EcoContact 6 saves fuel and lasts longer; Roadhawk drives sportier but wears faster.
Continental EcoContact 6 and the Firestone Roadhawk approach the summer tyre brief from opposite ends of the spectrum. The EcoContact 6 — successor to the ContiEcoContact 5 and itself now succeeded by the EcoContact 7 — is Continental's efficiency flagship: obsessively low rolling resistance, excellent mileage, and a quiet, refined character that suits relaxed, economy-minded drivers. The Roadhawk was Firestone's attempt at a sporty upper-middle tyre with dynamic dry handling at an accessible price — it has since been replaced by the Roadhawk 2, which is the version worth buying today. That context matters: the Roadhawk's test record deteriorated over its lifetime, picking up some poor wet-weather verdicts along the way.
EcoContact 6
Roadhawk





Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
Pirelli Cinturato (C3)
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
Pirelli Cinturato (C3)
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
Pirelli Cinturato (C3)
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
Pirelli Cinturato (C3)
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
Pirelli Cinturato (C3)
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
Pirelli Cinturato (C3)
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2Wet performance is where this comparison gets complicated. In the Autobild 2022 head-to-head, both tyres stopped within a whisker of each other on wet — 32.7m versus 32.8m — which is essentially identical. But zoom out and the picture is murkier. The EcoContact 6 carries a known aquaplaning weakness: testers have repeatedly flagged limited aquaplaning reserves, and its aquaplaning score of 50.7 trails the Roadhawk's 75.6 significantly. That's a real-world concern on flooded or rapidly draining roads. The Roadhawk, on the other hand, handles standing water better, but has also attracted some damning wet-road verdicts in multiple ADAC tests — including a rating of "very weak on wet" in one edition. The truth is neither tyre is a wet-weather star, but for everyday rain the EcoContact 6's wet braking holds up, while drivers in flood-prone areas may still find the Roadhawk's aquaplaning resistance reassuring despite its inconsistency.
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
Pirelli Cinturato (C3)
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
Pirelli Cinturato (C3)
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
Pirelli Cinturato (C3)
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2On dry roads the Roadhawk is the more engaging driver, with its performance scores and handling character consistently praised for sports dynamism — short braking distances and direct responses suit those who want a more involving drive. In the one direct braking comparison available, however, the EcoContact 6 actually stopped shorter: 36.4m versus 37.7m across the Autobild 2022 215/55 R17 test. The EcoContact 6's dry braking is solid and confidence-inspiring, though its handling character leans toward safety and stability rather than outright driver engagement — some testers noted a slightly delayed turn-in and mild understeer tendency. Neither tyre embarrasses itself on dry tarmac, but the Roadhawk has the sportier feel while the Continental offers the more predictable, measured response.
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
Pirelli Cinturato (C3)
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
Pirelli Cinturato (C3)
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2This is the EcoContact 6's home turf, and it wins convincingly. Owners consistently cite quiet cabin behaviour — 20 separate mentions in customer reviews — and rolling resistance scores of 100/100 make it one of the most fuel-efficient summer tyres tested. Real-world owners also report strong mileage, consistent with test data showing an 88.5 mileage score versus just 63.9 for the Roadhawk. The Roadhawk was flagged as the loudest tyre in an ADAC group test and attracted noise complaints in Autobild testing too — owner reviews back this up, with short lifespan and tyre noise appearing repeatedly as criticisms. If you cover high kilometres on motorways and want your fuel bills and cabin experience kept in check, the Continental is the clear choice.
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
Pirelli Cinturato (C3)
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
Pirelli Cinturato (C3)
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4
Pirelli Cinturato (C3)
GoodYear Efficientgrip Performance 2
Continental EcoContact 6
Firestone Roadhawk
Pirelli P ZERO PZ4For most drivers, the Continental EcoContact 6 is the more rounded and sensible long-term buy — quieter, more fuel-efficient, longer-lasting, and capable enough on both dry and wet surfaces. It earns its premium positioning. The Firestone Roadhawk has a more dynamic dry character and better aquaplaning scores, but its inconsistent wet performance across multiple test years and quicker wear rate undermine the value proposition — especially since it has been superseded by the Roadhawk 2, which is a meaningfully improved product. If you're considering the original Roadhawk purely on price, be aware of what you're trading away. The EcoContact 6 won both head-to-head test encounters and better suits the majority of everyday driving needs.
Compare prices across all available dimensions for these tyres.
VS
VS
VS
VS
VS
VS
VS
VS
VS
VS
Continental EcoContact 6 vs Michelin Primacy 5
Continental EcoContact 6 vs Bridgestone Turanza T005
Continental EcoContact 6 vs Kleber Dynaxer HP5
Continental EcoContact 6 vs Michelin Primacy 4
Firestone Roadhawk vs Kleber Dynaxer HP5
Firestone Roadhawk vs Uniroyal RainSport 5
Firestone Roadhawk vs Falken ZIEX ZE310 ECORUN
Firestone Roadhawk vs BFGoodrich AdvantageTheTyreLab.com
Free — on the App Store
Compare tyres, read test results and find the best prices — all in one app.