Firestone Firehawk Indy 500s Review/Feedback Thread

[dp.s4]

Hey All,

I've seen a lot of people asking questions and discussing the Indy 500s on multiple threads on here so I thought I would start this one to keep track of our experiences with these tires.

I recently purchased a set for my 2014 S4 in the OEM spec of 255/35/19. Going to start with the biggest appeal of these tires, the cost. I would love to get a set of PS4Ss or Pilot Sports but spending $1,200 on tires although I know they're worth it, is still a hard pill to swallow for some. So coming in at $147.54 per tire on Tire Rack, one could get a whole set for $600, about half of the Michelins.

I have only been running these tires for 2 weeks so I cannot comment on the thread life yet and have not driven in heavy rain so wet weather performance is a question mark from personal experience. However, I have seen reviews and these tires perform very well in the wet so it is not as much of a concern for me. What I can comment on are my initial impressions. I have to say I am very impressed so far with what I would call a "budget" performance tire. The grip produced by these tires is something I have not felt before. I previously owned a MK6 GTI that I would autocross and take on spirited drives quite often so I kinda (emphasis on kinda, not a great driver my any means) know what it feels like to push a tire to its limits. In conclusion, I would say the performance provided by this tire met and exceeded my expectations. I plan on tracking my car on occasion and will update this thread when I have that experience.

In terms of drivability, I would say this is a good tire. There is a slightly stiffer ride nothing too notable and could be negated when I put the car into Comfort. People have commented about how the steering seems to get lighter with these tires and I would have to agree, I have no idea what would cause this as I am not a tire expert so I'm just going to say it because of magic. The road noise produced by this tire is little to nothing IMO. Granted I have only driven on performance tires and full blown winter tires so my opinion might be worthless. Only downside is that due to the stickier rubber, you hear the tires pick up pebbles and toss them into the undercarriage. This behavior has calmed down as I have driven them more, but still there sometimes.

Lastly, the aesthetics of the tire are great. I know this doesn't matter that much, but I am trying to make this as comprehensive as possible for people looking into these tires. Just look at that thread, WOULD YA JUST LOOK AT IT, it looks sick. period. Whenever, I show my friends my new set up they always comment on the tires before anything else so that has to count for something, right? In all seriousness, I have a 255/35/19 on a 19X9.5 and I would not say the tire looks stretched at all. Looks nice and square for a sporty/track look.

These are my experiences so far with the tire and I will continue to update this thread as I have more things to comment on. I invite all of you with these tires to also add your experiences here! Thanks for reading guys!

[dp.s4]

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[proxemus]

I would recommend these tires to anyone. They are great in everyway. Stay away from hankook v12's they are a pile of shit lol

[Envy187]

Thanks for the write-up! That's pretty sweet that the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500s are that inexpensive in comparison to the Michelin's (of both types). As I'm currently sitting on Pirelli P Zero's for my summers, my intended next step up was going to be PS4S's...but I may reconsider and give these Indy 500s a shot. [:)]

[HokieS4]

The dealership put these on before I bought my S4 this January. Only complaint is some tramlining on some of the crappy highways around DC, but I can’t definitively say it is these tires as I have not used another tire yet. I have just heard that changing tires on this car can help improve this.

[Jankuar]

Sweet! I've heard pretty much nothing but good things about these tires. I was between them and Michelin Pilot Sport 4s, and ultimately (about an hour ago) chose the firestones. I've seen occasional reports of flat spotting if you leave the car for an extended period of time, but that won't be an issue (at least for me) because I daily drive the car they're going on.

[raudiace4]

I run PS4s on my C63. I’m getting these firehawks for my S4.

Very comparable to the old PSS tire which is still a great and at 1/2 the price it’s unbeatable.

I’ve heard the tread life isn’t as good as the Michelins PSS due to differences in compound, but at that price I don’t care.

[BLT10]

Good tire, albeit mine are very noisy. This seems to be a hit or miss complaint. They're more or less re-branded Potenza's, so you may be able to find additional feedback looking up that model.

FWIW I've run Pilot SuperSports, Hankook V12, Dunlop Sport Maxx GT, among others. These are no less of a tire, at a terrific price.

[Strong Man]

The discussion has been open a while ago https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/813704-Firestone-Firehawk-Indy-500-vs-Michelin-Pilot-4s , really hard to understand why don’t use “search” before you open an another one with the exactly same content

[dp.s4]

The discussion has been open a while ago https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/813704-Firestone-Firehawk-Indy-500-vs-Michelin-Pilot-4s , really hard to understand why don’t use “search” before you open an another one with the exactly same content

Yeah sorry about that, completely my bad. That thread has some good content! However, not trying to compare this tire against the Michelin. The cost discussion was just to give a point of reference. Also since I've seen people ask about these tires often in other threads I guess many people don't use the search bar as much as they should either. Just trying to bring content to the top of the list and give my 2 cents. I'll consider bumping an existing thread rather than creating a new one next time [up]

[whats77inaname]

3 weeks ago Firestone had a 3 days sale....$100 off on tires/labor, plus a $40 gift card rebate for 4 new tires. After both were applied, it was $517 out the door for some 255-40-18s. Looking forward to seeing how they perform vs the R888s I was running on my (now sold) E90 M3.

