Firestone, a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas, has introduced the Firestone Pathway AS, an all-season touring tire offered in 73 sizes. According to the company, that is the broadest vehicle coverage of any tire in the Firestone line. The tire is available nationwide now and is backed by a 65,000-mile limited mileage warranty.
Firestone positions the Pathway AS for everyday drivers, combining what the company describes as 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, and that the Pathway AS is designed to deliver reliable performance and long-lasting value in everyday driving situations.
Size range grew during development
Consumer feedback played a central role in shaping the tire, the company said, with development focused on improving wet traction, tread life and ride comfort relative to the predecessor model. The launch was originally planned for 48 sizes; 25 additional sizes were added during development to widen market coverage. Firestone said the resulting lineup reaches nearly 77% of registered vehicles.
Fitments include several high-volume models, among them the Toyota Camry, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Outback, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chevrolet Equinox.
Tread life and year-round traction
Firestone attributes the 65,000-mile limited mileage warranty to a tread compound designed for longevity. Additional sipes and an optimized see-through void are intended to help the tire wear more evenly and maintain traction over time, the company said.
For year-round use, the tire uses deep interlocking 3D sipes intended to provide traction in conditions ranging from light snow to dry and wet pavement. Firestone cited internal testing in which the Pathway AS showed an 18% reduction in wet braking distance against the Uniroyal Laredo HT, an 11.7% reduction in wet braking against the Firestone All Season, and a 7.4% reduction against the Toyo Extensa AS2. The company also said the tire recorded shorter dry braking distances than six leading competitors. These figures come from the company's internal testing.
Everyday performance characteristics
Firestone said wear resistance supports long-lasting performance, while low rolling resistance contributes to fuel-efficient performance on internal combustion engine vehicles. The company presents these traits together as the basis for dependable all-season performance in everyday driving.
According to Firestone, the Pathway AS builds on the strengths of the previous model while addressing drivers' evolving needs, with the changes concentrated in wet traction, tread life and ride comfort.