Thanks to its rugged off-road performance and association with trucks and Jeeps, BF Goodrich Tires are considered the most American tire brand. With a long history of founding and acquisition over the years, BFGoodrich Tires has quickly risen to become one of the most influential tire brands in the industry.
BFGoodrich’s history and the Michelin acquisition of 1990
Perhaps the most American thing about BF Goodrich Tires is its history. Mr Benjamin Franklin Goodrich founded the company in 1870. BF Goodrich was one of the first tire makers to manufacture radial tires. When Henry Ford made his first car, Model A, he personally chose BF Goodrich tires to be fitted into it, and Model A was the first car to ever hit the road across America. This historic moment signifies that BF Goodrich Tires is the most American tire brand in the United States.
The Michelin acquisition
However, BF Goodrich did not stay American forever. In 1988, BF Goodrich was sold to The Michelin group, a French tire manufacturer. The manufacturing facilities are also slowly slipping away from the United States. It is estimated that 80% of BFG tires are foreign-made, which might turn off many American car owners. Nowadays, BF Goodrich is most well-known for its off-road and truck tires. The brand provides nine unique off-road tires specialized in different terrains, from mud-terrain to highway driving.
BFGoodrich Advantage and its downside
Any good vehicle is only as good as its tires. BF Goodrich tires are special due to their ability to withstand poor driving conditions. When leaving the paved road to enter a muddy surface, the tires can reduce traction, which increases the vehicle’s footing. Many tests have shown that Jeeps that use BFGoodrich could easily climb over slick rocks, drive through wet and muddy surfaces, and find sure footing on roads covered in wet leaves. If you are an off-road enthusiast, BFGoodrich can provide you with many more options compared to Its competitors. In fact, the best-wet weather tire is the Advantage T/A Sport tire from BF Goodrich, which is designed to provide the best grip strength in snow and muddy conditions. If you want to choose a car that can drive in snow or winter conditions, you should know all your questions about Hyundai Elantra Tire because this energetic car can offer a steady ride on snow-covered streets.
However, some downsides are unique to BFGoodrich tires. While specialized in off-road conditions, BFGoodrich Tires severely lack in their on-road performance. BFGoodrich tires trade comfort and features for off-road performance. The tires do not have any dedicated noise reduction modules, which means BFGoodrich tires are noisy. The tranquillity and passenger comforts are left to be desired. The noise-cancelling technology is simply non-existent for BFGoodrich tires. The Parent brand Michelin has Acoustic technology; Goodyear has Souncomfort; Toyo Tires has “Toyo silent technology”;… While BFGoodtire has none. Michelin Group also owns BFGoodrich, which means their tires will never outperform their Parent Brand.
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Goodyear vs. BF Goodrich Tires: which one is better?
Both Goodyear and BFGoodrich Tires are the most influential tire-making brands in the industry. However, they are also heavily catering to their customer base. If you just want a long-lasting, safe tire for your passenger car, then a set of Goodyear tires will be your best bet. If you want to challenge yourself with rugged driving conditions and be an off-road enthusiast, BF Goodrich tires are much more suitable. We will compare the two tire Brand in the following sections using a series of different categories:
Variety
When it comes to variety, Goodyear is undoubtedly the better choice. The brand offers a vast selection of winter, summer, and off-road tires. Goodyear is also the owner of many sub-brands specializing in different types of tires, including the Eagle performance tires, the off-road tires from Wrangler, and the all-season tires manufactured by the Assurance Line.
On the other hand, BF Goodrich Tires also offer you many options in 4 categories: Performance, passenger, light truck, and UTV vehicles. The brand offers five families of tires: Advantage all-season tires, commercial truck tires, G Force performance tires, mud tires, and radial tires. Overall it is a draw for both Brands. Moreover, if you purchase tires, you should know more information about size and height comparison calculators.
Goodyear’s Performance tires are better, while BF Goodrich’s off-terrain tires are superior.
Goodyear Tires is the king of performance tires; their Eagle performance tires overshadowed the BF Goodrich’s by a mile for reputation, selections, and longevity. This is not a surprise considering that Goodyear Tires has been focused on the market of passenger car tires for many years.
However, BF Goodrich tires are simply superior to off-road driving. The brand offers more options for off-road driving, their lineup of advantage tires and a lineup of mud tires that are suitable for SUVs and trucks.
Value
It is really hard to outmatch the value of Goodyear tires. The brand has a reputation for providing some of the best quality tires for the right price. Their tires come with an 85,000-mile warranty, compared to BF Goodrich’s 65,000-mile warranty. For a long-lasting tire, Goodyear surely is the better choice of the two. If you want some tires with low prices and high quality for a normal day, you should choose Firestone Tires or Cooper Tires.
Customer service
However, BF Goodrich offers much better customer service compared to Goodyear. Goodyear only provides a 30-day conditional return policy. BFGoodrich not only provides a Standard Manufacturer Warranty for six years, which will cover the product for any damages. BF Goodrich tires also come with a 60-day return policy. So BF Goodrich blows Goodyear out of the water when it comes to their customer service.
KO2 Tires and the new generation of BFGoodrich tires
BF Goodrich has a strong ambition to expand its market toward All-terrain tires. And the All-Terrain KO2 is the answer to that. BF Goodrich hit their mark with the KO line, as evidenced by the previous model, All-Terrain KO tires, which set the standard for the All-terrain category in the industry. KO2, like its predecessor, is a testament to BFGoorich’s engineering power. It has fantastic directional handling and excellent steering. During one of the tests, it can climb and jump through corners with outstanding flotation. The Jeep that uses KO2 tires can climb effortlessly into a rocky hill without wearing any wear. It can also hit the road smoothly just as it climbs the hill. The tires are as quiet and smooth as any other tires on the market, which is a huge improvement. KO2 is once again redefining the standard of what an All-terrain tire should be and a worthy successor to the A-T KO.
Conclusion
Compared to other tire providers in the market, BF Goodrich tires belong to the mid-tier range. They are heavily specialized in off-road tires, so the on-road tires department is severely lacking. However, the All-terrain KO2 tire has signified its position a lot. Many loyal customers have faith in BF Goodrich Tires to continue developing their off-road brand, which they will certainly fulfil based on their reputation.
Read more: Best Tires For Hyundai Elantra – Detailed Answers
