Tests – · 1 test Owners 67 · 165 reviews
Best test result: #7 of 19 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires (overall ranking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Kumho Ecsta PA51 vs Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Ecsta PA51 leads, 68–66 Narrow edge
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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 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.
-
68
Dry
Firehawk Indy 500 +573Why this score
Source Ecsta PA51 Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online 68 77 -
68
Wet
Ecsta PA51 +167Why this score
Source Ecsta PA51 Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online 67 66 -
62
Snow
Ecsta PA51 +1745Why this score
Source Ecsta PA51 Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online 57 28 -
66
Comfort
Firehawk Indy 500 +167Why this score
Source Ecsta PA51 Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online 63 65 -
69
Noise
Ecsta PA51 +267Why this score
Source Ecsta PA51 Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online 72 66 -
71
Treadwear
Ecsta PA51 +467Why this score
Source Ecsta PA51 Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) 70 70 Reviews found online 72 62 -
66
Handling
Firehawk Indy 500 +571Why this score
Source Ecsta PA51 Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online 66 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta PA51 | Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 66 |
| Dry | 68 | 73 |
| Wet | 68 | 67 |
| Snow | 62 | 45 |
| Comfort | 66 | 67 |
| Noise | 69 | 67 |
| Treadwear | 71 | 67 |
| Handling | 66 | 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 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
68
/ 100
Ecsta PA51
66
/ 100
Firehawk Indy 500
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.
| Discipline | Category | Ecsta PA51 | Firehawk Indy 500 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tested Tread Life (Miles) | Other | 67% #11/19 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires | 62% #6/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires | +5.1 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 67% #7/19 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires | 62% #9/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires | +4.8 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Ecsta PA51
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- Strong dry pavement traction and cornering grip
- Quiet and smooth ride quality
Cons
- Inconsistent performance in heavy rain or standing water
- Some reports of increased road noise over time
- Limited availability in certain niche sizes
Tire B 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
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Kumho Ecsta PA51
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta PA51 | B · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 13 | 47 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 19″ | 16″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | 10.5/32″ | 9 - 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 500 A A | 340 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | 45,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | 50 - 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
68
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta PA51
66
/ 100
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Winner: Kumho Ecsta PA51 — better snow and treadwear. Pick the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 if dry and handling matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 62 vs 45 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 73 vs 68 on dry.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 scores 71 vs 66 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 71 vs 67 on treadwear.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta PA51
Tire B · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
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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.