Kumho Winter Craft WP51 vs Hankook Winter i cept RS2
In the 7 independent tests that ran both tires, the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 finished ahead 7 times and the Winter Craft WP51 not once. The Winter Craft WP51 was stronger in comfort, the Winter i cept RS2 in dry, wet, snow and value.
Performance profile
9 measurements from the 7 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Winter Craft WP51
Winter i cept RS2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 92%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow.
Where each scores higher
Winter Craft WP51
Winter i cept RS2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
Winter Craft WP51
Winter i cept RS2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the Winter Craft WP51 75% from 15 reviews and the Winter i cept RS2 81% from 50. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tires posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Wins count the tests in which each tire did better.
| Measurement | Winter Craft WP51 | Gap | Winter i cept RS2 | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Winter i cept RS2 ahead | ||||
| Dry Braking ft | 151 | 2.2% | 147 | 0-1 |
| Dry Handling mph | 70.9 | 2.6% | 72.8 | 0-1 |
| Wet Winter i cept RS2 ahead | ||||
| Wet Braking ft | 126 | 13.8% | 109 | 0-2 |
| Wet Handling mph | 41.5 | 7.8% | 44.7 | 0-1 |
| Straight Aqua mph | 47.2 | 10.1% | 52 | 0-1 |
| Snow Winter i cept RS2 ahead | ||||
| Snow Braking ft | 92 | 1.6% | 90 | 1-1 |
| Snow Handling mph | 34.7 | 2.7% | 35.6 | 0-1 |
| Comfort Winter Craft WP51 ahead | ||||
| Noise dB | 71.2 | 0.5 dB | 71.7 | 1-0 |
| Value Winter i cept RS2 ahead | ||||
| Rolling Resistance kg / t | 9.99 | 4.9% | 9.5 | 0-1 |
Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tires shared.
Head to head in 7 tests, 2015 to 2021
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | Winter Craft WP51 | Field | Winter i cept RS2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Winter Tire Market Overview | P31 of 50 | P3 of 50 | |
| 2019 ADAC 185/65 R15 Winter Tire Test | P11 of 16 | P4 of 16 | |
| 2018 AMS Winter Tire Test | P11 of 11 | P4 of 11 | |
| 2018 51 Winter Tire Shootout | P23 of 52 | P4 of 52 | |
| 2017 ADAC Winter Tire Test - 195/65 R15 | P14 of 16 | P6 of 16 | |
| 2016 Winter Tire Market Overview | P30 of 49 | P14 of 49 | |
| 2015 Winter Tire Market Overview | P26 of 51 | P10 of 51 |
Winter Craft WP51 vs Winter i cept RS2: your questions
Is the Kumho Winter Craft WP51 or the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 the better tire?
In the 7 independent tests that ran both tires, the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 finished ahead 7 times and the Winter Craft WP51 not once. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Winter Craft WP51 scores 5 and the Winter i cept RS2 9 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Winter Craft WP51 or the Winter i cept RS2?
The Winter i cept RS2 led 4 of the 4 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 13.8% shorter in the wet across 2 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The Winter i cept RS2 led 2 of the 2 dry measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in snow?
The Winter i cept RS2 led 2 of the 3 snow measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 8.4/10 for the Winter Craft WP51 and 7.5/10 for the Winter i cept RS2.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Winter Craft WP51 75% from 15 reviews and the Winter i cept RS2 81% from 50. 71% of Winter Craft WP51 owners would buy it again, against 80% for the Winter i cept RS2.
More comparisons with these tires
Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.