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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho WinterCraft WS71 vs Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV — 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 1 + 1 road tests and 3 + 2 owner reviews. How we score

WinterCraft WS51 SUV is ahead, 72–64

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Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV
Tire BKumho

WinterCraft WS51 SUV

Winter

± 7Provisional

Tests 70 · 1 test Owners 76 · 2 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

Category by category

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

  1. 65

    Dry

    WinterCraft WS51 SUV +9
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WS71WinterCraft WS51 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)75
    Reviews found online6373

    WinterCraft WS71: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 63.1 = 65

    WinterCraft WS51 SUV: 60% × 74.7 + 40% × 73.4 = 74

    No road tests of dry for WinterCraft WS71. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 70

    Wet

    WinterCraft WS51 SUV +6
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WS71WinterCraft WS51 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7374
    Reviews found online6579

    WinterCraft WS71: 60% × 72.7 + 40% × 65.3 = 70

    WinterCraft WS51 SUV: 60% × 74.1 + 40% × 79.3 = 76

  3. 58

    Snow

    WinterCraft WS51 SUV +9
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WS71WinterCraft WS51 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests5161
    Reviews found online6977

    WinterCraft WS71: 60% × 51.2 + 40% × 68.6 = 58

    WinterCraft WS51 SUV: 60% × 60.8 + 40% × 76.6 = 67

  4. 65

    Comfort

    WinterCraft WS51 SUV +5
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WS71WinterCraft WS51 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6371

    WinterCraft WS71: 40% × 67.4 (est.) + 60% × 62.6 = 65

    WinterCraft WS51 SUV: 40% × 69.1 (est.) + 60% × 70.8 = 70

    No road tests of comfort for WinterCraft WS71. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for WinterCraft WS51 SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WS71WinterCraft WS51 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–69
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

    WinterCraft WS51 SUV: 60% × 68.8 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 68

    No owner ratings of noise for WinterCraft WS51 SUV. 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. 62

    Treadwear

    WinterCraft WS51 SUV +10
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WS71WinterCraft WS51 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6076

    WinterCraft WS71: 60% × 64.1 (est.) + 40% × 59.9 = 62

    WinterCraft WS51 SUV: 60% × 69.8 (est.) + 40% × 75.6 = 72

    No road tests of treadwear for WinterCraft WS71. 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 WinterCraft WS51 SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 64

    Handling (owners)

    WinterCraft WS51 SUV +10
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WS71WinterCraft WS51 SUV
    Reviews found online6474
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterCraft WS71WinterCraft WS51 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–71
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho WinterCraft WS71Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV
Relative Score 64 72
Dry 65 74
Wet 70 76
Snow 58 67
Comfort 65 70
Noise – 68
Treadwear 62 72
Handling (owners) 64 74
Efficiency – 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

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

WinterCraft WS71

± 7

WinterCraft WS51 SUV

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 WS71WinterCraft WS51 SUVΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #28/48 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test #7/8 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A WinterCraft WS71

Pros

  • Excellent traction in snow and slush
  • Strong performance in extreme cold temperatures
  • Good value for the price point

Cons

  • Reports of sidewall cracking or splitting after multiple seasons
  • Functional limitations typical of dedicated winter compounds on dry pavement
  • Potential for premature structural degradation
All owner themes in the WinterCraft WS71 review

Tire B WinterCraft WS51 SUV

Pros

  • Excellent traction and handling on snow and slush
  • High resistance to tread wear
  • Competitive performance comparable to premium tier winter tires

Cons

  • Limited feedback on dry pavement performance
  • Performance on pure ice is described as 'fairly good' rather than class-leading
All owner themes in the WinterCraft WS51 SUV review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho WinterCraft WS71 B · Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available6821
Rim diameters15″ – 22″15″ – 19″
Sizes in common1919

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho WinterCraft WS71

Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV

Winner: Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV — better treadwear, handling and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Kumho WinterCraft WS71 rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 3 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 2 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV scores 72 vs 62 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV scores 74 vs 64 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV scores 74 vs 65 on dry.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV scores 67 vs 58 on snow.

Tire A · Kumho WinterCraft WS71
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Tire B · Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV
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WinterCraft WS71 or WinterCraft WS51 SUV?

Which is better in the wet, WinterCraft WS71 or WinterCraft WS51 SUV?

Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV, 76 vs 70 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterCraft WS71 or WinterCraft WS51 SUV?

Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV, 74 vs 65 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterCraft WS71 or WinterCraft WS51 SUV?

Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV, 67 vs 58 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterCraft WS71 or WinterCraft WS51 SUV?

Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV, 70 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterCraft WS71 or WinterCraft WS51 SUV?

Kumho WinterCraft WS51 SUV, 72 vs 62 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