Tests 71 · 4 tests Owners 74 · 6 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test (rolling resistance)
Head-to-head
Updated
Barum Polaris 6 vs Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
WinterCraft WP52 plus leads, 75–72 Narrow edge
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Tests 75 · 2 tests Owners 76 · 5 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 (value)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
64
Dry
WinterCraft WP52 plus +1377Why this score
Source Polaris 6 WinterCraft WP52 plus Professional tests (TWG score) 58 77 Reviews found online 74 78 Dry Braking (% of best) 98% 96% Dry Handling (% of best) 98% 98% -
77
Wet
WinterCraft WP52 plus +683Why this score
Source Polaris 6 WinterCraft WP52 plus Professional tests (TWG score) 78 85 Reviews found online 76 80 Wet Braking (% of best) 84% 95% Wet Braking - Concrete (% of best) 83% 95% Wet Handling (% of best) 96% 98% -
77
Snow
Polaris 6 +176Why this score
Source Polaris 6 WinterCraft WP52 plus Professional tests (TWG score) 81 77 Reviews found online 72 76 Snow Braking (% of best) 96% 96% Snow Handling (% of best) 99% 100% Snow Traction (% of best) 100% 95% -
71
Comfort
Polaris 6 +863Why this score
Source Polaris 6 WinterCraft WP52 plus Professional tests (TWG score) 70 55 Reviews found online 72 76 -
85
Noise
Polaris 6 +2362Why this score
Source Polaris 6 WinterCraft WP52 plus Professional tests (TWG score) 97 59 -
66
Treadwear
WinterCraft WP52 plus +571Why this score
Source Polaris 6 WinterCraft WP52 plus Professional tests (TWG score) 61 73 Reviews found online 73 68 -
75
Handling
WinterCraft WP52 plus +378Why this score
Source Polaris 6 WinterCraft WP52 plus Reviews found online 75 78
Scores at a glance
| Category | Barum Polaris 6 | Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 75 |
| Dry | 64 | 77 |
| Wet | 77 | 83 |
| Snow | 77 | 76 |
| Comfort | 71 | 63 |
| Noise | 85 | 62 |
| Treadwear | 66 | 71 |
| Handling | 75 | 78 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
72
/ 100
Polaris 6
75
/ 100
WinterCraft WP52 plus
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Polaris 6 | WinterCraft WP52 plus | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curved Aquaplaning | Curved | 90% #6/7 · 2025 Autozurnal Winter Tyre Test | 73% #12/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | +17.2 | Different tests |
| Dry Braking | Dry | 98% #4/7 · 2025 Autozurnal Winter Tyre Test | 96% #8/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | +1.9 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 98% #5/7 · 2025 Autozurnal Winter Tyre Test | 98% #13/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | +0.1 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 100% #1/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 89% #9/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | +10.7 | Same test |
| Fuel Consumption | Fuel | 100% #1/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 95% #14/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | +5.4 | Same test |
| Ice Braking | Ice | 96% #4/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 90% #11/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | +5.8 | Same test |
| Abrasion | Other | 58% #13/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 66% #11/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | −8.0 | Same test |
| Noise | Other | 100% #1/7 · 2025 Autozurnal Winter Tyre Test | 96% #16/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | +4.4 | Different tests |
| Value | Other | 87% #3/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | −13.3 | Different tests |
| Wear | Other | 73% #11/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 100% #1/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | −27.5 | Same test |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 11% #9/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 8% #12/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | +2.8 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 96% #11/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 96% #12/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | +0.3 | Same test |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 99% #2/7 · 2025 Autozurnal Winter Tyre Test | 100% #4/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | −0.3 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 100% #1/7 · 2025 Autozurnal Winter Tyre Test | 95% #10/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | +4.8 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 87% #11/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 89% #8/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | −1.4 | Same test |
| Subj. Comfort | Subj | 91% #10/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 84% #20/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | +7.5 | Same test |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Total | 0% #1/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 0% #8/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 0.0 | Same test |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 84% #13/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 95% #2/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | −10.7 | Same test |
| Wet Braking - Concrete | Wet | 83% #13/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 95% #2/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | −11.9 | Same test |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 96% #15/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | 98% #4/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | −2.1 | Same test |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Polaris 6
Pros
- High affordability and excellent price-to-performance ratio
- Incredible quietness and ride comfort
- Good initial grip on snow and ice compared to all-season tires
Cons
- Noticeable initial wobbly feeling or sidewall flex
- Limited long-term durability data available from early adopters
Tire B WinterCraft WP52 plus
Pros
- Exceptional value and price-to-performance ratio compared to premium competitors
- Impressive wet grip, with multiple users highlighting Class A wet rating performance
- High level of ride comfort and compliance, noticeably better than factory run-flats
Cons
- Limited long-term durability data available from current reviews
- High demand or regional availability compared to mainstream domestic brands
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Barum Polaris 6 | B · Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | — |
| Sizes available | 92 | — |
| Rim diameters | 14″ – 20″ | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Barum Polaris 6
75
/ 100
Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus
Winner: Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus — better dry, wet and treadwear. Pick the Barum Polaris 6 if noise and comfort matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Barum Polaris 6 scores 85 vs 62 on noise.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus scores 77 vs 64 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Barum Polaris 6 scores 71 vs 63 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus scores 83 vs 77 on wet.
Tire A · Barum Polaris 6
Tire B · Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus
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How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.