Skip to content
Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Falken Eurowinter HS439 vs Kumho WinterCraft WP71 — 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.

Tire A Falken

Falken Eurowinter HS439

Winter Touring tires

Falken Eurowinter HS439 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
78/100
17 owner reviews
Dry
86
Wet
83
Snow
60
Comfort
77
Noise
–
Treadwear
83
Handling
81

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Kumho

Kumho WinterCraft WP71

Winter Premium Touring tires

Kumho WinterCraft WP71 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
76/100
3 professional tests
User signal (40%)
61/100
17 owner reviews
Dry
80
Wet
73
Snow
85
Comfort
51
Noise
10
Treadwear
73
Handling
53

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Falken Eurowinter HS439 — better handling, comfort and wet. Pick the Kumho WinterCraft WP71 if snow matters most to you.
Read full

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made via links on this page.

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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Eurowinter HS439 leads by 6
A — Falken Eurowinter HS439
86
B — Kumho WinterCraft WP71
80
Why this score
SourceEurowinter HS439WinterCraft WP71
Professional tests (TWG score) – 89
Tyre Reviews owners 86 67

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Eurowinter HS439 leads by 10
A — Falken Eurowinter HS439
83
B — Kumho WinterCraft WP71
73
Why this score
SourceEurowinter HS439WinterCraft WP71
Professional tests (TWG score) – 81
Tyre Reviews owners 83 61

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WinterCraft WP71 leads by 25
A — Falken Eurowinter HS439
60
B — Kumho WinterCraft WP71
85
Why this score
SourceEurowinter HS439WinterCraft WP71
Professional tests (TWG score) – 90
Tyre Reviews owners 60 78

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Eurowinter HS439 leads by 26
A — Falken Eurowinter HS439
77
B — Kumho WinterCraft WP71
51
Why this score
SourceEurowinter HS439WinterCraft WP71
Tyre Reviews owners 77 51

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Falken Eurowinter HS439
–
B — Kumho WinterCraft WP71
10
Why this score
SourceEurowinter HS439WinterCraft WP71
Professional tests (TWG score) – 10

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Eurowinter HS439 leads by 10
A — Falken Eurowinter HS439
83
B — Kumho WinterCraft WP71
73
Why this score
SourceEurowinter HS439WinterCraft WP71
Tyre Reviews owners 83 73

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Eurowinter HS439 leads by 28
A — Falken Eurowinter HS439
81
B — Kumho WinterCraft WP71
53
Why this score
SourceEurowinter HS439WinterCraft WP71
Tyre Reviews owners 81 53

Scores at a glance

Falken Eurowinter HS439 vs Kumho WinterCraft WP71: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryFalken Eurowinter HS439Kumho WinterCraft WP71
Relative Score 79 70
Dry 86 80
Wet 83 73
Snow 60 85
Comfort 77 51
Noise – 10
Treadwear 83 73
Handling 81 53

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Personalize

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Falken Eurowinter HS439

The Falken Eurowinter HS439 is widely regarded as a high-value winter tire that excels in deep snow and icy conditions, offering performance comparable to premium brands at a lower price point. While users appreciate its predictable handling and durability, many note that the design feels dated, particularly regarding wet-weather braking and overall refinement compared to modern alternatives.

Pros

  • Excellent traction and confidence on snow and ice
  • High value-for-money proposition
  • Good tread longevity and durability
  • Predictable and progressive handling characteristics

Cons

  • Mediocre wet-weather braking performance
  • Increased road noise compared to summer tires
  • Susceptibility to sidewall damage on poor road surfaces
  • Dated performance characteristics compared to newer tire generations

Observations

  • Users noted that the tire requires a 'run-in' period of several hundred miles before reaching optimal grip levels.
  • Drivers of rear-wheel-drive vehicles reported significant improvements in winter mobility, though some noted concerns regarding sidewall robustness on pothole-prone roads.
Tire B Kumho WinterCraft WP71

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

Observations

  • 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.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Falken Eurowinter HS439 B · Kumho WinterCraft WP71
CategoryWinter Touring tiresWinter Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Falken

Kumho

Winner: Falken Eurowinter HS439 — better handling, comfort and wet. Pick the Kumho WinterCraft WP71 if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Falken Eurowinter HS439 scores 81 vs 53 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Falken Eurowinter HS439 scores 77 vs 51 on comfort.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Kumho WinterCraft WP71 scores 85 vs 60 on snow.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Falken Eurowinter HS439 scores 83 vs 73 on wet.

Tire A · Falken Eurowinter HS439
Tire B · Kumho WinterCraft WP71

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.