78
/ 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 Pirelli Ice Zero 2 — 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
70
/ 100
Objective (60%)
75/100
3 professional tests
User signal (40%)
64/100
3 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Kumho Winter Craft WP51 — better comfort, treadwear and dry. Pick the Pirelli Ice Zero 2 if snow and wet 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 12
Why this score
| Source | Winter Craft WP51 | Ice Zero 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 94 | 73 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 77 | 77 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) | 100% | 98% |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Ice Zero 2 leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | Winter Craft WP51 | Ice Zero 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 74 | 90 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 74 | 73 |
| Wet Braking (% of best) | 85% | 86% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) | 90% | 96% |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Ice Zero 2 leads by 10
Why this score
| Source | Winter Craft WP51 | Ice Zero 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 68 | 92 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 90 | 80 |
| Snow Braking (% of best) | 91% | 98% |
| Snow Handling (% of best) | 97% | 95% |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 27
Why this score
| Source | Winter Craft WP51 | Ice Zero 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 84 | 57 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Winter Craft WP51 | Ice Zero 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 100 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 22
Why this score
| Source | Winter Craft WP51 | Ice Zero 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | 57 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 11
Why this score
| Source | Winter Craft WP51 | Ice Zero 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 71 | 60 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Winter Craft WP51 | Pirelli Ice Zero 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 78 | 70 |
| Dry | 87 | 75 |
| Wet | 74 | 83 |
| Snow | 77 | 87 |
| Comfort | 84 | 57 |
| Noise | 100 | – |
| Treadwear | 79 | 57 |
| Handling | 71 | 60 |
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
78
/ 100
Tire A
70
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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 | 98% #2/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | +1.7 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 92% #2/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 85% #10/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | +7.4 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 6% #16/16 · 2021 ADAC 15 Inch Winter Tyre Test | 6% #16/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test | 0 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 91% #3/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 98% #6/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | -7.7 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 97% #5/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 95% #4/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | +2 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 91% #7/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/8 · 2020 Studded Winter Tyre Test | -9 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 85% #32/49 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview | 86% #4/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | -1.1 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 90% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 96% #3/8 · 2020 Studded Winter Tyre Test | -6.4 | 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 Pirelli Ice Zero 2 presents a polarized user experience, with performance feedback ranging from high satisfaction in snow and slush to significant disappointment regarding ice traction and noise levels. While some users find it to be a competent and reasonably quiet studded option, others report alarming instability on ice and intrusive acoustic resonance at highway speeds.
Pros
- Reliable performance on snow and slush-covered surfaces
- Acceptable noise levels for a studded tire
- Stable handling characteristics on wet and salted road conditions
Cons
- Significant, high-pitched humming noise at speeds above 95 km/h
- Poor traction and stability on ice compared to premium competitors
- Inconsistent grip during low-speed cornering
Observations
- Users operating all-wheel-drive vehicles, such as the VW Passat Alltrack, reported unexpected slippage in cornering scenarios despite the vehicle's drivetrain advantages.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Winter Craft WP51 | B · Pirelli Ice Zero 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 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?
78
/ 100
Kumho
70
/ 100
Pirelli
Winner: Kumho Winter Craft WP51 — better comfort, treadwear and dry. Pick the Pirelli Ice Zero 2 if snow and wet matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 84 vs 57 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 79 vs 57 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 87 vs 75 on dry.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 71 vs 60 on handling.
Tire A · Kumho Winter Craft WP51
Tire B · Pirelli Ice Zero 2
More comparisons
Also compared with
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 also compared with
Pirelli Ice Zero 2 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.