6 Winter Tires With Higher Ratings Than The Firestone Winterforce 2

If you're looking for a new set of winter tires that won't cost a ridiculous amount of money, there's a chance that the Firestone Winterforce 2 has come up in your search already. If not, the Bridgestone-owned company offering comes with solid ratings across the board, getting pretty close to the more premium tier competitors for notably less per tire. As is the case with most tires built for winter conditions, the Firestone Winterforce 2 uses a directional V-shaped tread design, with the continuous center rib and two rows of blocks flanking it making good use of biting edges throughout. 

Multidirectional 3D sipes are also used on the tread and shoulder blocks, which is another element that you'll see with winter tires. And while owners reporting their scores on Tire Rack give the Winterforce 2 a solid rating of 96% with excellent winter performance, there are a handful of alternatives that should also certainly be considered before choosing. Some of these tires are more expensive and don't all have the capability to be studded, but use their own unique methods and technology to come out ahead of Firestone's tire for satisfaction. Here's a look at six winter tires with better ratings than the Firestone Winterforce 2.

Michelin is at the top of the industry in just about every segment where it competes. As a premium-tier manufacturer, it's also often one of the more expensive options, but the price usually has ratings to back it up. While the all-season and summer segments have quite a bit more choice, the X-Ice Snow's outstanding reputation means Michelin doesn't really need to make many more types of winter tires.

The all-new and updated X-Ice Snow+ tire has been rolling out recently as we get closer to winter, but as it's so recent, there hasn't been enough time to see what it's made of. Chances are it'll be great, but you can still go for the older X-Ice Snow and get what Tire Rack ratings say is the best in the studless category. Owners give this tire excellent scores in all areas, with the winter/snow performance unsurprisingly edging out the rest.

Using the Flex Ice 2.0 compound to keep the tire working in freezing conditions, two different styles of interlocking 3D sipes are used to effectively dig into the ice, which are built into the V-shaped tread pattern that's designed to prevent aquaplaning. Sizes come as small as 15 inches and start just over $100 on Tire Rack, with 16- to 19-inch options falling between $150 and $200. For light trucks in particular, Car and Driver also says this is the best winter tire available for these vehicles.

One of the main European rivals to Michelin has long been Continental. As another premium tire manufacturer, it's no surprise to see it also offer one of the best winter tires you can buy at the moment, albeit costing a little more than the likes of the Firestone Winterforce 2. But you'll get the extra performance from Continental's flagship winter tire, the VikingContact 7, for the extra money, only falling slightly behind the X-Ice Snow's best-in-category rating on Tire Rack.

Sitting at a 98% overall score, the VikingContact 7 is another to not have a glaring weakness, and specifically excels in much colder temperatures and in wet conditions (in typical Continental fashion). Anchored by Continental's own cold-weather compound, this tire uses the PolarPlus tech to achieve the top-tier ratings it gets in snow and icy conditions. The brand also pushes how well the construction helps with stopping distances on trickier surfaces. A V-shaped tread pattern is also used here, with individual diamond-shaped blocks instead of a connecting center rib as used for the Winterforce 2. Again, expect to pay more for the VikingContact 7, with pricing for smaller 15-inch tires starting at just over $130 on Tire Rack.

A more direct step up from the Winterforce 2 would be the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90. After all, Bridgestone is the parent company of Firestone, essentially making the Blizzak WS90s the premium studless option if you want one of the best-performing tires in icy conditions. How well these tires grip the ice is one of the standout elements of the WS90, getting an average score of 9.3 from Tire Rack's user ratings. With a huge 12 million miles reported by those who provided these ratings, the 99% best-in-category score can probably be trusted, to say the least.

