48
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
41/100
3 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated May 2026
Kumho I Zen KW31 vs Kumho WinterCraft WP72 — Compared (May 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
79
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
77/100
9 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Kumho WinterCraft WP72 — better snow, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
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Category breakdown
6 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)
WinterCraft WP72 leads by 22
Why this score
| Source | I Zen KW31 | WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 60 | 82 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
WinterCraft WP72 leads by 41
Why this score
| Source | I Zen KW31 | WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 37 | 78 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
WinterCraft WP72 leads by 53
Why this score
| Source | I Zen KW31 | WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 33 | 86 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
WinterCraft WP72 leads by 27
Why this score
| Source | I Zen KW31 | WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 50 | 77 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
WinterCraft WP72 leads by 20
Why this score
| Source | I Zen KW31 | WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 60 | 80 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
WinterCraft WP72 leads by 24
Why this score
| Source | I Zen KW31 | WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 47 | 71 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho I Zen KW31 | Kumho WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 48 | 79 |
| Dry | 60 | 82 |
| Wet | 37 | 78 |
| Snow | 33 | 86 |
| Comfort | 50 | 77 |
| Treadwear | 60 | 80 |
| Handling | 47 | 71 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
48
/ 100
Tire A
79
/ 100
Tire B
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Kumho I Zen KW31 receives overwhelmingly negative feedback from users, with consistent reports of poor performance in wet and winter conditions. Owners frequently express dissatisfaction with safety-critical metrics, leading to a consensus that the tire fails to meet expectations for its intended category.
Pros
- Acceptable performance during dry, spirited driving conditions
Cons
- Extremely poor grip and stopping distance in wet conditions
- Inadequate traction in serious winter weather
- High levels of road noise
- Overall lack of confidence in safety and handling
Observations
- Users who received these tires as original equipment on new vehicles reported a strong desire to replace them immediately due to poor performance.
The Kumho WinterCraft WP72 is widely regarded as a high-value performance winter tire that balances dry and wet road handling with competent snow traction. While most users praise its comfort, low noise levels, and affordability compared to premium alternatives, some report concerns regarding high-speed stability and potential issues with tire uniformity.
Pros
- Excellent value for money compared to premium winter tire brands
- Impressive noise suppression and ride comfort
- Strong performance on dry and wet surfaces
- Reliable traction in typical winter snow and slush conditions
Cons
- Vague handling and stability at higher highway speeds
- Reports of soft sidewalls leading to a 'jelly' feel
- Potential for flat-spotting and balancing issues
- Diminishing snow grip as the tread wears down
Observations
- Users with heavy EVs and RWD vehicles report good snow traction, though some note minor slippage during aggressive cornering on wet surfaces.
- Performance-oriented vehicles like the Subaru BRZ and Tesla Model 3 find the tire to be a capable, budget-friendly alternative to extreme winter tires.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho I Zen KW31 | B · Kumho WinterCraft WP72 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Premium Touring tires | Winter Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
48
/ 100
Kumho
79
/ 100
Kumho
Winner: Kumho WinterCraft WP72 — better snow, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 86 vs 33 on snow.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 78 vs 37 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 77 vs 50 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Kumho WinterCraft WP72 scores 71 vs 47 on handling.
Tire A · Kumho I Zen KW31
Tire B · Kumho WinterCraft WP72
More comparisons
Also compared with
Kumho I Zen KW31 also compared with
Kumho WinterCraft WP72 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.