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.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Kumho WinterCraft WP72 vs Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 — 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
91
/ 100
Objective (60%)
72/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
94/100
1,962 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 — better handling, comfort 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)
Pilot Alpin 4 leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | WinterCraft WP72 | Pilot Alpin 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 88 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | 92 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Pilot Alpin 4 leads by 13
Why this score
| Source | WinterCraft WP72 | Pilot Alpin 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 89 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | 95 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | WinterCraft WP72 | Pilot Alpin 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 82 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 86 | 92 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Pilot Alpin 4 leads by 17
Why this score
| Source | WinterCraft WP72 | Pilot Alpin 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 77 | 91 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | WinterCraft WP72 | Pilot Alpin 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 85 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Pilot Alpin 4 leads by 11
Why this score
| Source | WinterCraft WP72 | Pilot Alpin 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 93 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Pilot Alpin 4 leads by 25
Why this score
| Source | WinterCraft WP72 | Pilot Alpin 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 71 | 95 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho WinterCraft WP72 | Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 79 | 91 |
| Dry | 82 | 91 |
| Wet | 78 | 91 |
| Snow | 86 | 86 |
| Comfort | 77 | 94 |
| Noise | – | 88 |
| Treadwear | 80 | 91 |
| Handling | 71 | 96 |
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
79
/ 100
Tire A
91
/ 100
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.
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.
The Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 is widely regarded as a premier performance winter tire, offering an exceptional balance of cold-weather safety and dry-road handling characteristics. Users consistently praise its ability to maintain sporty driving dynamics in snow, ice, and wet conditions, often noting that it feels remarkably similar to a summer tire in terms of feedback and stability.
Pros
- Outstanding traction and confidence in snow, ice, and freezing wet conditions.
- Superior dry-road handling and steering feedback compared to typical winter tires.
- High level of comfort and relatively low road noise for a performance-oriented winter compound.
- Excellent longevity and tread life, with many users reporting multiple seasons of use.
Cons
- Premium price point compared to competitors.
- Some reports of increased noise levels at high highway speeds.
- Not intended for high-speed sustained driving (above 190-200 km/h) due to deep tread patterns.
- Can feel slightly 'mushy' or soft in initial steering response compared to dedicated summer performance tires.
Observations
- Users with high-performance RWD vehicles (e.g., BMW, Mustang) report significantly improved winter drivability and confidence.
- Drivers of performance-oriented SUVs (e.g., Audi SQ5, BMW X3) note that the tire maintains vehicle agility while providing necessary winter safety.
- Some users noted that the tire's performance is best suited for high-torque, sporty vehicles, and may be 'overkill' or too expensive for standard commuter cars.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho WinterCraft WP72 | B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Premium Touring tires | Winter Ultra High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
79
/ 100
Kumho
91
/ 100
Michelin
Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 — better handling, comfort and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 96 vs 71 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 94 vs 77 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 91 vs 78 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 scores 91 vs 80 on treadwear.
Tire A · Kumho WinterCraft WP72
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
More comparisons
Also compared with
Kumho WinterCraft WP72 also compared with
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 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.