The Falken Eurowinter HS449 is a touring winter tire with strong owner support for snow grip and value, plus generally favorable wet braking and handling assessments. Its test record is more mixed on snow and raises concerns about wear, rolling resistance and aquaplaning reserves.
The quick answer
Owners say85%from 35 owner reviews89% would buy againRead the reviews
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated January 2025.
The Falken is a good choice for climates where wet snow and wet roads are common, because it scores better than average in the winter tire category, with Good ratings for braking in both wet and dry conditions—where most winter tires lag. It also earns Good ratings for handling. If you’re looking for a quiet winter tire, however, there are less noisy options.
Winner: Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
Every independent test of the Falken Eurowinter HS449, newest first
What do owners say about the Falken Eurowinter HS449?
Across 35 owner ratings the Falken Eurowinter HS449 averages 85%. Owners rate Ice Grip highest at 9.3 out of 10 and Handling lowest at 7.7. 7 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 90% of owners score it 70% or better.
What is the Falken Eurowinter HS449's EU tire label rating?
Across its range, the Falken Eurowinter HS449 most commonly carries EU label ratings of E for fuel efficiency, C for wet grip and 70 dB for noise.
How comfortable and quiet are the Falken Eurowinter HS449?
Owners rate the Falken Eurowinter HS449 8.4 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 31 reviews.
How well do the Falken Eurowinter HS449 wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Falken Eurowinter HS449 8.5 out of 10 for wear across 31 reviews. 7 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 5,000 miles.
Would owners buy the Falken Eurowinter HS449 again?
89% of owners say they would buy the Falken Eurowinter HS449 again, based on the 35 owner reviews that answered the question. 60% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
More questions about the Falken Eurowinter HS449(5)
What do owners say about the Falken Eurowinter HS449's snow traction?
Of the 30 owner reviews analyzed for the Falken Eurowinter HS449, 25 mention snow traction: 22 praise it (strong snow traction) and 3 criticise it (weak snow traction). Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Falken Eurowinter HS449's dry grip?
Of the 30 owner reviews analyzed for the Falken Eurowinter HS449, 13 mention dry grip: 13 praise it (strong dry grip) and 0 criticise it (limited dry grip). One owner wrote: "Excellent in the dry, wet, ice and snow". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Falken Eurowinter HS449's wet grip?
Of the 30 owner reviews analyzed for the Falken Eurowinter HS449, 13 mention wet grip: 13 praise it (confident wet grip) and 0 criticise it (weak wet grip). One owner wrote: "Excellent in the dry, wet, ice and snow". Read those reviews
What does the Falken Eurowinter HS449 replace?
The Falken Eurowinter HS449 is the successor to the Falken Eurowinter HS439 in Falken's range.
What sizes does the Falken Eurowinter HS449 come in?
The Falken Eurowinter HS449 is available in 6 sizes, ranging from 205-255/40-60 R16-19.
Questions and Answers for the Falken Eurowinter HS449
can these tires be used all year long or just in the winter;what do you recommend?
May 4, 2017
While the Falken HS449 can be used year round, you will notice a significant drop in performance during the summer months, specifically in dry and wet braking. This is why we always recommend switching back to summer tires during the summer months.
Show all questions(2)
Purchased a BMW 3 series with Eurowinter rotation tires. I live in the UK where temperatures range from -3 (rarely) to 20 degrees celcius. Show morePurchased a BMW 3 series with Eurowinter rotation tires. I live in the UK where temperatures range from -3 (rarely) to 20 degrees celcius. Can I use these tires in the warmer months or do they need replacing? Show less
April 1, 2017
Legally you can use the Falken HS449 winter tire year round, however you will find the grip, in particularly wet grip in the warmer months will be poor, so it is recommended you make the switch to summer tires.
Snow traction is the strongest owner theme for the Falken Eurowinter HS449, praised in 22 of 31 written reviews, with wet and dry grip also regularly receiving favorable comments. Ice grip and value attract further praise, and 26 reviews are positive overall, averaging 84.9%. Longer-term accounts generally support good tread life, although three reviews, around one in ten, report disappointing wear. Noise is more often praised than criticised, but three reviews find it intrusive and another three mention a fuel-economy penalty. The two repeat reviewers had different experiences over time, so there is no consistent pattern of improvement or decline as it ages.
What owners mention most counted across 30 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 35 ratings
Owner score85%
Ice Grip93%
Wet Grip87%
Wear85%
Dry Grip85%
Comfort84%
Road Feedback80%
Snow Grip80%
Handling77%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 93%
“Fantastic tires, I run them on BMW 120d rear wheel drive from October to April and I've never been stuck. Excellent in the dry, wet, ice and snow. An essential when figures are below 7degrees c. Couldn't ask for more...”
“Tire very hard, lots of wheel spin even when pulling away from traffic lights moderately, quite a lot of road noise. Lateral grip so-so, braking so-so, wear not great, not recommended without ESP.”
“I bought my car Skoda Superb ( 2wd ) already with this tires . 225/40R18 So i decided to used them . I often travel to the mountains where I have notice even with a small amount of snow on the road really terrible grib...”
