73
/ 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 Pirelli Cinturato Winter — 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
72
/ 100
Objective (60%)
64/100
5 professional tests
User signal (40%)
78/100
7 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictToo close to call: Firestone Winterhawk 3 and Pirelli Cinturato Winter are within 2 points overall. Firestone Winterhawk 3 is stronger on comfort, dry and treadwear. Pirelli Cinturato Winter is stronger on wet, snow and handling.
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)
Winterhawk 3 leads by 11
Why this score
| Source | Winterhawk 3 | Cinturato Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 83 | 67 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | 74 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) | 94% | 95% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) | 98% | 98% |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Cinturato Winter leads by 20
Why this score
| Source | Winterhawk 3 | Cinturato Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 62 | 83 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 69 | 87 |
| Wet Braking (% of best) | 85% | 84% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) | 93% | 96% |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Cinturato Winter leads by 10
Why this score
| Source | Winterhawk 3 | Cinturato Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 83 | 81 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 60 | 90 |
| Snow Braking (% of best) | 94% | 97% |
| Snow Handling (% of best) | 98% | 96% |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Winterhawk 3 leads by 40
Why this score
| Source | Winterhawk 3 | Cinturato Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 1 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 73 | 81 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Winterhawk 3 | Cinturato Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 78 | 78 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Winterhawk 3 leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Winterhawk 3 | Cinturato Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 75 | 72 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Cinturato Winter leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | Winterhawk 3 | Cinturato Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 68 | 74 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone Winterhawk 3 | Pirelli Cinturato Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 73 | 72 |
| Dry | 81 | 70 |
| Wet | 65 | 85 |
| Snow | 74 | 84 |
| Comfort | 73 | 33 |
| Noise | 78 | 78 |
| Treadwear | 75 | 72 |
| Handling | 68 | 74 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Personalize
Weight the categories that matter to you
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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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
73
/ 100
Tire A
72
/ 100
Tire B
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 | 94% #16/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 95% #9/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test | -0.8 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 98% #15/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 98% #17/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +0.4 | Same test |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 80% #15/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 84% #6/10 · 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -4.1 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 98% #13/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 99% #5/10 · 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -0.6 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 72% #3/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 62% #9/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | +9.9 | Different tests |
| Value | Other | 51% #3/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 100% #20/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | -48.8 | Same test |
| Wear | Other | 62% #8/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 40% #20/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +22.4 | Same test |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 33% #3/12 · 2018 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 175/65 R14 | 14% #7/51 · 2018 51 Winter Tyre Shootout | +19 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 94% #21/30 · 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview | 97% #4/10 · 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -2.9 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 98% #10/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 96% #5/10 · 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test | +2.1 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 90% #15/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 96% #4/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test | -6.5 | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Total | 0% #10/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 0% #20/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 0 | Same test |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 85% #29/44 · 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview | 84% #4/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | +1.9 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 93% #20/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 96% #8/10 · 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -3.3 | Different tests |
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 Pirelli Cinturato Winter is generally regarded as a highly capable winter tire, particularly excelling in wet, icy, and snowy conditions. While users praise its initial comfort and winter-weather traction, there is a consensus that performance, particularly regarding dry-road grip and noise levels, tends to degrade noticeably as the tire ages.
Pros
- Exceptional traction on snow and ice
- Strong performance in wet conditions
- Competitive pricing compared to premium rivals
- Comfortable ride quality when new
Cons
- Noticeable increase in road noise over time
- Average to poor dry-road handling and emergency braking
- Significant degradation of performance characteristics after several seasons
- Soft sidewall construction affecting steering feedback
Observations
- Users driving smaller, efficiency-focused vehicles like the Toyota Prius report high satisfaction with the tire's wet and icy road performance.
- Drivers note that the tire's soft sidewall design may not be ideal for those seeking sharp, sporty handling characteristics.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Firestone Winterhawk 3 | B · Pirelli Cinturato Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Touring tires | Winter Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
73
/ 100
Firestone
72
/ 100
Pirelli
Too close to call: Firestone Winterhawk 3 and Pirelli Cinturato Winter are within 2 points overall. Firestone Winterhawk 3 is stronger on comfort, dry and treadwear. Pirelli Cinturato Winter is stronger on wet, snow and handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Firestone Winterhawk 3 scores 73 vs 33 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Pirelli Cinturato Winter scores 85 vs 65 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Firestone Winterhawk 3 scores 81 vs 70 on dry.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Pirelli Cinturato Winter scores 84 vs 74 on snow.
Tire A · Firestone Winterhawk 3
Tire B · Pirelli Cinturato Winter
More comparisons
Also compared with
Firestone Winterhawk 3 also compared with
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 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.