Does your vehicle need new tires? If so, you should research all the options and brands available to you. After all, tires are expensive and a major investment. Also, the tires you choose will impact the well-being of your vehicle and most importantly, your personal safety. It’s best to select tires made by a world-famous tire producer, such as Goodyear or Bridgestone. In this article, I will explore these brands, directly comparing Goodyear vs Bridgestone tires by looking at the top-performing tires from each manufacturer in the most popular categories (all-season tires, winter tires, and performance tires).
Let’s get started!
Brand Comparison: Goodyear vs Bridgestone
Both the Goodyear and Bridgestone brands are iconic in the tire manufacturing business. They have been around for decades, and they are known for producing high-quality and reliable tires. In my view Goodyear products are slightly more affordable and accessible to the general public. To me, that gives them the edge in any comparison.
History of Goodyear
Goodyear has an incredibly long history, stretching all the way back to 1898 when it was founded by Frank Seiberling. He named it after a man called Charles Goodyear, who invented a new process for creating rubber in 1839.
The rubber he produced was called vulcanized rubber, and it was more durable than the traditional rubber that the industry used earlier on.
Goodyear has been a pioneer in the tire industry ever since. For example, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company created the first ever tubeless automotive tire in 1903.
By exactly a century later in 2003, the company had sold 13 billion dollars worth of products. In that same year, Goodyear had at least 92,000 employees, with production facilities dotted across the globe.
Goodyear is known for making impressive innovations in tire technology and production. These innovations have made tires last longer, become more durable and can even improve the fuel efficiency of your vehicle.
Goodyear has won awards for its tire products.
It offers dependable warranties, and the company provides a full selection of tires, making it easy for you to find the right tires for your vehicle.
History of Bridgestone
Bridgestone’s history is a little more complicated than Goodyear’s, but it’s certainly no less impressive.
There are two companies that came together to form Bridgestone: the Bridgestone Tire Company Ltd., and the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company. The former was founded in 1931 in Japan by Shojiro Ishibashi and the latter in 1900 in Akron, Ohio by Harvey Firestone.
It was decades later in 1988 when Bridgestone Corporation acquired Firestone. When this happened, the resulting organization became the world’s largest tire and rubber company.
Nashville, Tennessee became the location of Bridgestone/Firestone’s headquarters in 1992. Bridgestone/Firestone continued with impressive growth, and it now employs at least 50,000 people all over North, Central, and South America.
Bridgestone is famous for producing reliable and high-quality tires. In fact, it’s considered the most dependable tire producer in certain countries, such as Australia.
Similar to Goodyear, Bridgestone offers a full range of tire types. This means that no matter what kind of vehicle you have and whatever your needs and preferences, you will almost certainly find an appropriate tire from Bridgestone.
Bridgestone vs Goodyear Head-to-Head Tire Comparison
Let’s compare the top-selling Goodyear and Bridgestone tires in four different categories:
Click on any of those links to jump to your preferred tire comparison, or just keep scrolling.
High-End SUV Tires
For our high-end SUV tires comparison, let’s take a look at Bridgestone Alenza 001 vs Goodyear Eagle FI Asymmetric.
Both of these tires are popular for high-end SUVs for good reason, but they have some key differences worth highlighting.
Bridgestone Alenza 001
Bridgestone Alenza 001 has excellent traction that provides impressive grip on wet as well as dry surfaces. The treads won’t get deformed because of the chamfering.
This will protect your treads when you brake, and you will enjoy better traction during wet weather.
The Bridgestone Alenza 001 features Nano Pro-Tech technology, which stops the tire from over-heating. This technology helps stop deformation of the tread.
As a result of this special technology, you will enjoy better tread longevity.
This technology also boosts fuel efficiency, which is an impressive benefit. This is useful for any vehicle, but especially for SUVs.
These vehicles are known for needing quite a bit of fuel.
Before starting to make the Alenza 001, Bridgestone made the Dueler H/P Sport. While the Dueler was a great tire, the Alenza has superior durability.
