The Firestone Firehawk GT is the century-old tire manufacturer’s all-season high-performance tire that’s engineered to offer superior traction and grip, top-notch performance, all-season drivability, and longer tread life. This tire is made for use on sporty sedans, coupes, and crossovers, and comes with a host of innovative technologies that contribute to achieving impressive year-round performance.

So, in this Firestone Firehawk GT tire review let’s do an in-depth analysis of this tire and help the purchasers to make an informed decision. We will cover the Firestone tire’s features and benefits, positives and negatives, and other important details.

Features and Benefits

The Firestone Firehawk GT is a great blend of all-season and high-performance tires. While this tire can serve in dry, wet, and light winter weather conditions and provide year-round performance like a typical all-season tire, it also does a great job in providing superior traction and grip, and high-speed stability like a standard high-performance tire. The tire is loaded with an array of features that contribute to some really great benefits. Let’s have a look at them:

• Better year-round traction – The Firehawk GT features an asymmetrical tread design that features open-slotted shoulders which enhances the year-round performance. The large tread block elements on the outer area of the shoulders boost dry performance, whereas the detailed tread elements around the inner shoulder area improve wet and snow traction, without hindering the dry performance.
• Outstanding wet weather performance – The silica-based tread compound of this tire ensures outstanding wet performance and the lateral grooves present on the tread facilitate efficient water evacuation and channeling to reduce the risk of hydroplaning and provide improved wet traction.
• Confident cornering – The race-inspired design of the Firehawk GT features a wider footprint that remarkably improves cornering. Additionally, the large outside shoulder blocks of this tire also assist in enhancing the cornering performance.
• Improved stability, responsiveness, braking, and acceleration – This tire has a lot that performance enthusiasts would applaud. The continuous center rib of this tire enhances straight-line stability and boosts steering responsiveness. It also improves the braking and acceleration performance in wet and dry conditions.
• Reduced road noise levels – The highlight of the Firehawk GT is its great capability to control the tread noise levels. The veri-pitch noise reduction technology present in this tire channels out the airwaves around the contact patch area and controls the tread noise build-up, thus offering a quieter and more comfortable driving experience. Additionally, the continuous center rib of this tire also reduces the tread noise and contributes to keeping the noise levels minimal.
• Smooth and impressive high-speed performance – The tire features polyester cord body plies that assure smooth rides. Likewise, the spiral wrap that encircles the tire with a continuous nylon wrap allows the tire to hold its original shape and provide excellent high-speed performance.
• Reinforced construction – The Firehawk GT features a reinforced steel belt construction that improves durability and resists punctures. The sturdy tread compound and spiral wrap also improve the sturdiness of the tire.

The Firestone Firehawk GT is available in 15-, 18-, and 20-inch rim sizes and is covered by an excellent 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.

Pros and Cons

With all the highlights of the Firestone Firehawk GT covered, now let’s learn about the pros and cons of this tire. Let’s start with the positives first:

• Better steering response and straight-line stability than its peers.
• Excellent cornering, handling, and traction on dry roads.
• Better ride comfort and less vibrations than many of its counterparts.
• Backed by a 50,000 mile limited tread life warranty.

Unfortunately, the Firehawk GT isn’t very impressive in some areas. Here’re the negatives of this tire:

• Not as long-lasting as some of its competitors
• Though it comes with noise reduction elements, it isn’t as quiet as some other choices offered in the market.
• Winter traction isn’t the best in the category.
• Limited size options are available.

SimpleTire’s view on Firestone Firehawk GT tires

If you need an affordable high-performance tire with year-round capabilities and want something that’s exceptionally good at handling, cornering, and traction on dry roads, then the Firestone Firehawk GT is one of the ideal choices. The high-speed stability and ride comfort of this tire are also very good compared to some of its peers. However, the tread noise levels of this tire are relatively higher and therefore, you can’t expect it to offer the quietest of rides in the category.

The purchasers might get attracted to the 50,000 miles limited tread life warranty, but on the flipside as compared to its peers, the Firehawk is not the best choice if longevity is your priority. The winter traction isn’t as good as its peers and there is a lag in overall performance when the surfaces are covered with light snow or water.

The Firestone Firehawk GT competes against the likes of Kumho Ecsta PA31, Bridgestone Potenza G019 Grid, Nexen Roadian HP, Pirelli P Zero Nero All Season, and Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 PLUS.

Vehicles the Firestone Firehawk GT is an original equipment tire for

Designed for use on sports sedans, coupes, and crossovers, the Firehawk GT is an original equipment tire for the 2010 Chevrolet Aveo LT, 2012 Fiat 500 Pop w/steel wheels, 2016 Chevrolet Cruze Premier, and 2011 Dodge Charger R/T (RWD).

Vehicles the Firestone Firehawk GT is a good replacement tire for

The Firehawk GT can also be a good replacement choice for vehicles like Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, BMW 5 Series, Chrysler 300, Honda Accord, Hyundai Elantra, Lexus GS400, Mazda 3, Nissan Maxima, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat, and Chevrolet Camaro.