83
/ 100
Objective (60%)
89/100
12 professional tests
User signal (40%)
86/100
9 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 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: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance — better handling, wet and snow. Pick the Kumho Winter Craft WP51 if noise matters most to you.
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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)
Why this score
| Source | UltraGrip Performance | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 86 | 94 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 89 | 77 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) | 95% | 100% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) | 98% | 97% |
Wet
Score (0–100)
UltraGrip Performance leads by 12
Why this score
| Source | UltraGrip Performance | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 84 | 74 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 89 | 74 |
| Wet Braking (% of best) | 88% | 100% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) | 99% | 90% |
Snow
Score (0–100)
UltraGrip Performance leads by 12
Why this score
| Source | UltraGrip Performance | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 84 | 68 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 95 | 90 |
| Snow Braking (% of best) | 98% | 91% |
| Snow Handling (% of best) | 94% | 97% |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
UltraGrip Performance leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | UltraGrip Performance | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 88 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 83 | 84 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 38
Why this score
| Source | UltraGrip Performance | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 62 | 100 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
UltraGrip Performance leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | UltraGrip Performance | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 81 | 79 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
UltraGrip Performance leads by 17
Why this score
| Source | UltraGrip Performance | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 88 | 71 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Goodyear UltraGrip Performance | Kumho Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 83 | 81 |
| Dry | 87 | 87 |
| Wet | 86 | 74 |
| Snow | 89 | 77 |
| Comfort | 86 | 84 |
| Noise | 62 | 100 |
| Treadwear | 81 | 79 |
| Handling | 88 | 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
83
/ 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 | 95% #3/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test | 100% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -5.1 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 98% #16/20 · 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 97% #10/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | +1.2 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 86% #5/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test | 100% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -14 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 97% #10/15 · 2023 ADAC 17 inch Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -3.3 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 50% #9/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test | 92% #2/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -42 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 17% #6/9 · 2020 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test | 8% #12/16 · 2018 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 205/55 R16 | +8.3 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 98% #7/30 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test | 91% #3/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | +7.3 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 94% #2/9 · 2021 Tyre Reviews Winter Tyre Test | 97% #5/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -2.7 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 96% #7/10 · 2020 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | 91% #7/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | +4.8 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 88% #10/48 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test | 100% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -11.9 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% #6/20 · 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 90% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | +8.9 | Different tests |
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Goodyear UltraGrip Performance is highly regarded by users for its exceptional traction in snow and wet conditions, often described as offering near-summer tire performance on dry pavement. While the majority of users praise its longevity and consistent winter capability, some note a slight increase in noise and fuel consumption during warmer temperatures.
Pros
- Exceptional snow and ice traction
- Strong performance in wet and dry conditions
- High tread longevity and durability
- Well-mannered handling in varied winter weather
Cons
- Increased road noise in warmer conditions
- Slightly higher fuel consumption
- Limited performance on pure ice surfaces
- High initial price point
Observations
- Users report consistent, reliable performance across diverse vehicle types, including compact cars like the Renault Megane and performance-oriented vehicles like the Mercedes SLK.
- The tire demonstrates significant longevity, with some users reporting up to five seasons of use before requiring replacement.
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 · Goodyear UltraGrip Performance | B · Kumho Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Ultra High Performance tires | Winter Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
83
/ 100
Goodyear
81
/ 100
Kumho
Winner: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance — better handling, wet and snow. Pick the Kumho Winter Craft WP51 if noise matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 100 vs 62 on noise.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance scores 88 vs 71 on handling.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance scores 86 vs 74 on wet.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance scores 89 vs 77 on snow.
Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip Performance
Tire B · Kumho Winter Craft WP51
More comparisons
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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.