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Head-to-head Updated

Continental PureContact LS vs Firestone Firehawk 900 — 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 0 + 0 road tests and 25 + 7 owner reviews. How we score

Firehawk 900 is ahead, 74–69

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Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 69

    Dry

    Firehawk 900 +4
    73
    Why this score
    SourcePureContact LSFirehawk 900
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online6976

    PureContact LS: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 69 = 69

    Firehawk 900: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 75.5 = 73

    No road tests of dry for PureContact LS. 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 900. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 72

    Wet

    Firehawk 900 +3
    75
    Why this score
    SourcePureContact LSFirehawk 900
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online7276

    PureContact LS: 60% × 71.5 (est.) + 40% × 72.2 = 72

    Firehawk 900: 60% × 73.7 (est.) + 40% × 76.1 = 75

    No road tests of wet for PureContact LS. 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 900. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 67

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePureContact LSFirehawk 900
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)–
    Reviews found online64–

    PureContact LS: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 63.9 = 67

    No road tests of snow for PureContact LS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 59

    Comfort

    Firehawk 900 +17
    76
    Why this score
    SourcePureContact LSFirehawk 900
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online5479

    PureContact LS: 40% × 65.7 (est.) + 60% × 54 = 59

    Firehawk 900: 40% × 70.7 (est.) + 60% × 79 = 76

    No road tests of comfort for PureContact LS. 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 900. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 68

    Noise

    Firehawk 900 +3
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePureContact LSFirehawk 900
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7178

    PureContact LS: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 70.5 = 68

    Firehawk 900: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 77.9 = 71

    No road tests of noise for PureContact LS or Firehawk 900. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 68

    Treadwear

    Firehawk 900 +5
    73
    Why this score
    SourcePureContact LSFirehawk 900
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6977

    PureContact LS: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.8 = 68

    Firehawk 900: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 77 = 73

    No road tests of treadwear for PureContact LS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for Firehawk 900. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 70

    Handling (owners)

    Firehawk 900 +9
    79
    Why this score
    SourcePureContact LSFirehawk 900
    Reviews found online7079
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental PureContact LSFirestone Firehawk 900
Relative Score 69 74
Dry 69 73
Wet 72 75
Snow 67 –
Comfort 59 76
Noise 68 71
Treadwear 68 73
Handling (owners) 70 79

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

PureContact LS

± 8

Firehawk 900

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 PureContact LS

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Strong wet and dry traction with reliable handling
  • Good balance of everyday comfort and long treadlife

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can lead to less responsive or wandering handling during aggressive cornering
  • Develops temporary flat spotting when parked, causing morning vibrations
  • Poor winter performance, particularly lacking traction on snow and ice despite being an all-season tire
All owner themes in the PureContact LS review

Tire B Firehawk 900

Pros

  • Reliable and safe grip in both wet and dry conditions
  • Good ride comfort and bump absorption on rough or uneven roads
  • Attractive aesthetic appearance

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise, especially reported with run-flat versions at lower speeds or with windows down
  • Potential to receive older, pre-dated stock from retailers affecting rubber longevity
  • Dry grip can diminish as the tire ages
All owner themes in the Firehawk 900 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental PureContact LS B · Firestone Firehawk 900
CategoryAll SeasonSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG700 A A300 A A
Treadwear warranty70,000 mi—
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure51 psi42 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental PureContact LS

Firestone Firehawk 900

Winner: Firestone Firehawk 900 — better comfort, handling and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score. Firestone Firehawk 900 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Firestone Firehawk 900 scores 76 vs 59 on comfort.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Firestone Firehawk 900 scores 79 vs 70 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Firestone Firehawk 900 scores 73 vs 68 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Firestone Firehawk 900 scores 73 vs 69 on dry.

Tire A · Continental PureContact LS
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Tire B · Firestone Firehawk 900
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PureContact LS or Firehawk 900?

Which is better in the wet, PureContact LS or Firehawk 900?

Firestone Firehawk 900, 75 vs 72 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, PureContact LS or Firehawk 900?

Firestone Firehawk 900, 73 vs 69 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, PureContact LS or Firehawk 900?

Firestone Firehawk 900, 71 vs 68 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, PureContact LS or Firehawk 900?

Firestone Firehawk 900, 76 vs 59 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, PureContact LS or Firehawk 900?

Firestone Firehawk 900, 73 vs 68 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