Continental PremiumContact 6 vs Firestone Roadhawk
In the 12 independent tests that ran both tires, 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 tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
PremiumContact 6
Roadhawk
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft 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.
Where each scores higher
PremiumContact 6
Roadhawk
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
PremiumContact 6
Roadhawk
Not ahead in any category
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the PremiumContact 6 81% from 140 reviews and the Roadhawk 67% from 46. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tires 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 tire did better.
| Measurement | PremiumContact 6 | Gap | Roadhawk | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry PremiumContact 6 ahead | ||||
| Dry Braking ft | 109 | 1.3% | 110 | 6-4 |
| Dry Handling (s) | 91.41 | 0.2% | 91.62 | 1-0 |
| Dry Handling (mph) | 57.5 | 0.8% | 57.5 | 2-2 |
| Subj. Dry Handling pts | scored | 4% | scored | 1-0 |
| Wet PremiumContact 6 ahead | ||||
| Wet Braking ft | 121 | 7.4% | 131 | 11-0 |
| Wet Braking - Concrete ft | 115 | 13.3% | 133 | 1-0 |
| Wet Handling (s) | 79.13 | 4.8% | 83.76 | 2-0 |
| Wet Handling (mph) | 41.9 | 1.1% | 42.2 | 2-2 |
| Subj. Wet Handling pts | scored | 275% | scored | 1-0 |
| Straight Aqua mph | 53.4 | 1.7% | 54.3 | 2-4 |
| Curved Aquaplaning ft/s² | 10.8 | 15.2% | 12.5 | 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 |
| Tire Weight lb | 19.6 | 14.6% | 16.8 | 0-1 |
| Value PremiumContact 6 ahead | ||||
| Wear miles | 29,015 | 46.4% | 20,033 | 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 tires shared.
Head to head in 12 tests, 2019 to 2023
Each row is one published test in which both tires 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 Tire Test | P2 of 50 | P20 of 50 | |
| 2022 ADAC 16" SUV Summer Tire Test | P1 of 18 | P11 of 18 | |
| 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tire Test | P2 of 20 | P9 of 20 | |
| 2021 ADAC Summer Tire Test - 225/50 R17 | P2 of 17 | P17 of 17 | |
| 2021 53 Summer Tire Braking Test | P4 of 53 | P10 of 53 | |
| 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tire Test | P1 of 20 | P9 of 20 | |
| 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tire Test | P1 of 20 | P12 of 20 | |
| 2020 Tire Market Overview Braking Test | P4 of 50 | P11 of 50 | |
| 2019 Summer and All Season Tire Test | P2 of 15 | P9 of 15 | |
| 2019 NAF Summer Tire Test | P1 of 7 | P3 of 7 | |
| 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tire Test | P5 of 20 | P18 of 20 | |
| 2019 Summer 53 Tire Braking Shootout | P8 of 53 | P13 of 53 |
PremiumContact 6 vs Roadhawk: your questions
Is the Continental PremiumContact 6 or the Firestone Roadhawk the better tire?
In the 12 independent tests that ran both tires, 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 tire 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 tire 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 tire?
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.
More comparisons with these tires
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Bridgestone Turanza T005 vs Continental PremiumContact 6
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Continental PremiumContact 6 vs Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
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Firestone Roadhawk vs Uniroyal RainSport 5
6-1 in 7 shared tests
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Continental PremiumContact 6 vs Falken Azenis FK510
15-7 in 23 shared tests
Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires 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 tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires 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 tires independently since 2007.