tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Kumho I Zen KW31 vs Kumho WinterCraft WP72 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

WinterCraft WP72 is ahead, 69–50

Check price on Amazon · WinterCraft WP72 or I Zen KW31 on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Tire AKumho

I Zen KW31

Winter Premium Touring tires

Tests – · none yet Owners 42 · 6 reviews

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 49

    Dry

    WinterCraft WP72 +16
    65
    Why this score
    SourceI Zen KW31WinterCraft WP72
    Reviews found online3863
  2. 48

    Wet

    WinterCraft WP72 +25
    73
    Why this score
    SourceI Zen KW31WinterCraft WP72
    Reviews found online4074
  3. 53

    Snow

    WinterCraft WP72 +19
    72
    Why this score
    SourceI Zen KW31WinterCraft WP72
    Reviews found online4274
  4. 55

    Comfort

    WinterCraft WP72 +13
    68
    Why this score
    SourceI Zen KW31WinterCraft WP72
    Reviews found online4166
  5. 62

    Noise

    WinterCraft WP72 +4
    66
    Why this score
    SourceI Zen KW31WinterCraft WP72
    Reviews found online5465
  6. 54

    Treadwear

    WinterCraft WP72 +15
    69
    Why this score
    SourceI Zen KW31WinterCraft WP72
    Reviews found online4571
  7. 38

    Handling

    WinterCraft WP72 +27
    65
    Why this score
    SourceI Zen KW31WinterCraft WP72
    Reviews found online3865
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho I Zen KW31Kumho WinterCraft WP72
Relative Score 50 69
Dry 49 65
Wet 48 73
Snow 53 72
Comfort 55 68
Noise 62 66
Treadwear 54 69
Handling 38 65

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.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

I Zen KW31

WinterCraft WP72

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A I Zen KW31

Pros

  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Acceptable dry weather performance
  • Affordable economical option

Cons

  • Extremely poor grip and stopping distances in wet conditions
  • Inadequate traction and performance on ice and serious winter conditions
  • Low overall confidence leading to premature replacement
All owner themes in the I Zen KW31 review

Tire B WinterCraft WP72

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in snow, slush, and deep snow conditions
  • Great value and budget-friendly pricing compared to tier-one premium brands
  • Surprisingly low noise levels and high comfort for a winter tire

Cons

  • Some users reported vague high-speed handling or a 'jelly' sidewall feel at speeds over 50-60 mph
  • A few mentions of increased noise compared to standard all-season tires
  • Potential for flat-spotting due to nylon cord construction, making balancing difficult for some
All owner themes in the WinterCraft WP72 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho I Zen KW31 B · Kumho WinterCraft WP72
CategoryWinter Premium Touring tiresWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—25
Rim diameters—18″ – 21″
Tread depth11.5/32″11/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure44 psi51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho I Zen KW31

Kumho WinterCraft WP72

Winner: Kumho WinterCraft WP72 — better handling, wet and snow. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 65 vs 38 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 73 vs 48 on wet.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 72 vs 53 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 65 vs 49 on dry.

Tire A · Kumho I Zen KW31
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Kumho WinterCraft WP72
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

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.

69

Leads

WinterCraft WP72

Amazon