Kumho Winter Craft WP52 review
Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners
Better than 54% of the winter tires we score.
Owners 57 · 9 reviews analysed Road tests 78 · 11 tests
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Kumho Winter Craft WP52 has a Relative Score of 69 out of 100 among winter tires. In 11 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 0 times and in the top three 1 times. Testers rate it best for wet (85) and weakest for efficiency (55). 9 owner reviews rate it 57 out of 100. 63% would buy it again.
Projected tread life in 4 wear tests: about 47,000 km (29,000 miles) on average, newest 2024.
- Strength: Wet 85 — 2nd of 55 (2024 Winter 55 tire Braking Test), 5th of 51 (2025 Winter tire Braking Test - 52 Sets!)
- Weak point: Efficiency 55 — 18th of 20 (2024 Auto Bild Winter tire Test), 17th of 20 (2022 Auto Bild Winter tire Test)
Owners rate it 21 points lower than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
How scores work
- Relative score
- 0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
- Road tests
- 0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
- Owner reviews
- 0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.
By owner reviews
57/100From 9 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
By road tests
78/100Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.
What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 9 owner reviews found online.
The Kumho Winter Craft WP52 is viewed as a budget-friendly winter tire that offers decent, reliable performance for everyday driving conditions. While users appreciate its dry handling, predictable braking, and competent snow traction, some note limitations in wet braking and high-torque vehicle compatibility.
Pros
- Good dry road handling and grip
- Competitive price-to-performance ratio
- Predictable and stable braking behavior
- Competent snow traction
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
- Increased rolling resistance and noise compared to summer tires
Worth knowing
- A user with a higher-torque diesel Audi A3 noted that the tires showed signs of early fraying and wear in city driving conditions.
- Drivers pairing the tires with an AWD system found that it adequately compensated for mediocre standalone snow grip.
11 published test appearances
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2025 Winter tire Braking Test - 52 Sets! · 225/40 R18
4th of 51
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 5th of 51 | |
| Snow Braking | 13th of 51 |
Source: Auto Bild
2025 Winter tire Braking Test - 52 Sets! · 225/40 R18
4th of 51
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 5th of 51 | |
| Snow Braking | 13th of 51 |
Source: Auto Bild
2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter tire Test · 245/45 R18
7th of 12
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 6th of 12 | |
| Wet Handling | 8th of 12 | |
| Dry Braking | 7th of 12 | |
| Dry Handling | 5th of 12 | |
| Snow Braking | 9th of 12 | |
| Snow Traction | 7th of 12 | |
| Snow Handling | 7th of 12 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 7th of 12 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 7th of 12 | |
| Noise | 2nd of 12 |
Source: Auto Bild Allrad
2024 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
15th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 4th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 3rd of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 17th of 20 | |
| Snow Traction | 17th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 11th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 18th of 20 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 20th of 20 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 20th of 20 | |
| Noise | 16th of 20 | |
| Value | 9th of 20 | |
| Wear | 20th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 16th of 20 |
Source: Auto Bild
2024 ADAC 17 inch Winter tire Test · 215/55 R17
12th of 16
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 10th of 16 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 16 | |
| Snow Braking | 11th of 16 | |
| Snow Traction | 11th of 16 | |
| Ice Braking | 6th of 16 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 13th of 16 | |
| Wear | 10th of 16 | |
| Abrasion | 11th of 16 | |
| Wet Braking (concrete) | 9th of 16 |
Source: ADAC
2024 Winter 55 tire Braking Test · 205/55 R16
2nd of 55
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 2nd of 55 | |
| Snow Braking | 20th of 55 |
Source: Auto Bild
2023 Sports Cars Winter tire Test · 225/40 R18
7th of 11
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 8th of 11 | |
| Wet Handling | 9th of 11 | |
| Dry Braking | 3rd of 11 | |
| Dry Handling | 4th of 11 | |
| Snow Braking | 8th of 11 | |
| Snow Traction | 9th of 11 | |
| Snow Handling | 8th of 11 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 8th of 11 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 10th of 11 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 5th of 11 | |
| Noise | 9th of 11 | |
| Snow Slalom | 5th of 11 |
Source: Auto Bild Sportscars
2023 Winter tire Test 54 Set Braking Test · 225/45 R18
25th of 54
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 24th of 54 | |
| Snow Braking | 26th of 54 |
Source: Auto Bild
2023 ADAC 17 inch Winter tire Test · 225/45 R17
9th of 15
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 7th of 15 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 15 | |
| Snow Braking | 11th of 15 | |
| Snow Traction | 9th of 15 | |
| Ice Braking | 4th of 15 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 10th of 15 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 11th of 15 | |
| Noise | 1st of 15 | |
| Value | 1st of 15 | |
| Wear | 1st of 15 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 11th of 15 | |
| Abrasion | 2nd of 15 |
Source: ADAC
2022 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 215/55 R17
17th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 11th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 18th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 3rd of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 2nd of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 20th of 20 | |
| Snow Traction | 20th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 14th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 17th of 20 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 17th of 20 | |
| Noise | 18th of 20 | |
| Value | 1st of 20 | |
| Price | 3rd of 20 | |
| Wear | 1st of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 5th of 20 |
Source: Auto Bild
2022 Winter tire Market Overview · 215/55 R17
19th of 56
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 12th of 56 | |
| Snow Braking | 28th of 56 |
Source: Auto Bild
Reviews from our readers
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