Tests – · none yet Owners 60 · 18 reviews
Continental Sport Contact looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Continental Sport Contact 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 0 + 1 road tests and 18 + 1,457 owner reviews. How we score
Firehawk Indy 500 is ahead, 69–63
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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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64
Dry
Firehawk Indy 500 +1074Why this score
Source Sport Contact Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 62 78 Sport Contact: 60% × 65.6 (est.) + 40% × 62.1 = 64
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 72.1 (est.) + 40% × 77.6 = 74
No road tests of dry for Sport Contact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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 0.42).
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66
Wet
Firehawk Indy 500 +167Why this score
Source Sport Contact Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 65 65 Sport Contact: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.6 = 66
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 67.6 (est.) + 40% × 65.1 = 67
No road tests of wet for Sport Contact. 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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Snow
No comparison44Why this score
Source Sport Contact Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 55 (est.) Reviews found online – 28 Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 54.7 (est.) + 40% × 27.7 = 44
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 0.37).
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62
Comfort
Firehawk Indy 500 +466Why this score
Source Sport Contact Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 58 64 Sport Contact: 40% × 67.1 (est.) + 60% × 58 = 62
Firehawk Indy 500: 40% × 68.3 (est.) + 60% × 64.4 = 66
No road tests of comfort for Sport Contact or Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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Noise
No comparison66Why this score
Source Sport Contact Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online – 65 Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.9 = 66
No road tests of noise for Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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58
Treadwear
Firehawk Indy 500 +866Why this score
Source Sport Contact Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 61 (est.) 70 Reviews found online 53 61 Sport Contact: 60% × 61.4 (est.) + 40% × 52.6 = 58
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 60.8 = 66
No road tests of treadwear for Sport Contact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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62
Handling (owners)
Firehawk Indy 500 +971Why this score
Source Sport Contact Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online 62 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental Sport Contact | Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 63 | 69 |
| Dry | 64 | 74 |
| Wet | 66 | 67 |
| Snow | – | 44 |
| Comfort | 62 | 66 |
| Noise | – | 66 |
| Treadwear | 58 | 66 |
| Handling (owners) | 62 | 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 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.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Sport Contact
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 Sport Contact
Pros
- Excellent dry weather grip and cornering stability
- Commendable tread life and durability for a performance-oriented tire
- Predictable and progressive handling characteristics
Cons
- Noticeable decline in wet weather performance as tread depth decreases
- Inconsistent tread wear reports ranging from 6,000 to 40,000 miles
- Increased road noise reported by some users
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
Continental Sport Contact
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
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.
“Firehawk Indy 500 v2: Summer or All Season Just went to the local Firestone store to get tires. I needed to replace all four (front two for wear and back two from damage to one of them). I expressly asked for non-summer tires. We live in Texas, but it does get below 32 here. This is for a 2019 Genesis G80 Sport 3.3T. They sold me Firehawk Indy 500 v2 tires, even after I confirmed three times that they were not summer tires. The third time I even showed them on my phone and they were adamant that they show as All Season in their system. Did I just get punked? The only thing I could fine about temperature on their website was that these tires have basically a 0 rating for ice. In other articles, they show as dangerous for anything below 40 degrees Fahrenheit . Am I being overconcerned, and it'll be fine here in Texas? Is this something I need to get them to resolve (different tires) or should I go someplace else for tires and return these for my money back?”
“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.”
“I used to run MPSS tires on my style 162's and I could do about 30k miles max on my 2008 e90 335xi FBO. Once I switched to Summer performance firehawk indy 500's... I am about 50% thru the tread and I have put on about 40k miles so far. They are not as good as MPSS, but at 1/2 the price of a set of MPSS i'm perfectly fine with the minor compromise in performance. The only issue I noticed was, if the firehawks sit over night, they generally get a flat spot which will be noticeable for a few miles. By the time you reach your freeway the flat spot will be back to normal again. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Firehawks for a daily driver!!!! Best quality and performance at this price point!!!”
Based on 146 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental Sport Contact | 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 | — | 9 - 10/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 340 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 - 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
Continental Sport Contact
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Winner: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 — better dry, handling and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score. Continental Sport Contact rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 18 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 74 vs 64 on dry.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 71 vs 62 on handling.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 66 vs 58 on treadwear.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 66 vs 62 on comfort.
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Sport Contact or Firehawk Indy 500?
Which is better in the wet, Sport Contact or Firehawk Indy 500?
Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 67 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Which grips better on dry roads, Sport Contact or Firehawk Indy 500?
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 74 vs 64 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Sport Contact or Firehawk Indy 500?
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 66 vs 62 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Sport Contact or Firehawk Indy 500?
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 66 vs 58 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