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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Alpin 6 vs Kumho Winter Craft WP52 — 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 19 + 11 road tests and 35 + 9 owner reviews. How we score

Alpin 6 is ahead, 80–69

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Michelin Alpin 6
Tire AMichelin

Alpin 6

Winter

± 4

Tests 81 · 19 tests Owners 81 · 35 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (wear)

Kumho Winter Craft WP52
Tire BKumho

Winter Craft WP52

Winter

± 5

Tests 78 · 11 tests Owners 57 · 9 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)

Category by category

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

Key facts

  • In 5 tests that measured snow braking for both, Alpin 6 won 5 and Winter Craft WP52 won 0 (average 96% vs 94% of the best).
  • In 4 tests that measured wet braking for both, Alpin 6 won 3 and Winter Craft WP52 won 1 (average 95% vs 93% of the best).
  • In 3 tests that measured dry braking for both, Alpin 6 won 1 and Winter Craft WP52 won 2 (average 98% vs 100% of the best).
  • In 3 tests that measured straight aquaplaning for both, Alpin 6 won 3 and Winter Craft WP52 won 0 (average 95% vs 90% of the best).
  • In 3 tests that measured snow traction for both, Alpin 6 won 3 and Winter Craft WP52 won 0 (average 98% vs 94% of the best).
  1. 77

    Dry

    Alpin 6 +5
    72
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6Winter Craft WP52
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 15 / 6 tests7483
    Reviews found online8256
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–298%100%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–299%100%

    Alpin 6: 60% × 74.1 + 40% × 81.6 = 77

    Winter Craft WP52: 60% × 83.3 + 40% × 55.7 = 72

  2. 89

    Wet

    Alpin 6 +14
    75
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6Winter Craft WP52
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / 11 tests9085
    Reviews found online8759
    Curved Aquaplaning (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–084%68%
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 3–095%90%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 3–195%93%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–099%97%

    Alpin 6: 60% × 90.1 + 40% × 86.8 = 89

    Winter Craft WP52: 60% × 85.3 + 40% × 58.9 = 75

  3. 75

    Snow

    Alpin 6 +7
    68
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6Winter Craft WP52
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / 11 tests7772
    Reviews found online7361
    Ice Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–099%99%
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 5–096%94%
    Snow Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–197%97%
    Snow Traction (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 3–098%94%

    Alpin 6: 60% × 76.5 + 40% × 73.3 = 75

    Winter Craft WP52: 60% × 72.3 + 40% × 61 = 68

  4. 83

    Comfort

    Alpin 6 +23
    60
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6Winter Craft WP52
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests84≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online8256

    Alpin 6: 40% × 84.2 + 60% × 81.5 = 83

    Winter Craft WP52: 40% × 66 (est.) + 60% × 55.6 = 60

    No road tests of comfort for Winter Craft WP52. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 60

    Noise

    Winter Craft WP52 +6
    66
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6Winter Craft WP52
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / 5 tests5666
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 2–197%98%

    Alpin 6: 60% × 55.6 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 60

    Winter Craft WP52: 60% × 66.1 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 66

    No owner ratings of noise for Alpin 6 or Winter Craft WP52. 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. 85

    Treadwear

    Alpin 6 +19
    66
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6Winter Craft WP52
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 4 tests8975
    Reviews found online8054
    Abrasion (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%95%
    Wear (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–298%91%

    Alpin 6: 60% × 88.9 + 40% × 80.3 = 85

    Winter Craft WP52: 60% × 74.7 + 40% × 53.5 = 66

  7. 81

    Handling (owners)

    Alpin 6 +24
    57
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6Winter Craft WP52
    Reviews found online8157
  8. 64

    Efficiency

    Alpin 6 +9
    55
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6Winter Craft WP52
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 15 / 5 tests6455
    Fuel Consumption (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–195%97%
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–085%77%
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Alpin 6Kumho Winter Craft WP52
Relative Score 80 69
Dry 77 72
Wet 89 75
Snow 75 68
Comfort 83 60
Noise 60 66
Treadwear 85 66
Handling (owners) 81 57
Efficiency 64 55

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score
± 4

Alpin 6

± 5

Winter Craft WP52

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.

