Am I crazy for thinking that most Firestones suck?

[zerosoma]

I look at Firestone and Bridgestone and they just seem cheap to me. I read reviews on various sites and usually the good is also met with horrible complaining from others.

It's kinda like taking a 50/50 chance. Reason I'm saying this is because I',m considering the Bridgestone Ecopia E422's for our Prius and I'm very reluctant because a) they are bridgestones and b) people say they are squirrely on the road. But there's an increase of MPG from 5-10% people say.

Am I off base with my thinking here or are most of those tires really just that bad!?

 

[dkryan]

I have Bridgestone Turanza Serenity tires on my 2005 Accord and their Dueler Alenza on our 2005 Highlander. Zero issues.

They handle well in the wet and dry, the road noise is minimal, and the tread life is beyond what is indicated on the sidewall.

 

[MNgopher]

Bridgestone Firestone is no different than any other tire company. They make some excellent tires and they make some stinkers. (Tires I like: Bridgestone Dueler AT REVO series, Firestone Destination AT. Tires I don't like: Firestone Destination LE)(and yes, all I have are light truck applications).

Every tire represents some compromises and decisions that enhance or hurt their performance in different areas. Many of the real stinkers are tires that the OEM car manufacturer has specified and the tire manfacturer has designed to meet the OEM specs. Just some food for thought. Price can be a significant component that corresponds to some of the tradeoffs.

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

Originally Posted By: zerosoma
It's kinda like taking a 50/50 chance. Reason I'm saying this is because I',m considering the Bridgestone Ecopia E422's for our Prius and I'm very reluctant because a) they are bridgestones and b) people say they are squirrely on the road. But there's an increase of MPG from 5-10% people say.

Am I off base with my thinking here or are most of those tires really just that bad!?


I can't speak from expierience with the Ecopia but I wouldn't be suprized if they are squirrely, that is the tradeoff off; soft sidewalls in exchange for better MPG.

As for other Bridgestone/Firestone products they have just as many good tires as any other major manufacture, if not more.

I wouldn't let a lower price scare me off, just because another brand cost more doesn't necessarily mean you're getting a portionally better tire. In fact, price is the main reason I often end up purchasing Firestone/Bridgestone tires. As much as I want to, I just can't justify paying Goodyear prices for a marginally better tire.

 

[JHZR2]

I like my bridgestone 960RE pole position tires on my saab. Granted, they are a higher end tire, AA/A, W rated, etc.

But now they are made in Mexico! Boooo!

Do they suck? Maybe, maybe not. But they dont seem to have a lot of offerings that fit my needs.

Bridgestone does have some desirable tires, but since they seem to be shifting a lot of manufacture to the third world, they will get my boycott.

I wanted to like the Ecopia EP422 for our VW rabbit, since it is an H rated, real LRR tire. Thing is, though LRR is a bona fide improvement, and the tire IS US made, it is rated worse than its comparison peers. Thing is, I have to determine fully if it is splitting hairs amongst good tires, or a real difference for the worst.

 

[Turk]

I'm on my 2nd set of Destination A/T's on my Sierra.

FANTASTIC tire! I get around 80k on a 4x4 truck!

 

[danthaman1980]

Bridgestone Dueler A/T REVOs were probably the best tires I've ever owned - and probably also the most expensive. Most other Bridgestone/Firestone tires I've owned were middle of the road.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

My opinion:

Bridgestones are more often than not a quality tire. Their low-end stuff is exactly that, low end, but they are generally a good buy.

Firestones are more often than not a very mediocre tire. Their high-end stuff is very good, but everything else seems a step or two below similar tires at similar prices, making them not a very good value.

 

[tdpark]

I have had good luck with Bridgestones, i have yet to have any problems with them in terms of balancing and quality of build. They used to be a good value too but they have gotten more expensive over the years.

 

[david_ES2]

The bridgestone re92 potenzas i had were junk, never gripped worth a..... hydroplanned like crazy, attracted rocks and nails like nobodys business. They were quiet and that was about it

 

[fdcg27]

Really doubt that you'll see a 5-10% increase in fuel economy with LRR tires or anything else you can change on the car.
A change in driving habits could easily bring such an increase, though.
I've had a few sets of Bridgestones and one of Firestones, although none of either in recent years.
The tires were low priced, but performed just fine in use.
As others have noted, as with any other branded product, some models are good and some models are not.

 

[Slick17601]

I've had 2 sets of Destination LE's and would not hesitate to buy another set.

 

[Rand]

Originally Posted By: david_ES2
The bridgestone re92 potenzas i had were junk, never gripped worth a..... hydroplanned like crazy, attracted rocks and nails like nobodys business. They were quiet and that was about it


re92's are an oem tire (99% sure)

that would be like me complaining about michelin energy's or goodyear integrity

the oem ones were designed to the specs the oem wanted.


as with all tire companies you cant compare between models. you have to make a decision based on a specific model and sometimes even a specific size.

there is no more "goodyear is good, firestone is bad, my michelins were great"

 

[Indydriver]

I would say that since the Explorer rollover nonsense, Bridgestone (Firestone) makes the safest tires on the road.

