Hi fellas. I thought I'd add my two cents on something here if you all don't mind. In the last month I retired my 98 SE for an 04 SL. I gave up practically new Toyo rubber in the process and gained quite new Firestone Firehawks. My SL has stock rims and the tires are 235/55/17. Although it has been only a short while, I have to admit I am happily surprised at the tires. I have become an avid Toyo fan over the years and will most likely remain loyal to Toyo, BUT the Hawks may just change my mind if they continue on the current run. I have found them to be quite responsive on both wet and dry with minimal tire slip. I don't drive like a lunatic, but once in a while need to get spirited. They perform very well, have an aggressive tread and aren't as noisy as I've read others mention in other forums. They have a good solid feel especially in hard corners as the sidewalls feel quite firm. The test of longevity is still pending, and I will surely post more when I get some miles on them as far as treadwear. I just thought someone might benefit by my sharing a little experience with these albeit short term.

 

Doc, while I have not used the Firehawks on my Maxima I do have a set of raised letter ones on my Cougar. They are just as you described, good in wet and dry conditions and let me add; they leave a nice black tread pattern when doing burnouts.

 

Well gents, after a little over a year with the Hawks, I've determined I am a Toyo guy. The Hawks perform pretty well overall. Dry, they are solid but do not grip as well as my Toyos. Wet they break loose easier than the Toyos. They are good tires and run well overall, but I just have to give the nod to the Toyos I have run for many years. So when the time comes, Toyos are the pick again.