Firestone Winterhawk 3 review
Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners
Owners 59 · 8 reviews analysed Road tests 68 · 20 tests
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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.
Owners rate it 8.5 points lower than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
How scores work
- Relative score
- 0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
- Road tests
- 0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
- Owner reviews
- 0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.
By owner reviews
59/100From 8 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
By road tests
68/100Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.
Firestone Winterhawk 3 specs & sizes
Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.
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What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 8 owner reviews found online.
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.
Reviews from our readers
Drivers who have these tires on their car, in their own words. We check every review before it goes live.
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20 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 |
Source: Auto Bild
2020 Wybór Kierowców Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16
8th of 8
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Wybór Kierowców
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 |
Source: Auto Bild
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 |
Source: Auto Bild
2018 ADAC Winter tire Test - 175/65 R14 · 175/65 R14
3rd of 12
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2018 51 Winter tire Shootout · 195/65 R15
19th of 51
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2017 50 Winter tire Shoot Out · 225/50 R17
18th of 45
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2017 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17
19th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 18th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 13th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 6th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 14th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 10th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 17th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 19th of 20 | |
| Straight Aqua | 15th of 20 | |
| Noise | 5th of 20 | |
| Value | 12th of 20 | |
| Wear | 14th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 14th of 20 |
Source: Auto Bild
2017 ADAC Winter tire Test - 195/65 R15 · 195/65 R15
10th of 16
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2017 ADAC Winter Tire Test R16 · 195/65R16
9th of 9
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2016 Winter tire Market Overview · 205/55 R16
24th of 43
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2016 ADAC Winter tire Test - 185/65 R15 · 185/65 R15
14th of 15
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2016 ADAC Winter tire Test - 225/45 R17 · 225/45 R17
3rd of 13
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2015 Auto Bild Top 18 Winter tire Test · 185/60 R15
14th of 18
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
2015 ADAC Winter tire Test - 165/70 R14 · 165/70 R14
12th of 16
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2015 ADAC Winter tire Test - 205/55 R16 · 205/55 R16
8th of 19
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2015 Winter tire Market Overview · 185/60R15
16th of 51
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2014 ADAC Winter tire Test - 175/65 R14 · 175/65 R14
4th of 14
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2013 ADAC Winter tire Test - 185/60 R15 · 185/60 R15
3rd of 17
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2013 ACE Winter tire Test · 185/60 R15
4th of 9
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ACE
Firestone Winterhawk 3 compared
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