Maximize Your Fuel Efficiency with Firestone Champion Fuel Fighter: A Comprehensive Tire Review
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Pros
- Excellent responsiveness
- Very good grip and traction on dry tarmac
- Long-lasting treadlife
- Smooth and quiet
- Enhanced fuel economy
Cons
- traction in the snow and rain that is inferior to the best touring tires
- Lower treadwear warranty than its premium rivals
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Firestone offers an extensive selection of all-season tires, many of which are on par with the premium models that dominate their respective markets and are considered the best in their categories. On the other hand, some of them do not live up to expectations, such as the FR710 passenger tire, which is outperformed by its competitors in virtually every category. Fortunately, Firestone now sells a tire known as the Champion Fuel Fighter, which is classified as an all-season touring tire. This tire is slightly more expensive than the FR710, but it delivers significantly improved overall performance.
It is interesting to note that the term Champion dates back to the first part of the previous century, when Firestone was one of the leading tire manufacturers in the industry. The fact that Firestone has chosen to employ that name once more can only imply one thing: the company intends to contend with the very best in the standard touring category. That can only be accomplished if the Champion Fuel Fighter is successful in a great many endeavors.
To begin, it needs to be able to provide consistent traction, grip, and braking in any and all weather conditions that the driver may encounter. Then, just like every other touring tire, it need to be exceptionally quiet and comfy, even when traveling at very high speeds. And, of course, it should also be long-lasting; normal touring tires typically survive for more than five years of all-season driving, and sometimes even more than that (if you don’t use them in the winter). You can rest assured that we will cover all of those topics in this comprehensive evaluation of the Firestone Champion Fuel Fighter.
Before we move on to that, it is important to point out that this tire is designed for the drivers of passenger vehicles who are looking for a solution that is dependable and pleasant throughout the entire year. The Champion is offered in a wide variety of sizes, each of which is designed to fit a specific class of automobile. In light of the aforementioned, the primary classes into which they can be placed are sub-compact and compact vehicles, mid-size sedans, minivans, crossovers, and even certain coupes.
Vehicles such as the Toyota Corolla, Yaris, Camry, and Matrix, the Nissan Sentra, Altima, and Maxima, the Subaru Legacy and Outback, the Mazda 3, 5, and 6, the Volkswagen Golf and Jetta, the Hyundai Accent, Elantra, and Sonata, the Honda Fit, Civic, and Accord, the Chevrolet Aveo, Cobalt, and Sonic, the Kia Soul, Forte, and Optima, etc. come to mind first.
To tell you the truth, that is a rather extensive range, which is what one would anticipate from a typical touring tire. Having said that, while some sizes of the Firestone Champion Fuel Saver can suit premium sports sedans like the BMW 3 Series and the Lexus IS, we must remark that the tire does not provide the sporty feeling behind the steering wheel, nor does it have the high levels of grip and traction that drivers of these vehicles anticipate.
What are the features of the Firestone Champion Fuel Saver?
The design of the tread is symmetrical, and its primary function is to facilitate easy rotation. Nevertheless, Firestone also made certain that the tread is sufficiently deep to provide good traction in wet as well as icy weather. The Champion Fuel Fighter has been designed with four circumferential grooves that channel water away from the tire, resulting in greater traction when used in wet circumstances and maximizing the vehicle’s resistance to hydroplaning. Traction in the snow is provided by full-depth tread with serrated edges.
The Firestone Champion Fuel Fighter, just like all other standard touring tires, has a structure that consists of a polyester body casing that is either one or two plies thick, depending on the size of the tire. Additionally, the tire has two side steel belts that each have a spirally-wrapped nylon reinforcement with Firestone Fuel Fighter Nylon Application for increased fuel economy.
What are maintenance indicators?
Firestone has not yet integrated wear indications into its regular touring tires, despite the fact that the majority of premium standard touring tires already have this feature. They recommend utilizing the penny test, which has become the industry standard for assessing the tread depth, rather than any other method. Inserting a penny into each of the grooves of the tire tread is the test that needs to be done. If the tread on the tire is at least touching the top of Abraham Lincoln’s inverted head, then the tread depth is at least 2/32 inches. This test works quite well, although we would have appreciated wear signs like those seen in the vast majority of contemporary tires these days.
