Firestone All Season Review: Decent All-Around Tire, but Lacks Exceptional Performance
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Pros
- Outstanding maneuverability and traction on dry conditions
- When the weather is dry, the braking is really good.
- Quality of ride that is plush even over rough terrain
- When traveling at greater speeds, relatively quiet.
- North American customers can choose from a wide variety of standard sizes.
- Reduces fuel consumption as a result of the design’s low rolling resistance
- Outstanding treadlife for the price, as well as a lengthy warranty on treadwear
- Extremely reasonable cost
Cons
- On roadways that are coated in snow, the tire is not particularly useful.
- Firestone has room for improvement in terms of wet traction; the competition is currently superior.
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Over the course of its history, the corporation Firestone has garnered more than its share of a poor reputation. After the scandal regarding the Ford Explorer’s tires degrading over time, customers had a difficult time believing in the brand. On the other hand, things are not the same today. The American company, which is now a subsidiary of Bridgestone, manufactures tires that are both trustworthy and safe at price points that are lower than those offered by premium competitors.
And the least appealing aspect of the company is its all-season tire, which goes by the name Firestone All Season. It’s possible that Firestone wanted to change the name of the product to something more appealing. On the other hand, consumers shopping in this segment aren’t concerned with brand names; rather, they want to pay the least amount of money for a tire that is both reliable and durable. In addition, the price of the Firestone All Season falls around in the middle of the range for its category.
In direct competition with this tire are models such as the Goodyear Assurance All-Season and the Dunlop Enasave 01 A/S. Other models, such as the Cooper Evolution Tour and the General Altimax RT43, are also in the running. The All-Season inherits the FR710 from the Firestone tire family, which was a model that enjoyed widespread acclaim among motorists. The new model enhances the board in a variety of ways, most notably by increasing the amount of traction it provides.
In addition, the Firestone All Season is the passenger car all-season model that is positioned at the lowest possible level. This indicates that the tire is constructed for use in typical, day-to-day driving situations, regardless of the weather. In addition, because it comes in such a wide variety of common sizes, the tire may be used on a large number of the most common vehicles on the road today. The Ford Fiesta, the Honda Fit, and the Toyota Yaris are some examples of cars that fall into this category.
In addition, the Firestone All Season is a tire that can be installed on tiny automobiles including the Toyota Corolla, the Honda Civic, and the Kia Forte. It is also possible to install the tire on mid-size cars like the Honda Accord, the Hyundai Sonata, and the Toyota Camry, as well as minivans like the Honda Odyssey, the Kia Sedona, the Toyota Sienna, and the Chrysler Pacifica. Even some crossovers and executive sedans can be accommodated by the Firestone All Season tire.
The question is, even if the tire is able to suit the majority of vehicles now on the road, how well does it perform? Throughout my career, I’ve put a lot of different tires through their paces, including some that claim to deliver exceptional performance in any and all weather conditions but ultimately fall short. In wet weather and especially on snowy roads, cheaper tires often have a poorer performance, so it will be fascinating to see how the Firestone All Season tire does in both of these environments.
In order to provide you with a conclusive response, I researched how well this tire operates in a variety of scenarios, such as on dry pavement, when it is raining, and when it is snowing. In addition, I’ll do my best to address the question of how pleasant this tire is, including its ride quality and its level of noise. At the very end of this discussion, we will focus on the treadwear warranty as well as the treadlife of the tire. At the conclusion of my evaluation of Firestone All Season tires, I will share my concluding comments with you and let you know whether or not I think they are any good.
However, before we rush to judgment, let’s have a look at the distinguishing characteristics that Firestone incorporated into the tire so that it stands out from the competition.
What are the features of the Firestone All Season?
What are the maintenance indicators?
You won’t find any fancy maintenance signs on the Firestone All Season tire because it is a budget-friendly option. You will be need to pay a somewhat higher price for the Continental TrueContact Tour in order to obtain that. This particular tire is equipped with QuickView Indicators, which enable the driver to more precisely gauge the amount of tread remaining on the tire.
Instead, Firestone made use of the tread wear indicators, often known as TWIs, which are the industry standard. These indicators can only indicate you when the tread is completely worn out, not the exact amount of tread that is still left on the tire. TWIs are thin rubber bars that are built into the circumferential grooves of the tire, which are deeply recessed into the tread. These grooves are located on the outside of the tire.