In the overall rankings of 5 tests that ran both, Michelin Alpin 6 finished ahead 4 times and Kumho Winter Craft WP52 1 times.

DisciplineCategoryAlpin 6Winter Craft WP52ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 98% 100% −2.1 1–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Dry Handling Dry 99% 100% −0.6 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Curved Aquaplaning Wet 84% 68% +16.5 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 95% 90% +5.3 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Wet Braking Wet 95% 93% +2.3 3–1 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2024 Winter 55 Tyre Braking Test · 205/55 R16
Wet Handling Wet 99% 97% +1.6 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Ice Braking Snow 99% 99% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 17 inch Winter Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Snow Braking Snow 96% 94% +2.2 5–0 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2024 Winter 55 Tyre Braking Test · 205/55 R16
Snow Handling Snow 97% 97% −0.5 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Snow Traction Snow 98% 94% +3.4 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Noise Noise 97% 98% −0.4 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Abrasion Treadwear 100% 95% +4.8 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 17 inch Winter Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Wear Treadwear 98% 91% +6.5 1–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Fuel Consumption Efficiency 95% 97% −1.7 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 17 inch Winter Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 85% 77% +7.8 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 61% 96% −34.6 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 215/55 R17
Total Cost of Ownership Cost #12/20 #16/20 – 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Value Cost 63% 93% −29.3 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Overall Ranking Overall #5/55 #2/55 – 4–1 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2024 Winter 55 Tyre Braking Test · 205/55 R16

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Alpin 6

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry road grip in cold temperatures
  • High levels of ride comfort and low cabin noise
  • Impressive tread life and long-term durability

Cons

  • Inconsistent performance in deep snow and on ice
  • Some reports of sluggish steering feedback or 'soft' sidewall feel
  • Higher price point compared to some performance-oriented winter alternatives
All owner themes in the Alpin 6 review

Tire B Winter Craft WP52

Pros

  • Good dry road handling and grip
  • Competitive price-to-performance ratio
  • Predictable and stable braking behavior

Cons

  • Below-average snow and wet performance reported by some users
  • Longer braking distances in wet conditions
  • Slightly vague steering feel in wet and dry corners
All owner themes in the Winter Craft WP52 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Alpin 6 B · Kumho Winter Craft WP52
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available42—
Rim diameters15″ – 20″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Alpin 6

Kumho Winter Craft WP52

Winner: Michelin Alpin 6 — better handling, comfort and treadwear. Pick the Kumho Winter Craft WP52 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Alpin 6 scores 81 vs 57 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Alpin 6 scores 83 vs 60 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Alpin 6 scores 85 vs 66 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Alpin 6 scores 89 vs 75 on wet.

Pick tire B Your priority is dry handling

Kumho Winter Craft WP52 won 2 of 2 shared dry handling tests.

Tire A · Michelin Alpin 6
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Tire B · Kumho Winter Craft WP52
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Alpin 6 or Winter Craft WP52?

Which is better in the wet, Alpin 6 or Winter Craft WP52?

Michelin Alpin 6, 89 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Alpin 6 or Winter Craft WP52?

Michelin Alpin 6, 77 vs 72 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Alpin 6 or Winter Craft WP52?

Michelin Alpin 6, 75 vs 68 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Alpin 6 or Winter Craft WP52?

Kumho Winter Craft WP52, 66 vs 60 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Alpin 6 or Winter Craft WP52?

Michelin Alpin 6, 83 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Alpin 6 or Winter Craft WP52?

Michelin Alpin 6, 85 vs 66 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Alpin 6 or Winter Craft WP52?

Michelin Alpin 6, 64 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