Kumho WinterCraft WP71 review
Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners
Owners 51 · 17 reviews analysed Road tests 70 · 11 tests
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The Kumho WinterCraft WP71 receives a polarized reception, with users frequently praising its competent snow and slush performance while expressing significant dissatisfaction regarding road noise and wet-weather handling. While some drivers find it a capable budget-friendly winter option, others report vague steering feedback and a lack of confidence in cornering, particularly on wet surfaces.
Owners rate it 19.3 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
51/100From 17 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
By road tests
70/100Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.
Kumho WinterCraft WP71 specs & sizes
Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.
| Size | Retailer |
|---|---|
| 245/55 R17 | Amazon |
| 255/35 R18 | Amazon |
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What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 17 owner reviews found online.
The Kumho WinterCraft WP71 receives a polarized reception, with users frequently praising its competent snow and slush performance while expressing significant dissatisfaction regarding road noise and wet-weather handling. While some drivers find it a capable budget-friendly winter option, others report vague steering feedback and a lack of confidence in cornering, particularly on wet surfaces.
Pros
- Strong traction and braking performance in deep snow and slush
- Competitive price point compared to premium winter tire alternatives
- Predictable handling in dry winter conditions
- Generally satisfactory tread wear longevity
Cons
- Excessive road noise, particularly at low to moderate speeds
- Vague or 'spongy' steering feedback and handling characteristics
- Inconsistent lateral grip and understeer issues on wet roads
- Poor performance on ice compared to premium competitors
Worth knowing
- Drivers of performance-oriented vehicles, such as the Mazda 3 MPS, reported significant handling instability and a lack of precision.
- AWD vehicle owners, such as those with a Kia Sportage, reported higher satisfaction with snow and ice traction than those with FWD setups.
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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11 published test appearances
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2020 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test R18 · 225/40R18
12th of 11
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
2020 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tire Test R18 · 225/40R18
12th of 10
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild Sportscars
2019 19 Inch Performance Winter tire Test · 255/35 R19
7th of 11
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 8th of 11 | |
| Wet Handling | 9th of 11 | |
| Dry Braking | 2nd of 11 | |
| Dry Handling | 11th of 11 | |
| Snow Braking | 3rd of 11 | |
| Snow Handling | 1st of 11 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 7th of 11 | |
| Straight Aqua | 4th of 11 | |
| Noise | 3rd of 11 | |
| Price | 3rd of 11 |
Source: Auto Bild Sportscars
2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch tire Test · 225/45 R17
20th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 8th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 8th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 11th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 20th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 15th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 17th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 20th of 20 | |
| Straight Aqua | 8th of 20 | |
| Noise | 5th of 20 | |
| Value | 13th of 20 | |
| Price | 5th of 20 | |
| Wear | 20th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 20th of 20 |
Source: Auto Bild
2019 Winter tire Test Market Overview · 225/45 R17
10th of 45
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 7th of 45 | |
| Snow Braking | 15th of 45 |
Source: Auto Bild
2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter tire Test · 225/55 R17
8th of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 7th of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 8th of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 4th of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 9th of 10 | |
| Snow Braking | 9th of 10 | |
| Snow Handling | 6th of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 3rd of 10 | |
| Straight Aqua | 8th of 10 | |
| Noise | 9th of 10 |
Source: Auto Bild
2017 50 Winter tire Shoot Out · 225/50 R17
16th of 45
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2017 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17
12th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 10th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 14th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 4th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 18th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 19th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 15th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 6th of 20 | |
| Straight Aqua | 19th of 20 | |
| Noise | 7th of 20 | |
| Value | 4th of 20 | |
| Wear | 5th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 5th of 20 |
Source: Auto Bild
2017 235/55 R17 SUV Winter tire Test · 235/55 R17
6th of 8
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2017 AMS Performance 18 inch Winter tire Test · 225/40 R18
9th of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 4th of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 7th of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 2nd of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 9th of 10 | |
| Snow Braking | 5th of 10 | |
| Snow Handling | 8th of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 10th of 10 | |
| Straight Aqua | 8th of 10 | |
| Noise | 4th of 10 |
Source: Auto Motor und Sport
2016 AZ Winter tire Test - 205/55 R16 · 205/55 R16
11th of 14
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Kumho WinterCraft WP71 compared
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