Falken Aklimate vs Firestone Weathergrip tires

What’s so special and different about all-weather tires, anyway? All-weather tires are a fairly new category in the tire world; they’re designed for a niche where all-season tires often aren’t quite up to the job. Anyone who’s tried to safely get around when there’s 3-4 inches of snow on the roads knows that most all-season tires are not going to be able to offer the kind of dependable traction, braking and control you need (in most cases), so all-weather tires are designed for an advantage in winter traction with redesigned tread formulations, more aggressive tread designs, optimized sipe networks, and other features that are all designed for more consistent traction in snow and slush. In other words, they’re tires that check a bunch of boxes between all-season tires and winter tires, without the headache of having to remove winter tires and store them once temperatures get above 40-45 degrees F.

Are you familiar with SimpleScore? SimpleScore is the system that the SimpleTire team has developed to give our customers a quick at-a-glance idea of a tire’s capabilities and performance. We look at the tire’s spec sheet, reviews, manufacturer info, and other data points, then take that information and calculate it all down to a 1-10 score for the categories of traction, handling, and longevity, as well as an overall average SimpleScore for each tire. For the Falken Aklimate and Firestone Weathergrip, the SimpleScore numbers shake out as follows:

Falken Aklimate:

• Traction: 8.4
• Handling: 8.6
• Longevity: 9.7
• Overall average SimpleScore: 8.9

Firestone Weathergrip:

• Traction: 8.6
• Handling: 8.6
• Longevity: 9.2
• Overall average SimpleScore: 8.7

As you can see, the Falken Aklimate and Firestone Weathergrip are pretty closely matched in the SimpleScore ratings, which will make for a pretty interesting comparison. As handy as SimpleScore is, though, it’s the 30,000 foot view that doesn’t give you the full idea of any tire’s strengths and weaknesses. Let’s go in and take a closer look at this head-to-head comparison:

Falken Aklimate tires

Here at the SimpleTire team, just about every tire from the Falken product line has been making a pretty good impression on us for some time, and the Aklimate all-weather tire is no exception. Falken designed the Aklimate for the ride quality, capable handling, low noise, and exemplary road manners of a Grand Touring tire, paired with a focus on excellent traction and control on wet or snowy roads. Falken started from the ground up with an all-new tread formulation (utilizing their award-winning Advanced 4D Nano Design Technology) for the Aklimate, one designed for great wear properties, low rolling resistance to cut fuel consumption, and decisive traction in wet or wintry conditions.

It’s a great performer in wet weather, with Falken’s innovative Canyon Groove design helping to resist hydroplaning by diverting standing water from the tire’s contact patch (SimpleScore for traction: a very strong 8.6). 3D Canyon Sipes multiply the tire’s surface area and traction with hundreds of extra biting edges that slice through standing water, snow, and slush for dependable grip. Its sipe pattern, internal structure, and tread design all help to reinforce the Aklimate’s tread face and shoulders for extra rigidity, helping it to pull in that SimpleScore of 8.6 for handling. With its 65,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty, the Aklimate is a tire you can rely on for a long, long time (SimpleScore for longevity: 9.2). SimpleTire’s price on the Falken Aklimate starts at $95.00 per tire.

Firestone Weathergrip tires

Here’s another all-weather tire with the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification: The WeatherGrip from Firestone. Firestone packed this tire with innovative features like their Hydro-Grip Technology Package that incorporates a fat, rounded contact patch, chamfered shoulder blocks, full-depth grooves, and open shoulder slots, designed to all work together as a system to give an edge in grip and performance. Winter traction is thanks to Firestone’s Snow Traction Claw Technology, a pattern of snow vices on the intermediate ribs, high-density zigzag sipes, and interlocking grooves; we give this tire a SimpleScore of 8.6 for traction. Internal construction details of the Firestone WeatherGrip feature a single-ply nylon casing capped by a steel belt package and nylon reinforcement layer. The Firestone WeatherGrip is covered by a 65,000 mile warranty, and we give it a SimpleScore of 9.2 in the longevity category. Braking performance, cornering, and steering response are confident, neutral, and predictable for a SimpleScore of 8.5 for handling. SimpleTire’s price on the Firestone Weathergrip starts at $125.99 per tire.

