Firestone Winterhawk 4 vs Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
In the 9 independent tests that ran both tires, the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2 finished ahead 7 times and the Winterhawk 4 twice. The Winterhawk 4 was stronger in comfort, the Cinturato Winter 2 in dry, wet, snow, ice and value.
Performance profile
14 measurements from the 9 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Winterhawk 4
Cinturato Winter 2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 97%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 4 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
Winterhawk 4
Cinturato Winter 2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
Winterhawk 4
Cinturato Winter 2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the Winterhawk 4 72% from 6 reviews and the Cinturato Winter 2 80% from 3. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tires posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Wins count the tests in which each tire did better.
| Measurement | Winterhawk 4 | Gap | Cinturato Winter 2 | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Cinturato Winter 2 ahead | ||||
| Dry Braking ft | 152 | 4.8% | 145 | 0-5 |
| Dry Handling mph | 70.1 | 0.8% | 70.6 | 0-4 |
| Wet Cinturato Winter 2 ahead | ||||
| Wet Braking ft | 144 | 0.5% | 143 | 4-5 |
| Wet Braking - Concrete ft | 129 | 4.3% | 124 | 0-1 |
| Wet Handling mph | 48.2 | 1.7% | 48.9 | 1-3 |
| Wet Circle s | 12.55 | 1.5% | 12.36 | 0-3 |
| Straight Aqua mph | 50.8 | 0.7% | 50.5 | 4-1 |
| Curved Aquaplaning ft/s² | 8.8 | 2.7% | 8.5 | 3-1 |
| Snow Cinturato Winter 2 ahead | ||||
| Snow Braking ft | 89 | 0.4% | 88 | 2-5 |
| Snow Traction lbf | 476 | 0.7% | 472 | 2-3 |
| Snow Handling mph | 35.8 | 0.6% | 36 | 1-3 |
| Snow Slalom ft/s² | 10.7 | 0.6% | 10.8 | 2-2 |
| Ice Cinturato Winter 2 ahead | ||||
| Ice Braking ft | 56 | 5.8% | 53 | 0-1 |
| Comfort Winterhawk 4 ahead | ||||
| Subj. Comfort pts | scored | 9.6% | scored | 0-1 |
| Noise dB | 70 | 0.4 dB | 70.38 | 3-1 |
| Value Cinturato Winter 2 ahead | ||||
| Wear miles | 24,633 | 6.8% | 26,291 | 1-4 |
| Rolling Resistance kg / t | 8.4 | 4.5% | 8.8 | 3-1 |
| Abrasion mg/km/t | 83 | 12% | 73 | 0-1 |
Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tires shared.
Head to head in 9 tests, 2022 to 2025
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | Winterhawk 4 | Field | Cinturato Winter 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test | P16 of 20 | P10 of 20 | |
| 2025 Winter Tire Braking Test - 52 Sets! | P7 of 51 | P9 of 51 | |
| 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test | P18 of 20 | P13 of 20 | |
| 2024 ADAC 17 inch Winter Tire Test | P10 of 16 | P7 of 16 | |
| 2024 Winter 55 Tire Braking Test | P10 of 55 | P4 of 55 | |
| 2023 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test | P20 of 20 | P5 of 20 | |
| 2023 Winter Tire Test 54 Set Braking Test | P6 of 54 | P9 of 54 | |
| 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test | P16 of 20 | P1 of 20 | |
| 2022 Winter Tire Market Overview | P14 of 56 | P5 of 56 |
Winterhawk 4 vs Cinturato Winter 2: your questions
Is the Firestone Winterhawk 4 or the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2 the better tire?
In the 9 independent tests that ran both tires, the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2 finished ahead 7 times and the Winterhawk 4 twice. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Winterhawk 4 scores 8.1 and the Cinturato Winter 2 9.3 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Winterhawk 4 or the Cinturato Winter 2?
The Cinturato Winter 2 led 14 of the 28 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 0.5% shorter in the wet across 9 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The Cinturato Winter 2 led 9 of the 9 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 4.8% shorter in the dry across 5 tests.
Which is better in snow?
The Cinturato Winter 2 led 13 of the 22 snow measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it averaged a 0.6% higher speed on the snow handling course across 4 tests.
Which lasts longer and costs less to run?
The Winterhawk 4 had 4.5% lower rolling resistance (4 tests); the Cinturato Winter 2 lasted 6.8% longer in the wear tests (5 tests). Owners rate wear 7.6/10 for the Winterhawk 4 and 6/10 for the Cinturato Winter 2.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 7.7/10 for the Winterhawk 4 and 7.7/10 for the Cinturato Winter 2.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Winterhawk 4 72% from 6 reviews and the Cinturato Winter 2 80% from 3.
Which is more expensive?
In the 5 tests that listed prices, the Cinturato Winter 2 was the dearer tire in 5 of them, by 23.4% on average. Prices are the test's own at the time, in its own market.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The Winterhawk 4 is made in 83 sizes (14 to 20 inch) and the Cinturato Winter 2 in 41 (16 to 20 inch). 31 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the Winterhawk 4 is graded B for wet grip and D for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Cinturato Winter 2 B and C.
Which is the newer tire?
The Cinturato Winter 2 is the newer design: it reached the market in 2021, the Winterhawk 4 in 2020. The Winterhawk 4 replaced the Firestone Winterhawk 3. The Cinturato Winter 2 replaced the Pirelli Cinturato Winter.
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Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.