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Continental PremiumContact 6 vs Firestone Roadhawk

In the 12 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Continental PremiumContact 6 finished ahead 12 times and the Roadhawk not once. The PremiumContact 6 was stronger in dry, wet, comfort and value, the Roadhawk in environment.

Performance profile

18 measurements from the 12 shared tests, each tyre shown as its share of the better figure in every test.

Dry BrakingDry Handling (s)Dry Handling (km/h)Subj. Dry HandlingWet BrakingWet Braking - ConcreteWet Handling (s)Wet Handling (km/h)Subj. Wet HandlingStraight AquaCurved AquaplaningSubj. ComfortNoiseTyre WeightWearRolling ResistanceFuel ConsumptionAbrasion

Where each is furthest ahead

PremiumContact 6

Roadhawk

Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.

In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 36 m stop against 34.2 m is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 85%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow.

Every measurement, side by side

Averages of the figures both tyres posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Wins count the tests in which each tyre did better.

Measurement PremiumContact 6 Gap Roadhawk Wins
Dry PremiumContact 6 ahead
Dry Braking m 33.24 1.3% 33.63 6-4
Dry Handling (s) 91.41 0.2% 91.62 1-0
Dry Handling (km/h) 92.53 0.8% 92.53 2-2
Subj. Dry Handling pts scored 4% scored 1-0
Wet PremiumContact 6 ahead
Wet Braking m 36.78 7.4% 39.8 11-0
Wet Braking - Concrete m 35.2 13.3% 40.6 1-0
Wet Handling (s) 79.13 4.8% 83.76 2-0
Wet Handling (km/h) 67.5 1.1% 67.98 2-2
Subj. Wet Handling pts scored 275% scored 1-0
Straight Aqua km/h 85.98 1.7% 87.38 2-4
Curved Aquaplaning m/sec2 3.3 15.2% 3.8 0-1
Comfort PremiumContact 6 ahead
Subj. Comfort pts scored 20% scored 1-0
Noise dB 70.19 0.5 dB 70.7 5-1
Tyre Weight kg 8.9 14.6% 7.6 0-1
Value PremiumContact 6 ahead
Wear km 46,695 46.4% 32,240 4-0
Rolling Resistance kg / t 7.64 1% 7.54 3-2
Fuel Consumption l/100km 5.8 1.7% 5.9 1-0
Environment Roadhawk ahead
Abrasion mg/km/t 69.5 1.2% 68.7 0-1

Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tyres shared.

Head to head in 12 tests, 2019 to 2023

Each row is one published test in which both tyres ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.

Test PremiumContact 6 Field Roadhawk
2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test ADAC · 2023 · 205/55 R16 P2 of 50 P20 of 50
2022 ADAC 16" SUV Summer Tyre Test ADAC · 2022 · 215/60 R16 P1 of 18 P11 of 18
2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test Auto Bild · 2021 · 205/55 R16 P2 of 20 P9 of 20
2021 ADAC Summer Tyre Test - 225/50 R17 ADAC · 2021 · 225/50 R17 P2 of 17 P17 of 17
2021 53 Summer Tyre Braking Test Auto Bild · 2021 · 205/55 R16 P4 of 53 P10 of 53
2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test Auto Bild · 2020 · 245/45 R18 P1 of 20 P9 of 20
2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test Auto Zeitung · 2020 · 225/50 R17 P1 of 20 P12 of 20
2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test Auto Bild · 2020 · 245/45 R18 P4 of 50 P11 of 50
2019 Summer and All Season Tyre Test Auto Navigator · 2019 · 205/55 R16 P2 of 15 P9 of 15
2019 NAF Summer Tyre Test NAF · 2019 · 205/55 R16 P1 of 7 P3 of 7
2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test Auto Bild · 2019 · 225/45 R17 P5 of 20 P18 of 20
2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout Auto Bild · 2019 · 225/45 R17 P8 of 53 P13 of 53

PremiumContact 6 vs Roadhawk: your questions

Is the Continental PremiumContact 6 or the Firestone Roadhawk the better tyre?

In the 12 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Continental PremiumContact 6 finished ahead 12 times and the Roadhawk not once. On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the PremiumContact 6 scores 9.1 and the Roadhawk 8 out of 10.

Which is better in the wet, the PremiumContact 6 or the Roadhawk?

The PremiumContact 6 led 19 of the 26 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 7.4% shorter in the wet across 11 tests.

Which is better in the dry?

The PremiumContact 6 led 10 of the 17 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 1.3% shorter in the dry across 10 tests.

Which lasts longer and costs less to run?

The PremiumContact 6 lasted 46.4% longer in the wear tests (4 tests), had 1% lower rolling resistance (5 tests) and used 1.7% less fuel (1 test). Owners rate wear 7.4/10 for the PremiumContact 6 and 5.6/10 for the Roadhawk.

Which sheds less rubber as it wears?

The Roadhawk shed 1.2% less rubber in the abrasion test (1 test). Abrasion tests measure the rubber a tyre sheds as it wears.

Which is quieter and more comfortable?

The PremiumContact 6 was 0.5 dB quieter (7 tests). Owners rate comfort 7.8/10 for the PremiumContact 6 and 7.1/10 for the Roadhawk.

What do owners say?

Owners rate the PremiumContact 6 81% from 140 reviews and the Roadhawk 67% from 46. 73% of PremiumContact 6 owners would buy it again, against 41% for the Roadhawk.

Which is more expensive?

In the 5 tests that listed prices, the PremiumContact 6 was the dearer tyre in 5 of them, by 23% on average. Prices are the test's own at the time, in its own market.

Are they available in the same sizes?

The PremiumContact 6 is made in 110 sizes (15 to 22 inch) and the Roadhawk in 116 (15 to 21 inch). 63 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the PremiumContact 6 is graded A for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Roadhawk A and C.

Which is the newer tyre?

The Roadhawk is the newer design: it reached the market in 2017, the PremiumContact 6 in 2016. The PremiumContact 6 replaced the Continental Sport Contact 5.

Run either of these?

Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tyre wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.

Review the PremiumContact 6 Review the Roadhawk

Where this data comes from

Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tyres ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.

About the TR Score

The Tyre Reviews Score rates each tyre out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tyres can be compared even before a test has run them together.

Who does the testing

Every test published as a Tyre Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tyres independently since 2007.

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