Firestone, a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas, has introduced the Firestone Pathway AS, an all-season touring tire designed for everyday drivers. The tire is available in 73 sizes, which Firestone says gives it the broadest vehicle coverage of any Firestone tire. It is backed by a 65,000-mile limited mileage warranty.
Firestone positions the Pathway AS around dependable performance, long tread life and value. Leslie Sawyer, senior product design engineer at Bridgestone Americas, said most drivers want a tire they can depend on. According to Sawyer, the Pathway AS is designed to deliver reliable performance and long-lasting value in everyday driving situations.
Consumer input shapes the tire
Firestone said consumer feedback played a central role in the tire's development, with attention to wet traction, tread life and ride comfort compared with its predecessor. The company originally planned 48 sizes, then added 25 during development to reach 73. Firestone says the larger lineup improves market coverage and helps it reach nearly 77% of registered vehicles.
Tread life and all-season traction
The Pathway AS uses a tread compound designed for longevity, and Firestone says additional sipes and an optimized see-through void help the tire wear more evenly while maintaining traction over time. Deep interlocking 3D sipes are intended to provide dependable grip in conditions ranging from light snow to dry and wet pavement.
Firestone says the tire is built to perform throughout its 65,000-mile limited mileage warranty, with the tread compound, additional sipes and optimized see-through void intended to promote even wear and maintain traction as the tire ages.
Firestone also reported internal test results for braking. The company says the Pathway AS reduced wet braking distance by 18% compared with the Uniroyal Laredo HT tire, by 11.7% compared with the Firestone All Season tire, and by 7.4% compared with the Toyo Extensa AS2 tire. It also says the tire delivered shorter dry braking distances than six leading competitors. These figures are company-reported internal test results, not independent evaluations.
Everyday performance and market availability
Firestone says wear resistance supports long-lasting performance, while low rolling resistance contributes to fuel-efficient performance on internal combustion engine vehicles. The company describes the combination as dependable all-season performance for daily driving. Firestone limits the low-rolling-resistance fuel-efficiency claim to internal combustion engine vehicles. The tire is available now nationwide.
The lineup includes fitments for several popular vehicles, including the Toyota Camry, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Outback, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chevrolet Equinox. Firestone says the size range and vehicle coverage are intended to serve a wide set of everyday drivers across many of today's most popular vehicles.