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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus vs Yokohama iceGUARD iG65 — 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 5 + 1 road tests and 7 + 3 owner reviews. How we score

WinterCraft WP52 plus is ahead, 81–61

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Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus
Tire AKumho

WinterCraft WP52 plus

Winter

± 5

Tests 78 · 5 tests Owners 81 · 7 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2026 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)

Yokohama iceGUARD iG65
Tire BYokohama

iceGUARD iG65

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests 70 · 1 test Owners 52 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 8 in 2018 Vi 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. 82

    Dry

    WinterCraft WP52 plus +19
    63
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP52 plusiceGUARD iG65
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 1 tests8269
    Reviews found online8353

    WinterCraft WP52 plus: 60% × 81.6 + 40% × 83.4 = 82

    iceGUARD iG65: 60% × 69 + 40% × 52.8 = 63

  2. 88

    Wet

    WinterCraft WP52 plus +25
    63
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP52 plusiceGUARD iG65
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 1 tests8972
    Reviews found online8750

    WinterCraft WP52 plus: 60% × 89.5 + 40% × 86.8 = 88

    iceGUARD iG65: 60% × 71.7 + 40% × 50.1 = 63

  3. 76

    Snow

    WinterCraft WP52 plus +15
    61
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP52 plusiceGUARD iG65
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 1 tests7571
    Reviews found online7947

    WinterCraft WP52 plus: 60% × 74.6 + 40% × 78.9 = 76

    iceGUARD iG65: 60% × 70.7 + 40% × 47 = 61

  4. 77

    Comfort

    WinterCraft WP52 plus +19
    58
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP52 plusiceGUARD iG65
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests74≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online7952

    WinterCraft WP52 plus: 40% × 73.6 + 60% × 78.6 = 77

    iceGUARD iG65: 40% × 65.4 (est.) + 60% × 52.4 = 58

    No road tests of comfort for iceGUARD iG65. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).

  5. 62

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP52 plusiceGUARD iG65
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests59–
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)–

    WinterCraft WP52 plus: 60% × 58.7 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 62

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterCraft WP52 plus. 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. 74

    Treadwear

    WinterCraft WP52 plus +13
    61
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP52 plusiceGUARD iG65
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests74≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7658

    WinterCraft WP52 plus: 60% × 73.5 + 40% × 75.5 = 74

    iceGUARD iG65: 60% × 63.6 (est.) + 40% × 58.2 = 61

    No road tests of treadwear for iceGUARD iG65. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 83

    Handling (owners)

    WinterCraft WP52 plus +33
    50
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP52 plusiceGUARD iG65
    Reviews found online8350
  8. 65

    Efficiency

    iceGUARD iG65 +6
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP52 plusiceGUARD iG65
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 1 tests6571
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho WinterCraft WP52 plusYokohama iceGUARD iG65
Relative Score 81 61
Dry 82 63
Wet 88 63
Snow 76 61
Comfort 77 58
Noise 62 –
Treadwear 74 61
Handling (owners) 83 50
Efficiency 65 71

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
Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

WinterCraft WP52 plus

± 8

iceGUARD iG65

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinterCraft WP52 plusiceGUARD iG65ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 95% #4/14 · 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test 98% #6/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 99% #2/14 · 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test 98% #4/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Ice Braking Snow 90% #11/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 87% #6/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 100% #1/14 · 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test 100% #3/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 98% #2/14 · 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test 96% #6/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 100% #1/14 · 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test 96% #3/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 92% #9/14 · 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test 98% #3/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/14 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test #1/6 2025 Autoreview Studded Winter Tire Test R16 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A WinterCraft WP52 plus

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry grip performance rivaling premium tier competitors
  • High level of ride comfort and compliance compared to factory run-flats
  • Remarkably low road noise, often quieter than summer tires

Cons

  • Not recommended for extreme winter conditions where alternative budget brands like Barum might be better suited
  • Slightly less brand prestige compared to tier-one European or Japanese manufacturers
All owner themes in the WinterCraft WP52 plus review

Tire B iceGUARD iG65

Pros

  • Reliable traction and grip on icy road surfaces
  • Effective clearing of slush and snow from tread patterns
  • Predictable handling in severe winter conditions compared to budget-tier tires

Cons

  • Mediocre to poor performance on dry, cold pavement
  • Limited grip in deep snow conditions
  • Noticeable compromise in handling characteristics when compared to premium European winter tire segments
All owner themes in the iceGUARD iG65 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus B · Yokohama iceGUARD iG65
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle type—Passenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus

Yokohama iceGUARD iG65

Winner: Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus — better handling, wet and dry. Pick the Yokohama iceGUARD iG65 if efficiency matters most to you. Yokohama iceGUARD iG65 rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 3 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus scores 83 vs 50 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus scores 88 vs 63 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus scores 82 vs 63 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus scores 77 vs 58 on comfort.

Tire A · Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus
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Tire B · Yokohama iceGUARD iG65
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WinterCraft WP52 plus or iceGUARD iG65?

Which is better in the wet, WinterCraft WP52 plus or iceGUARD iG65?

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus, 88 vs 63 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterCraft WP52 plus or iceGUARD iG65?

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus, 82 vs 63 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterCraft WP52 plus or iceGUARD iG65?

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus, 76 vs 61 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterCraft WP52 plus or iceGUARD iG65?

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus, 77 vs 58 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterCraft WP52 plus or iceGUARD iG65?

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus, 74 vs 61 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, WinterCraft WP52 plus or iceGUARD iG65?

Yokohama iceGUARD iG65, 71 vs 65 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