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Last updated 12/26/2024 - Originally published 12/26/2024
Written by SimpleTire
Founded in 1912, Armstrong Tires expanded to become the world's fifth-largest tire maker in the 1960s. Armstrong Tires was acquired by Pirelli in the late 1980s, but the brand was on the point of extinction by 2012 before ZAFCO stepped in and revitalized it. Starfire is an associate brand that prioritizes performance, quality, and affordability. It produces tires with dependable performance for light trucks, SUVs, CUVs, passenger cars, and minivans.
Designed for sedans, coupes, SUVs, CUVs, and minivans, the Armstrong Blu-Trac PC is a long-lasting all-season tire with great stability and braking, a smooth and comfortable ride, and a 85,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty. It comes with Armstrong's 6-Year Limited Warranty, 30-Day Money Back Guarantee, and Mileage Warranty.
An all-season tire, the Starfire Solarus AS is designed for passenger cars and CUVs and offers drivers solid performance year-round along with a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty. Its computer-tuned tread pitch provides a quiet and comfortable ride while the continuous center rib boosts on-center stability.
Let’s compare the Armstrong Blu-Trac PC and the Starfire Solarus AS using SimpleScore to help you determine which tire is best for you.
Armstrong Blu-Trac PC tires
The new generation passenger tire, Armstrong Blu-Trac PC, is designed to deliver a smoother ride with less road noise, more even tread wear, and better grip and braking capabilities in both wet and dry conditions. A three-across set of inner ribs lowers road noise and enhances ride comfort, while a symmetric tread design results in smoother rolling on the road and even tread wear over the tire's lifespan. In addition, lateral grooves' chamfered edges increase tread stiffness and decrease rolling resistance.
Overall, the Armstrong Blu-Trac PC scores a great SimpleScore (8.5) thanks to its excellent longevity (9.7), great handling (8.2), and decent traction (7.9).
Starfire Solarus AS tires
The Starfire Solarus AS features an all-season tread design that offers traction in dry, wet, and light winter weather conditions. Optimized rubber compound and profile enhance traction in both dry and wet conditions. Deep slots and biting edges on the tire's shoulder offer good traction and stability throughout its life. While the solid center rib ensures a smooth ride and controlled handling, the variable pitch tread decreases noise and delivers a quiet ride at highway speeds.
On average, the Starfire Solarus AS scores a fine SimpleScore (7.9) thanks to its great longevity (8.4), sharp handling (8), and consistent traction (7.7).
Armstrong Blu-Trac PC vs Starfire Solarus AS tires on traction
Traction refers to how strongly a tire grips the road surface and pulls a vehicle forward. It is measured in both dry and wet conditions, but maintaining grip is especially difficult in the winter when roads are slick. What are the traction scores for the Armstrong Blu-Trac PC and the Starfire Solarus AS? Let us see.
The Armstrong Blu-Trac PC features a self-locking sipe mechanism that drains water from the tires, providing better grip and braking on wet roads. As a result, the Blu-Trac PC sports a solid traction score of 7.9.
Likewise, the Starfire Solarus AS sports a decent score of 7.7 in traction thanks to its deep lateral grooves, enhanced tread compound, and profile. Its additional biting edges offer a solid grip on wet, dry, and wintry roads.
When it comes to traction, the Armstrong Blu-Trac PC has a slight edge over the Starfire Solarus AS (7.9 vs 7.7).
ADVANTAGE: Armstrong Blu-Trac PC
Armstrong Blu-Trac PC vs Starfire Solarus AS tires on handling
On rainy, snowy, and ice-covered roads, all-season tires improve handling and maneuverability while increasing traction. Here is a comparison of the handling scores of the Armstrong Blu-Trac PC and the Starfire Solarus AS.
The Armstrong Blu-Trac PC sports a symmetric tread pattern that boosts its handling performance while its self-locking sipes system enhances braking performance. As a result, the Blu-Trac PC gets a great handling score of 8.2.
Likewise, the Starfire Solarus AS also sports a great handling score of 8 thanks to the pattern of grooves, lugs, voids, and sipes on a tire surface. This pattern influences the tire's traction, handling, and noise levels.
When it comes to handling, the Armstrong Blu-Trac PC has a marginally better score than the Starfire Solarus AS (8.2 vs 8).
ADVANTAGE: Armstrong Blu-Trac PC
Armstrong Blu-Trac PC vs Starfire Solarus AS tires on longevity
An all-season tire can last 3 to 5 years, depending on driving patterns, road conditions, maintenance, and tire quality. Let's compare the longevity scores of the Armstrong Blu-Trac PC and the Starfire Solarus AS.
The Armstrong Blu-Trac PC boasts an excellent longevity score of 9.7 thanks to its symmetric tread pattern that ensures even wear for long-lasting tread life. Additionally, it comes with an 85,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.
On the flip side, the Starfire Solarus AS sports a longevity score of 8.4 thanks to its enhanced tread compound. It is backed by a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.
When it comes to longevity, the Armstrong Blu-Trac PC outlasts the Starfire Solarus AS (9.7 vs 8.4).
ADVANTAGE: Armstrong Blu-Trac PC
When to use each
All-season tires can be used all year and are designed to perform well in a variety of driving conditions, including wet roads, light snow, and dry highways. All-season tires, such as the Armstrong Blu-Trac and Starfire Solarus AS, are solid choices for drivers who do not wish to change their tires seasonally. The tread pattern strikes a compromise between grip on wet roads and a comfortable ride on dry surfaces. However, these tires are not Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified and cannot be used in harsh winter weather conditions.
Which one should you choose?
Which of these all-season tires is best suited for your vehicle? According to SimpleScore, the Armstrong Blu-Trac PC outperforms the Starfire Solarus AS (8.5 vs 7.9) thanks to the Armstrong’s better longevity, handling, and traction scores. However, the Starfire Solarus AS sports great performance year-round.
Comparing the prices of the 175/65R14 tire size, the Armstrong Blu-Trac PC costs around $42 per tire, and four such tires cost $168, while the Starfire Solarus AS costs around $57 per tire, and four such tires cost $228 (a difference of $60).
Based on SimpleScore, you should choose the Armstrong Blu-Trac PC if you:
- Drive a mid-size luxury sedan like the Cadillac CTS, compact, front-wheel-drive hatchback car Mitsubishi Mirage, or a compact car Hyundai Elantra
- Want marginally better traction (7.9 vs 7.7) and handling (8.2 vs 8)
- Prefer excellent longevity (9.7 vs 8.4)
- Want a better mileage warranty (85,000 vs 50,000-mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.)
- Want an affordable all-season tire with excellent longevity
On the other hand, you should go for the Starfire Solarus AS if you:
- Drive a small family car like the Audi A3, a compact luxury sedan Acura ILX, or a compact car Volkswagen Jetta
- Want an affordable all-season tire
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help, and our helpful agents will be more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.