Tests – · 1 test Owners 47 · 23 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R vs Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 1 + 1 road tests and 23 + 1,457 owner reviews. How we score
Firehawk Indy 500 is ahead, 65–54
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 62 · 1,457 reviews
Best test result: #6 of 22 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires (tested tread life (miles))
“I just put Firestone Firehawk Indy 500's on my NC2 and I like them and would recommend them. I paid about $635 with installation at Costco but you might even be able to find them for less elsewhere.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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71
Dry
Firehawk Indy 500 +374Why this score
Source Potenza RE-71R Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 73 77 Potenza RE-71R: 60% × 70.1 (est.) + 40% × 73.2 = 71
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 77.2 = 74
No road tests of dry for Potenza RE-71R. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
No road tests of dry for Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
-
61
Wet
Firehawk Indy 500 +566Why this score
Source Potenza RE-71R Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 63 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 57 65 Potenza RE-71R: 60% × 63.4 (est.) + 40% × 57.3 = 61
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.7 = 66
No road tests of wet for Potenza RE-71R. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
No road tests of wet for Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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46
Snow
Potenza RE-71R +145Why this score
Source Potenza RE-71R Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 58 (est.) ≈ 57 (est.) Reviews found online 30 27 Potenza RE-71R: 60% × 57.5 (est.) + 40% × 29.7 = 46
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 56.8 (est.) + 40% × 27.4 = 45
No road tests of snow for Potenza RE-71R. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
No road tests of snow for Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
-
47
Comfort
Firehawk Indy 500 +1865Why this score
Source Potenza RE-71R Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 62 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 37 64 Potenza RE-71R: 40% × 62.2 (est.) + 60% × 36.6 = 47
Firehawk Indy 500: 40% × 67.6 (est.) + 60% × 63.6 = 65
No road tests of comfort for Potenza RE-71R. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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60
Noise
Firehawk Indy 500 +666Why this score
Source Potenza RE-71R Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 50 64 Potenza RE-71R: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 50.1 = 60
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.4 = 66
No road tests of noise for Potenza RE-71R or Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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31
Treadwear
Firehawk Indy 500 +3566Why this score
Source Potenza RE-71R Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests 39 70 Reviews found online 19 61 Tested Tread Life (Miles) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 39% 62% Potenza RE-71R: 60% × 39.3 + 40% × 18.6 = 31
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 60.7 = 66
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67
Handling (owners)
Firehawk Indy 500 +471Why this score
Source Potenza RE-71R Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online 67 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R | Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 54 | 65 |
| Dry | 71 | 74 |
| Wet | 61 | 66 |
| Snow | 46 | 45 |
| Comfort | 47 | 65 |
| Noise | 60 | 66 |
| Treadwear | 31 | 66 |
| Handling (owners) | 67 | 71 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
54
/ 100
Potenza RE-71R
65
/ 100
Firehawk Indy 500
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R finished ahead 0 times and Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | Potenza RE-71R | Firehawk Indy 500 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tested Tread Life (Miles) | Treadwear | 39% | 62% | −23.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires · 215/60R18 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #13/22 | #9/22 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires · 215/60R18 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Potenza RE-71R
Pros
- Phenomenal dry grip and exceptional cornering traction
- Fast heat-up times, making them ideal for autocross and time attacks
- Consistent performance throughout the lifespan of the tire
Cons
- Rapid tread wear and short lifespan, wearing faster in hot weather or heavy track use
- Noticeable road noise on the highway due to the aggressive tread pattern
- Uncomfortable and stiff ride quality for daily driving
Tire B Firehawk Indy 500
Pros
- Exceptional value and affordability compared to premium tier brands like Michelin
- Outstanding dry grip and confident, responsive cornering capabilities
- Surprisingly quiet and comfortable ride quality on the highway
Cons
- Accelerated tread wear and shorter overall lifespan
- Poor performance and loss of traction in cold temperatures (below 40°F)
- Vulnerability to hydroplaning or reduced traction in heavy standing water
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
The Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 is overwhelmingly praised as an exceptional value and 'bang for your buck' summer performance tire. Drivers consistently highlight strong dry grip, commendable wet traction, comfortable ride quality, and progressive handling breakaway. Minor criticisms center on reduced performance in cold temperatures, softer steering feedback, and grease on hard track sessions.
bobistheoilguy.com
·2022-07-14
“At autocross, as a passenger in my main rivals car(in the slow fwd crap cars on UHP's division), my heart sank as these firehawks would take all sorts of hamfisted overdriving and still grip very well with all sorts of fwd full throttle understeer.... Granted his were new and my sport comp2's had one season on them, but it was shocking how they gripped better with lots of slip angle or wheelspin, compared to my tires... I did manage to beat him still, but I think I was much more on a knife edge than him for the whole run....”
fiestastforum.com
·2022-11-30
“I should walk back on my comment about there being numerous other tires I would choose. I forget about many tires getting damaged by cold weather. Like others I've had good luck with Firehawk Indy 500's. They are usually very competitvely priced. I actually got caught in a snowstorm with my CTS-V and made it home safely without a scare, with that being said you probably would be better off with something in the UHPAS class. I've had insanely good luck with Continental DWS06. They barely give up much performance to the Sport Contacts that I'm currently running, but the Continentals are only sold in 205/45R17, so you have to ask yourself if you are okay with a slightly taller sidewall. The continentals have a rebate going on too, but I think it ends today. Not sure if it is going to be renewed for next month.”
mustang6g.com
·2 upvotes ·2022-05-18
“I have driven them to the track at around 35-37F ambient on public roads, and driving around track at 45-50F ambient. had zero issues. Also driven on them multiple times in the rain on normal roads and had 3 rain sessions on the track. zero issues as well. of course, extra caution is necessary. they appreciate a bit of heat put into them before you start pushing. my car is supercharged.”
Top themes
#value for money#dry grip performance#wet road traction#ride comfort#cold temperature limitations#track and autocross use#sidewall and steering response
Based on 141 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R | B · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 47 |
| Rim diameters | — | 16″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | 8/32″ | 9 - 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 200 A A | 340 A A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | 50 - 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
54
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R
65
/ 100
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Winner: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 — better treadwear, comfort and noise. Where the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 66 vs 31 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 65 vs 47 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 66 vs 60 on noise.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 66 vs 61 on wet.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R
Tire B · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
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Potenza RE-71R or Firehawk Indy 500?
Which is better in the wet, Potenza RE-71R or Firehawk Indy 500?
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 66 vs 61 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza RE-71R or Firehawk Indy 500?
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 74 vs 71 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Potenza RE-71R or Firehawk Indy 500?
Neither, by our numbers: 46 vs 45 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is quieter, Potenza RE-71R or Firehawk Indy 500?
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 66 vs 60 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Potenza RE-71R or Firehawk Indy 500?
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 65 vs 47 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Potenza RE-71R or Firehawk Indy 500?
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 66 vs 31 on our treadwear score.
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.
Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology