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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Continental ContiSportContact 5 vs Firestone Firehawk SZ90 — 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.

VS
Tire B Firestone

Firestone Firehawk SZ90

Summer High Performance tires

Firestone Firehawk SZ90 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
67/100
25 owner reviews
Dry
76
Wet
67
Comfort
60
Noise
–
Treadwear
68
Handling
69
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Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictToo close to call: Continental ContiSportContact 5 and Firestone Firehawk SZ90 are within 2 points overall. Continental ContiSportContact 5 is stronger on comfort, handling and dry. Firestone Firehawk SZ90 is stronger on treadwear.
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Category breakdown

6 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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) ContiSportContact 5 leads by 7
A
83
B
76
Why this score
SourceContiSportContact 5Firehawk SZ90
Tire Rack owners 87 –
Tyre Reviews owners – 76
SimpleTire owners 99 –

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) ContiSportContact 5 leads by 7
A
74
B
67
Why this score
SourceContiSportContact 5Firehawk SZ90
Tire Rack owners 81 –
Tyre Reviews owners – 67
SimpleTire owners 98 –

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) ContiSportContact 5 leads by 14
A
74
B
60
Why this score
SourceContiSportContact 5Firehawk SZ90
Tire Rack owners 80 –
Tyre Reviews owners – 60
SimpleTire owners 97 –

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A
72
B
–
Why this score
SourceContiSportContact 5Firehawk SZ90
SimpleTire owners 98 –

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Firehawk SZ90 leads by 23
A
45
B
68
Why this score
SourceContiSportContact 5Firehawk SZ90
Tire Rack owners 56 –
Tyre Reviews owners – 68
SimpleTire owners 92 –

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) ContiSportContact 5 leads by 14
A
83
B
69
Why this score
SourceContiSportContact 5Firehawk SZ90
Tyre Reviews owners – 69

Scores at a glance

CategoryContinental ContiSportContact 5Firestone Firehawk SZ90
Relative Score 69 68
Dry 83 76
Wet 74 67
Comfort 74 60
Noise 72 –
Treadwear 45 68
Handling 83 69

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Personalize

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.

Neutral
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Important
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Continental ContiSportContact 5

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Tire B Firestone Firehawk SZ90

The Firestone Firehawk SZ90 receives highly polarized feedback, with users divided between those who find it a capable, high-grip performer and those who report significant issues with noise, uneven wear, and unpredictable handling. While some drivers praise its wet and dry traction, others cite concerns regarding stability and rapid tread degradation, suggesting inconsistent quality control or performance variability across different vehicle applications.

Pros

  • Strong dry and wet surface grip
  • Effective water displacement and braking performance
  • Competitive price point
  • Good longevity for some users

Cons

  • Excessive road noise
  • Rapid or uneven tread wear
  • Unpredictable handling and stability issues
  • Susceptibility to aquaplaning in certain conditions

Observations

  • Users with sport-oriented vehicles, such as the Mini Cooper S, reported significant issues with aquaplaning and lack of confidence in wet conditions.
  • Run-flat variants were specifically noted for a harsh ride quality and difficulty in achieving proper balance.
  • Some drivers experienced uneven shoulder wear despite having proper wheel alignment performed.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental ContiSportContact 5 B · Firestone Firehawk SZ90
Category—Summer High Performance tires
Vehicle type—Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available30—
Rim diameters17″ – 22″—
Tread depth8 - 10/32″—
UTQG280 - 420 A - AA A—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental

Firestone

Too close to call: Continental ContiSportContact 5 and Firestone Firehawk SZ90 are within 2 points overall. Continental ContiSportContact 5 is stronger on comfort, handling and dry. Firestone Firehawk SZ90 is stronger on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Firestone Firehawk SZ90 scores 68 vs 45 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental ContiSportContact 5 scores 74 vs 60 on comfort.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental ContiSportContact 5 scores 83 vs 69 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental ContiSportContact 5 scores 83 vs 76 on dry.

Tire A · Continental ContiSportContact 5
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Tire B · Firestone Firehawk SZ90
Check price on Amazon

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.