Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 Tire Review Road Trip: Taming the Dragon
For two years, I’ve had Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 summer tires installed on my own personal vehicle. The value-per-dollar proposition these tires offered intrigued me, as I am squarely in their demographic as an owner of an affordable sporty coupe.
The car I have these Firehawks installed on is a 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, where I went a bit silly oversizing my tires. Originally, my car came with 225/45R18 front tires and 245/45R18 rear tires. I decided that wouldn’t do and installed Indy 500 tires sized 255/35R19 up front and 275/35R19 at the rears.
For two summers now I’ve had trouble free driving with the Firestone tires. Warm, cold, rain, or dry, they’ve performed as expected, if not better. I also took my car to the track and found incredible levels of mechanical grip. But these tires, sized the way I have them, are definitely overkill for my car’s limited performance capability. Plus, the early Genesis Coupes have quite poor steering feel, so I couldn’t get a full grasp of what the tires were doing under load.
Check Price: Firestone Indy 500
A New Test
This is why I jumped at the chance to test the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 on a completely different kind of car in a different situation. As part of Firestone’s Race-to-Road event, a group of us drove stock 2025 Honda Civic Si sedans on a 300-mile journey, with these Firehawks installed on the OEM wheels in the OEM size. This would give me a chance to really see how the tires perform, as most consumers would use them, replacing the original tires.
I’ve driven a few modern Honda Civic Si cars, but never one with the summer tire option. All my testers have had the standard all-seasons equipped. The Civic Si is a fun car to drive with its punchy little turbo engine, smooth six-speed manual transmission, and well-sorted chassis. But I always felt there was more potential available in the car than the entry-level all-season tires offered.
Indy 500 Unlocks Potential
With a good set of summer tires, my suspicions were confirmed. The amount of added steering feel I gained with the Firehawk Indy 500 tires was notable. Whipping through the unrelenting twisting corners of the tail of the dragon, I could feel what my front tires were always doing. I could sense where the tire's limits were and approach the higher levels of adhesion with confidence.
Summer tires on the Civic Si are a must if one is looking to buy the car: pay the extra. I was impressed with the totality of performance when whipping through some moderate bends with surprising speed.
I’m sure the Civic Si isn’t the only car that has hidden potential begging for a grippy set of summer tires to unlock. As well, nearly any set of summer tires should give similar results to what I experienced during my drive. But only a few competitors can match the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500’s price point for the performance delivered.
Wide Range of Options
Currently, the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 is available in over 70 sizes, for wheels ranging from 16 to 20 inches in diameter. All tires come with Traction A, Temperature A, and 340 treadwear ratings.
Having now driven two different types of vehicles with these tires installed, I remain impressed with their all-around usability and performance for the money. Enthusiasts with decent performance cars should add these to their choices when tire shopping.
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A 20+ year industry veteran, Mike rejoins the AutoGuide team as the Managing Editor. He started his career at a young age working at dealerships, car rentals, and used car advertisers. He then found his true passion, automotive writing. After contributing to multiple websites for several years, he spent the next six years working at the head office of an automotive OEM, before returning back to the field he loves. He is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA). He's the recipient of a feature writing of the year award and multiple video of the year awards.
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