Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 1 + 1 road tests and 1,457 + 165 owner reviews. How we score
Ecsta PA51 leads, 69–65 Narrow edge
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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.”
Tests – · 1 test Owners 70 · 165 reviews
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | Ecsta PA51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 72 (est.) | ≈ 69 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 77 | 70 |
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 77.2 = 74
Ecsta PA51: 60% × 68.8 (est.) + 40% × 69.9 = 69
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).
No road tests of dry for Ecsta PA51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | Ecsta PA51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 67 (est.) | ≈ 71 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 65 | 71 |
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.7 = 66
Ecsta PA51: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 71.4 = 71
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).
No road tests of wet for Ecsta PA51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | Ecsta PA51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 57 (est.) | ≈ 67 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 27 | 59 |
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 56.8 (est.) + 40% × 27.4 = 45
Ecsta PA51: 60% × 67 (est.) + 40% × 59.3 = 64
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).
No road tests of snow for Ecsta PA51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | Ecsta PA51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 68 (est.) | ≈ 68 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 64 | 65 |
Firehawk Indy 500: 40% × 67.6 (est.) + 60% × 63.6 = 65
Ecsta PA51: 40% × 67.9 (est.) + 60% × 64.7 = 66
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).
No road tests of comfort for Ecsta PA51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | Ecsta PA51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 66 (est.) | ≈ 66 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 64 | 74 |
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.4 = 66
Ecsta PA51: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 74 = 69
No road tests of noise for Firehawk Indy 500 or Ecsta PA51. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | Ecsta PA51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests | 70 | 70 |
| Reviews found online | 61 | 74 |
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 60.7 = 66
Ecsta PA51: 60% × 69.9 + 40% × 74.4 = 72
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | Ecsta PA51 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 71 | 67 |
| Category | Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 | Kumho Ecsta PA51 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 65 | 69 |
| Dry | 74 | 69 |
| Wet | 66 | 71 |
| Snow | 45 | 64 |
| Comfort | 65 | 66 |
| Noise | 66 | 69 |
| Treadwear | 66 | 72 |
| Handling (owners) | 71 | 67 |
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.
Firehawk Indy 500
Ecsta PA51
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 | Firehawk Indy 500 | Ecsta PA51 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tested Tread Life (Miles) | Treadwear | 62% #6/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires | 67% #11/19 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #9/22 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires | #7/19 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires | – | Different tests |
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
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
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 | B · Kumho Ecsta PA51 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 47 | 13 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 20″ | 16″ – 19″ |
| Tread depth | 9 - 10/32″ | 10.5/32″ |
| UTQG | 340 A A | 500 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | — | 45,000 mi |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | 51 psi |
| Sizes in common | 7 | 7 |
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Kumho Ecsta PA51
Narrow edge: Kumho Ecsta PA51 — better snow, treadwear and wet. Pick the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 if dry matters most to you.
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 64 vs 45 on snow.
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 72 vs 66 on treadwear.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 74 vs 69 on dry.
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 71 vs 66 on wet.
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Kumho Ecsta PA51, 71 vs 66 on our wet score.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 74 vs 69 on our dry score.
Kumho Ecsta PA51, 64 vs 45 on our snow score.
Kumho Ecsta PA51, 69 vs 66 on our noise score.
Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 66 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Kumho Ecsta PA51, 72 vs 66 on our treadwear score.
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
