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 + 0 road tests and 1,457 + 6 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: Firehawk Indy 500 69, Pilot Exalto PE2 70.
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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 – · none yet Owners 70 · 6 reviews
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | Pilot Exalto PE2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 72 (est.) | ≈ 70 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 77 | 73 |
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 77.2 = 74
Pilot Exalto PE2: 60% × 70.1 (est.) + 40% × 73.2 = 71
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 Pilot Exalto PE2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | Pilot Exalto PE2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 67 (est.) | ≈ 70 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 65 | 70 |
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.7 = 66
Pilot Exalto PE2: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 70.3 = 70
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 Pilot Exalto PE2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | Pilot Exalto PE2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 57 (est.) | – |
| Reviews found online | 27 | – |
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 56.8 (est.) + 40% × 27.4 = 45
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 | Firehawk Indy 500 | Pilot Exalto PE2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 68 (est.) | ≈ 68 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 64 | 68 |
Firehawk Indy 500: 40% × 67.6 (est.) + 60% × 63.6 = 65
Pilot Exalto PE2: 40% × 68.5 (est.) + 60% × 67.7 = 68
No road tests of comfort for Firehawk Indy 500 or Pilot Exalto PE2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | Pilot Exalto PE2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 66 (est.) | – |
| Reviews found online | 64 | – |
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 | Firehawk Indy 500 | Pilot Exalto PE2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests | 70 | ≈ 66 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 61 | 66 |
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 60.7 = 66
Pilot Exalto PE2: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 66.4 = 66
No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Exalto PE2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | Pilot Exalto PE2 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 71 | 72 |
| Category | Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 | Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 69 | 70 |
| Dry | 74 | 71 |
| Wet | 66 | 70 |
| Snow | 45 | – |
| Comfort | 65 | 68 |
| Noise | 66 | – |
| Treadwear | 66 | 66 |
| Handling (owners) | 71 | 72 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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.
Firehawk Indy 500
Pilot Exalto PE2
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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 · Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 47 | 10 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 20″ | 13″ – 15″ |
| Tread depth | 9 - 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 340 A A | 240 A A |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 0 | 0 |
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2
Too close to call: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 and Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 are within 2 points overall. Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 is stronger on dry. Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 is stronger on wet and comfort. Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 scores 70 vs 66 on wet.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 74 vs 71 on dry.
Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 scores 68 vs 65 on comfort.
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Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2, 70 vs 66 on our wet score.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 74 vs 71 on our dry score.
Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2, 68 vs 65 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
