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Last updated 2/17/2025 - Originally published 2/17/2025
Written by SimpleTire, Expertly reviewed by Brett Antosh
The popular American tire manufacturer Firestone was founded in 1900 and is a part of the Bridgestone family. The tire manufacturer has earned a name for itself in motorsports and has won various accolades. Firestone offers tires for use on passenger cars, CUVs, SUVs, light trucks, farm applications, commercial vehicles, and OTRs. Its types of tires offered on the market include all-season, all-terrain, all-weather, rugged-terrain, mud-terrain, UHP summer, UHP all-season, winter, and so on.
Nexen is a South Korean tire manufacturer with a history of over 80 years. The brand is admired in the domestic market for its quality tires, which are also used as OE by many major automobile brands. Nexen makes tires for passenger cars, light trucks, CUVs, SUVs, and EVs. Its portfolio includes all-season, all-terrain, all-weather, UHP summer, UHP all-season, mud-terrain, winter, touring, and sports tire types.
When it comes to UHP summer tires both manufacturers focus on delivering great performance and sharper handling through their lines. The Firehawk Indy 500 and the N Fera SU1 are the two UHP summer tires that are known for their agility, performance, steering command, traction, control, and braking performance. These traits make both the Firehawk Indy 500 and the N Fera SU1 a great choice for use on vehicles that are intended to deliver punchy performance.
If you are one of those drivers who doesn’t want to compromise on the performance part and want to shortlist one of the better tires from these two, then our Firehawk Indy 500 vs N Fera SU1 tires comparison will give you a detailed analysis of the overall performance, as well as traction, handling, and longevity abilities using SimpleScore.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires
Launched in 2024, the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 is a new UHP summer tire that’s suitable for use on coupes, sedans, compact cars, sports cars, and muscle cars. The tire is built and designed for use in dry and wet conditions and should be used in temperatures above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The tire is engineered for track performance, so this means the level of punch is indeed on a higher level. Its wear life is admirable and likewise is the case with its handling and cornering traits. Additionally, the sporty styling is the attention grabber.
Overall, the Firehawk Indy 500 achieves an 8.1 SimpleScore rating, thanks to its sharp handling response, dependable traction, and good tread life.
Get Firehawk Indy 500 tires at the best deals for your vehicle here
Nexen N Fera SU1 tires
The Nexen N Fera SU1 is another sporty UHP summer tire that’s compatible with performance coupes and sedans. The tire is a great choice for those drivers who want to feel great steering response, enhanced ride comfort, reliable braking, and decent tread life. The reduced rolling resistance additionally fuels the spirit of performance, keeping the lag away. Additionally, the tire design is stunning enough to give your vehicle an additional appeal. Overall, the N Fera SU1 scores a great 8.1 rating because of its better handling, great traction, and extended tread life.
Get Nexen N Fera SU1 tires at the best deals for your vehicle here
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 vs Nexen N Fera SU1 tires on traction
Let’s start with our detailed analysis of traction and find out which one, the Firehawk Indy 500 or the N Fera SU1, is better when it comes to maintaining grip in warmer weather conditions on dry and wet roads.
Commencing with the Firehawk Indy 500, the tire scores a great 8 SimpleScore in traction, assuring dependable traction and grip on dry and wet roads in warmer weather conditions. The Pulse Groove Channels ensure quick water dispersion on wet roads, reducing the chances of hydroplaning. The sharper cuts on the shoulder blocks and ribs boost the traction performance of the tire and likewise, the optimized rubber compound ensures consistent contact with the surface.
Contrarily, the N Fera SU1 scores an 8.2 in traction and offers solid traction and grip in summer weather conditions. The three main grooves and one semi-groove on the tread improve water channeling for hydroplaning resistance, whereas the optimum split surface siping enhances traction on dry and wet roads. The advanced rubber compound of the tire also provides increased grip in warmer weather conditions, allowing you to drive with extra confidence at higher speeds.
Both tires give each other tough competition, however, it is the N Fera SU1 that scores slightly better than the Firehawk Indy 500.
