Head-to-head Updated

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 80–69

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Tests – · 1 test Owners 63 · 1,457 reviews

Best test result: #9 of 22 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires (overall ranking)

“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.”

Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 4

Summer

Tests 84 · 21 tests Owners 74 · 12,686 reviews

Best test result: #7 of 9 in 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 (overall ranking)

“Reminder: Tires are the key to this car Just replaced my Michelin Pilot Sport 4 AS tires with a new set ahead of the rainy season. Lasted 36K miles. It was the best mod to the car and a fresh set reminded just how good a brand new set is. The car is glued to the road, riding wonderfully smooth and quiet. Spend the money, get the best tires for you. The tune can wait. And it will need it.”

Category by category

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

  1. 73

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 4 +12
    85
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–88
    Reviews found online7781
  2. 67

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 +20
    87
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–91
    Reviews found online6681
  3. 45

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Pilot Sport 4
    Reviews found online28–
  4. 67

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 +11
    78
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–83
    Reviews found online6571
  5. 67

    Noise

    Pilot Sport 4 +7
    74
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)–76
    Reviews found online6672
  6. 67

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 +3
    70
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)7076
    Reviews found online6261
  7. 71

    Handling

    Pilot Sport 4 +7
    78
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Pilot Sport 4
    Reviews found online7178
Scores at a glance
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryFirestone Firehawk Indy 500Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Relative Score 69 80
Dry 73 85
Wet 67 87
Snow 45 –
Comfort 67 78
Noise 67 74
Treadwear 67 70
Handling 71 78

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Firehawk Indy 500

Pilot Sport 4

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

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryFirehawk Indy 500Pilot Sport 4ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 62% #9/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires 33% #7/9 · 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 +28.6 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 Pilot Sport 4

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry traction with outstanding resistance to aquaplaning
  • Noticeable improvement in ride comfort and a reduction in cabin noise compared to standard run-flat tires
  • Progressive and predictable breakaway limits during spirited driving

Cons

  • Faster-than-average treadwear, particularly under aggressive driving or on rear-wheel-drive performance cars
  • Softer sidewalls can lead to a slight lack of initial steering precision and a vague feel at the limit for hardcore enthusiasts
  • Performance drops off significantly in cold, freezing, or snowy winter conditions
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 4 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500

Positive

Community sentiment toward the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 is overwhelmingly positive, with drivers frequently praising it as an exceptional value and budget-friendly alternative to premium summer tires. Owners report strong dry grip, solid wet-weather traction, good comfort, and predictable handling, though some note reduced performance in cold temperatures, softer sidewalls, and a tendency to get greasy during aggressive track sessions. Interest is also growing around the newer V2 version and its updated compound and tread design.

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.”

s197forum.com ·2018-03-14

“I have them on my 14 GT. 255 front/285 rear. They have roughly 5k on them and have worn well. Wheel spin has to be intentionally induced now. No more surprises. Highly recommend.”

r/Mustang ·7 upvotes ·2025-02-13

“Will I regret buying Firestone Firehawk Indy 500s? I have a stock '21 GT Premium convertible with the black appearance package. It came with the upgraded Pirelli P Zero 255/40-19 tires, but with 35,000 miles, they are really worn, and I need new tires. I live in North Florida. We don't have a lot of cold weather (I missed the snow last month), but I do get a lot of rain. I don't track the car, and mostly drive on country roads and the interstate. The Pirelli's have treated me well as far as traction, dry and wet. I like the aggressive look of the Firehawks, but I am concerned about wet weather traction. Will the Firehawks be at least comparable to the Pirelli's for wet weather and general handling? If not, it sounds like the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4 is the way to go. Also, the car is all black, with black rims, and the tires look wimpy. I'm not up for new rims this go-round, and I won't lower it because I like the clearance for potholes, etc., that I see a lot of in my area. I'm hoping the tires will help the look a little bit. Read more”

Top themes
#value and pricing#dry grip and traction#wet weather handling#track and autocross use#cold temperature limitations#ride comfort and road noise#Firehawk Indy 500 V2

Based on 146 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Positive

The community widely regards the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 line as a premium upgrade offering exceptional dry and wet grip, precise handling, and superior ride comfort compared to OEM or run-flat tires. While celebrated for performance, users frequently discuss its high price tag, faster treadwear, and noticeable drop in EV efficiency. Some drivers also note increased road noise and reduced traction when temperatures drop near freezing.

Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Run-flat replacement upgrade#Treadwear and longevity#Cold weather performance#Road noise and comfort#EV range and efficiency#Comparison to Continental tires

Based on 246 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4762
Rim diameters16″ – 20″16″ – 20″
Tread depth9 - 10/32″—
UTQG340 A A—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better wet, dry and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 85 vs 73 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 67 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 74 vs 67 on noise.

Tire A · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4

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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

80

Leads

Pilot Sport 4

Amazon