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Last updated 10/18/2024 - Originally published 10/18/2024
Written by SimpleTire
Choosing between all-weather tires and all-season tires has a lot to do with buyers’ preferences and the areas they live in. While an all-weather tire can be a good idea for someone living in a city like New York, an all-season tire can be an ideal choice for someone living in Los Angeles, where the weather typically remains dry and warm.
All-season tires may also be termed as touring tires, but some touring tires provide the same traction, comfort, and performance as all-weather tires You’ll find such tires capable of covering long distances in dry, wet, and medium-to-heavy snow conditions. The advantage of such tires is that they provide improved winter traction with aggressive tread patterns, redesigned tread formulations, more optimized sipe networks, and other features intended for more consistent snow and slush traction.
We would like to tell you about SimpleScore, a scoring system developed by the SimpleTire team for a quick at-a-glance idea of a tire’s capabilities and performance. Our team uses the tire’s spec sheet, manufacturer information, reviews, and other data points to generate 1-10 scores for the categories of handling, traction, and longevity as well as an overall average SimpleScore. For the Firestone Weathergrip and Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211), the SimpleScore numbers turn out as follows:
Firestone Weathergrip
- Traction: 8.6
- Handling: 8.6
- Longevity: 9.2
- Overall average SimpleScore: 8.7
Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211)
- Traction: 7.7
- Handling: 8.1
- Longevity: 9.0
- Overall average SimpleScore: 8.2
As is understandable, the Firestone and the Vezda have their own strengths and weaknesses and are sold at different price points. But the SimpleScore is the 30,000-foot view that doesn’t tell the whole story, so let’s get into it in a bit more depth in this Firestone Weathergrip vs Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) comparison.
Firestone Weathergrip tires
Both the Firestone Weathergrip and the Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) receive Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification, enabling them to provide severe winter service. Firestone provides numerous features, such as open shoulder slots, full-depth grooves, a fat, rounded contact patch, and chamfered shoulder blocks that are part of its Hydro-Grip Technology Package.
We have awarded this tire with an average traction SimpleScore of 8.6 as it features Firestone's Snow Traction Claw Technology that showcases a pattern of snow vices on the high-density zigzag sipes, intermediate ribs, and interlocking grooves for great snow and ice traction.
The Firestone WeatherGrip's interior structure consists of a single-ply nylon casing that is reinforced with nylon and capped by a steel belt package. It is available with a healthy limited manufacturer warranty and long tread life. Expect assured steering responses, cornering, and braking from this tire.
Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) tires
As an all-weather tire, the Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) features large shoulder blocks for great year-round performance. It is an environment-friendly tire with a soybean-infused rubber compound for greater durability. This tire is suitable for long distances and can be used in dry, wet, and medium to severe winter conditions, as 4S in the name stands for ‘4 Seasons’. With the help of center rib sipes, you can expect an enhanced steering response. This tire has a slightly higher tread depth compared to the Firestone Weathergrip. Firestone gives it a great manufacturer warranty, and we found the Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) good enough for an average SimpleScore of 8.2.
Firestone Weathergrip vs Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) tires on traction
In the traction category, how do the Firestone Weathergrip and Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) stand up against each other? If you go by SimpleScores, Firestone is far ahead of Kenda, registering an 8.7 as opposed to 7.7 for the latter. That’s quite a disparity in SimpleScores; the Firestone does bring plenty of innovative features to the table, like its Snow Traction Claw design, a well-executed system of sipes, and the entire Hydro-Grip design package of an elongated contact patch, open shoulder slots, full-depth grooves, and chamfered shoulder blocks.
On the other hand, the Kenda gets deep center rib sipes and a silicon-based soybean-infused rubber compound for good traction and performance across a wide range of temperatures. An asymmetric tread pattern is good for grip here, as are the sipes with biting edges. For better wet traction that prevents hydroplaning, the sipes are most helpful.
We see the Firestone beating the Kenda by a huge margin, so our decision is in favor of:
ADVANTAGE: Firestone Weathergrip
Firestone Weathergrip vs Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) tires on handling
With average handling SimpleScores of 8.6 for the Firestone tire and 8.1 for the Kenda tire in the handling category, the former appears to be winning. While the Snow Traction Claw technology improves performance in cold weather, the 3D full-depth sipes are useful for enhancing steering response and stability on the Firestone Weathergrip.
Though both tires feature cutting-edge tread compounds, the Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) tire has an eco-friendly soybean-infused rubber compound for improved performance. This tire is marginally ahead of the Firestone Weathergrip in terms of tread depth, and center rib sipes improve vehicle performance.
ADVANTAGE: Firestone Weathergrip
Firestone Weathergrip vs Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) tires on longevity
Longevity or tire life is primarily about the limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty, and Firestone assures buyers of a higher figure. The Weathergrip and the Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) offer buyers limited manufacturer warranties of 65,000 miles and 60,000 miles, respectively. Apart from the higher warranty, Firestone also offers buyers a 90-Day Buy and Try program (terms and conditions apply). The 3D full-depth sipes are responsible for higher tread life here.
While the Firestone receives an excellent average longevity SimpleScore of 9.2, the Kenda misses out by a small margin with 9.0.
ADVANTAGE: Firestone Weathergrip
When to use each
Both, the Firestone Weathergrip and Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) are reliable all-weather tires. While the Firestone features a symmetric pattern, the Kenda showcases an asymmetric tread pattern. The Firestone tire would be the better option if you’re looking for more confident snow traction and a higher warranty.
Remember that all-weather tires are a great way around winter tires, but they aren’t substitutes for very heavy snow.
Which one should you choose?
This is one area where a choice between the two tires can get tricky. Yes, the Firestone Weathergrip is clearly in front across all the pertinent SimpleScore categories, with a big gap between their ratings and performance (although the two tires are on an even footing in the longevity category). That’s offset, though, by the fact that there’s also a big disparity in the prices of the two, with the Pirelli’s starting price almost $100 more than that of the Firestone. So which to choose? Honestly, it all comes down to your budget and what you can afford.
Here’s why the Firestone Weathergrip would be a great choice:
- You are keen on the higher mileage warranty
- You are looking for better handling
- You want better wet traction
- You want better technology
On the other hand, choose the Kenda Vezda Touring 4S (KR211) for the following reasons:
- You need a quiet all-weather tire for touring purposes
- You want a tire with better longevity
- You want better dry traction
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents will be more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.