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

WinterCraft WP52 plus is ahead, 81–61

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Yokohama iceGUARD iG65
Tire AYokohama

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)

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus
Tire BKumho

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)

Category by category

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

  1. 63

    Dry

    WinterCraft WP52 plus +19
    82
    Why this score
    SourceiceGUARD iG65WinterCraft WP52 plus
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 4 tests6982
    Reviews found online5383

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

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

  2. 63

    Wet

    WinterCraft WP52 plus +25
    88
    Why this score
    SourceiceGUARD iG65WinterCraft WP52 plus
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 5 tests7289
    Reviews found online5087

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

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

  3. 61

    Snow

    WinterCraft WP52 plus +15
    76
    Why this score
    SourceiceGUARD iG65WinterCraft WP52 plus
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 5 tests7175
    Reviews found online4779

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

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

  4. 58

    Comfort

    WinterCraft WP52 plus +19
    77
    Why this score
    SourceiceGUARD iG65WinterCraft WP52 plus
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 65 (est.)74
    Reviews found online5279

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

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

    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. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    62
    Why this score
    SourceiceGUARD iG65WinterCraft WP52 plus
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests–59
    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. 61

    Treadwear

    WinterCraft WP52 plus +13
    74
    Why this score
    SourceiceGUARD iG65WinterCraft WP52 plus
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 64 (est.)74
    Reviews found online5876

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

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

    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. 50

    Handling (owners)

    WinterCraft WP52 plus +33
    83
    Why this score
    SourceiceGUARD iG65WinterCraft WP52 plus
    Reviews found online5083
  8. 71

    Efficiency

    iceGUARD iG65 +6
    65
    Why this score
    SourceiceGUARD iG65WinterCraft WP52 plus
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 4 tests7165
Scores at a glance
CategoryYokohama iceGUARD iG65Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus
Relative Score 61 81
Dry 63 82
Wet 63 88
Snow 61 76
Comfort 58 77
Noise – 62
Treadwear 61 74
Handling (owners) 50 83
Efficiency 71 65

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
± 8

iceGUARD iG65

± 5

WinterCraft WP52 plus

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.

DisciplineCategoryiceGUARD iG65WinterCraft WP52 plusΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 98% #6/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test 95% #4/14 · 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 98% #4/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test 99% #2/14 · 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Ice Braking Snow 87% #6/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test 90% #11/16 · 2026 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 100% #3/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/14 · 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 96% #6/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test 98% #2/14 · 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 96% #3/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/14 · 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 98% #3/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test 92% #9/14 · 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #1/6 2025 Autoreview Studded Winter Tire Test R16 #2/14 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 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

Tire B 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

Specs side by side

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

Which one should you actually buy?

Yokohama iceGUARD iG65

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus

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 B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus scores 83 vs 50 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus scores 88 vs 63 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus scores 82 vs 63 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho WinterCraft WP52 plus scores 77 vs 58 on comfort.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Which lasts longer, iceGUARD iG65 or WinterCraft WP52 plus?

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

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

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