Tests 78 · 11 tests Owners 80 · 20 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test (snow traction)
Head-to-head
Updated
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ vs Kumho WinterCraft WS71 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 11 + 1 road tests and 20 + 3 owner reviews. How we score
UltraGrip Performance+ is ahead, 80–64
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Tests 62 · 1 test Owners 64 · 3 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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72
Dry
UltraGrip Performance+ +765Why this score
Source UltraGrip Performance+ WinterCraft WS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests 71 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 74 63 UltraGrip Performance+: 60% × 70.8 + 40% × 73.8 = 72
WinterCraft WS71: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 63.1 = 65
No road tests of dry for WinterCraft WS71. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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86
Wet
UltraGrip Performance+ +1670Why this score
Source UltraGrip Performance+ WinterCraft WS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 1 tests 87 73 Reviews found online 84 65 Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 88% 85% UltraGrip Performance+: 60% × 86.8 + 40% × 83.7 = 86
WinterCraft WS71: 60% × 72.7 + 40% × 65.3 = 70
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84
Snow
UltraGrip Performance+ +2658Why this score
Source UltraGrip Performance+ WinterCraft WS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 1 tests 87 51 Reviews found online 79 69 Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 98% 87% UltraGrip Performance+: 60% × 86.8 + 40% × 79 = 84
WinterCraft WS71: 60% × 51.2 + 40% × 68.6 = 58
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77
Comfort
UltraGrip Performance+ +1265Why this score
Source UltraGrip Performance+ WinterCraft WS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 72 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 81 63 UltraGrip Performance+: 40% × 72.1 + 60% × 80.6 = 77
WinterCraft WS71: 40% × 67.4 (est.) + 60% × 62.6 = 65
No road tests of comfort for WinterCraft WS71. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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60
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source UltraGrip Performance+ WinterCraft WS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests 55 – Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) – UltraGrip Performance+: 60% × 54.9 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 60
No owner ratings of noise for UltraGrip Performance+. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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77
Treadwear
UltraGrip Performance+ +1562Why this score
Source UltraGrip Performance+ WinterCraft WS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests 74 ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 82 60 UltraGrip Performance+: 60% × 74 + 40% × 81.5 = 77
WinterCraft WS71: 60% × 64.1 (est.) + 40% × 59.9 = 62
No road tests of treadwear for WinterCraft WS71. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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81
Handling (owners)
UltraGrip Performance+ +1764Why this score
Source UltraGrip Performance+ WinterCraft WS71 Reviews found online 81 64 -
77
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source UltraGrip Performance+ WinterCraft WS71 Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests 77 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ | Kumho WinterCraft WS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 80 | 64 |
| Dry | 72 | 65 |
| Wet | 86 | 70 |
| Snow | 84 | 58 |
| Comfort | 77 | 65 |
| Noise | 60 | – |
| Treadwear | 77 | 62 |
| Handling (owners) | 81 | 64 |
| Efficiency | 77 | – |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
80
/ 100
UltraGrip Performance+
64
/ 100
WinterCraft WS71
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ finished ahead 1 times and Kumho WinterCraft WS71 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | UltraGrip Performance+ | WinterCraft WS71 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | Wet | 88% | 85% | +3.2 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 98% | 87% | +11.2 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test · 245/45 R18 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #9/48 | #28/48 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test · 245/45 R18 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A UltraGrip Performance+
Pros
- Strong wet grip and resistance to aquaplaning, with several owners reporting confident cornering and no sliding in the rain
- Excellent snow traction, including deep snow, steep slopes, and cold temperatures down to about -30°C, with one owner describing the best lateral grip on snow they have experienced
- Sporty, stable handling for a winter tire, with good dry-road behavior and the ability to withstand spirited driving
Cons
- Noise is a concern for some owners, who describe a roar or sizzling on fast curves and a noisy ride in a BMW 3 Series
- Ice grip is mixed: one reviewer called it unsuitable for ice and another noted some slipping, though others found it adequate or very capable on icy slopes
- Less grip and sharpness than summer tires in dry and wet conditions, with one reviewer reporting unpredictable cornering and heavy understeer
Tire B WinterCraft WS71
Pros
- Excellent traction in snow and slush
- Strong performance in extreme cold temperatures
- Good value for the price point
Cons
- Reports of sidewall cracking or splitting after multiple seasons
- Functional limitations typical of dedicated winter compounds on dry pavement
- Potential for premature structural degradation
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ | B · Kumho WinterCraft WS71 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | 88 | 68 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 22″ | 15″ – 22″ |
| Sizes in common | 22 | 22 |
Which one should you actually buy?
80
/ 100
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+
64
/ 100
Kumho WinterCraft WS71
Winner: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ — better snow, handling and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Kumho WinterCraft WS71 rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 3 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ scores 84 vs 58 on snow.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ scores 81 vs 64 on handling.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ scores 86 vs 70 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ scores 77 vs 62 on treadwear.
Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+
Tire B · Kumho WinterCraft WS71
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UltraGrip Performance+ or WinterCraft WS71?
Which is better in the wet, UltraGrip Performance+ or WinterCraft WS71?
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+, 86 vs 70 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, UltraGrip Performance+ or WinterCraft WS71?
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+, 72 vs 65 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, UltraGrip Performance+ or WinterCraft WS71?
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+, 84 vs 58 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, UltraGrip Performance+ or WinterCraft WS71?
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+, 77 vs 65 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, UltraGrip Performance+ or WinterCraft WS71?
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+, 77 vs 62 on our treadwear score.
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.
Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology