TOURING AND PERFORMANCE TIRES: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE

Performance tires feature unique tread patterns, construction, and rubber compounds to enhance the all-around driving experience. These tires can improve your car’s racetrack-inspired features such as cornering abilities and reduced stopping distances. However, you may find that you’ll make small compromises in gas mileage, road noise, and tire lifespan in exchange for enhanced performance.

PERFORMANCE TIRE ADVANTAGES

• Great for sports cars, coupes, exotic cars, and racing-style cars
• Offer tight cornering abilities and reduced stopping distances
• Mostly designed for use in summer’s wet and dry conditions
• Provide enhanced performance, but in exchange for compromises in gas mileage, road noise, and tire lifespan

Increasingly popular performance tires are designed to provide owners of sports cars, sports coupes, exotic cars, and racing-style cars with improved handling response and traction. Most performance tires are designed for use in summer’s wet and dry conditions, but if you want performance features and all-season capabilities, Firestone Firehawk AS V2 offers the best of both worlds.

Touring tires are known for having a relatively wide tread, which allows them to make more surface contact with the road. Thanks to their design, they offer balanced handling along with a quiet, comfortable ride, and even good treadwear. Most touring tires sold in North America are all-season tires. All-season tires are designed to deliver great traction in wet and dry conditions—and sometimes in light snow! Our very own Firestone WeatherGrip tires are a great example of all-season tires made with weather-ready traction and long-lasting design.

TOURING TIRE ADVANTAGES

Touring tires are ideal for sedans, minivans, SUVs, and other passenger vehicles. In general, they’re a reliable option if you drive a lot—whether that’s on your work-to-errand-to-school-pickup route (phew!) or if you’re getting ready for a cross-country road trip with the kids.

• Offer balanced handling along with a quiet, comfortable ride
• Mostly designed for all-season use
• Provide great traction in wet and dry conditions

If you’re looking for a smooth ride, Bridgestone’s Turanza line of touring tires—especially the Turanza QuietTrack—is worth checking out. You won’t believe how peaceful your next road trip can be when your tires absorb road noise like Turanza touring tires do. (Though we’ve yet to invent tires that absorb backseat drivers’ road noises!)