Firestone Winterhawk 4 vs Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
The pattern is clear early on: Firestone repeatedly shortens stopping distances where it matters most in winter-wet, snow and ice-often by meaningful margins. Maxxis counters with stronger projected mileage, lower abrasion in recent ADAC tests, and typically a lower purchase price. The result is a classic trade-off between outright safety performance and long-term running costs.
Test Results
Independent comparison tyre tests are the best source of data to get tyre information from, and the good news is there have been ten tests which compare both tyres directly!
| Tyre | Test Wins | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Firestone Winterhawk 4 | seven | |
| Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 | three |
While it might look like the Firestone Winterhawk 4 is better than the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 purely based on the higher number of test wins, tyres are very complicated objects which means where one tyre is better than the other can be more important in real world use.
Let's look at how the two tyres compare across multiple tyre test categories.
Key Strengths
- Consistently strong wet braking (often 10-15% shorter vs WP6; e.g., 34.8 m vs 41 m and 35.5 m vs 42 m)
- Reliable snow/ice performance (better snow traction and shorter ice stops in recent ADAC tests)
- Good curved aquaplaning resistance and stable wet handling balance
- Competitive running-cost factors in some tests (very good mileage and low rolling resistance in Auto Bild 2022)
- Better predicted mileage and lower abrasion in recent ADAC tests (e.g., +28% mileage in 2025)
- Generally lower purchase price and solid overall value proposition
- Occasional wins in wet circle and straight-line aquaplaning (good water clearance at speed)
- Slightly lower fuel consumption in recent ADAC testing
Dry Braking
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 was better during two dry braking tests. On average the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 stopped the vehicle in 0.59% less distance than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Dry Braking: Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
See how the Dry Braking winner was calculated >>
Dry Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 was better during one dry handling [km/h] tests. On average the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 was 0.08% faster around a lap than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Dry Handling [Km/H]: Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
See how the Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking
Looking at data from eight tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during six wet braking tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 stopped the vehicle in 8.69% less distance than the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6.
Best In Wet Braking: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Wet Braking winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking - Concrete
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during two wet braking - concrete tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 stopped the vehicle in 7.29% less distance than the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6.
Best In Wet Braking - Concrete: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Wet Braking - Concrete winner was calculated >>
Wet Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during one wet handling [km/h] tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was 0.28% faster around a wet lap than the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6.
Best In Wet Handling [Km/H]: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Circle
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 was better during one wet circle tests. On average the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 had 14.81% higher lateral wet grip than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Wet Circle: Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
See how the Wet Circle winner was calculated >>
Straight Aqua
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during one straight aqua tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 floated at a 0.3% higher speed than the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6.
Best In Straight Aqua: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Straight Aqua winner was calculated >>
Curved Aquaplaning
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during two curved aquaplaning tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 slipped out at a 2.17% higher speed than the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6.
Best In Curved Aquaplaning: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Curved Aquaplaning winner was calculated >>
Snow Braking
Looking at data from eight tyre tests, the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 was better during five snow braking tests. On average the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 stopped the vehicle in 47.01% less distance than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Snow Braking: Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
See how the Snow Braking winner was calculated >>
Snow Traction
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during three snow traction tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 had 2.56% better snow traction than the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6.
Best In Snow Traction: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Snow Traction winner was calculated >>
Snow Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during one snow handling [km/h] tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was 2.02% faster around a lap than the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6.
Best In Snow Handling [Km/H]: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Snow Handling winner was calculated >>
Snow Slalom
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during one snow slalom tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was 1.05% faster through a slalom than the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6.
Best In Snow Slalom: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Snow Slalom winner was calculated >>
Ice Braking
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during two ice braking tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 stopped the vehicle 7.78% shorter than the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6.
Best In Ice Braking: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Ice Braking winner was calculated >>
Noise
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 was better during one noise tests. On average the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 measured 0.14% quieter than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Noise: Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
See how the Noise winner was calculated >>
Wear
Looking at data from three tyre tests, the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 was better during two wear tests. On average the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 is predicted to cover 8.29% miles before reaching 1.6mm than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Wear: Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
See how the Wear winner was calculated >>
Value
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during one value tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 proved to have a 17.94% better value based on price/1000km than the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6.
Best In Value: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Value winner was calculated >>
Price
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 was better during one price tests. On average the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 cost 12.87% less than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Price: Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
See how the Price winner was calculated >>
Rolling Resistance
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 was better during one rolling resistance tests. On average the Firestone Winterhawk 4 had a 12.7% lower rolling resistance than the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6.
Best In Rolling Resistance: Firestone Winterhawk 4
See how the Rolling Resistance winner was calculated >>
Fuel Consumption
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 was better during one fuel consumption tests. On average the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 used 1.75% less fuel than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Fuel Consumption: Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
See how the Fuel Consumption winner was calculated >>
Abrasion
Looking at data from two tyre tests, the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 was better during two abrasion tests. On average the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 emitted 20.65% less particle wear matter than the Firestone Winterhawk 4.
Best In Abrasion: Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
See how the Abrasion winner was calculated >>
Real World Driver Reviews
Tyre Reviews also collects real world driver reviews for the Firestone Winterhawk 4 and Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6.
In total the Firestone Winterhawk 4 has been reviewed 5 times and drivers have given the tyre 79% overall.
The Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 has been reviewed 7 times and drivers have given the tyre 80% overall.
This means in real world driving, people prefer the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6.
Conclusion
The Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 suits buyers prioritizing budget and longevity. Recent ADAC rounds show notably longer predicted mileage and lower abrasion, with slightly better fuel use, and it is usually cheaper up front. It also posts occasional wins in wet circle/straight aquaplaning metrics, but its materially longer wet braking distances and only satisfactory ice performance reduce safety margins in typical winter commutes. In short: Firestone for safety-first performance in mixed winter weather; Maxxis for cost-conscious, higher-mileage drivers in milder winters who can accept longer stops in the wet.
Key Differences
- Wet braking: Firestone repeatedly stops shorter by meaningful margins (up to ~15% in several tests).
- Winter grip: Firestone shows stronger snow traction and shorter ice braking; Maxxis is typically only satisfactory on ice.
- Aquaplaning/lat grip: Maxxis posts better wet circle and straight aquaplaning in some rounds; Firestone excels in curved aquaplaning.
- Dry-road feel: Both are only adequate, but Maxxis occasionally rates better in dry metrics; Firestone criticized for low precision/feedback.
- Longevity and abrasion: Maxxis trends higher mileage and lower abrasion in 2024-2025 ADAC, while Firestone showed standout wear once (Auto Bild 2022).
- Operating costs: Maxxis tends to be cheaper to buy and slightly more fuel efficient in ADAC; Firestone had lower rolling resistance in Auto Bild 2022.
Overall Winner: Firestone Winterhawk 4
Based on the tyre test data and user reviews we have in our database, the Firestone Winterhawk 4 has demonstrated better overall performance in this comparison. However, as you can see from the spider diagram above, each tyre has its own strengths which should be considered in your final tyre buying choice.Similar Comparisons
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Footnote
This page has been developed using tyre industry testing best practices. This means we are only comparing tests which have had both tyres in the same test.
Why is this important? Tyre 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 tyre test external condition changes are calculated into the overall results, but it is not possible to calculate this between tyre tests performed on different days or at different locations.
As a result you will see other tests on Tyre 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 tyre comparison, Tyre Reviews doesn't.