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 + 1 road tests and 1,457 + 38 owner reviews. How we score
Firehawk Indy 500 is ahead, 69–63
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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 66 · 1 test Owners 57 · 38 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 9 in 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test (dry braking)
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | R888 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests | ≈ 72 (est.) | 80 |
| Reviews found online | 78 | 72 |
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 72.1 (est.) + 40% × 77.6 = 74
R888: 60% × 80.3 + 40% × 71.8 = 77
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 0.42).
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | R888 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests | ≈ 68 (est.) | 51 |
| Reviews found online | 65 | 57 |
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 67.6 (est.) + 40% × 65.1 = 67
R888: 60% × 50.6 + 40% × 57.3 = 53
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).
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | R888 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 55 (est.) | – |
| Reviews found online | 28 | – |
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 54.7 (est.) + 40% × 27.7 = 44
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 0.37).
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | R888 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 68 (est.) | ≈ 65 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 64 | 46 |
Firehawk Indy 500: 40% × 68.3 (est.) + 60% × 64.4 = 66
R888: 40% × 64.9 (est.) + 60% × 46 = 54
No road tests of comfort for Firehawk Indy 500 or R888. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | R888 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests | ≈ 67 (est.) | 72 |
| Reviews found online | 65 | ≈ 67 (est.) |
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.9 = 66
R888: 60% × 72.5 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 70
No road tests of noise for Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
No owner ratings of noise for R888. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | R888 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests | 70 | ≈ 58 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 61 | 44 |
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 60.8 = 66
R888: 60% × 58.4 (est.) + 40% × 43.8 = 53
No road tests of treadwear for R888. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | R888 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 71 | 65 |
| Source | Firehawk Indy 500 | R888 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests | – | 67 |
| Category | Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 | Toyo R888 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 69 | 63 |
| Dry | 74 | 77 |
| Wet | 67 | 53 |
| Snow | 44 | – |
| Comfort | 66 | 54 |
| Noise | 66 | 70 |
| Treadwear | 66 | 53 |
| Handling (owners) | 71 | 65 |
| Efficiency | – | 67 |
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
R888
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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.
| Discipline | Category | Firehawk Indy 500 | R888 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #9/22 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires | #6/9 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
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.
“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”
“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.”
“I had them on wifes old MR2 spyder, drove great. deep tread and quiet, did not exhibit any bad behavior and held well at high speed on ramps, ect....great in wet weather and were by far the longest lasting tire I ever had on that car, yokohamas would burn down in 15-20k miles in rear and staggered so no rotates. different beast, I know but the tires on a miata should easily go 40-50k.”
Based on 146 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 | B · Toyo R888 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 47 | — |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 20″ | — |
| Tread depth | 9 - 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 340 A A | — |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | — |
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Toyo R888
Winner: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 — better wet, treadwear and comfort. Pick the Toyo R888 if noise and dry matter most to you.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 67 vs 53 on wet.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 66 vs 53 on treadwear.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 66 vs 54 on comfort.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 71 vs 65 on handling.
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Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 67 vs 53 on our wet score.
Toyo R888, 77 vs 74 on our dry score.
Toyo R888, 70 vs 66 on our noise score.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 66 vs 54 on our comfort score.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 66 vs 53 on our treadwear score.
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
