Table of Contents
Firestone WeatherGrip Tire Review
Specifications:
- Noise: 50%
- Wet: 60%
- Snow: 70%
- Dry: 50%
- Treadwear: 60%
- Comfort: 90%
- Snow performance among the best in class
- Warranty for treadwear of 65,000 miles
- Excellent resistance to aquaplaning
- Suitable for a variety of surfaces
- Performance on a dry day
- Considering it’s a grand touring tire, it’s not very quiet
Over the years, mid-range tire brands have evolved. A number of their models offer almost premium-like performance at a lower price. Firestone is one of many mid-range brands available.
We will be looking at the WeatherGrip model today. Firestone sells it as an all-season grand touring tire. Fits most hatchbacks, sedans, crossovers, and SUVs. According to the company, the tire appears promising.
How does the Firestone WeatherGrip work?
The tread design of the WeatherGrip is the first thing that stands out. It is not uncommon for people to think that it is a winter tire. Don’t view this as a negative. It should be excellent in wet and snowy conditions.
With a 3PMSF rating, the WeatherGrip is expected to perform better in snow than other all-season tires. Furthermore, the zig-zag tread design should help improve traction and grip on snowy surfaces.
Firestone’s Snow Traction Claw technology enhances snow traction even further. It is used on the center and outside ribs, and combined with the snow vices between them.
Firestone used its Hydro-Grip technology to improve wet performance. As a result, the WeatherGrip has a slightly rounded footprint and open shoulder grooves. As a result, wet roads are better gripped and aquaplaning is reduced.
Firestone used its all-season rubber compound to ensure usability throughout the year. Wet grip is further improved by the directional tread design.
The WeatherGrip has the typical construction of a grand touring tire. The tire has two steel belts reinforced with nylon and a polyester casing to keep it durable but comfortable.
What is its behavior on dry tarmac?
There’s little to praise about the WeatherGrip on dry tarmac. I’ve made some comparisons with higher classed tires, but that’s not the case with this one.
The traction and grip are good enough to drive on the road. Putting it on a powerful car may cause a problem because there is enough traction. As long as you’re careful with the throttle, it shouldn’t be an issue.
Cornering grip is also average, so don’t expect miracles. There is just enough grip for safe cornering, but don’t overdo it. Most drivers should be able to stay safely planted with this.
Additionally, you should expect anything specific regarding the driving dynamics. WeatherGrip isn’t very responsive, and feedback is scarce.
What is its behavior on wet and slippery roads?
Due to its tread design, the WeatherGrip performs slightly better on wet and slippery roads.
In these conditions, the WeatherGrip surprises most with its aquaplaning resistance. Without sacrificing grip, the grooves and sipes are excellent at evacuating water away from the blocks.
The tire has excellent cornering grip, considering its average dry performance. Regardless of how much you push your car, it will stay in line throughout the corner. Avoid driving like that since the tire won’t like it.
Traction is also impressively decent, which is an improvement over dry conditions. Make sure you don’t drive too aggressively or with too much power.
With chamfered shoulder blocks, Firestone’s WeatherGrip tire has decently short braking distances. Certainly not the best in the class, but good enough to keep things safe.
How is it over the snow?
WeatherGrip surprises with excellent performance in snowy conditions, despite poor performance on dry pavement. I’m comparing it with other all-season tires, not winter tires.
As far as snow driving is concerned, the WeatherGrip is probably among the best in class.
Snow conditions won’t be an issue, and the tire will provide plenty of grip and traction. All-season tires are capable of this. When the snow gets deeper, the WeatherGrip impresses. To find traction, it digs into the snow and maintains grip in corners.
Compared to its rivals in its class, the tire performs above average on ice.
Does it feel comfortable and refined?
As for comfort and refinement, the WeatherGrip is comfortable, but not very quiet.
As far as comfort is concerned, the tire does not disappoint. As a mid-range tire, it’s terrific, but it won’t compete with premium tires. Most imperfections are smoothed out, and vibrations are almost nonexistent on bad roads.
It’s somewhere in the middle of its class when it comes to noise – not too loud nor too quiet. WeatherGrip isn’t too bad around town, and most of the noise is at higher speeds.
What are the off-roading qualities of this tire?
