Summer tire Summer Premium Touring tires Updated September 2026

Firestone RoadHawk review

Name: Firestone RoadHawk
Brand: Firestone

The Firestone RoadHawk is a polarizing mid-range tire that excels in comfort and wet-weather grip for daily commuting but suffers from significant durability concerns. While many users praise its value and performance on smaller, lighter vehicles, a substantial portion of owners report rapid, uneven tread wear and soft sidewalls that compromise handling precision during spirited driving.

Relative score

69/100

tests + owners

Owner reviews

66/100

44 reviews

Road tests

71/100

23 published tests

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Scores

Two scoring systems, side by side

Owner scores come from reviews on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.

By owner reviews

66%

Would buy again 48%

Dry

Overall dry

83%

Corner stability

60%

Dry traction

85%

Steering response

70%

Wet

Overall wet

73%

Wet traction

78%

Comfort

Overall comfort

71%

Treadwear

Overall treadwear

55%

Handling

Overall handling

63%

By source

DriverReviews84%598 reviews Tyre Reviews66%44 reviews

By road tests

71.3%

Dry

83.9%

Wet

75.7%

Comfort

39.1%

Noise

90.8%

By discipline (% of best in test)

Dry Braking

77.4%

Dry Handling

73.2%

Subj. Dry Handling

89.6%

Wet Braking

64.6%

Subj. Wet Handling

30%

Wet Handling

64.7%

Straight Aquaplaning

51.6%

Curved Aquaplaning

81.3%

Side G-Force on Wet surface

81.3%

Inside Noise level

53.4%

Outside Noise

68.8%

Subjective Comfort

57.5%

Rolling Resistance

61.8%

Price

53.3%

Wear

58.4%

From owners

What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 44 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.

Pros

Strong wet-weather traction and hydroplaning resistance
High levels of ride comfort and noise suppression
Competitive price point compared to premium brands
Effective performance for standard, non-sporty daily driving

Cons

Rapid and often uneven tread wear
Soft sidewalls leading to a 'mushy' feel and visual appearance of under-inflation
Lack of steering feedback and precision in cornering
Reports of premature cracking or perishing in low-mileage scenarios

Worth knowing

Users with smaller, lighter vehicles (e.g., Fiesta, Golf) report higher satisfaction regarding comfort and handling compared to owners of heavier diesel estates or vans.
Drivers of heavier vehicles frequently report significant sidewall deflection and poor cornering confidence, often requiring higher tire pressures to compensate.
The tire is frequently criticized for lack of stability when fitted to commercial vans, with users noting a 'wobbling' sensation under load.

Test results

23 published test appearances

Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.

2024 AutoBild Summer tire Test · 205/55 R16

6th of 20

Best: Wet Handling · 3rd Weakest: Noise · 20th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	13th of 20
Wet Handling	3rd of 20
Dry Braking	10th of 20
Dry Handling	5th of 20
Rolling Resistance	4th of 20
Straight Aqua	4th of 20
Curved Aquaplaning	8th of 20
Noise	20th of 20
Value	7th of 20
Wear	6th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership	3rd of 20

2023 ADAC Summer tire Test · 205/55 R16

20th of 50

Best: Straight Aqua · 6th Weakest: Fuel Consumption · 47th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	32nd of 50
Dry Braking	18th of 50
Straight Aqua	6th of 50
Value	31st of 50
Wear	25th of 50
Fuel Consumption	47th of 50
Abrasion	9th of 50
Wet Braking - Concrete	29th of 50

2023 Summer tire Market Overview · 225/45 R18

31st of 48

Best: Dry Braking · 26th Weakest: Wet Braking · 34th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	34th of 48
Dry Braking	26th of 48

2022 ADAC Summer tire Test - 15 Inch · 185/65 R15

9th of 16

Discipline	Placement	Field position

2022 ADAC 16" SUV Summer tire Test · 215/60 R16

11th of 18

Discipline	Placement	Field position

2022 Summer tire Market Overview · 215/55 R17

27th of 44

Best: Dry Braking · 26th Weakest: Wet Braking · 30th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	30th of 44
Dry Braking	26th of 44

