Head-to-head Updated

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 vs Yokohama Advan A050 — Compared

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

Firehawk Indy 500 is ahead, 69–62

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Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
± 7

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.”

Yokohama Advan A050
Tire BYokohama

Advan A050

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 56 · 6 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 74

    Dry

    Firehawk Indy 500 +3
    71
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Advan A050
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7773

    Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 77.3 = 74

    Advan A050: 60% × 70 (est.) + 40% × 72.8 = 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 0.42).

    No road tests of dry for Advan A050. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 66

    Wet

    Firehawk Indy 500 +6
    60
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Advan A050
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 62 (est.)
    Reviews found online6555

    Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.7 = 66

    Advan A050: 60% × 62.3 (est.) + 40% × 55.4 = 60

    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 Advan A050. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 45

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Advan A050
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 57 (est.)–
    Reviews found online27–

    Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 56.9 (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).

  4. 65

    Comfort

    Firehawk Indy 500 +4
    61
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Advan A050
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6457

    Firehawk Indy 500: 40% × 67.7 (est.) + 60% × 63.6 = 65

    Advan A050: 40% × 66.4 (est.) + 60% × 57.1 = 61

    No road tests of comfort for Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for Advan A050. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 66

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Advan A050
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)–
    Reviews found online64–

    Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 64.3 = 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.

  6. 66

    Treadwear

    Firehawk Indy 500 +19
    47
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Advan A050
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70≈ 55 (est.)
    Reviews found online6135

    Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 60.7 = 66

    Advan A050: 60% × 55.4 (est.) + 40% × 35.3 = 47

    No road tests of treadwear for Advan A050. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 71

    Handling (owners)

    Level
    71
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk Indy 500Advan A050
    Reviews found online7171
Scores at a glance
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 vs Yokohama Advan A050: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryFirestone Firehawk Indy 500Yokohama Advan A050
Relative Score 69 62
Dry 74 71
Wet 66 60
Snow 45 –
Comfort 65 61
Noise 66 –
Treadwear 66 47
Handling (owners) 71 71

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

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.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Firehawk Indy 500

± 8

Advan A050

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

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 Advan A050

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and track-day performance
  • Predictable and communicative handling characteristics
  • Consistent grip levels maintained throughout the tire's life

Cons

  • Very high price point compared to competitors
  • Rapid tread wear, particularly in softer compounds
  • Poor performance and safety risks in wet or cold conditions
All owner themes in the Advan A050 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500

Positive

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.

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.”

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.”

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 for money#dry grip performance#wet road traction#ride comfort#cold temperature limitations#track and autocross use#sidewall and steering response

Based on 141 community posts

Tire B

Yokohama Advan A050

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 B · Yokohama Advan A050
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available47—
Rim diameters16″ – 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

Yokohama Advan A050

Winner: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 — better treadwear, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score. Yokohama Advan A050 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 66 vs 47 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 66 vs 60 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 65 vs 61 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 74 vs 71 on dry.

Tire A · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Tire B · Yokohama Advan A050

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Firehawk Indy 500 or Advan A050?

Which is better in the wet, Firehawk Indy 500 or Advan A050?

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 66 vs 60 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Firehawk Indy 500 or Advan A050?

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 74 vs 71 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Firehawk Indy 500 or Advan A050?

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 65 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Firehawk Indy 500 or Advan A050?

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 66 vs 47 on our treadwear score.

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.

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