74
/ 100
Objective (60%)
66/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
84/100
20 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 vs Kumho Winter Craft WP51 — Compared (September 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
81
/ 100
Objective (60%)
73/100
2 professional tests
User signal (40%)
78/100
15 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Kumho Winter Craft WP51 — better noise, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
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Category breakdown
7 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 19
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak WS90 | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 58 | 94 |
| Tire Rack owners | 88 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 77 |
| SimpleTire owners | 88 | – |
| Dry Braking (% of best) | 90% | 100% |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 7
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak WS90 | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 55 | 74 |
| Tire Rack owners | 91 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 74 |
| SimpleTire owners | 86 | – |
| Wet Braking (% of best) | 79% | 100% |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak WS90 | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 65 | 68 |
| Tire Rack owners | 93 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 100 | 90 |
| SimpleTire owners | 91 | – |
| Snow Braking (% of best) | 98% | 91% |
| Snow Handling (% of best) | 85% | 97% |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak WS90 | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 86 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 85 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 64 | 84 |
| SimpleTire owners | 87 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 23
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak WS90 | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 100 |
| SimpleTire owners | 77 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak WS90 | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 84 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 73 | 79 |
| SimpleTire owners | 82 | – |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak WS90 | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 65 | 71 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 | Kumho Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 81 |
| Dry | 68 | 87 |
| Wet | 67 | 74 |
| Snow | 76 | 77 |
| Comfort | 84 | 84 |
| Noise | 77 | 100 |
| Treadwear | 79 | 79 |
| Handling | 65 | 71 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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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
74
/ 100
Tire A
81
/ 100
Tire B
Test data
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Tire A | Tire B | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 90% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 100% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -9.8 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 50% #2/19 · The Best Winter Tyres for 2020 | 6% #16/16 · 2021 ADAC 15 Inch Winter Tyre Test | +43.8 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 98% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 91% #3/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | +7.2 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 85% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 97% #5/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -11.6 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 79% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 100% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -20.9 | Different tests |
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is widely regarded as a top-tier winter tire, consistently praised for its exceptional traction and confidence-inspiring performance on ice, deep snow, and slush. While users occasionally note increased road noise or less precise handling on dry pavement compared to all-season alternatives, the consensus remains that it is a premier choice for severe winter climates.
Pros
- Outstanding grip and acceleration on ice and hard-packed snow
- Excellent braking performance in hazardous winter conditions
- Strong capability in slush and deep snow
- High level of driver confidence in extreme weather
Cons
- Increased road noise during highway driving
- Less responsive or 'softer' handling feel on dry pavement
- Potential for minor rubbing depending on vehicle fitment
- Perceived as less refined in dry conditions compared to the previous WS80 generation
Observations
- Users operating rear-wheel-drive vehicles without modern traction control reported high satisfaction with the tire's ability to maintain mobility.
- Drivers of front-wheel-drive sedans noted significant improvements in winter handling and the ability to avoid using four-wheel-drive modes in moderate conditions.
The Kumho Winter Craft WP51 is widely regarded as a high-value winter tire that excels in deep snow and icy conditions, often outperforming more expensive competitors in severe weather. While users consistently praise its winter traction and affordability, some report compromises in dry-road handling, wet-weather braking, and increased cabin noise.
Pros
- Exceptional traction and reliability in deep snow and slush
- High price-to-performance ratio compared to premium brands
- Solid durability and tread life for the price point
- Effective performance on icy surfaces
Cons
- Noticeable increase in road noise
- Mediocre wet-weather braking and traction
- Lack of steering feedback and stability on dry pavement
- Potential for tread block squirm during steering inputs
Observations
- Drivers of smaller, lighter vehicles (e.g., Yaris, Mazda 3) report high satisfaction with snow climbing capabilities.
- Owners of heavier or higher-performance vehicles (e.g., Audi A4/A6, Mercedes E220D) noted concerns regarding wet-weather traction and handling precision.
- Some users observed a 15-20% increase in fuel consumption, likely due to the tire's aggressive winter tread compound.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 | B · Kumho Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Premium Touring tires | Winter Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 45 | — |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 19″ | — |
| Tread depth | 11/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
74
/ 100
Bridgestone
81
/ 100
Kumho
Winner: Kumho Winter Craft WP51 — better noise, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 100 vs 77 on noise.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 87 vs 68 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 74 vs 67 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 71 vs 65 on handling.
Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
Tire B · Kumho Winter Craft WP51
More comparisons
Also compared with
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 also compared with
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.