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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Winter Craft WP51 vs Michelin X Ice Snow — 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 3 + 13 road tests and 15 + 20 owner reviews. How we score

X Ice Snow is ahead, 73–67

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Kumho Winter Craft WP51
Tire AKumho

Winter Craft WP51

Winter

± 8

Tests 65 · 3 tests Owners 69 · 15 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 11 in 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test (noise)

Michelin X Ice Snow
Tire BMichelin

X Ice Snow

Winter

± 5

Tests 70 · 13 tests Owners 78 · 20 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test (comfort (tester's mark))

Category by category

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

  1. 62

    Dry

    X Ice Snow +5
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 11 tests6165
    Reviews found online6471

    Winter Craft WP51: 60% × 60.7 + 40% × 64.1 = 62

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 70.7 = 67

  2. 68

    Wet

    X Ice Snow +3
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 12 tests6665
    Reviews found online7079

    Winter Craft WP51: 60% × 66.4 + 40% × 69.9 = 68

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 79.2 = 71

  3. 70

    Snow

    X Ice Snow +6
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 12 tests6773
    Reviews found online7481

    Winter Craft WP51: 60% × 66.7 + 40% × 74.1 = 70

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 81.1 = 76

  4. 70

    Comfort

    X Ice Snow +10
    80
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 69 (est.)81
    Reviews found online7079

    Winter Craft WP51: 40% × 68.9 (est.) + 60% × 70.1 = 70

    X Ice Snow: 40% × 81 + 60% × 78.8 = 80

    No road tests of comfort for Winter Craft WP51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 69

    Noise

    X Ice Snow +6
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 8 tests7181
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    Winter Craft WP51: 60% × 70.9 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 69

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 80.5 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 75

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter Craft WP51 or X Ice Snow. 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.

  6. 67

    Treadwear

    X Ice Snow +9
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online6881

    Winter Craft WP51: 60% × 67 (est.) + 40% × 67.9 = 67

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 81.4 = 76

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter Craft WP51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for X Ice Snow. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 66

    Handling (owners)

    X Ice Snow +9
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51X Ice Snow
    Reviews found online6675
  8. 55

    Efficiency

    X Ice Snow +22
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 6 tests5577
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Winter Craft WP51Michelin X Ice Snow
Relative Score 67 73
Dry 62 67
Wet 68 71
Snow 70 76
Comfort 70 80
Noise 69 75
Treadwear 67 76
Handling (owners) 66 75
Efficiency 55 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
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Important
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Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Winter Craft WP51

± 5

X Ice Snow

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinter Craft WP51X Ice SnowΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 91% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 81% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 97% #10/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 92% #4/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 91% #7/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 75% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 85% #32/49 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview 72% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 90% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 95% #6/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Ice Braking Snow 89% #4/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 98% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Ice Handling Snow 85% #8/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 95% #5/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Ice Traction Snow 92% #3/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 99% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 92% #29/35 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview 69% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 97% #5/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 86% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 89% #8/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 96% #6/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Noise Noise 100% #1/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 99% #7/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 78% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 97% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 92% #2/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 50% #14/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #16/16 2021 ADAC Winter Tire Test R15 #7/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Winter Craft WP51

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and reliability in deep snow and slush
  • High price-to-performance ratio compared to premium brands
  • Solid durability and tread life for the price point

Cons

  • Noticeable increase in road noise
  • Mediocre wet-weather braking and traction
  • Lack of steering feedback and stability on dry pavement
All owner themes in the Winter Craft WP51 review

Tire B X Ice Snow

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, packed snow, and slush
  • High confidence and predictable handling on icy and freezing roads
  • Impressive tread wear longevity and minimal wear over multiple seasons

Cons

  • Average performance on dry and wet pavement compared to dedicated non-winter tires
  • Slightly noisier on dry pavement as the tread wears down
  • Can feel slightly twitchy at the limit or less comfortable than older X-Ice generations
All owner themes in the X Ice Snow review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Winter Craft WP51 B · Michelin X Ice Snow
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4100
Rim diameters13″ – 15″13″ – 21″
Sizes in common00

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Winter Craft WP51

Michelin X Ice Snow

Winner: Michelin X Ice Snow — better efficiency, comfort and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Michelin X Ice Snow scores 77 vs 55 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin X Ice Snow scores 80 vs 70 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin X Ice Snow scores 76 vs 67 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin X Ice Snow scores 75 vs 66 on handling.

Tire A · Kumho Winter Craft WP51
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Tire B · Michelin X Ice Snow
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Winter Craft WP51 or X Ice Snow?

Which is better in the wet, Winter Craft WP51 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin X Ice Snow, 71 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Craft WP51 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin X Ice Snow, 67 vs 62 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter Craft WP51 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin X Ice Snow, 76 vs 70 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Winter Craft WP51 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin X Ice Snow, 75 vs 69 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter Craft WP51 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin X Ice Snow, 80 vs 70 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter Craft WP51 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin X Ice Snow, 76 vs 67 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Winter Craft WP51 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin X Ice Snow, 77 vs 55 on our efficiency 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