Firestone has introduced the Pathway AS, an all-season touring tire aimed at everyday drivers and offered in 73 sizes, which the company describes as the broadest vehicle coverage of any tire in the Firestone line-up. The tire is available nationwide now and is backed by a 65,000-mile limited mileage warranty.
Firestone positions the product around three attributes: dependable performance, long tread life and value. The size count is central to that pitch, since a broader range lets a single nameplate serve more of the vehicles already on the road.
Size range grew during development
The program was originally scoped at 48 sizes. Twenty-five more were added while the tire was in development, a decision the company says lifts coverage to nearly 77% of registered vehicles. Named fitments include the Toyota Camry, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Outback, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chevrolet Equinox.
Consumer feedback shaped the brief, according to Firestone, with wet traction, tread life and ride comfort identified as the areas needing improvement relative to the predecessor product.
Tread design for wear life and year-round grip
A tread compound formulated for longevity underpins the mileage warranty. Additional sipes and an optimized see-through void are intended to spread wear more evenly across the tread and to help the tire hold traction as it ages. Deep interlocking 3D sipes are used to generate biting edges for light snow, wet roads and dry pavement.
- Long tread life: engineered to perform across the 65,000-mile limited mileage warranty.
- All-season traction: interlocking 3D sipes for light snow, wet and dry conditions.
- Everyday efficiency: low rolling resistance intended to support fuel-efficient running on internal combustion engine vehicles.
Internal braking comparisons
In testing run by the manufacturer, the Pathway AS recorded wet braking distances 18% shorter than the Uniroyal Laredo HT, 11.7% shorter than the Firestone All Season and 7.4% shorter than the Toyo Extensa AS2. Firestone also reports shorter dry braking than six leading competitors. These are company-reported comparisons; the figures have not been independently verified.
Value argument for mainstream drivers
"Most drivers want a tire they can depend on," said Leslie Sawyer, senior product design engineer at Bridgestone Americas. Sawyer said the Pathway AS is designed to deliver reliable performance and long-lasting value in everyday driving situations.
Wear resistance is presented as the basis for holding performance over the tire's service life, while low rolling resistance addresses running costs on combustion-engine vehicles rather than on electrified ones. Firestone says the tire is available now nationwide.