72
/ 100
Objective (60%)
71/100
3 professional tests
User signal (40%)
68/100
8 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Firestone Winterhawk 3 vs Nitto NT05 — 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
65
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
68/100
8 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Firestone Winterhawk 3 — better comfort and treadwear. Pick the Nitto NT05 if handling 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)
NT05 leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Winterhawk 3 | NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 83 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | 84 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 97 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Winterhawk 3 leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Winterhawk 3 | NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 62 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 69 | 63 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 69 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Winterhawk 3 | NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 83 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 60 | – |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 57 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Winterhawk 3 leads by 30
Why this score
| Source | Winterhawk 3 | NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 73 | 43 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 92 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Winterhawk 3 | NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 78 | – |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 87 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Winterhawk 3 leads by 16
Why this score
| Source | Winterhawk 3 | NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 75 | 59 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 81 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
NT05 leads by 16
Why this score
| Source | Winterhawk 3 | NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 68 | 84 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone Winterhawk 3 | Nitto NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 65 |
| Dry | 81 | 84 |
| Wet | 65 | 63 |
| Snow | 74 | – |
| Comfort | 73 | 43 |
| Noise | 78 | – |
| Treadwear | 75 | 59 |
| Handling | 68 | 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
72
/ 100
Tire A
65
/ 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 Firestone Winterhawk 3 is generally perceived as a budget-friendly, average-performing winter tire that prioritizes comfort and longevity over high-performance handling. While some users appreciate its quiet ride and reliability in moderate conditions, others report significant shortcomings in wet weather and snow traction, leading to a polarized user experience.
Pros
- High levels of ride comfort and low noise
- Good longevity and tread wear resistance
- Affordable price point
- Satisfactory performance in dry conditions
Cons
- Inconsistent or poor grip on snow and ice
- Unreliable wet weather performance and braking
- Pronounced understeering tendencies
- Lack of steering feedback and road connection
Observations
- Users with smaller tire sizes, such as 155/65 R14, reported noticeable understeering and poor snow/ice performance.
- Performance feedback appears highly subjective, with some users finding the tire adequate for steady, non-aggressive driving while others find it lacking for more demanding vehicle dynamics.
The Nitto NT05 is widely regarded as a specialized extreme performance tire that excels in track-day environments and spirited driving scenarios. While users appreciate its predictable handling and progressive feedback, it is frequently criticized for rapid tread wear and significant road noise, making it a polarizing choice for daily commuting.
Pros
- Predictable and balanced handling during track use
- Informative feedback near the limit of adhesion
- Strong cornering confidence and stability
- Aesthetically pleasing sidewall and tread design
Cons
- High levels of road noise during daily driving
- Rapid tread wear, particularly under high-torque applications
- Inconsistent dry grip performance for high-horsepower vehicles
- Not recommended for daily use due to comfort and longevity trade-offs
Observations
- High-horsepower vehicles (e.g., 360rwkw turbo applications) report that the tire struggles to manage power delivery effectively.
- Users with AWD platforms, such as the Audi A4, report satisfactory performance in wet conditions when driven conservatively.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Firestone Winterhawk 3 | B · Nitto NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Touring tires | Summer Extreme Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 23 |
| Rim diameters | — | 15″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | — | 7.2/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 200 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Firestone
65
/ 100
Nitto
Winner: Firestone Winterhawk 3 — better comfort and treadwear. Pick the Nitto NT05 if handling and dry matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Firestone Winterhawk 3 scores 73 vs 43 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Firestone Winterhawk 3 scores 75 vs 59 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Nitto NT05 scores 84 vs 68 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Nitto NT05 scores 84 vs 81 on dry.
Tire A · Firestone Winterhawk 3
Tire B · Nitto NT05
More comparisons
Also compared with
Firestone Winterhawk 3 also compared with
Nitto NT05 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.