ADVANTAGE: Nexen N Fera SU1
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 vs Nexen N Fera SU1 tires on handling
To understand the steering response, high-speed stability, cornering, lane-changing ability, and ride control, it is essential to analyze the handling performance of both tires.
First, let’s talk about the handling attributes of the Firehawk Indy 500 which scores a higher 8.7 SimpleScore for its sharper steering response. The tire features wider shoulders that increase tire stiffness for confident cornering and its proprietary Pulse Groove Channel helps in enhancing handling performance in wet conditions. Additionally, the improved rubber compound and optimized tread of the tire enhance the braking performance.
On the contrary, the N Fera SU1 scores an 8.6 SimpleScore for handling, assuring reliable performance and controllability in warmer conditions. Handling on wet roads is enhanced by the 3 main grooves and 1 semi-groove, while the split surface siping ensures better control and braking. Additionally, the increased shoulder block stiffness evenly distributes driving pressures and enhances cornering performance.
In the handling area as well, there’s tough competition among both tires, however, this time the Firehawk Indy 500 scores marginally better than the N Fera SU1 and comes out as a winner.
ADVANTAGE: Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 vs Nexen N Fera SU1 tires on longevity
The UHP summer tires are made to resist high-speed driving pressures, faster accelerations, and in-time brakings, and that’s why they are prone to wearing quicker than the standard tires. Therefore, let’s take a look at the longevity performance of both tires.
The Firehawk Indy 500 scored a 7.6 rating in longevity, which is quite a decent score and indicates the tire's commendable ability to resist wear for a longer period. The wide and flat footprint and optimized tread design reduce the chances of uneven wear and the reinforced inner casing keeps the tire in shape for a lasting use. Additionally, the rubber compound of the tire is also engineered for a longer service life and controls the wear rate.
On the other hand, the N Fera SU1 scored an 8.0 rating for longevity and hinted at its better service life. This tire is also wider and flat and puts more rubber on the road for a long-lasting tread life. Similarly, the increased shoulder block stiffness and a sturdy rib arrangement allow the tire to combat driving pressures better for a longer service. Additionally, there is a 25,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty offered on the purchase of this tire, which tells that Nexen is very confident that this tire covers a good number of miles.
In the longevity area, it was the N Fera SU1 that scored better and won the comparison battle by a 2-1.
ADVANTAGE: Nexen N Fera SU1
When to use each
Both the Firehawk Indy 500 and the N Fera SU1 are ultra-high-performance summer tires and are made for driving in warmer weather conditions, on dry and wet roads. Both of these tires are not all-season tires and therefore, they shouldn’t be used for driving in light winter conditions. Similarly, they are not Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified tires and therefore, do not consider them for driving in moderate to severe winter conditions.
Which one should you choose?
Looking at overall SimpleScore, both tires look equally good with the same 8.1 overall SimpleScore rating, however, both of them have their own strengths and therefore, you must choose the tires that best align with your needs.
Coming to the price of these tires, the Firehawk Indy 500 is offered at a starting price of at least $140 per tire, while the N Fera SU1 is available at a starting price of at least $92 per tire. This means, a set of four Firehawk tires will cost you at least $560, whereas a set of four N Fera tires will cost you at least $368.
Based on SimpleScore, you should prefer the Firehawk Indy 500 if you:
- Drive a vehicle like the Dodge Charger, BMW M3, or Chevrolet Corvette.
- Need a UHP summer tire that’s better in handling (9.9 vs 8.7).
- Need a UHP summer tire that’s better when used on track.
- Need a UHP summer tire that’s offered in rim size range of 16- to 20-inch.
On the other hand, you should select the Nexen N Fera SU1 if you:
- Drive a vehicle like the Chevrolet Tahoe, Lexus IS200T, or Ford Focus RS.
- Want a UHP summer tire that’s better in traction (8.2 vs 8).
- Want a UHP summer tire that’s better in longevity (8 vs 7.6).
- Want a UHP summer tire that’s backed by a 25,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.
- Need a UHP summer tire that can be used on vehicles with rim sizes falling between 16- to 24-inch.
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.