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.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 vs Michelin Alpin 6 — 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
84
/ 100
Objective (60%)
89/100
19 professional tests
User signal (40%)
85/100
35 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Michelin Alpin 6 — better wet, handling and treadwear. Pick the Kumho Winter Craft WP51 if noise and dry matter 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)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Winter Craft WP51 | Alpin 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 94 | 80 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 77 | 89 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) | 100% | 95% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) | 97% | 99% |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Alpin 6 leads by 13
Why this score
| Source | Winter Craft WP51 | Alpin 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 74 | 84 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 74 | 91 |
| Wet Braking (% of best) | 100% | 92% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) | 90% | 99% |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Alpin 6 leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Winter Craft WP51 | Alpin 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 68 | 79 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 90 | 81 |
| Snow Braking (% of best) | 92% | 94% |
| Snow Handling (% of best) | 97% | 96% |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Alpin 6 leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | Winter Craft WP51 | Alpin 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 90 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 84 | 90 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 27
Why this score
| Source | Winter Craft WP51 | Alpin 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 100 | 73 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Alpin 6 leads by 8
Why this score
| Source | Winter Craft WP51 | Alpin 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | 87 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Alpin 6 leads by 13
Why this score
| Source | Winter Craft WP51 | Alpin 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 71 | 84 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Winter Craft WP51 | Michelin Alpin 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 81 | 84 |
| Dry | 87 | 84 |
| Wet | 74 | 87 |
| Snow | 77 | 80 |
| Comfort | 84 | 90 |
| Noise | 100 | 73 |
| Treadwear | 79 | 87 |
| Handling | 71 | 84 |
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
81
/ 100
Tire A
84
/ 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 | 100% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 95% #5/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test | +5.1 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 97% #10/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 99% #7/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test | -2 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 100% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 86% #4/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test | +14 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 100% #1/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 98% #8/20 · 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +2.1 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 92% #2/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 46% #11/11 · 2019 AMS Winter SUV Tyre Test | +46 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 4% #23/51 · 2018 51 Winter Tyre Shootout | 50% #2/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | -45.7 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 92% #29/35 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview | 94% #8/15 · 2023 ADAC 17 inch Winter Tyre Test | -2.4 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 97% #5/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 96% #16/20 · 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +0.6 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 91% #7/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 92% #10/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test | -0.9 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 100% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 92% #7/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +8.1 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 90% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 99% #3/20 · 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | -8.7 | Different tests |
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
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.
The Michelin Alpin 6 is widely regarded as a premium, highly comfortable winter tire that excels in wet and dry cold-weather conditions. While many users praise its longevity and consistent performance, there is a notable divide in user experience regarding its deep snow and ice traction, with some drivers finding it less capable than key competitors like the Continental WinterContact series.
Pros
- Exceptional wet and dry road grip in cold temperatures
- High levels of ride comfort and low cabin noise
- Impressive tread life and long-term durability
- Stable and predictable handling on motorways
Cons
- Inconsistent performance in deep snow and on ice
- Some reports of sluggish steering feedback or 'soft' sidewall feel
- Higher price point compared to some performance-oriented winter alternatives
- Occasional reports of reduced traction after multiple seasons of use
Observations
- Users with RWD vehicles, such as the BMW 5 Series, noted excellent snow traction, though some experienced minor grip limitations during hard acceleration on dry pavement.
- Drivers using smaller rim sizes (e.g., 185/65-R15) reported highly positive feedback regarding handling and road feel compared to larger, more performance-oriented setups.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Winter Craft WP51 | B · Michelin Alpin 6 |
|---|---|---|
| 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?
81
/ 100
Kumho
84
/ 100
Michelin
Winner: Michelin Alpin 6 — better wet, handling and treadwear. Pick the Kumho Winter Craft WP51 if noise and dry matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 100 vs 73 on noise.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Alpin 6 scores 87 vs 74 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Alpin 6 scores 84 vs 71 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Alpin 6 scores 87 vs 79 on treadwear.
Tire A · Kumho Winter Craft WP51
Tire B · Michelin Alpin 6
More comparisons
Also compared with
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 also compared with
Michelin Alpin 6 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.