• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Fiesta ST Forum and Fiesta ST community dedicated to Fiesta ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Fiesta ST Forum today!


Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval Indy 500

Messages
392
Likes
99
Location
Chesapeake
#1
So, in keeping with the thought of getting a 16" setup for a solid price while still having solid performance, I obviously picked up a set of the Maxxim Sixx wheels I posted up before. I was going to just hold off on tires till after the holiday, but after browsing TireRack, I came across these:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...WR6FHWI5&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

I know there are also the plain Indy500 tires out that every likes because they are essentially the same as the more expensive Bridgestones, but the Wide Ovals seemed to get solid reviews from TireRack and from googling different car forums, they seemed to be liked overall.

Like I said, I hadn't planned on buying tires till the start of next year and I was going to give the Indy500's or G-Force Sport Comp 2's, but when I saw the total price and the decent reviews, I decided to give them a try.

I know some probably don't like the tire overall, but this is my daily driver and I do not track the car, so I figure they will accomplish the job well and should last me a decent amount of time.

Total cost was $273.76 for all 4 tires shipped and that includes TireRacks free road hazard warranty. So total, I'm sitting around $375 for NEW wheels and tires. Add in the rings, sensors and mounting/balancing and I'm hoping to be at or under $500 total.

If anyone has real world experience with these, I would love to hear that as well!
 


neeqness

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,398
Likes
166
Location
LA
#2
I bought these tires earlier this year in late spring. Same idea except the Indy 500s were new and the buzz hadn't hit yet. I was looking for a smoother ride than the oem tires and the price pretty much sealed the deal.

In that regard they did not disappoint. I don't track my car but I do go on road trips and occassionally commute in it. The ride improvement was immediate noticeable because I hadn't changed my suspension yet. But what surprised me most was how quiet these tires are compared to stock. When I changed these tires I had 14k+ miles on the car (mostly freeway miles) and I was seriously considering putting sound insulation in. It was just too noisy on the freeway but it never occurred to me that maybe it was the tires. Immediately after installation though, the difference was obvious. I didn't have to turn my music up as loud as before. I didn't realize how important this was to me until I got these tires. The plus is that for DD driving, traction in dry and wet is not that bad and while they do chirp a bit when pressed to the limit, there are worse tires you could get for much more. To me the road manners were more important and if you aren't tracking, you should be fairly satisfied (especially at this price).

I have been shopping for a new wheel (15") and also for matching tires. This tire was one I had been considering again. There are Firestone shops in my area and when I bought these tires the first time, I quoted tire rack's price and they beat it for me with a decent installation deal. I tried the same thing again recently to estimate my overall costs but now the shop didn't have it in stock. They said the Indy 500 is to replace it but Indy 500s, from what I've seen so far, don't come in 15". I've been hearing good things about Indy 500s, but if you are just doing spirited daily driving, you should be happy with these tires with a bonus to improved comfort.

Another bonus is that they seem to have a bit more mileage than the oem tires, nothing outrageous though. I've gone 15k+ miles now on these tires and they look almost new.

Others will probably say these tires aren't very good and this could be true...if you are racing or maybe even running some canyons occassionally and prefer top performance capability, but if you are willing to substitute top performance for some decent road manners (and savings), these tires aren't bad at all...

Sent using Tapatalk
 


WeTheNorth

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,158
Likes
220
Location
WestCoast
#3
I have the predessors and I love them, way better then my sc2's I used to have!
 


Messages
128
Likes
48
Location
Kalamazoo
#4
I bought these tires a few weeks ago from Tire Rack for the same price. I run them as my dedicated track/Autocross set. There are better options out there for maximum grip but for the money I couldn't pass them up. I have a few autocrosses on them now and they seem to preform well for the money. I don't have to worry about ruining my all seasons for regular daily driving use.
 


OP
B
Messages
392
Likes
99
Location
Chesapeake
Thread Starter #5
Thanks for the responses, I'm glad to hear some positive reviews on this specific car. I have to agree, for the price, I feel like these are a great price!
 


neeqness

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,398
Likes
166
Location
LA
#6
I've been trying to find some to replce my current ones but it's been difficult. Just went on a limb and bought the indy 500s. These seem to be better in every way (except of course price) but at least they are cheaper than most every competitive tire I know.

I want to try the federal ss595 though because if they can hang with the Indy's, they are currently 40% cheaper.
 




Top