in the market.
Its superiority lies in its meticulously crafted tread design, featuring a combination of slanted incisions in varying sizes and V-shaped notches extending in both lateral directions.
This, in conjunction with its dual-angled design of more aggressive sipes, results in significantly shorter braking distances and improved handling times during tests.
I’d discuss its traction in greater details, in a while.
Moving on towards the Kleber Krisalp HP3…
The Kleber tire is characterized by larger tread voids and fewer notches, appears somewhat ill-equipped for icy conditions.
The central tread area of this tire struggles to maintain a secure grip on packed ice due to wider lateral tread voids, and its performance is compromised by the absence of multi-angled siping.
Overall, the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 outperforms the Kleber Krisalp HP3 on icy terrains, although the studable lugs of the Kleber Krisalp HP3 enable it to handle more extreme situations with greater effectiveness.
Dry Traction
When it comes to dry conditions, the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 outshines its counterpart, providing superior directional grip and handling capabilities.
Talking about the directional grip first, the tire’s central tread area is a critical factor here. And in this regard, the Nexen, with its more compacted up middle area, ensures a more continuous contact with the road surface as the tire moves straight, leading to exceptional performance.
Moving on towards the handling, the Nexen is again taking the lead.
The additional weight of Kleber adversely affects its handling, resulting in increased movement of the lugs during cornering, ultimately weakening the steering feedback.
Thus, the Kleber Krisalp HP3 lags behind in terms of both, the directional grip, and the handling.
Tread Life
The tread life of a tire is closely intertwined with its rolling resistance, which is determined by factors such as weight and tread design.
Hence, it is logical, why the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 performs better in this aspect. With its lighter structure, the tire’s tread does not experience excessive pressure against the road surface.
And less pressure translates to reduced friction, thereby mitigating the rate of tire wear.
On the flip side, the Kleber Krisalp HP3 is heavier, exerting more weight on a smaller portion of the tire due to the larger spaces between the treads.
Consequently, the treads wear out faster, potentially resulting in a shorter lifespan for the tire.
So overall, the Nexen tire here is expected to offer better tread life.
Wet Traction
When driving on wet surfaces, a tire’s ability to maintain grip becomes crucial. This capability is primarily influenced by the tread pattern and the rubber texture utilized in the tire’s construction.
The interplay of sipes and grooves in the tread design contributes to water dispersion, reducing the risk of hydroplaning. Meanwhile, the softness of the rubber determines the tire’s flexibility, enabling it to adapt to changing surface conditions.
In this context, although both tires feature substantial tread voids to disperse water efficiently, the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 still possesses the upper hand.
This tire incorporates a blend of interlocking and straight sipes that effectively channel and absorb water, resulting in superior wet traction.
The densely packed sipes of the tire, coupled with an optimal balance of rigidity and flexibility, provide enhanced grip, particularly during cornering.
On the other hand, the Kleber Krisalp HP3 features laterally oriented sipes that, while effective, do not offer the same level of grip as the Nexen.
Nonetheless, the Kleber Krisalp HP3 exhibits commendable resistance to hydroplaning. This is attributable to its larger grooves that promote effective water dispersion, minimizing the risk of losing control on wet surfaces.
Consequently, the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 demonstrates superior wet grip, while the Kleber Krisalp HP3 exhibits better resistance to hydroplaning.
Snow Performance
When it comes to performance on snowy terrain, both tires deliver impressive results.
However, the Kleber Krisalp HP3 particularly excels when navigating through fluffy snow.
The key to its exceptional traction lies in the unique design of its more spacious tread pattern, featuring lugs that make direct contact with the snow surface.
These lugs create a snow-to-snow connection, which proves more efficient for traction since snow adheres better to other snow than to rubber.
On the other hand, the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 exhibits a more minimalist design in terms of thicker snow, with its continuous center rib and absence of interlocking groove structures.
This design makes the tread of the Nexen less effective at collecting snow, thereby providing the Kleber Krisalp HP3 an advantage in fluffy snowy conditions.
Fuel Economy
The topic of fuel economy in tires revolves around two primary parameters: adherence to the surface and overall weight. These factors directly impact the rolling resistance of a tire, which plays a significant role in energy consumption.
Considering this, it is understandable why the Kleber Krisalp HP3 lags behind in this aspect. Its greater weight leads to increased lug bending against the road surface during cornering, resulting in additional energy consumption that could have been utilized for the tire’s rolling motion.
Conversely, the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 is lighter and designed with longitudinally aligned ribs, providing superior aerodynamic properties compared to the more spacious pattern of the Kleber Krisalp HP3.
As a result, the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 delivers smoother straight-line journeys, such as on highways. Overall, it offers better performance in terms of fuel efficiency.
Comfort
The level of comfort provided by a tire encompasses two key factors: road noise and vibration absorption.
Let’s delve deeper into each for a more comprehensive analysis.
Noise Generation
Tire noise is generated when air particles collide with the tread walls.
This noise can significantly impact the overall driving experience, making its management a critical aspect of tire design.
In this regard, the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 holds an advantage over the Kleber Krisalp HP3. The tire’s tread pattern features a less voided structure, leaving less space for air to bounce around, thereby generating less noise as the tire rolls on the road.
This design consideration makes the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 a quieter tire, enhancing the comfort level for both the driver and passengers.
Conversely, the Kleber Krisalp HP3, with its larger tread voids, provides more room for air to collide with the tread walls, resulting in higher noise levels.
Vibration Absorption
Tires serve as the primary defense against road irregularities, and their ability to absorb and dampen vibrations caused by bumps, potholes, and other imperfections significantly contributes to the ride comfort.
In this aspect, the Kleber Krisalp HP3 outperforms, with its unique tread design and compound composition, which grant it superior vibration absorption capabilities.
When the Kleber comes into contact with bumps or uneven surfaces, its construction effectively cushions these impacts, resulting in a smoother ride that minimizes the transmission of vibrations to the vehicle’s body. This enhances the comfort level for the occupants.
On the other hand, while the Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 also offers reasonable vibration absorption, it does not quite match the performance of the Kleber Krisalp HP3, where the main culprit is still its stiffer external most cap ply.
Summing Up
Ultimately, the verdict boils down to this, where both tires are robust winter options, each showcasing distinct strengths.
The Nexen WinGuard Sport 2 notably excels on icy surfaces and in dry traction, thanks to its intricate tread design and unbroken center rib. Additionally, it offers superior fuel efficiency due to its lighter weight and streamlined design. It also has a slight advantage in wet traction and provides a quieter ride.
On the other hand, the Kleber Krisalp HP3 shines on snowy terrains and in vibration absorption, owing to its open tread pattern and effective cushioning design. Despite being heavier, which leads to quicker tread wear and reduced fuel efficiency, it demonstrates exceptional snow performance and comfort on bumpy surfaces.
