Tests – · none yet Owners 58 · 196 reviews
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT 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 196 + 1,457 owner reviews. How we score
Firehawk Indy 500 leads, 65–63 Narrow edge
Add your size for an exact match
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
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.
-
67
Dry
Firehawk Indy 500 +774Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 67 77 Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 66.7 = 67
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 77.3 = 74
No road tests of dry for Sport Maxx RT. 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).
-
69
Wet
Sport Maxx RT +366Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 69 65 Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 69.5 (est.) + 40% × 68.5 = 69
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.7 = 66
No road tests of wet for Sport Maxx RT. 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).
-
55
Snow
Sport Maxx RT +1045Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 62 (est.) ≈ 57 (est.) Reviews found online 45 27 Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 44.9 = 55
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 56.9 (est.) + 40% × 27.4 = 45
No road tests of snow for Sport Maxx RT. 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).
-
62
Comfort
Firehawk Indy 500 +365Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 59 64 Sport Maxx RT: 40% × 66.7 (est.) + 60% × 58.5 = 62
Firehawk Indy 500: 40% × 67.7 (est.) + 60% × 63.6 = 65
No road tests of comfort for Sport Maxx RT. 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).
-
66
Noise
Level66Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 64 64 Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 64.3 = 66
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 64.3 = 66
No road tests of noise for Sport Maxx RT or Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
53
Treadwear
Firehawk Indy 500 +1366Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 58 (est.) 70 Reviews found online 44 61 Sport Maxx RT: 60% × 58.5 (est.) + 40% × 44 = 53
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 60.7 = 66
No road tests of treadwear for Sport Maxx RT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
66
Handling (owners)
Firehawk Indy 500 +571Why this score
Source Sport Maxx RT Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online 66 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop Sport Maxx RT | Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 63 | 65 |
| Dry | 67 | 74 |
| Wet | 69 | 66 |
| Snow | 55 | 45 |
| Comfort | 62 | 65 |
| Noise | 66 | 66 |
| Treadwear | 53 | 66 |
| Handling (owners) | 66 | 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.
Sport Maxx RT
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.
| Discipline | Category | Sport Maxx RT | Firehawk Indy 500 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #4/14 2015 AZ 225/40 R18 Summer Tyre Test | #9/22 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Sport Maxx RT
Pros
- Outstanding grip and traction in both dry and wet conditions
- High level of ride comfort and low road noise
- Predictable and progressive handling at limits
Cons
- Fast tread wear leading to short tire lifespan
- Prone to developing cracks in the tread blocks or sidewalls prematurely
- Subpar performance in freezing temperatures, snow, or slush
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
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
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.
“Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 Tire Review After my stock rubber wore down I decided to look into other (cheaper) options for this summer. I landed on getting a set of Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 205/40/17 tires and have been on them for about a week now in both rain and dry. The TLDR of this would be buy these tires! The longer version of it is that these tires to me at least feel much more comfortable than the stock tires both in terms of ride comfort and road noise. On top of that the grip in the wet is impressive to say the least! I got a lot of rain here in Oregon so wet performance was really important to me. On the stock tires I always left my TC on and was careful going around turns especially as the tires wore down further and further. These Indy 500 just keep on gripping in the wet and I haven't had any problems at all. The first day I had them out in the dry I would have sworn my car was actually faster accelerating! Probably because there was less wheel hopping or it simply just grabbed the road better. I haven't tried a launch on them yet but hope to do some auto-crossing and such in the Spring. If you have any questions about these things fire away. Read more”
“Quote: Originally Posted by JLT Bridgestone Potenza, Dunlop SP Sport Maxx and the Pirellis and Michelins. My DD isnt an F-Type (I need back seats and an XF/XE are too slow 😜 )but I do have some tire input. Im a huge fan of Michelin PSS and PS4S, but recently switched to experiment with Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (also known as Bridgestone Potenza RE003 outside North America). In all honesty, Ive only had them on for 2 weeks, done some 1/4 mile passes but no circuit track yet(due this summer). They replaced my PSS that still were at 4/32. So far Im loving them and at half the cost.. Im sure theres a traction difference on a circuit track(maybe becomes greasy faster?) but for aggressive street use, Ive yet to see/feel any differences. Fyi, Im not too worried about thread life, most of my tires expire before they near 2/32.”
“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 141 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop Sport Maxx RT | B · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 27 | 47 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 22″ | 16″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | 9/32″ | 9 - 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 240 A A | 340 A A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | 50 - 51 psi |
| Sizes in common | 8 | 8 |
Which one should you actually buy?
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Narrow edge: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 — better treadwear, dry and comfort. Pick the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT if snow and wet matter most to you.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 66 vs 53 on treadwear.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT scores 55 vs 45 on snow.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 74 vs 67 on dry.
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT scores 69 vs 66 on wet.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Sport Maxx RT or Firehawk Indy 500?
Which is better in the wet, Sport Maxx RT or Firehawk Indy 500?
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT, 69 vs 66 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Sport Maxx RT or Firehawk Indy 500?
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 74 vs 67 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Sport Maxx RT or Firehawk Indy 500?
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT, 55 vs 45 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, Sport Maxx RT or Firehawk Indy 500?
Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 66 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Sport Maxx RT or Firehawk Indy 500?
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 65 vs 62 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Sport Maxx RT or Firehawk Indy 500?
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 66 vs 53 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