Firestone Winterhawk 4 vs Vredestein Wintrac Pro
- TR Score
- 8.1/10
- Owners say
- 72% · 6
- TR Score
- 9.0/10
- Owners say
- 87% · 30
In the 10 independent tests that ran both tires, the Vredestein Wintrac Pro finished ahead 8 times and the Winterhawk 4 twice. The Winterhawk 4 lasted 14.8% longer in the wear tests; the Wintrac Pro stopped 4.1% shorter in the dry.
Data updated
Which should you buy?
Choose the Vredestein Wintrac Pro if you want the most consistently strong, confidence-inspiring winter tire-especially for cold/dry motorway driving, higher-powered cars, and drivers who value crisp braking/handling. Choose the Firestone Winterhawk 4 if you want a quieter, cheaper winter tire with standout aquaplaning resistance and generally strong wet-day reassurance, and you're willing to accept weaker dry-road precision and braking.
Where the Winterhawk 4 is stronger
- Aquaplaning resistance is a consistent advantage (wins straight aquaplaning 6-1; e.g., 78.6 vs 74.7 km/h in ADAC 2024, 89.0 vs 84.7 km/h in Auto Bild SUV 2023)
- Strong value proposition: repeatedly lower purchase price and better value indices (e.g., 585 vs 670; value 14.54 vs 18.95 Price/1000 in Auto Bild Winter 2023)
- Quiet, comfort-oriented touring behavior in many tests (noise frequently lower; wins noise 5-1, e.g., 71.9 vs 73.6 dB in Auto Bild Winter 2023)
Where the Wintrac Pro is stronger
- Dry-road performance leadership is clear and repeatable (wins dry braking 7-0; e.g., 43.7 vs 45.7 m in ADAC 2024; 41.6 vs 43.4 m in Auto Bild SUV 2023)
- More consistently high overall rankings across major tests (e.g., ADAC 2024: 3/16 vs 10/16; Auto Bild Winter 2023: 8/22 vs 20/22)
- Strong winter safety on snow/ice with frequent edges in snow braking/traction and ice braking (e.g., ADAC 2024 ice braking 16.8 vs 17.1 m; snow traction 238 vs 230 N)
The bullet points are analysis of the shared tests and of owner reviews; the measured wins in each discipline are in the tables below. Where the two disagree, the figures are right.
Winterhawk 4 vs Wintrac Pro at a glance
| Category | Winterhawk 4 | Gap | Wintrac Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared tests won10 shared tests | 2 | 8 | |
| Dry13 measurements | 2 | The Wintrac Pro stopped 4.1% shorter in the dry (7 tests) | 11 |
| Wet34 measurements | 17 | The Winterhawk 4 resisted straight aquaplaning at a 2.3% higher speed (7 tests) | 16 |
| Snow27 measurements | 16 | The Winterhawk 4 averaged a 1.9% higher speed on the snow handling course (5 tests) | 11 |
| Ice1 measurement | 0 | 1 | |
| Comfort6 measurements | 5 | The Winterhawk 4 was 1.2 dB quieter (6 tests) | 1 |
| Value10 measurements | 5 | Level between the two. | 5 |
| Tire Reviews Scoreevery test and review we hold | 8.1/10 | The Wintrac Pro by 0.9 | 9.0/10 |
| Owner rating6 and 30 reviews | 72% | The Wintrac Pro by 15 points | 87% |
| Would buy againshare of owners | 67% | The Wintrac Pro by 26 points | 93% |
| Pricein the 6 tests that listed prices | Cheaper | The Wintrac Pro was dearer in 6 of 6 | +9.8% |
| Sizes madeEU label registrations | 83 | 53 sizes made in both | 119 |
Wins count every measurement the shared tests recorded for both tires; a tick marks the tire ahead on that line. Subjective driver scores count as wins but are never averaged, because each test uses its own scale.
Head to head in 10 tests, 2021 to 2024
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 | Wintrac Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 ADAC 17 inch Winter Tire Test | P10 of 16 | P3 of 16 | |
| 2023 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tire Test | P9 of 10 | P5 of 10 | |
| 2023 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test | P20 of 20 | P8 of 20 | |
| 2023 Winter Tire Test 54 Set Braking Test | P6 of 54 | P17 of 54 | |
| 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test | P16 of 20 | P12 of 20 | |
| 2022 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tire Test | P6 of 10 | P3 of 10 | |
| 2022 Winter Tire Market Overview | P14 of 56 | P20 of 56 | |
| 2022 AMS Winter Tire Test | P5 of 8 | P3 of 8 | |
| 2021 AZ SUV Winter Tire Test | P5 of 10 | P4 of 10 | |
| 2021 ADAC 17 Inch Winter Tire Test | P12 of 18 | P5 of 18 |
Performance profile
14 measurements from the 10 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Winterhawk 4
Wintrac Pro
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 96%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 7 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
Winterhawk 4
Wintrac Pro
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
Not ahead in any category
Wintrac Pro
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the Winterhawk 4 72% from 6 reviews and the Wintrac Pro 87% from 30. 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. Open a discipline for its measurements, and a measurement for every test's figure.