Falken Aklimate vs Firestone Weathergrip tires on traction

How do the Falken Aklimate and Firestone Weathergrip stack up against each other when it comes to traction? They’re both very capable and both have the 3PMSF rating for severe winter service, but the Falken pulls in a SimpleScore of 8.4 vs 8.6 for the Firestone. The Firestone’s Snow Traction Claw Technology is a well-executed system that delivers excellent grip in wet or wintry weather, with short braking distances, excellent control for steering and cornering, and acceleration that hooks right up to the pavement without wheelspin. It’s hard to beat that kind of design and performance, thanks to its network of ribs, interlocking grooves, sipes, and circumferential grooves. Our decision:

ADVANTAGE: Firestone Weathergrip

Falken Aklimate vs Firestone Weathergrip tires on handling

This one’s a pretty easy call, with both tires registering a SimpleScore of 8.6 for handling. A SimpleScore of 8.6 means that a tire’s handling doesn’t rise to the level of what you’d expect from a performance tire, but both tires show steering response that’s light and accurate without being overly sensitive or touchy. Road manners at highway speed are stable and solid, and cornering ability is precise even when pushed up to the apex of performance. Capable and confident, there’s only one way to shake out this one. Our decision:

ADVANTAGE: Tie

Falken Aklimate vs Firestone Weathergrip tires on longevity

When it comes to longevity, we have a bit of a conundrum here. The Aklimate and the Weathergrip both have 65,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranties. In most cases, it’s the warranty that tells the whole story…but the Firestone has a SimpleScore of 9.2 vs a 9.7 for the Falken. In cases like this, we defer to the customer reviews, and although it’s anecdotal information the reviews point to the Falken having a better life expectancy, better durability, and a longer service life. Our decision

ADVANTAGE: Falken Aklimate

When to use each

When it comes to consistent, confident traction year-round, the Firestone Weathergrip and Falken Aklimate are both excellent choices in all-weather tires. Both have the 3PMSF certification for winter traction, both perform well year-round and both have generous manufacturer’s tread life coverage. As we pointed out from the start, all-weather tires are a great alternative when you have to deal with difficult winter weather but you don’t want to deal with the headaches that go with specialized winter tires.

Winter tires use a softer tread compound that stays pliable for grip at subfreezing temperatures (think the traction of a rubber boot vs a hard-rubber hockey puck), but that tread compound is also softer and will wear down quickly on warmer days. When temperatures get above 40-45 degrees, tire manufacturers recommend swapping your winter tires for all-season tires again - leaving you with the whole yearly process of dismounting them and finding a place to store them for the next nine months until winter comes around again. All-season tires are a great way around that; if that sounds like your situation, you can’t go wrong with either the Falken or the Firestone.

Which one should you choose?

Here’s where it comes down to an A/B choice. Both the Firestone and the Falken are strong performers and deliver great year-round grip. Both are 3PMSF rated, both are designed for enhanced winter performance along with ride comfort, road manners, low noise, and great wear properties. Yes, there’s a difference in the SimpleScore categories between the two and a bit of a difference in overall average SimpleScores, with the Falken showing an 8.9 vs 8.7 for the Firestone. But there’s also a disparity in prices, with the Falken starting at $95.00 per tire vs $125.99 per tire for the Firestone. To be real honest, the SimpleTire team feels that you can’t go wrong with either tire and should probably let your budget be a deciding factor, but it’s our opinion that the Falken delivers a better bang for the buck, between the two of them.

Based on SimpleScore, you should choose the Firestone Weathergrip if you:

• Drive luxury vehicles like the Audi or BMW
• Want superior traction (8.6 vs 8.4)

Alternatively, you should choose the Falken Aklimate if you:

• Drive a car like the 2019 Honda CR-V, or a 2018 Toyota Corolla
• Want a tire with better longevity (9.7 v 9.2)
• Want a cheaper set of tires that still offers great overall performance

Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.