Firestone Winterhawk 4 - Test Results

Test Statistics

19

Tests Completed

11^th

Average Position

5^th

Best Result

20^th

Worst Result

Performance Analysis

Firestone Winterhawk 4 delivers a clear wet- and aquaplaning-focused profile with sporadic excellence on snow, but is consistently weak in dry braking/handling and only mid-pack on wear/efficiency. Across 19 winter tests it frequently ranks top-tier in wet braking and aquaplaning, and earns several top-3 snow subtest finishes, yet multiple full-test results are dragged down by poor dry performance and uneven snow capability in smaller rim sizes. Awards are limited and overall placements average mid-field to lower-mid due to these trade-offs.

In wet it often sits near the sharp end, safely clearing large Autobild braking qualifiers; aquaplaning resistance is a recurring strong suit at both straight and curved. Dry braking is a recurring liability, regularly bottom-3 or bottom-quartile, and snow performance swings from excellent (notably on SUV/UHP sizes) to below average in compact sizes. Wear and rolling resistance trend average-to-below in ADAC, muting value despite some decent price/value showings in Autobild.

Performance Strengths

Wet Braking Performance Strong Details
• 2nd place wet braking in 2023 Autobild braking test (33.9 m, 2/54)
• 3rd place wet braking in 2024 Autobild 55-tire braking test (35.5 m, 3/55)
• 8th place wet braking in 2025 ADAC (33.0 m, 8/31, +4.1% from best)
• 3rd place wet braking in 2023 Autobild full test (53.0 m, 3/22, +7.9%)
Aquaplaning Resistance Strong Details
• 1st straight aquaplaning in 2023 ADAC (90.6 km/h, 1/16) and 1st curved aquaplaning (3.9 m/s², 1/16)
• 2nd straight and curved aquaplaning in 2023 Autobild SUV (89 km/h 2/11; 4.51 m/s² 2/11)
• 3rd straight aquaplaning in 2024 ADAC 17-inch (78.6 km/h, 3/16) and 3rd in 2024 Autobild 205/55 R16 (83.9 km/h, 3/23)
Snow Traction/Handling (selected sizes, especially SUV/UHP) Moderate Details
• 1st place snow handling and slalom in 2023 Autobild SUV (57.9 km/h 1/10; 4.99 m/s² 1/11) with 2nd in snow braking (22 m, 2/11)
• 1st place snow braking in 2022 AMS (24.9 m, 1/8) with 3rd snow handling (52.4 km/h, 3/8)
• Top-3 snow traction in 2025 Autobild (2577 N, 3/22, +1.6%) and 2021 Autobild (2839 N, 3/22, +2.1%)
Value Pricing (Autobild context) Minor Details
• 2nd best value in 2022 Autobild (12.67 price/1000, 2/20)
• Top-third value in 2024 Autobild (8.56 price/1000, 8/20) and 2023 Autobild (14.54 price/1000, 9/20)

Performance Weaknesses

Dry Braking and Dry Handling Strong Details
• Bottom-2 dry performance in 2025 Autobild full test (dry braking 21/22, +24.9%; dry handling 21/22, +4.4%)
• Bottom-2 in 2024 Autobild 205/55 R16 (dry braking 21/23, +19.9%; dry handling 22/23, +5.9%)
• Bottom-tier in 2023 Autobild (dry braking 19/22, +23%; dry handling 21/22, +6%)
• Bottom-3 in 2021 Autobild (dry braking 21/22, +30.1%) and 2024 ADAC 17-inch (dry braking 16/16, +8.6%)
Inconsistent Snow Performance (compact sizes) Moderate Details
• Below average snow braking/traction in 2024 Autobild (snow braking 21/23, +6.2%; traction 20/23, +5.6%)
• Mid-back snow results in 2023 Autobild (snow braking 16/22, +6.2%; handling 14/21, +3.1%)
• Average snow braking in large Autobild braking qualifiers (e.g., 19/31 in 2023; 25/33 in 2024) despite strong wet entries
Wear/Abrasion and Efficiency Moderate Details
• ADAC 2025: wear 23/31 (+39.8% from best), abrasion 72 mg/km/t 23/31
• ADAC 2024 17-inch: wear 14/16 (+41.5%), abrasion 15/16 (+50.9%)
• ADAC 2023 16-inch: wear 15/16 (+36.6%), abrasion 15/16 (+74.5%)
Curved Aquaplaning Variability Minor Details
• Lower midfield curved aquaplaning in Autobild 2025 (15/22, +25.6%) and Autobild 2022 (16/22, +18%) despite good straight-line figures
• Mid-pack in 2023 Autobild (11/22, +23.3%)

Performance Over Time

Test History

of 22

2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test

2025
Winner: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

The Firestone Winterhawk 4, as Bridgestone's budget brand, positions itself as a snow specialist with very high traction on snow-covered surfaces, making it confident and reassuring when winter con...

Weak:
Dry Braking, Dry Handling

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