Kumho Wintercraft Ice WI31
The Wintercraft WI31 winter tire from Kumho is designed specifically for icy roads. It features outstanding grip and handling, thanks to its directional tread design and V-shaped grooves. And unlike other winter tires, it offers an incredibly smooth and comfortable drive.
What makes the Wintercraft WI31 an ideal winter tire? Let’s take a look:
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Overview
The WI31 tires are top-of-the-line when it comes to maneuverability on ice and snow due to their design.
Featuring a directional tread design enhances the tire performance, and the high-density 3D honeycomb siping pattern helps grip ice and snow-covered roads. This unique design feature prevents slippage and boosts traction on heavy snow, sleet, or ice.
A tire should provide excellent handling ability as it is the only link between the vehicle and surface. Therefore, tire companies are looking into ways to maximize the steerability and stability of new tire models.
In this regard, the WI31 is already a winner. Its customized directional tread design vastly improves handling ability and maintains constant contact with the road, even during sharp turns. This improved road contact provides a faster steering response.
Additionally, its winter compound works together with the directional pattern to enhance traction on wet and dry road surfaces. This compound helps the rubber maintain its flexibility even in extremely low temperatures, priming it for severe driving conditions.
Along with these features, this tire has high steerability on ice while maintaining a high tire-to-road ratio. This combination ensures a perfect road-grip every time.
The Wintercraft WI31 greatly reduces road noise levels due to its unique tread pattern. The low tire profile and the ideal pattern work in combination to keep any airwaves out of the footprint. This prevents them from coming into contact with the tread elements to minimize road and tread pattern noise.
Pros
- Compared to other winter tires, it’s surprisingly quiet
- It offers a smooth and comfortable ride
- Quiet compared to other winter tires
- High steering responsiveness
- High traction in low temperatures
- Good braking ability
- Good cornering ability
Cons
- Long wet braking distance
- Low ice performance compared to other studded tires
Overall Thoughts
We found this tire’s directional tread design to be very impressive. This unique feature and the biting edges within its V-shaped formation enhance the grip and traction noticeably.
We also appreciated the fact that this tire is optimized with studs. However, compared to other studded tires, it has low ice performance and longer braking distances.
Moreover, the V-shaped grooves on the tire help channel water away when driving on icy roads, and the sipes increase traction and grip on slippery roads.
The winter compound is developed for low temperatures and maintains its flexibility even in blizzard-like conditions. Constant flexibility ensures that the tire does not lose its traction in icy conditions.
We found Wintercraft WI31’s unmatched steering ability and driving stability to be adequate. Driving in winter means you have to maintain low speeds. This tire’s improved steering response gives the driver complete control of the vehicle and allows them to cruise at a comfortable pace.
This Kumho model also offers high maneuvering and cornering capabilities in contrast to other winter tires. This is because the tread features a shoulder block placement, which greatly improves the cornering grip.
Plus, its 3D honeycomb siping pattern and biting edges provide much-needed friction and give these tires decent braking power.
Unfortunately, we found these tires to have a long braking distance on icy roads, which may be dangerous for inexperienced drivers. Furthermore, while it delivers good snow performance, we found its performance on snowy roads lacking compared to other studded tires.
However, nothing compares to the comfort level these tires provide. Their smart design offers reduced noise levels and smooth and comfortable rides.
Furthermore, they dampen any noise along the way and keep road disturbances from affecting the driving experience, making for a comfortable winter driving experience.
What Vehicles Will The Kumho Wintercraft Ice WI31 Fit?
- Acura – RL
- Audi – A6
- BMW – 525i
- Cadillac – Allante
- Ford Mustang – GTS
- Lincoln – LS
- Mazda – RX-8
- Mercedes-Benz – 300SL, SL500
- Mitsubishi – 3000GT Spyder SL
Tire Size
14″
- 165/65R14-79T
- 185/60R14-82T
- 175/70R14-84T
15″
- 175/65R15-88T
- 195/55R15-89T
- 185/65R15-88T
- 195/65R15-88T
- 195/65R15-94T
- 205/65R15-94T
- 215/65R15-96T
16″
- 195/55R16-91T
- 205/60R16-92T
- 215/55R16-97T
- 225/55R16-99T
17″
- 205/50R17-93T
- 215/45R17 XL-91T
- 215/50R17-95T
- 225/45R17 XL-94T
- 225/50R17-98T
- 235/45R17-97T
- 225/55R17-101T
- 245/45R17-99T
- 235/55R17 – 99H
- 235/65R17 – 108T
18″
- 225/40R18 – 92T
- 225/45R18 – 95T
- 235/40R18 – 95T
- 235/50R18 – 101T
- 245/45R18 – 100T
19″
- 225/45R19 – 96T
Price Range
If you’re looking to invest in the Wintercraft WI31 winter tires, they can cost you somewhere in the region of $50 to $200, depending on size and specifications.
Warranty
Kumho tires provide a 6-year warranty from the manufacturing date or the date of purchase. However, you need to show proof of purchase.
If the tire has worn down to 2/32″ of the original usable tread, the company will replace it with a new one, free of charge. Applicable taxes and the cost of mounting will be payable by the owner.
The warranty will not apply in several scenarios: when the tire has:
- Been damaged due to improper usage
- Been used even when flat
- Been regrooved, or retreaded
- Been damaged due to punctures, cuts, or other road hazards.
For more information, visit the Kumho website.