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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho WinterCraft WP72 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 0 + 6 road tests and 28 + 3 owner reviews. How we score

WinterCraft WP72 leads, 70–67 Narrow edge

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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. 65

    Dry

    Ice Zero 2 +7
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 66 (est.)82
    Reviews found online6457

    WinterCraft WP72: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 63.5 = 65

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 81.8 + 40% × 56.9 = 72

    No road tests of dry for WinterCraft WP72. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 74

    Wet

    WinterCraft WP72 +1
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 73 (est.)81
    Reviews found online7661

    WinterCraft WP72: 60% × 73.4 (est.) + 40% × 75.6 = 74

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 81 + 40% × 60.9 = 73

    No road tests of wet for WinterCraft WP72. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.54).

  3. 73

    Snow

    WinterCraft WP72 +3
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 72 (est.)76
    Reviews found online7563

    WinterCraft WP72: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 75.4 = 73

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 75.6 + 40% × 62.6 = 70

    No road tests of snow for WinterCraft WP72. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 67

    Comfort

    WinterCraft WP72 +9
    58
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 68 (est.)72
    Reviews found online6550

    WinterCraft WP72: 40% × 68.5 (est.) + 60% × 65.4 = 67

    Ice Zero 2: 40% × 71.9 + 60% × 49.5 = 58

    No road tests of comfort for WinterCraft WP72. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 66

    Noise

    Level
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 67 (est.)65
    Reviews found online64≈ 67 (est.)

    WinterCraft WP72: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 64.4 = 66

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 64.8 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 66

    No road tests of noise for WinterCraft WP72. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

    No owner ratings of noise for Ice Zero 2. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 70

    Treadwear

    WinterCraft WP72 +14
    56
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online7349

    WinterCraft WP72: 60% × 68.8 (est.) + 40% × 72.9 = 70

    Ice Zero 2: 60% × 60.5 (est.) + 40% × 49.4 = 56

    No road tests of treadwear for WinterCraft WP72. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    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 0.35).

  7. 66

    Handling (owners)

    WinterCraft WP72 +13
    53
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72Ice Zero 2
    Reviews found online6653
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WP72Ice Zero 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests–70
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho WinterCraft WP72Pirelli Ice Zero 2
Relative Score 70 67
Dry 65 72
Wet 74 73
Snow 73 70
Comfort 67 58
Noise 66 66
Treadwear 70 56
Handling (owners) 66 53
Efficiency – 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
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

WinterCraft WP72

± 6

Ice Zero 2

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 WP72Ice Zero 2ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/2 2025 AutoView Winter Tire Test R19 #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 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

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 WinterCraft WP72 B · Pirelli Ice Zero 2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available25—
Rim diameters18″ – 21″—
Tread depth11/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho WinterCraft WP72

Pirelli Ice Zero 2

Narrow edge: Kumho WinterCraft WP72 — better treadwear, handling and comfort. Pick the Pirelli Ice Zero 2 if dry matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 70 vs 56 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 66 vs 53 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 67 vs 58 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Ice Zero 2 scores 72 vs 65 on dry.

Tire A · Kumho WinterCraft WP72
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Tire B · Pirelli Ice Zero 2
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WinterCraft WP72 or Ice Zero 2?

Which is better in the wet, WinterCraft WP72 or Ice Zero 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 73 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterCraft WP72 or Ice Zero 2?

Pirelli Ice Zero 2, 72 vs 65 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterCraft WP72 or Ice Zero 2?

Kumho WinterCraft WP72, 73 vs 70 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterCraft WP72 or Ice Zero 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 66 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, WinterCraft WP72 or Ice Zero 2?

Kumho WinterCraft WP72, 67 vs 58 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterCraft WP72 or Ice Zero 2?

Kumho WinterCraft WP72, 70 vs 56 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