I have these on my Mercedes SUV. Best winter tire I have ever bought. Great on dry roads, fabulous on snow and ice. They grab the road no matter what the condition is. Tread wear is excellent.
Fantastic tires, I run them on BMW 120d rear wheel drive from October to April and I've never been stuck. Excellent in the dry, wet, ice and snow. An essential when figures are below 7degrees c. Couldn't ask for more from these tires, would buy again for sure.
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
I bought my car Skoda Superb ( 2wd ) already with this tires . 225/40R18 So i decided to used them . I often travel to the mountains where I have notice even with a small amount of snow on the road really terrible grib . I read that DSG transmision isn t best solution for the snow and front power wheels. . But even on flat surface i break traction immediately , when you get goin is ok , but when i drove up the hill on snowy normal country road i had many problems passing thru. And I m really talkin about small hills. You need a lot of speed , non brakin , goin side ways on turns with ESP off every time to maybe pass it. But the moment you stop uphill on "white " road you done .
This is really good tire for the city and some normal road trips . If you use it as most of people do you probable won t understand what i m talkin about.
So if you drive on snow maybe up to 5 times a year and mostly in the city . That s really good tire for average price.
On dry surface again if you used normally you won t notice loose of traction . Good in fast turns .
These same thing on wet road it s really stable.
It s just not the the tire for snow :) .
I can easily use it for two more winter season , but because of my several trips in the winter to the mountains i need something better.
Continental wintercontact ts 850 p 225/40 r18 will be my choice up comin winter .
I hope my opinion will help somebody .
Which tires do you drive?
Researching the Falken Eurowinter HS449? Rate the tires you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.
Had them for 3 years on a Subaru Outback 2.5i. I've rated the tire in comparison to the level of grip any road legal tire can have, not in comparison to other winter tires.
Dry grip is good for a winter tire with good braking and cornering, but nothing compares to summer tires on a dry surface even in cold.
After 3 winters they have a lot of thread left, became a bit stiff, but I'm sure they can still handle well.
Handled snow like it was on rails in combination with the AWD system and would progressively start to slide only if accelerator was abused.
Wet & cold is where it suffers. It starts to understeer more than in snow and braking is not good either, so if you live in a place where winter = cold rains, I would not recommend. If you have snow, they will do really well. Even drove in a freezing rain when it was recorded the highest number of accidents and managed to get out safe even if it would slip while trying to start moving.
Noise was acceptable.
Covered about 20,000 miles on these and they still have loads of tread left. I have had them all continuously through winter and summer alike.
Quieter than the OEM Dunlops although a 5-10% penalty at the pumps.
Had these on the Alfa Romeo Brera V6 Q4 since September last year ... in normal conditions they perform well, good in the wet and dry, now we have had some proper winter conditions here in the UK and I have been driving in the snow for the last few days, and I must say they are exemplary... yes the car has 4wd, but a 2wd car in the snow on winters is better than a 4wd on summers in the snow! The grip is very good and confidence inspiring... able to brake down hill on packed snow (car weights 1.8 tons too!) able to climb any hill I'm presented with , generally feel fantastic compared to most of the other people tip toeing around and sliding about.... thoroughly recommended, and a decent price!
Fitted these Falken HS 449 2 years ago to my Subaru and very impressed all round. Great in the dry, very good in the wet and completely capable in heavy snow. A tough tire that I use all year round. Very recommendable.
Having read so many positive feedbacks I left wondering if I drove the same tire.
It's not a bad tire but still it had vibrations above 130 km/h, and never felt a proper grip on snow and ice.
I've been driving along with two other similar fwd cars and I was the only one who didn't manage on snow/ice uphill (other two were with Michelin Alpin A4 and Goodyear UG9).
On the good side they are very good on dry and wet roads with very good wear resistance.
I replaced the front wheel set with Nokian WR D4 and honestly the Nokians performed worse on dry and wet. Still waiting for the snow though.
Its awesome good at winter.
It can grip well even on ice, or iced snow, or deep snow, do difference. best wintertire ive ever owned.
Its a bit loud, but IMO its a common wintertire "feature".
This is the best tire you can get for real winter conditions for an affordable price.
Have driven for 11 years during harsh winters in Romania, but only had budget winter tires so far.
Since I've moved from a WRX to a more sedated family car which is a 2008 Outback, I wanted something above the low budget tires but didn't want to pay the price of a Conti or Goodyear or Bridgestone.
Price is really attactive for a brand like this. Everyone said the pattern is not good because it's not a V, but it bytes the snow and ice so well even at -20 as we've had these days.
But what I really like the most about them is how progressive they are and the level of control they give is incredible. The car slides so elegantly and can be stopped from a snow drift in a second with minimum input. If you don't get aggressive with the acceleration the car will just go and turn where you point the steering wheel.
They are not that good on fuel economy, can't say anything about wear yet, dry grip is really good beating all season tires even, road feedback is fine and they are really confortable, though they can get a bit noisy on motorways.