Nevertheless, when the tread wears down, the bars become increasingly obvious to the viewer. When the tread of the Firestone All Season tire reaches 2/32 of an inch, the TWI’s will be totally flush with the surface of the tread at that point. At this point, you should get a brand-new pair of tires for your vehicle.
The depth must be at least 2/32 of an inch, as that is the minimum legal requirement. This is due to the fact that if your tires do not have adequate tread depth, they will not be able to effectively channel water out of the tread. As a direct result of this, your wet traction, grip, and braking will all suffer. In addition to that, the snow’s traction will deteriorate even earlier than that.
Because of all of these factors, it is in your best interest to replace your tires as soon as possible. Never wait until the indications are flush with the tread because your tires’ grip will be significantly reduced on slippery surfaces even before that happens.
To our good fortune, the Firestone All Season is a very long-lasting tire, particularly in terms of the tread life. This tire has a predicted tread life of 60,000 miles, which Consumer Reports deems to be outstanding for the category as a whole and for the price point specifically.
Additionally, even Firestone’s most affordable tire comes with an industry-leading treadwear warranty. The manufacturer offers a treadwear warranty of 65,000 miles for sizes that are appropriate for conventional automobiles. On the other hand, the warranty for crossover vehicle (CUV) sizes is just 55,000 miles.
How does it behave on a dry tarmac?
In general, there aren’t very many things wrong with the way the Firestone All Season handles the typical driving circumstances that people encounter. It acts in a predictable manner and does not spring any unfavorable surprises on you. In addition, the tire has an appropriate level of responsiveness for the category, providing the driver with a positive feel for the surface of the road.
In addition, the responsiveness is coupled by excellent traction for increased acceleration. Additionally impressive is the All-Season’s performance in the corners, where it demonstrates a high level of grip. Additionally, the stopping distances are not overly long and are actually rather respectable for a tire that falls into this category.
How is it over wet and slippery roads?
Actually, it’s not that terrible. Having said that, my expectations for Firestone in this regard were not met. This is especially true with regard to the handling, which is not quite as good as it could be. The Firestone simply does not provide the same sense of security and stability on the road as a premium tire would. Even if the behavior is not erratically inconsistent, there is still a greater amount of understeer than I would have preferred.
The Firestone All Season performs better than its competitors when it comes to braking. Even while the distances aren’t up to par with the finest in the category, they are very acceptable for a tire of this price range. Additionally, you shouldn’t have any problems with the acceleration traction because there is more than enough of it.
With that being said, how is it on snowy roads?
Because of my experience with the Firestone All Season tire, I am even more certain that all-season tires are not suitable for driving in severe snow conditions. The tire’s traction levels are far lower than the category average, which makes it nearly unusable on roads that are covered in snow. In addition, the Firestone does not have sufficient traction on ice, and as a result, it rolls around like a sled. This is not the right type for you if you are looking for a set of tires to use during the colder months.
Is it suitable for off-road driving?
Even if the Firestone All Season tire can be installed on some crossovers (CUVs), that does not indicate the vehicle is capable of off-road driving. In terms of traction, the tire ought to perform well on hardpacked surfaces, given that the topography does not feature a great deal of inclines. Larger boulders, dirt, and sand, on the other hand, are out of the question. In addition to that, this tire offers no protection against nicks, chips, or punctures in its construction.
Is it comfortable and refined?
The All-Season is fortunate in that it makes up for its shortcomings in the comfort aspect. The tire skillfully irons out both smaller and bigger flaws, resulting in a ride that is highly smooth in quality. In addition to that, the highway is a rather quiet place to go.
Should I buy the Firestone All Season tires?
At the very least, you ought to give some serious consideration to buying it. To summarize, there are superior solutions available within this category overall. For example, the Continental TrueContact Tour has a slightly higher price tag but delivers significantly improved overall performance.
On the other hand, the Firestone All Season should suit you well if you want to save money while also purchasing an American-made product. It performs quite well on dry roads, maintains a sufficient level of control when driving in the rain, and has a very long lifespan overall. Additionally, it is incredibly comfortable, which is something that could attract customers with families.