Firestone Winterhawk 3 review
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.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
By owner reviews
68%By road tests
71.3%What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 8 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.
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
Worth knowing
- 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.
6 published test appearances
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2020 Winter tire Market Overview - 52 tire Braking Test · 245/45 R18
32nd of 48
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 32nd of 48 |
2019 Winter tire Test Market Overview · 225/45 R17
24th of 45
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 29th of 45 | |
| Snow Braking | 21st of 45 |
2018 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 195/65 R15
19th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 20th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 20th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 16th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 15th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 10th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 10th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 15th of 20 | |
| Straight Aqua | 15th of 20 | |
| Noise | 13th of 20 | |
| Value | 3rd of 20 | |
| Price | 3rd of 20 | |
| Wear | 8th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 10th of 20 |
2018 ADAC Winter tire Test - 175/65 R14 · 175/65 R14
3rd of 12
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2018 51 Winter tire Shootout · 195/65 R15
19th of 51
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2017 ADAC Winter tire Test - 195/65 R15
10th of 16
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | 3rd of 16 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 3rd of 16 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 9th of 16 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 9th of 16 | |
| Wet Braking | 9th of 16 | |
| Wet Handling | 9th of 16 | |
| Side G-Force on Wet surface | 9th of 16 | |
| Snow Braking | 8th of 16 | |
| Snow Traction | 8th of 16 | |
| Snow Handling | 8th of 16 | |
| Ice Braking | 3rd of 16 | |
| Ice Handling | 3rd of 16 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 16 | |
| Inside Noise level | 5th of 16 | |
| Wear | 3rd of 16 | |
| Dry Handling | 3rd of 16 |