This tire also goes to show that you don't need the complete V-shaped tread pattern that quite a few other manufacturers use to make a great winter tire. While the two outer tread rows are directional in the same way V-shaped tread patterns are, the continuous center rib is much more solid to allow the zig-zag, interlocking 3D sipes to do their job properly. Compared to the WS80, the stopping distance has been improved for the WS90, as has the block stiffness to help with longevity. On Tire Rack, the WS90 tends to be around $40 more expensive per tire compared to the same Winterforce 2 size.

While a lesser-known brand compared to the likes of Firestone, Nokian has some of the most innovative, well-regarded all-weather and winter tires on sale at the moment. Based in Finland, the brand introduced the world to the idea of a winter tire in 1934, and more than 90 years later, options like the Hakkapeliitta R5 are keeping it competitive with the much larger manufacturers on this list. While Tire Rack doesn't have scores based on user ratings for this one, Consumer Reports named the Hakkapeliitta R5 as the best tire for cold weather and icy conditions on its YouTube channel. On Nokian's own website, it also gets a 4.7 out of five rating from owners.

Another studless winter tire to make this list, Hakkapeliitta R5 has one of the more unique design philosophies in the segment. The manufacturer calls it a "double block" tread pattern, effectively splitting the two center tread blocks into two and creating a V-shape from there. Embedded into the blocks are the brand's Arctic Grip Crystals, which act as tiny studs, so to speak, to drastically bolster the tire's traction on ice in particular. There's also a dedicated EV version to boot. The brand goes as far as saying these provide best-in-class ice performance. It is quite an expensive tire, with 18-inch options easily crossing the $300 mark.

Moving over to the studded tires that go directly up against the Firestone Winterforce 2, it doesn't get much better than the Cooper Evolution Winter. In fact, according to owners who've submitted scores on Tire Rack, Cooper's main studded competitor in the segment is the very best, getting the 100% best-in-category from the site. Alongside having great ratings, Cooper as a brand is one of the more affordable on the market, meaning you shouldn't have to spend as much on a set of Evolution Winters compared to the Winterforce 2.

At the time of writing, quite a few outlets have the Evolution Winter at a discount/closeout price, with smaller 15-inch options going for as low as $80 per tire at Tire Rack. Even larger 18-inch tires sit just above $100. A more traditional V-shaped tread design makes a return for the Evolution Winter, using pretty beefy tread blocks. The center rib uses sawtooth edges, working in tandem with the brand's Snow Groove tech, which aims to trap snow between the shoulder and main blocks to enhance all-round traction. The large tread surface allows for the multi-directional 3D Sipes to have the space they need, along with the stud pin holes scattered throughout. Comfort is the only area that isn't considered excellent, but still above the rating that the Winterforce 2 gets in this area.

While Continental's VikingContact7 is one of the best studless options, its subsidiary brand General offers another direct rival to the Winterforce 2. While the off-road all-terrain tires tend to be pushed most for General, the brand's expansive winter lineup shouldn't be ignored by any means, offering one of the highest-rated studdable tires you can buy at the moment in the form of the Altimax Arctic 12. The newer Altimax Arctic X is also available, but that's another tire we don't have solid data on yet.

As for the Arctic 12, though, you'll still get a tire with a 99% best-in-category rating, as per Tire Rack. With only 100,000 miles less than the Firestone option at 3.5 million overall, the ratings are even more comparable, and the General beats the Winterforce 2 in every category. We've mentioned the V-shape tread design many times, but the Altimax Arctic 12 might be the embodiment of it, defined by its arrow-shaped continuous center rib. The two additional tread rows use biting edges in relation to the center to maximize traction, also assisted by the different sipe patterns used on the different sections of tread. Pricing is also solid for this tire, often sitting between $100 and $200 for sizes from 15 to 18 inches.

To select the tires chosen for this list, we consulted both consumer ratings and professional reviews to settle on the models that come out ahead of the Firestone Winterforce 2. This includes the large database of ratings available on Tire Rack, which breaks down each aspect of the tire for comparison. For professional reviews, we've also included tires that outlets such as Consumer Reports and Car and Driver rate highly as well.