Head-to-head Updated

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 vs Kumho Ecsta PS91 — 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 1 + 6 road tests and 1,457 + 485 owner reviews. How we score

Firehawk Indy 500 is ahead, 65–57

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Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
± 7

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.”

Kumho Ecsta PS91
Tire BKumho

Ecsta PS91

Summer

± 5

Tests 77 · 6 tests Owners 42 · 485 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 11 in 2023 AUTO Straßenverkehr 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 (exterior noise)

“Putting some Kumho Ecsta PS91s on. Curious how they’ll do since my go to Falken rt660 doesn’t come in the oem 18” sizes”

Category by category

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

  1. 74

    Dry

    Firehawk Indy 500 +8
    66
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Ecsta PS91
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 72 (est.)77
    Reviews found online7751

    Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 77.2 = 74

    Ecsta PS91: 60% × 76.7 + 40% × 50.9 = 66

    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).

  2. 66

    Wet

    Ecsta PS91 +2
    68
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Ecsta PS91
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 67 (est.)79
    Reviews found online6552

    Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.7 = 66

    Ecsta PS91: 60% × 78.7 + 40% × 51.5 = 68

    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).

  3. 45

    Snow

    Firehawk Indy 500 +7
    38
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Ecsta PS91
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 57 (est.)≈ 53 (est.)
    Reviews found online2715

    Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 56.8 (est.) + 40% × 27.4 = 45

    Ecsta PS91: 60% × 52.9 (est.) + 40% × 15 = 38

    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 PS91. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 65

    Comfort

    Firehawk Indy 500 +11
    54
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Ecsta PS91
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online6448

    Firehawk Indy 500: 40% × 67.6 (est.) + 60% × 63.6 = 65

    Ecsta PS91: 40% × 64.4 (est.) + 60% × 47.7 = 54

    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 PS91. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 66

    Noise

    Firehawk Indy 500 +4
    62
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Ecsta PS91
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 66 (est.)70
    Reviews found online6450

    Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.4 = 66

    Ecsta PS91: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 49.6 = 62

    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.

  6. 66

    Treadwear

    Firehawk Indy 500 +22
    44
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Ecsta PS91
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70≈ 53 (est.)
    Reviews found online6130

    Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 60.7 = 66

    Ecsta PS91: 60% × 53.4 (est.) + 40% × 30.2 = 44

    No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta PS91. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 71

    Handling (owners)

    Firehawk Indy 500 +18
    53
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Ecsta PS91
    Reviews found online7153
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    47
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Ecsta PS91
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests–47
Scores at a glance
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 vs Kumho Ecsta PS91: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryFirestone Firehawk Indy 500Kumho Ecsta PS91
Relative Score 65 57
Dry 74 66
Wet 66 68
Snow 45 38
Comfort 65 54
Noise 66 62
Treadwear 66 44
Handling (owners) 71 53
Efficiency – 47

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Firehawk Indy 500

± 5

Ecsta PS91

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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.

DisciplineCategoryFirehawk Indy 500Ecsta PS91ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #9/22 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires #9/10 2023 AUTO Straßenverkehr 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A 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
All owner themes in the Firehawk Indy 500 review

Tire B Ecsta PS91

Pros

  • Exceptional dry and wet grip providing high confidence during spirited driving
  • Significantly more affordable than premium flagship alternatives while offering comparable performance
  • Stiff sidewalls enhance steering response, cornering stability, and feedback

Cons

  • Accelerated tread wear and shorter lifespan, particularly with aggressive driving or on heavier vehicles
  • Stiff sidewalls result in a firmer, less comfortable ride that transmits road imperfections
  • Tendency to tramline or follow road grooves on straight highways
All owner themes in the Ecsta PS91 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500

Positive

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.

r/MINI ·20 upvotes ·2025-05-02

“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.”

s2ki.com

“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.”

grassrootsmotorsports.com

“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.”

Top themes
#value for money#dry grip performance#wet road traction#ride comfort#cold temperature limitations#track and autocross use#sidewall and steering response

Based on 141 community posts

Tire B

Kumho Ecsta PS91

Mixed

The community views the Kumho Ecsta PS91 as an attractive, budget-friendly max performance summer tire that offers decent street traction, low noise, and a tread pattern resembling higher-end options like Michelin. However, opinions are split; while some drivers praise them as a great value alternative for daily driving and light spirited use, enthusiasts note limitations regarding rapid wear, subpar track endurance, and inferior grip compared to top-tier performance tires.

Top themes
#Budget friendly pricing#Street performance and comfort#Tread wear and longevity#Track and grip limitations#Comparison to Michelin

Based on 46 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 B · Kumho Ecsta PS91
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available471
Rim diameters16″ – 20″19″
Tread depth9 - 10/32″9.5/32″
UTQG340 A A260 A A
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure50 - 51 psi50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500

Kumho Ecsta PS91

Winner: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 — better treadwear, handling and comfort. Where the Kumho Ecsta PS91 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 66 vs 44 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 71 vs 53 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 65 vs 54 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 74 vs 66 on dry.

Tire A · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PS91

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Firehawk Indy 500 or Ecsta PS91?

Which is better in the wet, Firehawk Indy 500 or Ecsta PS91?

Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 68 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Firehawk Indy 500 or Ecsta PS91?

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 74 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Firehawk Indy 500 or Ecsta PS91?

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 45 vs 38 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Firehawk Indy 500 or Ecsta PS91?

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 66 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Firehawk Indy 500 or Ecsta PS91?

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 65 vs 54 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Firehawk Indy 500 or Ecsta PS91?

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 66 vs 44 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