On the bright side, the Champion Fuel Fighter offers the best guarantee of any Firestone tire now available, which covers 70,000 miles or 5 years, whichever comes first. This is a really decent result for the price, but it still lags behind other regular touring tires — the Continental TrueContact comes with an unbelievable treadwear warranty of 90,000 miles, and there are some budget tires that have a treadwear warranty of 70,000 miles. However, feedback from customers all over the world indicates that the Champion has an exceptional treadlife; virtually no one has any issues with wear.
In addition, if you only use Firestone tires on your vehicle, Firestone will align your wheels at no cost to you for as long as you own the vehicle. This is something that is not offered by other manufacturers, and it is most certainly something that is welcomed, especially given the fact that the tires will last a great deal longer if it is done this way.
Is it good for off-road driving?
Even though Firestone manufactures the Champion Fuel Fighter in sizes that are suitable for most compact crossovers, this does not imply that the tire is intended for use in off-road environments. Because this is primarily a tire designed for use on the road, it is recommended that any use off the road be restricted to areas with low levels of terrain difficulty. However, in contrast to the majority of touring tires, the Champion Fuel Fighter may be driven on gravel, and we are happy to report that it performs fairly well in such environments. This is likely because the tread is deeper than is typical for this type of tire.
However, if you are going to be driving on gravel with these tires on your car, you need be extra cautious and make sure not to exceed the posted speed limits.
How does it behave on dry tarmac?
In all honesty, it’s pretty nice. Although it is not the greatest touring tire in its category, the Champion Fuel Fighter is up there with the best of them and definitely holds its own. It should not come as a surprise that the responsiveness is really good for a touring tire because the less expensive FR710 was also very responsive. The responsiveness is very good. Because of this, the Champion provides a feeling that is stable even when traveling at higher speeds, which makes it particularly well-suited for usage on the highway.
Additionally, the traction is fantastic, particularly on the more powerful vehicles. Even if the grip isn’t quite as strong as what you get with the greatest touring tires on the market, these tires are still excellent for day-to-day driving. Despite its emphasis on low rolling resistance, the Champion Fuel Fighter has excellent braking capability. This is perhaps the most essential aspect of this tire.
And while we’re on the subject of reduced rolling resistance, the Firestone tires should improve your car’s fuel economy by up to 5%.
How is it over wet and slippery roads?
When it comes to dry asphalt, we have no qualms about how the Champion drives; however, we do have some complaints about how it drives on wet and slick roads. Don’t get us wrong—even when the weather is wet, the Fuel Fighter is still an extremely safe tire to use for driving. It’s just that other cars in its class have considerably superior grip when cornering at high speeds, and the best of them withstand hydroplaning better. However, this is not something that the typical motorist would notice, if we’re being completely honest.
With that being said, how is it in snowy roads?
It would appear that Firestone is rather pleased with the deeper tread that the Champion Fuel Fighter features, particularly because it offers improved traction in the snow. At least according to the documentation. This tire does not even come close to competing with the greatest touring tires for snow traction in the real world. Having said that, it is far superior to the FR710 and may still be put to use in some circumstances, although it is not the best option for dealing with the cold. It goes without saying that if you reside in a region that receives a significant amount of snow throughout the winter, you should surely switch out your Champion Fuel Fighter tires for some more suitable winter tires.
Is it comfortable and refined?
People buy standard touring tires for a variety of reasons, but two of the most common ones are because they are very quiet and comfy. Although it is quite quick in the bends, the Firestone Champion Fuel Fighter nevertheless manages to provide a very comfortable ride over rough terrain. This is to be expected. On top of that, it has an extremely low road noise level, which puts it on par with the best touring tires. If a high level of comfort is a priority for you, look no further than the Champion; it won’t let you down.
More Firestone Champion Fuel Fighter Review videos can be found on this channel, which was developed by mllc413.
Should I buy the Firestone Champion Fuel Fighter?
To tell you the truth, it depends. There is no question that this is not the best tire in its category, but it is also not the tire with the lowest quality. It falls in the center of the pack in terms of price, and it competes favorably with the majority of tires that are sold in the same price range.
The Champion Fuel Fighter has a few drawbacks, the most notable of which are its traction and grip in wet and snowy weather, but all things considered, it is still an exceptionally trustworthy, pleasant, and safe tire. In addition to this, it will improve the gas mileage that your automobile achieves. As a result, we believe that the Champion Fuel Fighter should be one of the options you examine the next time you purchase regular touring tires.