[AudiS4SD]

I've had these tires on for about 6 months/5,000 miles. No complaints so far -- quiet, good traction dry/wet. Hoping they hold up long-term and last at least 20-25k miles.

[ModItNow]

Wish they made 20's!

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[SteveYem]

Hoping to get a set of these soon and will report back with my impressions.

[Brother Owl]

Interested in some more reviews from owners who have put 20k+ miles on these. Seen plenty of 5k-10k comments, but not a lot of long term feedback.
That being said I will be running these in the next couple weeks and will also provide reviews

[dimonblr]

I have these planned as my next tire in replacement of Continental ExtremeContact DWS06.

[GTSJeff]

I also run these on my B8.5. Excellent tire for the price, but definitely NOT on the same level as PSS. Don’t buy into the hype!

Pros: price, very decent performance, quiet, looks nice, and PRICE.

Cons: light steering, soft sidewalls and less grip compared to PSS.


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[Bailster]

i just bought the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 because they have 50k mile warranty. My last tires Ventus V12 only lasted a 1 year and were done.

[BucDan]

The tire is $87 each?! That's like, knock off or Chinese brand cheap for a car like this. What's the difference between the regular Indy 500 and the Wide oval version?

[proxemus]

Interested in some more reviews from owners who have put 20k+ miles on these. Seen plenty of 5k-10k comments, but not a lot of long term feedback.
That being said I will be running these in the next couple weeks and will also provide reviews

I had about 37kmiles on a set on my bmw till they were toast.. but I drove like an asshole on the streets and drifted a lot of corners lol... one of the best tires ive ever had. them and the BF Goodrich t/a KDW were another one of my favs... those were rougher tho

[Brother Owl]

The tire is $87 each?! That's like, knock off or Chinese brand cheap for a car like this. What's the difference between the regular Indy 500 and the Wide oval version?

"Wide Oval" is the previous version of this tire, as I understand it. Similar to differences in Michelin PSS/PS4


I had about 37kmiles on a set on my bmw till they were toast.. but I drove like an asshole on the streets and drifted a lot of corners lol... one of the best tires ive ever had. them and the BF Goodrich t/a KDW were another one of my favs... those were rougher tho

Thank you for this. Glad to hear you enjoyed the tire

[Corradobrit]

If weight is a concern definitely look elsewhere. These are heavy.

[SteveYem]

Well....I wussed out and went with a set of Pilot Sport 4S. I'm already running heavy wheels (OEM S5 Rotors) so the +3 lbs/wheel with the Indy 500's would have been insult to injury. YOLO

[ElectroMike]

I picked up a set of Indy 500's in 255/35R19 and had them mounted last week. At a first look, they are meaty, have lots of rubber, look like DOT racing slicks!

First impressions, they are not loud, grip well in dry and in the light rain I rode. They seem to eat up highway miles smoothly. I did not get a chance to rip them thru off ramps yet but will update this post if anyone cares to hear more feedback.

The only Con I noticed thus far (this was pointed out in one of the posts as well) is that they seem to pick up all the little pebbles and rocks of the road and throw them into the wheel wells, my previous Pirelli summers and Michelin winters never did this.

[silverf0x]

People who commented here in 2017. Anything you want to adjust 2 years later?

[Emporio]

I've had these tires since 2017, still have at least another year or 2 in them. They are decently quiet and handle quite nice. I got an awesome deal with them as well, would buy again.

[MVR 155]

Wish they made 20's!

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They are available in 20" sizes

[ModItNow]

They are available in 20" sizesThanks. I'll have to take another look.

Update: looks like they make 255/35/20 which was one if the sizes I was looking into

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[GTSJeff]

I still stand by my original comments. Excellent tire for the money and a great tire for daily driving. Not as grippy or responsive as PSS though.

Another cheap tire that performs well is the RE71R bought from Costco. Absolutely insane amounts of grip but it will be done in 2 seasons.


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[BR11S4]

Just purchased Indy 500 255/35r19 and out them on new BBS CI-R wheels, 19x9 et42. Haven’t put many miles on them yet. Road trip tomorrow, 480 miles up to Michigan! Did get 10 miles on highway and some backroads. Fantastic tire. Quiet. Tracks really well and handles greats. I liked them ok my brothers S4. Will report back with some miles on them. Beyond happy so far.


