Kumho Winter Craft WP52 review
Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners
Owners 61 · 8 reviews analysed Road tests 77 · 10 tests
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The Kumho Winter Craft WP52 is generally regarded as a competent, budget-friendly winter tire that offers a balanced performance across various conditions. While it provides reliable traction on snow and dry surfaces, some users report inconsistent wet-weather braking and a slight lack of steering precision.
Owners rate it 15.7 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
61/100From 8 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
By road tests
77/100Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.
What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 8 owner reviews found online.
The Kumho Winter Craft WP52 is generally regarded as a competent, budget-friendly winter tire that offers a balanced performance across various conditions. While it provides reliable traction on snow and dry surfaces, some users report inconsistent wet-weather braking and a slight lack of steering precision.
Pros
- Strong price-to-performance ratio
- Reliable traction on snow-covered surfaces
- Solid dry road handling and stability
- High resistance to tread wear in some applications
Cons
- Vague steering feedback and handling feel
- Inconsistent wet-weather braking performance
- Increased road noise compared to summer tires
- Higher rolling resistance leading to increased fuel consumption
Worth knowing
- Users with AWD vehicles report that the tire's performance on snow is significantly bolstered by the drivetrain, compensating for mediocre individual tire grip.
- Drivers of compact hatchbacks, such as the Audi A3, report high satisfaction with the tire's overall grip profile.
Reviews from our readers
Drivers who have these tires on their car, in their own words. We check every review before it goes live.
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10 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
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 Aqua | 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 Aqua | 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 Aqua | 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 Aqua | 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 Aqua | 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 Aqua | 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
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