Firestone Winterhawk 4 vs Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
In this article we will be looking at independent tire test data, and real world driver reviews of the Firestone Winterhawk 4 and the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 to find out which tire is best for your own driving.
There are a few basic differences between the two tires. The Firestone Winterhawk 4 is an Touring Winter tire designed to be fitted to Passenger-Cars, and the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 is an Ultra-High-Performance Winter tire designed to be fitted to Passenger-Cars
Test Results
Independent comparison tire tests are the best source of data to get tire information from, and the good news is there have been eight tests which compare both tires directly!
| Tire | Test Wins | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 | eight |
While it might look like the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 is better than the Firestone Winterhawk 4 purely based on the higher number of test wins, tires are very complicated objects which means where one tire is better than the other can be more important in real world use.
Let's look at how the two tires compare across multiple tire test categories.
Dry Braking
Looking at data from five tire tests, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was better during five dry braking tests. On average the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 stopped the vehicle in 5.41% less distance than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Dry Braking: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
See how the Dry Braking winner was calculated >>
Dry Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from three tire tests, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was better during three dry handling [km/h] tests. On average the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was 1.55% faster around a lap than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Dry Handling [Km/H]: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
See how the Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking
Looking at data from eight tire tests, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was better during three wet braking tests. On average the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 stopped the vehicle in 0.69% less distance than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Wet Braking: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
See how the Wet Braking winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking - Concrete
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was better during one wet braking - concrete tests. On average the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 stopped the vehicle in 1.55% less distance than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Wet Braking - Concrete: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
See how the Wet Braking - Concrete winner was calculated >>
Wet Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from three tire tests, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was better during three wet handling [km/h] tests. On average the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was 2.24% faster around a wet lap than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Wet Handling [Km/H]: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
See how the Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Circle
Looking at data from one tire tests, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was better during one wet circle tests. On average the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 had 23.33% higher lateral wet grip than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Wet Circle: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
See how the Wet Circle winner was calculated >>
Straight Aqua
Looking at data from five tire tests, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was better during three straight aqua tests. On average the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 floated at a 0.57% higher speed than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Straight Aqua: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
See how the Straight Aqua winner was calculated >>
Curved Aquaplaning
Looking at data from four tire tests, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was better during three curved aquaplaning tests. On average the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 slipped out at a 6.8% higher speed than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Curved Aquaplaning: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
See how the Curved Aquaplaning winner was calculated >>
Snow Braking
Looking at data from eight tire tests, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was better during five snow braking tests. On average the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 stopped the vehicle in 2.2% less distance than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Snow Braking: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
See how the Snow Braking winner was calculated >>
Snow Traction
Looking at data from five tire tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during two snow traction tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 had 0.04% better snow traction than the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3.
Best In Snow Traction: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Snow Traction winner was calculated >>
Snow Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from three tire tests, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was better during three snow handling [km/h] tests. On average the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was 1.3% faster around a lap than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Snow Handling [Km/H]: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
See how the Snow Handling winner was calculated >>
Snow Slalom
Looking at data from three tire tests, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was better during two snow slalom tests. On average the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was 0.96% faster through a slalom than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Snow Slalom: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
See how the Snow Slalom winner was calculated >>
Ice Braking
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during two ice braking tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 stopped the vehicle 3.21% shorter than the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3.
Best In Ice Braking: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Ice Braking winner was calculated >>
Subj. Comfort
Looking at data from one tire tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 and Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 performed equally well in subj. comfort tests.
Best In Subj. Comfort: Both tires performed equally well
See how the Subj. Comfort winner was calculated >>
Noise
Looking at data from four tire tests, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was better during four noise tests. On average the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 measured 1.18% quieter than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Noise: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
See how the Noise winner was calculated >>
Wear
Looking at data from five tire tests, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was better during five wear tests. On average the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 is predicted to cover 26.01% miles before reaching 1.6mm than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Wear: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
See how the Wear winner was calculated >>
Value
Looking at data from three tire tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during three value tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 proved to have a 7.31% better value based on price/1000km than the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3.
Best In Value: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Value winner was calculated >>
Rolling Resistance
Looking at data from three tire tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during two rolling resistance tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 had a 3.11% lower rolling resistance than the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3.
Best In Rolling Resistance: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Rolling Resistance winner was calculated >>
Fuel Consumption
Looking at data from one tire tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during one fuel consumption tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 used 1.72% less fuel than the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3.
Best In Fuel Consumption: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Fuel Consumption winner was calculated >>
Abrasion
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 was better during two abrasion tests. On average the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 emitted 32.26% less particle wear matter than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Abrasion: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
See how the Abrasion winner was calculated >>
Real World Driver Reviews
Firestone Winterhawk 4 Driver Reviews
Drivers generally rate the Firestone Winterhawk 4 highly for everyday winter use, with strong confidence in snow and rain, short braking distances, and reassuring all-round performance. Many highlight its good value versus premium brands, along with a quiet, comfortable ride and responsive feel. Overall satisfaction is high across the majority of reviews.
Based on 5 reviews with an average rating of 79%
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 Driver Reviews
Drivers rate the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 very highly, praising its excellent grip and braking on dry and wet roads, strong traction in snow, and a quiet, comfortable, and predictable ride. Handling is often described as stable and confidence-inspiring, with several noting good highway manners. A minority mention weaker performance on pure ice and a softer, less sporty steering feel at the limit. Overall sentiment is strongly positive with only a few caveats.
Based on 13 reviews with an average rating of 87%
Conclusion
In conclusion the Firestone Winterhawk 4 performed better in snow traction, ice braking, value, rolling resistance and fuel consumption, while the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 performed better in dry braking, dry handling [km/h], wet braking, wet braking - concrete, wet handling [km/h], wet circle, straight aqua, curved aquaplaning, snow braking, snow handling [km/h], snow slalom, noise, wear and abrasion.
Interestingly, both tires performed equally well in dry handling, wet handling, snow handling and subj. comfort, showing that they are closely matched in these areas.
Which tire is best for you depends a lot on your driving style and situation, plus what you want from the tire. Comparing all the data in the tire reviews database, on balance Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 seems to be the best tire overall.
However, it's important to note that both tires have their strengths.
Remember, the best tire for you might depend on which of these factors are most important for your specific driving needs and conditions.
Overall Winner: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
Based on the tire test data and user reviews we have in our database, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 has demonstrated better overall performance in this comparison. However, as you can see from the spider diagram above, each tire has its own strengths which should be considered in your final tire buying choice.Similar Comparisons
Looking for more tire comparisons? Here are other direct comparisons involving these tires:
Firestone Winterhawk 4 Top Comparisons
No other comparisons available for this tire.
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 Top Comparisons
No other comparisons available for this tire.
Footnote
This page has been developed using tire industry testing best practices. This means we are only comparing tests which have had both tires in the same test.
Why is this important? Tire testing is heavily affected by things like surface grip levels and surface temperature, which means you can only compare values from the same day. During a tire test external condition changes are calculated into the overall results, but it is not possible to calculate this between tire tests performed on different days or at different locations.
As a result you will see other tests on Tire Reviews which feature both the %s and %s, but as they weren't conducted on the same day, the results are not comparable.
Lots of other websites do this sort of tire comparison, Tire Reviews doesn't.