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[MN Blue S4]

I've been running these all summer and have been very happy with them so far. Quiet, smooth running, and more than enough grip and performance for my needs. Doubt I'd ever go back to PSS when you consider the massive price difference. Excellent tires in my opinion.

[BR11S4]

Made it 470 miles to Michigan. These tires are awesome. Road noise is extremely quiet. They hand and ride very nicely. Very very happy with my purchase


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[Dorny1]

I put on a set earlier this year, they ride great and have amazing traction. In the wet they are a little skittish compared to my DWS06 I had, but going from an AS meant to be great in wet/snow its not surprising. Still you can tell where the limit is in the wet so its not surprising.

[Boost112]

I love this tire...it is the best bang for the buck tire out there right now...i have them on one of my cars currently and have run them on others in the past...however...there is one tire that i think is better than the PSS for performance/price...Continental ExtremeContact Sport...fantastic tire and my pick over the PSS ,because it still is cheaper than the pss and perform just as as well...and imo THE best tire in the wet...cant go wrong with either one....lol i run both!

[KLX]

I've had these tires on for about 6 months/5,000 miles. No complaints so far -- quiet, good traction dry/wet. Hoping they hold up long-term and last at least 20-25k miles.

+1..

[2013s]

I've had these tires on the s4 for a year and 3 months and have put 14k miles on them. They are already down to the wear bar and need to be replaced. I will be buying another set of them because of how sticky they are, it's insane. Most people will probably get 20k+ out of these tires but I'm a very spirited back road driver(drive the ortega highway at least once a week). They are great tires but mine didn't last all that long. I would recommend these tires to anyone!!

[grwaia]

I have these on my 2012 S4. They replaced Michelins. I love these and didn't like the others. According to Tire Rack, proper inflation pressure for these tires on an S4 is 41 PSI and at that pressure they are outstanding. Below that, not so much.

[Ryan_003]

For those that run these in the southeast US, do you run them year-round? Just wondering how the summer category tires do during the last few months of cold.

[audi_rieder]

They suck on dual pulley e40 setup

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[BillyS4]

Tires all around are pretty great. Proper traction in the rain as well. However I would not recommend these tires for aggressive drivers. They will not perform as well as the more expensive brands. For a daily driven tire they are perfect. Im an aggressive driver and I will not be buying them again.

2014 S4 Technik | 6MT | Phantom Black | B&O | Black Optics | Carbon Package | H&R SS | CTS Intake | Custom Exhaust | Unitronic 1+

[king_j]

Billys4, do you mean aggressive drivers are tracking the cars?
You say it’s great for daily driving, but not a good tire for aggressive drivers.


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[Jwill]

Just got these tires mounted up for summer and on a 19x9.5 inch wheel the 255 tire looks meaty which I like (compared to the PSS which looked sort of stretched).

Figured I'd give them a shot vs the PSS I was running the last two summers as my driving is pretty limited these days and only go on spirited drives every now and then. Will report back after a few hundred miles or so.

[chydog]

265/40/19 on 9" Renntech wheels, ran for two seasons(i have dedicated winters on stock rims), i love them, can't beat the price and with the lightweight Renntech rims there's no weight added vs stock rims for those willing to pay double for michelin pilots, i only have 10k kms on them but the stock continentals were smoke at 20K, these are definitely wearing better and outhandle the stock continentals by a good margin

[Sdizzle7]

The discussion has been open a while ago https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/813704-Firestone-Firehawk-Indy-500-vs-Michelin-Pilot-4s , really hard to understand why don’t use “search” before you open an another one with the exactly same content

Get a life bro. People like you are miserable and spread it.

[ThoseRings]

Get a life bro. People like you are miserable and spread it.

Uh...you are replying to a post from 04-04-2019...

You may want to re-think telling them to get a life when you bumped a dead thread, to respond to a comment from 6 years ago, adding nothing to the actual subject of the thread...just saying.

[ElectroMike]

I picked up a set of Indy 500's in 255/35R19 and had them mounted last week. At a first look, they are meaty, have lots of rubber, look like DOT racing slicks!

First impressions, they are not loud, grip well in dry and in the light rain I rode. They seem to eat up highway miles smoothly. I did not get a chance to rip them thru off ramps yet but will update this post if anyone cares to hear more feedback.

The only Con I noticed thus far (this was pointed out in one of the posts as well) is that they seem to pick up all the little pebbles and rocks of the road and throw them into the wheel wells, my previous Pirelli summers and Michelin winters never did this.

Just an update, still rocking these as daily shoes. I put about 4k on them per season, they still look great, little wear and tear in normal places on the edges, otherwise this is the 7th year/season for them with great results.