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Last updated 4/10/2024 - Originally published 4/10/2024
Written by SimpleTire
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All-season tires are engineered to provide reliable performance throughout the year. These versatile tires excel in dry, wet, and winter conditions, making them a popular choice for road use. Firestone and Goodyear are two names that have their own following as they both deliver tires that perform well, especially in the all-season category.
Both the tires are all-season and are known to deliver as per the customer's expectations. They both offer good tread design that gives confidence and reliable traction on the road. The same is visible in their tire range of the Firestone Destination LE3 and the Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max. Both of these tires are meant for use on passenger vehicles. While both tires offer great performance, one has to be better than the other, right? Let’s compare Firestone Destination LE3 vs Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max tires using SimpleScore to show where each tire excels and which one might be right for you.
The Firestone Destination LE3 is an all-season tire that's designed for use on coupes, sedans, CUVs, and SUVs and offers drivers strong traction in dry, wet, and winter weather plus a 70,000 mile limited warranty. Equipped with wide lateral grooves, a special shoulder design, stiff tread blocks, and an optimized tread design helps offer a low rolling resistance for even distribution of wear.
This tire shows improved handling at a SimpleScore of 8.2, increased traction is seen at a SimpleScore of 8.9, and longevity score goes to 9.4 making an average SimpleScore of 9 making it a great all-season tire.
Another great tire that can be considered while keeping in mind the needs of the passenger vehicle drivers is the Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max which is an all-season tire that offers drivers confident traction in changing weather conditions along with a 65,000 mile limited tread life warranty. Features of this tire include a fuel-saving tread compound along with Dual Aquachannel Grooves that move water away from the tire for extra gripping power on wet roads. With innovative and optimized tread design, you get traction in dry, wet, and light snow conditions along with increased ride comfort and lower rolling resistance.
This tire delivers a SimpleScore of 8.8 out of 10. Handling and traction are the new features here, as the tire scored 8.8 and 9, respectively in these fields. Long-lasting, and with strong tread life, it scores an 8.7.
Traction plays an important role in taking care of grip on wet and dry roads, and a tire that delivers good traction also says good grip on the road. Both tires are designed to provide grip across various weather conditions. These tires aim to strike a balance between performance in dry, wet, and light snowy conditions. When comparing both the tires you will see that the Firestone Destination LE3 is designed with symmetrical tread along with wide grooves that funnel water out of the tread to reduce the risk of hydroplaning on wet roads, and the Destination LE3 features dense siping that bites into the road for extra grip year-round. This has helped this tire to reach an average traction SimpleScore of 8.5 which is great when it comes to performance.
The Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max, on the other hand, has a score of 9 out of 10 in traction. This is thanks to a special symmetrical tread design and Dual Aquachannel Grooves that enhance grip and wide grooves within its tread that remove water for added hydroplaning resistance. You get considerate traction with this tire and can depend on it for your all-season great traction performance.
When it comes to winter weather traction, the Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max has a solid edge over Firestone Destination LE3.
ADVANTAGE: Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max
The handling of a tire is improved by different elements of the tire’s tread pattern, in addition to the tire’s overall design. All-season tires are designed to provide a balance of performance for a variety of weather conditions, including dry, wet, and light snow.
The Firestone Destination LE3 sports a solid 8.5 SimpleScore for handling, which is largely driven by the tire’s wide circumferential tread grooves, allowing it to be more durable and improving its handling.
On the flip side, the Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max is a little bit ahead of the Firestone Destination LE3 for handling as the tire comes in with a SimpleScore of 8.8. Featuring an innovative design and a fuel-saving tread compound that gives drivers a quiet, comfortable ride, plus an optimized footprint that allows for even wear to extend the tire's tread life.
ADVANTAGE: Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max
Traction and handling play a crucial role in a tire’s life and so does longevity. It is equally important to traction and handling when purchasing a tire. The longevity of a tire depends on several factors, including the quality of the tire, driving habits, road conditions, and maintenance. Based on SimpleScore, this was the biggest gap between the two tires.
Starting with the Firestone Destination LE3, the tire offers an exceptional SimpleScore of 9.5 out of 10 on the longevity front. The tire’s tough, rugged rubber compound and reinforced construction work together to increase handling which allows for a longer tread life. Outside of that, the tire’s optimized design and tied shoulders put more rubber on the road which prevents irregular wear by evenly distributing road forces (in addition to boosting handling).
Conversely, the Assurance CS Fuel Max’s 8.7 SimpleScore in longevity shows that it lags behind a little bit. The Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max also features a reinforced construction, and its innovative tread design gives drivers a quiet, comfortable ride, plus even wear to extend the tire's tread life.
Here you will notice an elevated steep of progress in terms of longevity for the Firestone Destination LE3 over the Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max.
Although both the tires perform solid when it comes to longevity, the Firestone Destination LE3 has an added advantage over the Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max as the Destination LE3 comes with 70,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty against the 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty from the Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max.
ADVANTAGE: Firestone Destination LE3
All-season tires are meant to be used all year when the temperatures are moderate and consistent throughout the year. While all-season tires offer convenience and versatility, they tend to have a longer lifespan compared to tires designed specifically for certain weather conditions, such as winter or summer tires. This is because they are constructed with a tread compound that balances handling and performance across different seasons.
If you live in areas that receive heavy rainfall throughout the year, neither the Firestone Destination LE3 nor Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max will provide optimal performance as they are not built to be used in extreme winter weather conditions. Their usage is limited to areas with heavy snowfall. What will work best here is a set of winter tires that will deliver improved traction and safety. That said, all-season tires are an excellent choice if you live in an area that only gets light snow.
Additionally, cautious driving habits and avoiding harsh conditions can help preserve the tread and overall integrity of the tires.
So, which all-season tire is the right option for you? When looking at SimpleScore, the Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max is at par with the Firestone Destination LE3 as they both display an overall score of 8.8. As noted above, there are key differences between the two tires and these need to be weighed against each other to determine what’s best for you. Finally (and maybe, most importantly), pricing on these two tires is a bit different as Firestone Destination LE3 tires cost at least $152.96 per tire while Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max tires cost at least $168.96 per tire. That means a set of four Firestone Destination LE3 all-season tires will cost you at least $ 611.84 for a set of four, while a set of four Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max tires will cost you at least $675.84.
Based on SimpleScore, you should choose the Firestone Destination LE3 if you:
Conversely, you should choose the Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max if you:
Firestone Destination LE3 vs Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max tires might not seem a close comparison on the surface, but the above clearly shows that either is a great option. Remember, both of the tire brands are some of the best tire manufacturers on the market, and that tradition continues with the Firestone Destination LE3 and Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max. At the end of the day, the decision to buy one or the other depends on your vehicle, where (and how) you drive, and what you care more about in terms of traction, handling, longevity, and price.
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.
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