Regarding LRR, the early gen, pure LRR tires such as Ecopia were hard and gave up a lot of traction and handling performance to gain mpg. HOWEVER, the current technology "space race" among tire manufacturers is to incorporate LRR characteristics across their product lines to improve mpg and life cycle in all tires. So, you are seeing Bridgestone introduce new Turanzas and Potenzas in a "422" model (April 22 is Earth Day).

I just bought a Toyota Sienna XLE that came with Firestone FR710s. In searching Bridgestone's Tire Advisor site, their top recommendation for this vehicle is now the Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia which is rated higher across the board than the std Dueler H/L. http://www.bridgestonetire.com/Tire_Advisor

Of course the Dueler 422 costs 50% more than the FR710s. So, you get what you pay for. BTW, the FR710s seem to work great on this vehicle.

 

[Jocephus]

I don't have a problem with the Bridgestone tires I've had, but the two Firestone tire stores I've used I've been less than pleased with.

Like some have said above, they make good BStone/Fstone model tires and bad model tires...do a little research and make sure you're buying the tire that's RIGHT for the application as to how you expect to use it.

 

[tightwad]

Over thirty years ago, Firestone had the largest tire recall in history. Millions upon millions of defective tires. A friend was a Firestone dealer. He had defective tires stacked up like firewood. The problem was that one plant had to store the steel belt material outdoors and it rusted. The adhesive used to bond the steel to the rubber plies wouldn't stick. Fast forward to the latest Firestone fiasco. It was learned that that the same plant was still storing the steel outdoors. I don't think this is a corporate culture that puts much emphasis on quality, much less safety. I don't think they spend the dollars on R & D. Look how Firestones rate on the Tire Rack surveys.

 

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted By: tightwad
Over thirty years ago, Firestone had the largest tire recall in history. Millions upon millions of defective tires. A friend was a Firestone dealer. He had defective tires stacked up like firewood. The problem was that one plant had to store the steel belt material outdoors and it rusted. The adhesive used to bond the steel to the rubber plies wouldn't stick. Fast forward to the latest Firestone fiasco. It was learned that that the same plant was still storing the steel outdoors. I don't think this is a corporate culture that puts much emphasis on quality, much less safety. I don't think they spend the dollars on R & D. Look how Firestones rate on the Tire Rack surveys.


In the interest of making sure that the facts are straight, I call BOOOOOOOGUS on this explanation. I have even gone so far as to write up a web page on the subject:

http://www.barrystiretech.com/fordfirestone.html

Notice that neither NHTSA nor Dr. Govindjee mention rust at all. This would seem to be such an obvious explanation that one has to wonder why it wasn't mentioned.

Because it wasn't true - that's why.

As proof I offer that only CERTAIN tires were recalled - not ALL from one plant - and only a small selection of sizes.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Typical Internet "amplification".

In 1978 I was running Firestone exclusively on my street cars. HP125's they were called, aramid fiber and a TUBE design!

The only speed rated tire even available at a reasonable price, and flawless across about 20 tires on 3 very fast cars.

 

[Spazdog]

My experience with Bridgestone is limited to motorcycle tires and one set of Potenza RE040s I had on the Mazda.

Expensive, short lived, and not particularly good in wet conditions.

The Potenzas weren't any better in dry than General Exclaims or Fierce Instinct ZRs. Both of the less expensive brands lasted longer than the Bridgestones and the Fierce tires were better in the wet (but noisy)

Never messed with Firestone automotive tires. The Firehawks aren't rated any better than other tire choices that are 50% less.

I've had all manners of Bridgestone motorcycle tires. The absolute worst motorcycle tires I ever had were Bridgestones. (Excedras) I would rather own a set of Cheng Shins than Excedras. And I've actually ridden with Cheng Shins. I know personally how bad they are. The Excedras are worse.

The shortest lived rear tires were Battlaxes. (I could get well over 10,000 miles on a Michelin Pilot take-off with unknown (low)mileage on it....a 400cc 4 cylinder should not destroy a Battlax in 5000 miles) Now, the Battlaxes were good on dry pavement. Less squirm than Dunlop Radials. But when it rained,

They obviously weren't intended for wet weather. Wet pavement will have you begging for your old worn out bias-ply ME33 Laser and ME1 Metzelers back from the bike shop worn tire pile.

 

[tightwad]

I don't think rusted steel was the only cause of the latest problem. Most of those tires were made in South America. I brought up the issue to demonstrate the attitude of the company. Would Michelin, Pirelli, Goodyear or any other company store raw materials out in the weather? I've seen pictures of the plant, so it's true unless someone photoshopped them.