| Measurement | Winterhawk 4 | Gap | Wintrac Pro | Wins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 151 | 4.1% | 145 | 0-7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 64.9 | 0.3% | 64.7 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 66.8 | 0.8% | 67.3 | 2-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 145 | 0.1% | 145 | 5-4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 129 | 0.3% | 129 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 92 | 2.4% | 89.8 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 48.2 | 0.5% | 48.4 | 2-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 13.96 | 0.1% | 13.93 | 1-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 50 | 2.3% | 48.9 | 6-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 10 | 2.8% | 10.2 | 3-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 82 | 0.5% | 82 | 3-6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 502 | 0.2% | 499 | 4-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 29.2 | 2.7% | 30 | 1-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 36.2 | 1.9% | 35.6 | 4-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 4.1 | 7.1% | 3.81 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 13.5 | 2.4% | 13.2 | 4-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 56 | 1.8% | 55 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 71.03 | 1.2 dB | 72.18 | 5-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 23,978 | 14.8% | 21,308 | 2-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 8.34 | 0.2% | 8.32 | 3-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 83 | 15.7% | 70 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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. "Scored" rows are subjective driver ratings: each test uses its own scale, so only the wins are counted.
Scores beyond the shared tests
On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Winterhawk 4 scores 8.1 and the Wintrac Pro 9 out of 10.
| Winterhawk 4 | Category | Wintrac Pro | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Dry | 67 | ||
| 86 | Wet | 86 | ||
| 66 | Comfort | 33 | ||
| 49 | Value | 29 | ||
| 69 | Snow | 58 | ||
| 54 | Ice | 67 | ||
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.
What owners say
| Winterhawk 4 | Category | Wintrac Pro | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.3 | Dry Grip | 8.9 | ||
| 7.3 | Wet Grip | 9 | ||
| 6.2 | Road Feedback | 8.5 | ||
| 5.5 | Handling | 8.2 | ||
| 7.6 | Wear | 8.7 | ||
| 7.7 | Comfort | 8.7 | ||
| 7.5 | Snow Grip | 8.8 | ||
| 6.8 | Ice Grip | 8.1 | ||
Owners rate the Winterhawk 4 72% from 6 reviews and the Wintrac Pro 87% from 30. Reviews are vetted by hand before publication; ownership is not verified.
Firestone Winterhawk 4
- 72%from 6 reviews
- 67%would buy again
- 25,300 milesdriven by reviewers
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.
- strong snow performance
- good wet grip and braking
- quiet and comfortable ride
- good value for money
Summarised by AI from 5 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tire page.
All 6 Winterhawk 4 reviewsGood quality for mid-range brand, cover winter needs. In general there is no high potential of performance for winter tires independently of brand!
Vredestein Wintrac Pro
- 87%from 30 reviews
- 93%would buy again
- 226,700 milesdriven by reviewers
Drivers report the Vredestein Wintrac Pro is a highly confidence-inspiring winter tire with standout wet-road grip and surprisingly sporty, summer-like steering feel and stability in cold dry conditions. Most users also praise strong traction and braking in snow/slush, along with good comfort, low noise for the category, and impressive tread life/value over multiple seasons. A smaller subset note higher fuel consumption/rolling resistance and that the tire can need some warm-up or a short bedding-in period to deliver its best grip.
- Strong wet grip and braking (good aquaplaning resistance)
- Stable, predictable handling with good steering feedback (sporty/summer-like feel)
- Very capable snow and slush traction and confidence
- Good comfort and generally quiet for a winter/UHP tire
- Higher fuel consumption / rolling resistance than some alternatives
- Needs some warm-up or short bedding-in to reach best grip
Summarised by AI from 28 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tire page.
All 30 Wintrac Pro reviewsVery good tires for winter. Used in upstate New York from November to April. Great grip even in -15 F. Started to get a little vague when it was dry around 65F.
Sizes, EU label and lineage
From the EU label registrations for each tire: 83 sizes of the Winterhawk 4 and 119 of the Wintrac Pro, 53 of them made in both.
| Category | Winterhawk 4 | Wintrac Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Winter | Winter |
| Sizes made | 83 sizes, 14 to 20 inch | 119 sizes, 17 to 22 inch |
| Made in both | 53 sizes 205/45 R17205/50 R17205/55 R17205/60 R17215/45 R17215/50 R17215/55 R17215/60 R17215/65 R17225/45 R17225/50 R17225/55 R17and 41 more | |
| EU label wet grip | B100% | B98%A2%C1% |
| EU label rolling resistance | D50%C50% | D47%C46%E5%B1% |
| EU label noise | 71 dB B100% | 70-74 dB B100% |
| Severe snow (3PMSF) sizes | 101 of 101 | 253 of 253 |
| On the market since | 2020 | 2018 |
| Replaced | Firestone Winterhawk 3 (2013) | Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S (2015) |
| Price in the shared tests | The Wintrac Pro was the dearer tire in 6 of the 6 tests that listed prices, by 9.8% on average. Each test priced the tires in its own market at the time; only the gap is comparable. | |
Label grades are shown as the share of registered sizes carrying each grade, so "B (88%), C (12%)" means most sizes are B. Grades vary by size; check the label for yours.