2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer tire Test · 205/55 R16

9th of 20

Best: Wet Handling · 2nd Weakest: Noise · 20th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	8th of 20
Wet Handling	2nd of 20
Dry Braking	9th of 20
Dry Handling	3rd of 20
Rolling Resistance	10th of 20
Straight Aqua	3rd of 20
Noise	20th of 20
Value	16th of 20
Wear	16th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership	14th of 20

2021 ADAC Summer tire Test - 225/50 R17 · 225/50 R17

17th of 17

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	17th of 17

2021 53 Summer tire Braking Test · 205/55 R16

10th of 53

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	9th of 53
Dry Braking	9th of 53

2020 Auto Bild Summer tire Test · 245/45 R18

9th of 20

Best: Straight Aqua · 6th Weakest: Noise · 17th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	10th of 20
Wet Handling	7th of 20
Dry Braking	11th of 20
Dry Handling	9th of 20
Rolling Resistance	10th of 20
Straight Aqua	6th of 20
Noise	17th of 20
Value	11th of 20
Price	9th of 20
Wear	15th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership	10th of 20

2020 Auto Zeitung Summer tire Test · 225/50 R17

12th of 20

Best: Subj. Dry Handling · 7th Weakest: Straight Aqua · 20th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	10th of 20
Wet Handling	16th of 20
Dry Braking	8th of 20
Dry Handling	9th of 20
Rolling Resistance	10th of 20
Straight Aqua	20th of 20
Subj. Dry Handling	7th of 20
Subj. Comfort	12th of 20
Subj. Wet Handling	15th of 20
Noise	15th of 20
Price	14th of 20

2020 ACE Mid Range Summer tire Test · 215/55 R17

7th of 9

Discipline	Placement	Field position

2020 tire Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18

11th of 49

Best: Wet Braking · 10th Weakest: Dry Braking · 12th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	10th of 49
Dry Braking	12th of 49

2019 Summer and All Season tire Test · 205/55 R16

9th of 15

Best: Wet Handling · 1st Weakest: Noise · 10th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	8th of 15
Wet Handling	1st of 15
Dry Braking	7th of 15
Dry Handling	2nd of 15
Noise	10th of 15

2019 NAF Summer tire Test · 205/55 R16

4th of 7

Best: Wet Handling · 2nd Weakest: Rolling Resistance · 6th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	4th of 7
Wet Handling	2nd of 7
Dry Braking	4th of 7
Dry Handling	2nd of 7
Rolling Resistance	6th of 7
Straight Aqua	4th of 7
Noise	4th of 7

2019 Auto Bild Summer tire Test · 225/45 R17

18th of 20

Best: Rolling Resistance · 2nd Weakest: Dry Handling · 20th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	16th of 20
Wet Handling	19th of 20
Dry Braking	7th of 20
Dry Handling	20th of 20
Rolling Resistance	2nd of 20
Straight Aqua	20th of 20
Subj. Comfort	16th of 20
Noise	16th of 20
Value	14th of 20
Price	8th of 20
Wear	16th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership	3rd of 20

2019 Summer 53 tire Braking Shootout · 225/45 R17

13th of 45

Best: Dry Braking · 9th Weakest: Wet Braking · 16th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	16th of 45
Dry Braking	9th of 45

2019 ADAC Summer tire Test - 185/65 R15 · 185/65 R15

5th of 16

Discipline	Placement	Field position

2018 New and Worn Summer tire Test · 205/55 R16

8th of 14

Best: Dry Handling · 4th Weakest: Noise · 13th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	11th of 14
Wet Handling	10th of 14
Dry Braking	10th of 14
Dry Handling	4th of 14
Noise	13th of 14

2018 Gute Fahrt Summer tire Test · 205/55 R16

7th of 12

Best: Dry Braking · 2nd Weakest: Rolling Resistance · 9th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	6th of 12
Dry Braking	2nd of 12
Rolling Resistance	9th of 12
Straight Aqua	3rd of 12

2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer tire Test · 195/65 R15

4th of 20

Best: Wet Handling · 2nd Weakest: Noise · 20th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	7th of 20
Wet Handling	2nd of 20
Dry Braking	2nd of 20
Dry Handling	2nd of 20
Rolling Resistance	15th of 20
Straight Aqua	11th of 20
Noise	20th of 20
Value	5th of 20
Price	4th of 20
Wear	12th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership	14th of 20