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Winter tire Winter Touring tires Updated September 2026

Tristar Snowpower HP review

The Tristar Snowpower HP is perceived as a capable budget-friendly winter tire that exceeds expectations for its price point. While it lacks the refined steering feedback of premium alternatives, it offers reliable traction in wet, dry, and snowy conditions.

Relative score
69/100
tests + owners
Owner reviews
76/100
1 review
Road tests
56/100
3 published tests

Owners rate it 20.5 points higher than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.

Tristar Snowpower HP
Scores

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

76%
Would buy again 80%
Dry
Overall dry
80%
Corner stability
70%
Dry traction
80%
Steering response
60%
Wet
Overall wet
80%
Wet traction
80%
Snow & ice
Overall snow & ice
90%
Ice
80%
Comfort
Overall comfort
70%
Treadwear
Overall treadwear
70%
Handling
Overall handling
70%

By road tests

55.5%
Wet
26.7%
By discipline (% of best in test)
Dry Braking
86.7%
Dry Handling
86.7%
Subj. Dry Handling
86.7%
Wet Braking
40%
Wet Handling
40%
Straight Aquaplaning
40%
Curved Aquaplaning
40%
Side G-Force on Wet surface
40%
Snow Braking
46.7%
Snow Handling
46.7%
Snow Traction
46.7%
Ice Braking
73.3%
Ice Handling
73.3%
Inside Noise level
80%
Outside Noise
80%
Rolling Resistance
86.7%
Wear
80%
From owners

What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 1 owner review across retailers and review sites.

The Tristar Snowpower HP is perceived as a capable budget-friendly winter tire that exceeds expectations for its price point. While it lacks the refined steering feedback of premium alternatives, it offers reliable traction in wet, dry, and snowy conditions.

Pros

  • Strong value-for-money proposition
  • Reliable traction in snow
  • Competent performance in wet and dry conditions
  • Surprising performance relative to expectations

Cons

  • Lack of precise steering feedback
  • General handling characteristics could be more communicative

Worth knowing

  • The XL (Extra Load) variant demonstrates sufficient durability and performance over multiple winter seasons.
Test results

3 published test appearances

Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.

2021 Winter tire Market Overview · 205/55 R16

45th of 49
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking45th of 49

2020 ADAC Winter tire Test - 205/55 R16 · 205/55 R16

15th of 15
DisciplinePlacementField position

2018 51 Winter tire Shootout · 195/65 R15

38th of 51
DisciplinePlacementField position