Tests – · none yet Owners 68 · 4 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza RE01R vs Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Firehawk Indy 500 leads, 69–68 Narrow edge
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 63 · 1,457 reviews
“Quote: Originally Posted by AUaviator I'm having trouble finding these tires in stock. Rears are back ordered and only 1 front available and it's on tire rack. 22545/17 255/40/17. www.simpletire.com looks to have them instock with free shipping and a 60 dollar rebate. A little hard to find but search for them individually by size.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
69
Dry
Firehawk Indy 500 +473Why this score
Source Potenza RE01R Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online 70 77 -
72
Wet
Potenza RE01R +567Why this score
Source Potenza RE01R Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online 72 66 -
–
Snow
No comparison45Why this score
Source Potenza RE01R Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online – 28 -
63
Comfort
Firehawk Indy 500 +467Why this score
Source Potenza RE01R Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online 58 65 -
–
Noise
No comparison67Why this score
Source Potenza RE01R Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online – 66 -
64
Treadwear
Firehawk Indy 500 +367Why this score
Source Potenza RE01R Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) – 70 Reviews found online 63 62 -
68
Handling
Firehawk Indy 500 +371Why this score
Source Potenza RE01R Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online 68 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE01R | Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 69 |
| Dry | 69 | 73 |
| Wet | 72 | 67 |
| Snow | – | 45 |
| Comfort | 63 | 67 |
| Noise | – | 67 |
| Treadwear | 64 | 67 |
| Handling | 68 | 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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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Less important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
68
/ 100
Potenza RE01R
69
/ 100
Firehawk Indy 500
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Potenza RE01R
Pros
- Exceptional dry grip and handling characteristics
- Predictable and communicative breakaway behavior
- High durability and heat resistance during track sessions
Cons
- High price point compared to competitors
- Limited market availability and difficulty in sourcing
- Performance may be surpassed by dedicated R-compound tires for pure track use
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 RE01R
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Community sentiment toward the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 is overwhelmingly positive, with drivers frequently praising it as an exceptional value and budget-friendly alternative to premium summer tires. Owners report strong dry grip, solid wet-weather traction, good comfort, and predictable handling, though some note reduced performance in cold temperatures, softer sidewalls, and a tendency to get greasy during aggressive track sessions. Interest is also growing around the newer V2 version and its updated compound and tread design.
grassrootsmotorsports.com
“I need a 224/45/15 I run these on my S2000 wheelset for driving around town and they are great. I also have used them for plenty of track days. They get a little greasy towards the end of sessions but have never let me down.”
s197forum.com
·2018-03-14
“I have them on my 14 GT. 255 front/285 rear. They have roughly 5k on them and have worn well. Wheel spin has to be intentionally induced now. No more surprises. Highly recommend.”
r/Mustang
·7 upvotes ·2025-02-13
“Will I regret buying Firestone Firehawk Indy 500s? I have a stock '21 GT Premium convertible with the black appearance package. It came with the upgraded Pirelli P Zero 255/40-19 tires, but with 35,000 miles, they are really worn, and I need new tires. I live in North Florida. We don't have a lot of cold weather (I missed the snow last month), but I do get a lot of rain. I don't track the car, and mostly drive on country roads and the interstate. The Pirelli's have treated me well as far as traction, dry and wet. I like the aggressive look of the Firehawks, but I am concerned about wet weather traction. Will the Firehawks be at least comparable to the Pirelli's for wet weather and general handling? If not, it sounds like the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4 is the way to go. Also, the car is all black, with black rims, and the tires look wimpy. I'm not up for new rims this go-round, and I won't lower it because I like the clearance for potholes, etc., that I see a lot of in my area. I'm hoping the tires will help the look a little bit. Read more”
Top themes
#value and pricing#dry grip and traction#wet weather handling#track and autocross use#cold temperature limitations#ride comfort and road noise#Firehawk Indy 500 V2
Based on 146 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza RE01R | B · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Extreme Performance tires | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 47 |
| Rim diameters | — | 16″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | — | 9 - 10/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 340 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 - 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
68
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza RE01R
69
/ 100
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Too close to call: Bridgestone Potenza RE01R and Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 are within 2 points overall. Bridgestone Potenza RE01R is stronger on wet. Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 is stronger on dry, comfort and treadwear.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Bridgestone Potenza RE01R scores 72 vs 67 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 73 vs 69 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 67 vs 63 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 67 vs 64 on treadwear.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE01R
Tire B · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
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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.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.