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Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 vs Nexen N'Fera AU7 — Compared

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

N'Fera AU7 leads, 70–66 Narrow edge

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Tire AFirestone

Firehawk Indy 500

Summer

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

Best test result: #6 of 22 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires (tested tread life (miles))

“Quote: Originally Posted by JLT Bridgestone Potenza, Dunlop SP Sport Maxx and the Pirellis and Michelins. My DD isn’t an F-Type (I need back seats and an XF/XE are too slow 😜 )but I do have some tire input. I’m a huge fan of Michelin PSS and PS4S, but recently switched to experiment with Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (also known as Bridgestone Potenza RE003 outside North America). In all honesty, I’ve only had them on for 2 weeks, done some 1/4 mile passes but no circuit track yet(due this summer). They replaced my PSS that still we’re at 4/32. So far I’m loving them and at half the cost.. I’m sure there’s a traction difference on a circuit track(maybe becomes greasy faster?) but for aggressive street use, I’ve yet to see/feel any differences. Fyi, I’m not too worried about thread life, most of my tires expire before they near 2/32.”

Tire BNexen

N'Fera AU7

Summer Premium Touring tires

Tests – · 1 test Owners 71 · 15 reviews

Best test result: #11 of 19 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 73

    Dry

    Firehawk Indy 500 +1
    72
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500N'Fera AU7
    Reviews found online7775
  2. 67

    Wet

    N'Fera AU7 +7
    74
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500N'Fera AU7
    Reviews found online6676
  3. 45

    Snow

    N'Fera AU7 +21
    66
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500N'Fera AU7
    Reviews found online2863
  4. 67

    Comfort

    N'Fera AU7 +4
    71
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500N'Fera AU7
    Reviews found online6572
  5. 67

    Noise

    Level
    67
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500N'Fera AU7
    Reviews found online6667
  6. 67

    Treadwear

    Firehawk Indy 500 +2
    65
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500N'Fera AU7
    Professional tests (TWG score)7063
    Reviews found online6267
  7. 71

    Handling

    N'Fera AU7 +3
    74
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500N'Fera AU7
    Reviews found online7174
Scores at a glance
CategoryFirestone Firehawk Indy 500Nexen N'Fera AU7
Relative Score 66 70
Dry 73 72
Wet 67 74
Snow 45 66
Comfort 67 71
Noise 67 67
Treadwear 67 65
Handling 71 74

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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Recomputed
Headline score

Firehawk Indy 500

N'Fera AU7

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 500N'Fera AU7ΔBoth?
Tested Tread Life (Miles) Treadwear 62% #6/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires 60% #13/19 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires +1.5 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 62% #9/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires 44% #11/19 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires +17.5 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 N'Fera AU7

Pros

  • Exceptional value for the price point
  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Strong wet, dry, and light snow traction

Cons

  • Potential for premature wear or cupping reported by some users
  • Prone to wandering or tracking poorly on metal bridge gratings
  • Softer compounds may be susceptible to quicker aging in harsh climates
All owner themes in the N'Fera AU7 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.

mustang6g.com ·2 upvotes ·2022-05-18

“I have driven them to the track at around 35-37F ambient on public roads, and driving around track at 45-50F ambient. had zero issues. Also driven on them multiple times in the rain on normal roads and had 3 rain sessions on the track. zero issues as well. of course, extra caution is necessary. they appreciate a bit of heat put into them before you start pushing. my car is supercharged.”
fiestastforum.com ·2022-11-30

“I should walk back on my comment about there being numerous other tires I would choose. I forget about many tires getting damaged by cold weather. Like others I've had good luck with Firehawk Indy 500's. They are usually very competitvely priced. I actually got caught in a snowstorm with my CTS-V and made it home safely without a scare, with that being said you probably would be better off with something in the UHPAS class. I've had insanely good luck with Continental DWS06. They barely give up much performance to the Sport Contacts that I'm currently running, but the Continentals are only sold in 205/45R17, so you have to ask yourself if you are okay with a slightly taller sidewall. The continentals have a rebate going on too, but I think it ends today. Not sure if it is going to be renewed for next month.”
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

Nexen N'Fera AU7

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 B · Nexen N'Fera AU7
CategorySummerSummer Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4749
Rim diameters16″ – 20″16″ – 20″
Tread depth9 - 10/32″9/32″
UTQG340 A A500 A A
Treadwear warranty—50,000 mi
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure50 - 51 psi50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500

Nexen N'Fera AU7

Winner: Nexen N'Fera AU7 — better snow, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Nexen N'Fera AU7 scores 66 vs 45 on snow.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Nexen N'Fera AU7 scores 74 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Nexen N'Fera AU7 scores 71 vs 67 on comfort.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Nexen N'Fera AU7 scores 74 vs 71 on handling.

Tire A · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
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Tire B · Nexen N'Fera AU7
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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.

70

Narrow edge

N'Fera AU7

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