The WeatherGrip is no exception to the rule that all-season tires aren’t good off-roaders. Because Firestone didn’t design it for that, the tire would perform badly off-road.
I wouldn’t recommend using an all-season tire on dirt roads, and the WeatherGrip may give you some mediocre performance.
Does the Firestone WeatherGrip work well for sporty driving?
WeatherGrip isn’t the tire for you if you’re looking for sporty properties.
Firstly, the grip levels aren’t near what an enthusiast driver would prefer. Furthermore, this tire’s lack of feedback and unimpressive steering response make it an unsuitable choice for sporty driving.
Warranty for Firestone WeatherGrip
WeatherGrip scores a few points with its warranty. Since it’s a mid-range tire, you’ll get a treadwear warranty of 65,000 miles.
As a comparison, Michelin’s CrossClimate 2 offers a 60,000-mile warranty.
How much does Firestone WeatherGrip cost?
Although it may not seem like it at first, the Firestone WeatherGrip is a decent deal. Starting at $115, it’s not too budget-friendly, but still cheaper than premium competitors.
At that price, you get average dry performance and excellent wet and snow performance. On highways, you may hear some noise from the WeatherGrip, but it’s very comfortable for longer journeys.
At a lower price, you get a longer warranty than some premium competitors.
What are the benefits of the Firestone WeatherGrip?
Both yes and no. There’s a perfectly good reason why the WeatherGrip isn’t suitable for everyone.
Most owners, including myself, find themselves in situations where they want to have fun on twisty roads. When that happens, I wouldn’t want the WeatherGrip on my car. Despite the tire’s average grip levels, you won’t be able to push it too hard, even though it will be perfectly safe to drive.
The grip and traction levels are more pronounced in the wet. The shorter braking distances and excellent aquaplaning resistance make the WeatherGrip a safe tire to drive. You can try to induce oversteer and at least have some fun. Even when the tire loses grip, you won’t be surprised by it.
When it comes to snow, the WeatherGrip is even more impressive than when it comes to wet roads. The 3PMSF rating does the job, and the tire performs well on snow, better than most all-season tires. Firestone’s rubber compound also performs well on ice.
There are some refinements you may not like. While the comfort of this tire is excellent for a mid-range tire, the noise level is not the lowest, even compared to some other tires in this class.
Fortunately, the warranty is pretty comprehensive. Compared to some premium tires I’ve reviewed in the past, the WeatherGrip has a longer warranty at 65,000 miles.
Overall, the WeatherGrip isn’t as bad as you might think. Although it isn’t the best performing tire on the market, it is still safe to use on a daily basis. There may be a deciding factor in the lower price and relatively long warranty.
Which vehicles are compatible with Firestone WeatherGrip?
- Toyota Corolla, Camry, CH-R
- Mazda 3, 6
- BMW 1, 3, 5 series
- Volkswagen Golf, Polo, Passat
- Acura – CL, CSX, ILX, Legend, RSX, TL, Vigor
- Mustang GT
- Subaru Legacy
- Honda Civic, Accord, HR-V, Odyssey
- Audi A3, A4, Q5
- Kia Soul, Stinger, Optima, Rondo
- Ford Focus, Mondeo, C-MAX, Fusion
- Lexus IS, ES, NX, CT
WeatherGrip comes in a decent range of sizes, so it will fit on most cars. Here is a list of several sample models to give you an idea of the wide range of possibilities.
Firestone WeatherGrip tire sizes
18″ tire sizes
- 235/65R18
- 225/60R18
- 225/45R18
- 235/45R18
- 245/60R18
- 235/55R18
- 235/50R18
- 235/60R18
16″ tire sizes
- 215/60R16
- 205/65R16
- 205/60R16
- 215/70R16
- 225/60R16
- 235/70R16
- 215/65R16
- 205/55R16
- 215/55R16
15″ tire sizes
- 215/70R15
- 205/65R15
- 195/60R15
- 195/65R15
19″ tire sizes
- 235/55R19
17″ tire sizes
- 225/45R17
- 205/50R17
- 215/65R17
- 225/50R17
- 225/55R17
- 225/60R17
- 225/65R17
- 235/65R17
- 215/50R17
- 215/45R17
- 215/55R17
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