Firestone Winterhawk 2 EVO vs Barum Polaris 3
In the 3 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Barum Polaris 3 finished ahead 3 times and the Winterhawk 2 EVO not once.
Performance profile
Their shared tests recorded too few of the same measurements to chart, so the chart shows what owners rate each tyre on every question.
Where owners rate each higher
Winterhawk 2 EVO
Not ahead in any category
Polaris 3
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
Owners rate the Winterhawk 2 EVO 69% from 10 reviews and the Polaris 3 86% from 18. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Head to head in 3 tests, 2012 to 2014
Each row is one published test in which both tyres 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 2 EVO | Field | Polaris 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 50 Winter Tyre Braking Overview | P28 of 49 | P16 of 49 | |
| 2013 Winter Tyre Overview - Braking | P23 of 50 | P7 of 50 | |
| 2012 European Tyre Test - 165/70 R14 | P10 of 13 | P4 of 13 |
Winterhawk 2 EVO vs Polaris 3: your questions
Is the Firestone Winterhawk 2 EVO or the Barum Polaris 3 the better tyre?
In the 3 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Barum Polaris 3 finished ahead 3 times and the Winterhawk 2 EVO not once. On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Winterhawk 2 EVO scores 6.2 and the Polaris 3 7.2 out of 10.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 7.3/10 for the Winterhawk 2 EVO and 8.6/10 for the Polaris 3.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Winterhawk 2 EVO 69% from 10 reviews and the Polaris 3 86% from 18. 56% of Winterhawk 2 EVO owners would buy it again, against 94% for the Polaris 3.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The Winterhawk 2 EVO is made in 4 sizes (13 to 16 inch) and the Polaris 3 in 6 (13 to 16 inch). 0 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the Winterhawk 2 EVO is graded C for wet grip and D for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Polaris 3 C and E.
Which is the newer tyre?
The Polaris 3 is the newer design: it reached the market in 2011, the Winterhawk 2 EVO in 2010. The Winterhawk 2 EVO replaced the Firestone Winterhawk 2. The Polaris 3 replaced the Barum Polaris 2.
More comparisons with these tyres
Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tyre 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 tyres 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 Tyre Reviews Score rates each tyre out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tyres can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tyre Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tyres independently since 2007.