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Head-to-head Updated

Falken EuroWinter HS449 vs Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 42 + 7 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: EuroWinter HS449 and SNOWCONTROL Serie II are level at 71.

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Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 68

    Dry

    Level
    68
    Why this score
    SourceEuroWinter HS449SNOWCONTROL Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6869

    EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 67.9 (est.) + 40% × 67.8 = 68

    SNOWCONTROL Serie II: 60% × 68.2 (est.) + 40% × 68.5 = 68

    No road tests of dry for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

    No road tests of dry for SNOWCONTROL Serie II. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 78

    Wet

    EuroWinter HS449 +5
    73
    Why this score
    SourceEuroWinter HS449SNOWCONTROL Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 76 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online8074

    EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 76 (est.) + 40% × 80.4 = 78

    SNOWCONTROL Serie II: 60% × 72.4 (est.) + 40% × 73.8 = 73

    No road tests of wet for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for SNOWCONTROL Serie II. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 71

    Snow

    SNOWCONTROL Serie II +2
    73
    Why this score
    SourceEuroWinter HS449SNOWCONTROL Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7274

    EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 70.8 (est.) + 40% × 71.5 = 71

    SNOWCONTROL Serie II: 60% × 71.7 (est.) + 40% × 74.2 = 73

    No road tests of snow for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

    No road tests of snow for SNOWCONTROL Serie II. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 70

    Comfort

    EuroWinter HS449 +5
    65
    Why this score
    SourceEuroWinter HS449SNOWCONTROL Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7164

    EuroWinter HS449: 40% × 69.1 (est.) + 60% × 70.6 = 70

    SNOWCONTROL Serie II: 40% × 67.7 (est.) + 60% × 64 = 65

    No road tests of comfort for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for SNOWCONTROL Serie II. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 60

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceEuroWinter HS449SNOWCONTROL Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)–
    Reviews found online52–

    EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 51.7 = 60

    No road tests of noise for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 66

    Treadwear

    SNOWCONTROL Serie II +3
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEuroWinter HS449SNOWCONTROL Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6571

    EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 65.4 = 66

    SNOWCONTROL Serie II: 60% × 68.1 (est.) + 40% × 71 = 69

    No road tests of treadwear for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for SNOWCONTROL Serie II. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 72

    Handling (owners)

    Level
    72
    Why this score
    SourceEuroWinter HS449SNOWCONTROL Serie II
    Reviews found online7272
Scores at a glance
CategoryFalken EuroWinter HS449Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II
Relative Score 71 71
Dry 68 68
Wet 78 73
Snow 71 73
Comfort 70 65
Noise 60 –
Treadwear 66 69
Handling (owners) 72 72

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

EuroWinter HS449

± 8

SNOWCONTROL Serie II

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryEuroWinter HS449SNOWCONTROL Serie IIΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #9/17 2020 Consumer Reports North America Winter Tyre Test #3/10 2011 EVO Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A EuroWinter HS449

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and ice
  • Strong value for money compared to premium brand winter tires
  • Reliable and safe performance on wet and rainy roads with good hydroplaning resistance

Cons

  • Faster tread wear or a softer rubber compound noted by some users
  • Slightly reduced fuel economy or rolling resistance penalty
  • Occasional reports of decreased grip or wheel spin on steep inclines and packed ice for certain 2WD setups
All owner themes in the EuroWinter HS449 review

Tire B SNOWCONTROL Serie II

Pros

  • Fantastic grip and control in deep snow, ice, and wet conditions
  • Exceptional longevity and slow, even tread wear over multiple seasons
  • Short and predictable braking distances on slippery surfaces

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise during regular driving
  • Some users feel they are relatively expensive for what they offer
All owner themes in the SNOWCONTROL Serie II review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Falken EuroWinter HS449 B · Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available6—
Rim diameters16″ – 19″—
Tread depth11/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Falken EuroWinter HS449

Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II

Too close to call: Falken EuroWinter HS449 and Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II are within 2 points overall. Falken EuroWinter HS449 is stronger on wet and comfort. Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II is stronger on treadwear. Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Falken EuroWinter HS449 scores 78 vs 73 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Falken EuroWinter HS449 scores 70 vs 65 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II scores 69 vs 66 on treadwear.

Tire A · Falken EuroWinter HS449
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Tire B · Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II
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EuroWinter HS449 or SNOWCONTROL Serie II?

Which is better in the wet, EuroWinter HS449 or SNOWCONTROL Serie II?

Falken EuroWinter HS449, 78 vs 73 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, EuroWinter HS449 or SNOWCONTROL Serie II?

Neither, by our numbers: 68 vs 68 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, EuroWinter HS449 or SNOWCONTROL Serie II?

Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 73 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, EuroWinter HS449 or SNOWCONTROL Serie II?

Falken EuroWinter HS449, 70 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, EuroWinter HS449 or SNOWCONTROL Serie II?

Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II, 69 vs 66 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology