Head-to-head Updated

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 vs Pirelli P Zero Nero GT — Compared

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

Firehawk Indy 500 is ahead, 66–59

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

“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.”

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 +10
    63
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500P Zero Nero GT
    Reviews found online7760
  2. 67

    Wet

    Firehawk Indy 500 +5
    62
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500P Zero Nero GT
    Reviews found online6660
  3. 45

    Snow

    P Zero Nero GT +13
    58
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500P Zero Nero GT
    Reviews found online2850
  4. 67

    Comfort

    Firehawk Indy 500 +7
    60
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500P Zero Nero GT
    Reviews found online6551
  5. 67

    Noise

    Firehawk Indy 500 +3
    64
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500P Zero Nero GT
    Reviews found online6659
  6. 67

    Treadwear

    Firehawk Indy 500 +14
    53
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500P Zero Nero GT
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online6244
  7. 71

    Handling

    Firehawk Indy 500 +17
    54
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500P Zero Nero GT
    Reviews found online7154
Scores at a glance
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 vs Pirelli P Zero Nero GT: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryFirestone Firehawk Indy 500Pirelli P Zero Nero GT
Relative Score 66 59
Dry 73 63
Wet 67 62
Snow 45 58
Comfort 67 60
Noise 67 64
Treadwear 67 53
Handling 71 54

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

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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

P Zero Nero GT

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 P Zero Nero GT

Pros

  • Strong dry grip and predictable handling at the limit
  • Competitive and attractive pricing compared to other premium brands
  • Improved cabin quietness and ride comfort relative to some factory tires

Cons

  • Unpredictable and poor wet-weather grip, leading to aquaplaning and sudden loss of traction
  • Soft sidewalls resulting in a twitchy or wobbly feel under heavy cornering loads
  • Persistent high-speed vibration issues that resist rebalancing
All owner themes in the P Zero Nero GT 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

Pirelli P Zero Nero GT

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 B · Pirelli P Zero Nero GT
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4733
Rim diameters16″ – 20″16″ – 22″
Tread depth9 - 10/32″9/32″
UTQG340 A A280 A A
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure50 - 51 psi50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500

Pirelli P Zero Nero GT

Winner: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 — better handling, treadwear and dry. Pick the Pirelli P Zero Nero GT if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 71 vs 54 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 67 vs 53 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Pirelli P Zero Nero GT scores 58 vs 45 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 73 vs 63 on dry.

Tire A · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Tire B · Pirelli P Zero Nero GT

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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.

66

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Firehawk Indy 500

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