Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 31 + 1 road tests and 910 + 1,457 owner reviews. How we score
Azenis FK510 is ahead, 70–65
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Tests 74 · 31 tests Owners 66 · 910 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 9 in 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test (wet braking)
“I have Fallen FK510s and live where it rains 300 days a year, they perform great and I'm sure the 520 is even better”
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.”
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Azenis FK510 | Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 28 / – tests | 73 | ≈ 72 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 74 | 77 |
Azenis FK510: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 74.2 = 73
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 77.2 = 74
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).
| Source | Azenis FK510 | Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 29 / – tests | 88 | ≈ 67 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 78 | 65 |
Azenis FK510: 60% × 88.4 + 40% × 77.9 = 84
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.7 = 66
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).
| Source | Azenis FK510 | Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 62 (est.) | ≈ 57 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 45 | 27 |
Azenis FK510: 60% × 62.4 (est.) + 40% × 45 = 55
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 56.8 (est.) + 40% × 27.4 = 45
No road tests of snow for Azenis FK510. 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).
| Source | Azenis FK510 | Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests | 40 | ≈ 68 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 67 | 64 |
Azenis FK510: 40% × 40.3 + 60% × 66.9 = 56
Firehawk Indy 500: 40% × 67.6 (est.) + 60% × 63.6 = 65
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).
| Source | Azenis FK510 | Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / – tests | 66 | ≈ 66 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 67 | 64 |
Azenis FK510: 60% × 66 + 40% × 66.9 = 66
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.4 = 66
No road tests of noise for Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | Azenis FK510 | Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 1 tests | 73 | 70 |
| Reviews found online | 54 | 61 |
| Tested Tread Life (Miles) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 | 54% | 62% |
Azenis FK510: 60% × 73.1 + 40% × 54.2 = 66
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 60.7 = 66
| Source | Azenis FK510 | Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 72 | 71 |
| Source | Azenis FK510 | Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / – tests | 50 | – |
| Category | Falken Azenis FK510 | Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 70 | 65 |
| Dry | 73 | 74 |
| Wet | 84 | 66 |
| Snow | 55 | 45 |
| Comfort | 56 | 65 |
| Noise | 66 | 66 |
| Treadwear | 66 | 66 |
| Handling (owners) | 72 | 71 |
| Efficiency | 50 | – |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. 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.
Azenis FK510
Firehawk Indy 500
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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, Falken Azenis FK510 finished ahead 1 times and Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | Azenis FK510 | Firehawk Indy 500 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tested Tread Life (Miles) | Treadwear | 54% | 62% | −7.6 | 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 | #5/22 | #9/22 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires · 215/60R18 |
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Community members frequently view the Falken Azenis FK510 as an affordable, budget-friendly alternative to premium tires like Michelin Pilot Sports, offering strong wet weather grip and good everyday road comfort. However, opinions are mixed due to rapid treadwear, with multiple drivers reporting bald tires in 10,000 to 15,000 miles or poor durability during track and autocross sessions. Furthermore, some users note compromises in steering response, road noise, and overall performance compared to top-tier max performance tires.
“I put the fk510 on my 2014 535d msport and the rears only lasted 10-11k or one year. Trying something different. They are a good performance summer tire but not worth replacing every year.”
“Falken Azenis FK510 prices? Anyone know why the prices for Falken Azenis FK510's went up 25% or more in the last month? 235/40R18 went from $154 to $192. The whole benefit of these tires is that they offer PS4S performance for way less money. Now, you midaswhale just buy the Michelins. I haven't seen any other summer tires make that kind of a jump in price. I know Falken announced a price increase for 2022, but it was only like 5%. What's the dealio? Read more”
“I've had a set of Falken Azenis FK510's on my car for a couple of months now, and just this past weekend took a trip through the twisties up to Prescott, and pushed the car as hard as I could heading up the mountain. I was a little nervous as I'd never used Falken tires before, but trusted in Tire Rack's reviews of them and pushed the envelope in every turn I hit. It was a pleasant surprise to find that the tires were gripping just as well as the much more expensive Michelin tires they'd replaced, and I even hit a personal best of .95g going around one of the more nasty turns. During this entire drive I never felt once like the tires weren't gripping perfectly, or that I was going to lose control from them breaking loose. Road noise is pretty much non-existent, and they seem to run pretty smooth over every surface I've driven them on so far. All-in-all I don't regret my purchase one bit, and if their longevity is anything like what I got out of my previous set of Michelins I'll definitely be buying another set once this one is done for.”
Based on 63 community posts
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.
“Firehawk Indy 500s As promised, some initial thoughts. These are extremely comfortable. They honestly made it hard to understand how fast I was going because I've come to gauge my speed based on how much I'm being jostled around. I felt almost nothing with these, and there's so much construction on my way to work from the tire place, including a road that hasn't been surfaced properly yet. Perfect testing run for comfort. In terms of performance these bite the road a lot better and it's a lot easier for me to get moving again. Granted, my run flats were almost bald and that's my most recent memory of how they performed, but it's shocking how much I can take a turn or even just accelerate without any risk of sliding or slipping. It feels like a completely different car honestly, and people aren't kidding when they say "just get better tires" on some of these posts asking about mods. It's not as sexy as a new intake, but it makes a much bigger difference. I mean I feel like I was missing out on at least half of my roadster's potential here. So yeah I definitely like them. I don't mean to insult the tire guys' ability to apply tire shine, but I need to redo that disaster when I'm home. I only have detailing spray right now.”
“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.”
“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.”
Based on 141 community posts
| Attribute | A · Falken Azenis FK510 | B · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 93 | 47 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 22″ | 16″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | 9 - 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 300 A A | 340 A A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | 50 - 51 psi |
| Sizes in common | 33 | 33 |
Falken Azenis FK510
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Winner: Falken Azenis FK510 — better wet and snow. Pick the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 if comfort matters most to you.
Falken Azenis FK510 scores 84 vs 66 on wet.
Falken Azenis FK510 scores 55 vs 45 on snow.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 65 vs 56 on comfort.
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Falken Azenis FK510, 84 vs 66 on our wet score.
Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 74 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Falken Azenis FK510, 55 vs 45 on our snow score.
Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 66 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 65 vs 56 on our comfort score.
Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 66 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.
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
