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Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 vs Firestone firehawk S790 — Compared (May 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
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5 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Why this score
| Source | ContiMaxContact MC6 | firehawk S790 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 90 | 65 |
Wet
Why this score
| Source | ContiMaxContact MC6 | firehawk S790 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 77 | 65 |
Comfort
Why this score
| Source | ContiMaxContact MC6 | firehawk S790 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | 45 |
Treadwear
Why this score
| Source | ContiMaxContact MC6 | firehawk S790 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 71 | 65 |
Handling
Why this score
| Source | ContiMaxContact MC6 | firehawk S790 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 87 | 75 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 | Firestone firehawk S790 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 79 | 63 |
| Dry | 90 | 65 |
| Wet | 77 | 65 |
| Comfort | 79 | 45 |
| Treadwear | 71 | 65 |
| Handling | 87 | 75 |
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.
Tire A
Tire B
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 is widely regarded as a high-performance tire that offers an exceptional balance between sporty handling and daily comfort. Users frequently highlight its impressive dry and wet grip, often comparing it favorably to more expensive premium alternatives like the Michelin Pilot Sport series. While most owners praise its value and steering precision, some report concerns regarding tread longevity and sidewall durability.
Pros
- Excellent dry and wet traction with high cornering confidence
- High value-for-money proposition compared to premium competitors
- Direct and responsive steering feedback
- Surprisingly comfortable ride quality for a performance-oriented tire
Cons
- Mixed reports on tread life, with some users experiencing premature wear
- Soft sidewalls susceptible to damage from curb impacts
- Inconsistent noise levels, with some users finding them loud on rough tarmac
- Wet performance may degrade significantly as the tire approaches the end of its life
Observations
- Users noted that the tire provides a more direct and accurate steering feel compared to softer touring-focused tires, particularly on 17-inch fitments.
- Drivers of heavier vehicles or those frequently driving on rough, coarse surfaces reported higher levels of road noise.
- The tire is frequently praised for its ability to improve the handling characteristics of daily drivers and older sedans.
The Firestone Firehawk S790 receives a poor reception from users, primarily due to significant issues with directional stability and handling predictability. While the tire demonstrates adequate grip levels, the driving experience is described as exhausting due to constant steering corrections required to maintain a straight path.
Pros
- Progressive breakaway characteristics when grip is lost
- Adequate overall dry grip levels
Cons
- Poor directional stability and tracking
- High driver fatigue due to constant steering corrections
- Lack of ride comfort despite the profile specification
Observations
- Users transitioning from premium performance tires like Pirelli report a significant degradation in vehicle stability and handling composure.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 | B · Firestone firehawk S790 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Ultra High Performance tires | Summer High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
Continental
Firestone
Winner: Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 — better comfort, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 scores 79 vs 45 on comfort.
Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 scores 90 vs 65 on dry.
Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 scores 77 vs 65 on wet.
Continental ContiMaxContact MC6 scores 87 vs 75 on handling.
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.