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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Winter Craft WP51 vs Pirelli Ice Zero 2 — 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 + 6 road tests and 15 + 3 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Winter Craft WP51 and Ice Zero 2 are level at 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)

Pirelli Ice Zero 2
Tire BPirelli

Ice Zero 2

Winter

± 6

Tests 78 · 6 tests Owners 57 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test (snow traction)

Category by category

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

  1. 62

    Dry

    Ice Zero 2 +10
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 4 tests6182
    Reviews found online6457

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

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 81.8 + 40% × 56.8 = 72

  2. 68

    Wet

    Ice Zero 2 +5
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 5 tests6681
    Reviews found online7061

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

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 81.1 + 40% × 60.9 = 73

  3. 70

    Snow

    Level
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 4 tests6776
    Reviews found online7463

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

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 75.6 + 40% × 62.8 = 70

  4. 70

    Comfort

    Winter Craft WP51 +12
    58
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 69 (est.)72
    Reviews found online7049

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

    Ice Zero 2: 40% × 72 + 60% × 49.2 = 58

    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

    Winter Craft WP51 +4
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 4 tests7165
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

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

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 64.8 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 65

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter Craft WP51 or Ice Zero 2. 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

    Winter Craft WP51 +11
    56
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 60 (est.)
    Reviews found online6849

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

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 60.3 (est.) + 40% × 49.3 = 56

    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 Ice Zero 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 66

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Craft WP51 +13
    53
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51Ice Zero 2
    Reviews found online6653
  8. 55

    Efficiency

    Ice Zero 2 +15
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Craft WP51Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 3 tests5570
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Winter Craft WP51Pirelli Ice Zero 2
Relative Score 67 67
Dry 62 72
Wet 68 73
Snow 70 70
Comfort 70 58
Noise 69 65
Treadwear 67 56
Handling (owners) 66 53
Efficiency 55 70

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Winter Craft WP51

± 6

Ice Zero 2

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 WP51Ice Zero 2ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 91% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 97% #9/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 91% #7/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 84% #14/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 85% #32/49 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview 100% #8/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 90% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Ice Braking Snow 89% #4/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 78% #13/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Ice Handling Snow 85% #8/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 92% #7/8 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Ice Traction Snow 92% #3/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 68% #4/8 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 92% #29/35 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview 99% #9/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 97% #5/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 97% #5/8 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 89% #8/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 99% #2/8 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 100% #1/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 98% #4/8 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 92% #2/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test 55% #10/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #16/16 2021 ADAC Winter Tire Test R15 #4/6 2027 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – 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 Ice Zero 2

Pros

  • Very good traction and performance on snow
  • Reasonably quiet for a studded winter tire
  • Adequate performance on wet and salty roads

Cons

  • Dangerous slipping on ice at low speeds in cold climates
  • Strong, intrusive howling noise at speeds above 95 km/h
  • Poor overall handling compared to competing studded winter tires like the Nokian Hakkapeliitta
All owner themes in the Ice Zero 2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Winter Craft WP51 B · Pirelli Ice Zero 2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4—
Rim diameters13″ – 15″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Winter Craft WP51

Pirelli Ice Zero 2

Too close to call: Kumho Winter Craft WP51 and Pirelli Ice Zero 2 are within 2 points overall. Kumho Winter Craft WP51 is stronger on handling, comfort and treadwear. Pirelli Ice Zero 2 is stronger on efficiency, dry and wet.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Pirelli Ice Zero 2 scores 70 vs 55 on efficiency.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 66 vs 53 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 70 vs 58 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 67 vs 56 on treadwear.

Tire A · Kumho Winter Craft WP51
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Tire B · Pirelli Ice Zero 2
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Winter Craft WP51 or Ice Zero 2?

Which is better in the wet, Winter Craft WP51 or Ice Zero 2?

Pirelli Ice Zero 2, 73 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Craft WP51 or Ice Zero 2?

Pirelli Ice Zero 2, 72 vs 62 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter Craft WP51 or Ice Zero 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 70 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Winter Craft WP51 or Ice Zero 2?

Kumho Winter Craft WP51, 69 vs 65 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter Craft WP51 or Ice Zero 2?

Kumho Winter Craft WP51, 70 vs 58 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter Craft WP51 or Ice Zero 2?

Kumho Winter Craft WP51, 67 vs 56 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Winter Craft WP51 or Ice Zero 2?

Pirelli Ice Zero 2, 70 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