Reading the results
Written from the test results and owner reviews above. It is analysis, not a measurement: where it and the tables disagree, the tables are right.
Firestone's Winterhawk 4 and Vredestein's Wintrac Pro aim at slightly different buyers even before the first test starts: the Firestone is positioned as a premium-touring winter tire with an emphasis on easy, secure everyday driving and value, while the Vredestein is an ultra-high-performance winter tire designed to keep higher-powered cars feeling precise in cold, mixed conditions.
Across 10 shared professional tests, that positioning shows up clearly. The Wintrac Pro tends to deliver the more complete “all-round” performance-especially on dry roads where winter tires often get exposed-while the Winterhawk 4 repeatedly counters with strong aquaplaning resistance, competitive wet results in several tests, lower noise, and consistently better purchase price/value metrics.
Conclusion
Looking at the overall results pattern (Wintrac Pro ahead in 8 of 10 shared test outcomes), the Vredestein Wintrac Pro is the safer pick if you want the most consistently high-performing winter tire across the full spread of conditions-particularly where dry-road confidence matters. It wins dry braking in every reported head-to-head (often by ~2-6%; e.g., 43.7 m vs 45.7 m in ADAC 2024 and 41.6 m vs 43.4 m in Auto Bild SUV 2023) and typically posts stronger “driver-focused” metrics like dry and wet handling. It also shows strong winter capability (snow/ice braking and traction frequently edging the Firestone) and can even pair that with good environmental sub-scores like lower abrasion in ADAC 2024 (70 vs 83 mg/km/t).
The Firestone Winterhawk 4 is the smarter value-led choice if your priority is heavy rain security, quieter touring manners, and cost control. It repeatedly leads straight-line aquaplaning (e.g., 78.6 vs 74.7 km/h in ADAC 2024; 89.0 vs 84.7 km/h in Auto Bild SUV 2023), often performs well in wet braking (winning 5 vs 4 across the dataset), and tends to be cheaper (e.g., 585 vs 670 in Auto Bild SUV 2023). However, multiple test write-ups flag its key weakness: less precise, more understeery/less confidence-inspiring dry behavior with longer dry braking-an issue that becomes more meaningful if your winter driving includes lots of cold-but-dry motorways and fast A/B roads. The practical takeaway: choose Vredestein for balanced, higher-limit control; choose Firestone for rain resilience and budget-friendly winter touring-especially in milder climates where deep snow performance is less decisive.
Winterhawk 4 vs Wintrac Pro: your questions
Is the Firestone Winterhawk 4 or the Vredestein Wintrac Pro the better tire?
In the 10 independent tests that ran both tires, the Vredestein Wintrac Pro finished ahead 8 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 Wintrac Pro 9 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Winterhawk 4 or the Wintrac Pro?
The Winterhawk 4 led 17 of the 34 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it resisted straight aquaplaning at a 2.3% higher speed across 7 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The Wintrac Pro led 11 of the 13 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 4.1% shorter in the dry across 7 tests.
Which is better in snow?
The Winterhawk 4 led 16 of the 27 snow measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it averaged a 1.9% higher speed on the snow handling course across 5 tests.
Which lasts longer and costs less to run?
The Winterhawk 4 lasted 14.8% longer in the wear tests (3 tests). Owners rate wear 7.6/10 for the Winterhawk 4 and 8.7/10 for the Wintrac Pro.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
The Winterhawk 4 was 1.2 dB quieter (6 tests). Owners rate comfort 7.7/10 for the Winterhawk 4 and 8.7/10 for the Wintrac Pro.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Winterhawk 4 72% from 6 reviews and the Wintrac Pro 87% from 30. 67% of Winterhawk 4 owners would buy it again, against 93% for the Wintrac Pro.
Which is more expensive?
In the 6 tests that listed prices, the Wintrac Pro was the dearer tire in 6 of them, by 9.8% 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 Wintrac Pro in 119 (17 to 22 inch). 53 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 Wintrac Pro B and D.
Which is the newer tire?
The Winterhawk 4 is the newer design: it reached the market in 2020, the Wintrac Pro in 2018. The Winterhawk 4 replaced the Firestone Winterhawk 3. The Wintrac Pro replaced the Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S.
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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.
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