Bridgestone Americas' Firestone brand has introduced the Firestone Pathway AS, an all-season touring tire aimed at everyday drivers and available in 73 sizes, which the company says is the widest vehicle coverage of any Firestone tire.
The tire carries a 65,000-mile limited mileage warranty and is positioned on three attributes the company says buyers prioritize: dependable performance, long tread life and value. Firestone announced the launch from Nashville, Tennessee.
Leslie Sawyer, senior product design engineer at Bridgestone Americas, said that most drivers want a tire they can depend on, and that the Pathway AS was designed to deliver reliable performance and long-lasting value in everyday driving situations.
Size plan expanded during development
Consumer feedback shaped the product, with the development team focusing on wet traction, tread life and ride comfort relative to the predecessor tire. The size plan grew as the project progressed: Firestone originally intended 48 sizes and added 25 more during development to maximize market coverage.
That broader range is meant to reach more of the vehicles already on the road. Firestone says the 73-size line fits nearly 77% of registered vehicles.
Tread compound and sipes support the mileage warranty
Firestone credits the 65,000-mile limited mileage warranty to a tread compound formulated for longevity. Additional sipes and an optimized see-through void are intended to promote more even wear and help the tire hold traction as it ages, the company says, a combination it presents as a way to extend value over the tire's service life.
For year-round use, the Pathway AS uses deep interlocking 3D sipes that the company says provide dependable traction in conditions ranging from light snow to dry and wet pavement, a combination Firestone frames as year-round reliability.
Internal wet- and dry-braking comparisons
In internal testing cited by Firestone, the Pathway AS recorded an 18% reduction in wet braking distance versus the Uniroyal Laredo HT, 11.7% versus the Firestone All Season and 7.4% versus the Toyo Extensa AS2. The three named comparisons are against two competing all-season tires and Firestone's own All Season model. The company also says the tire stopped shorter on dry pavement than six leading competitors. The figures come from manufacturer-run comparisons; the announcement did not describe test methodology or conditions.
Firestone also points to wear resistance and low rolling resistance, the latter contributing to fuel-efficient performance on internal combustion engine vehicles, in what the company describes as a confident, well-rounded driving experience.
Availability and fitments
The Pathway AS is available now nationwide. Firestone lists fitments for popular models including the Toyota Camry, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Outback, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chevrolet Equinox. The company did not announce pricing or a per-size rollout schedule in its launch notice.