The Alenza’s advanced structure is key to this tire’s admirable stability and superior steering response.
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric
The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric is a high-tech tire that is perfect for high-end SUVs. It boasts a technology called Active CornerGrip.
Active CornerGrip gives you superior traction, as well as even pressure on the treads when you corner. Rim protectors are included with this tire.
These rim protectors are invaluable in protecting the investment you make in your tires against damage.
This tire features SoundComfort Technology, and it’s considered to be ultra-high performance. The asymmetric tread pattern gives the tread more power, especially in turns and wet weather.
Goodyear tunes this tire to achieve harmony with high-end suspension systems. The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric has a solid rib in the center, which gives you faster response and accuracy in standing in the center.
Winter Tires
If you live somewhere with extreme winters, you will need to switch out to winter tires for that time of year.
Let’s explore two of the best winter tires on the market, from Bridgestone and Goodyear – the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 vs Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 8.
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is designed specifically for the most challenging winter conditions.
With this Bridgestone tire, you get the best handling even in ice and snow. This tire is famous for its ability to stay in control even in the snowiest and iciest conditions.
With the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 on your vehicle, you can expect superior stopping ability on ice and snow. You can consistently rely on this tire’s performance in the winter.
I’ve used these tires, and I can tell you that they provide superior control and grip, even in the harshest winter weather.
Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance
Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance is an excellent winter tire option. It’s described as ultra high-performing, and it’s great for dealing with snow, ice, slush, and freezing rain.
This tire has outstanding winter traction. It features a large number of sipes that have biting edges.
This helps give this tire outstanding breaking, even on ice and densely packed snow.
The tread has polymer and silica in the compound, which provides consistency in how the tires grip and also ensures flexibility. This is true even at extremely cold temperatures.
The center rib is saw-shaped, and this ensures that the tire grips evenly on roads covered with snow. This gives you better snow traction than you would get otherwise.
High-End/Performance All-Season Tires
If you need a high-end or performance all-season tire, Goodyear and Bridgestone have you covered. Below I’ll compare your top choice from each brand: the Bridgestone Turanza T005 vs the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance tires.
Bridgestone Turanza T005
The Bridgestone Turanza T005 tire is a well-known high-end or performance tire.
If you have a higher end or performance vehicle and need the tires to match, this is a great option.
Bridgestone advertises these tires as featuring the lowest possible rolling resistance. This has been proven in lab tests.
This tire may improve your car’s fuel efficiency, meaning a lower cost for gas.
The design of the Turanza also gives you superior durability, and you get superior performance in both wet and dry weather conditions.
You don’t have to worry about traction loss when the weather is wet, as these tires are built for quick water dispersion.
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
The Goodyear EfficientGrip tire is a direct competitor to the Bridgestone Turanza T005.
The Goodyear EfficientGrip has an asymmetric tread pattern, meaning it is similar to the Bridgestone model in that way.
While the Goodyear is labeled as a summer tire, you can use it in a wide variety of weather conditons. In fact, this tire has been created for the best possible wet surface performance.
You get a technology called “Mileage Plus” with the Goodyear EfficientGrip. This means that the tread will be more flexible and you get great elasticity.
With this feature, you’re less likely to end up with cracks because of different road conditions and weather conditions.
These tires have another technology called “Dry Stability Plus,” which means that water on the road will quickly disperse away from your tread.
Which All-Season Tire Should You Choose?
These tires are extraordinarily similar, and if you want a performance tire, you could probably go with whichever one you want. If you’d like to save money, though, you’ll probably want to go with the Goodyear option.
That is because the Bridgestone Turanza is much more expensive.
Budget-Friendly All-Season Tires
Both Goodyear and Bridgestone have excellent budget-friendly options in their all-season tire category. The best are the Goodyear Assurance All-Season Tire and the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus.
Goodyear Assurance All-Season
This is one of the most popular Goodyear tires for good reason. It is affordable and has all-around outstanding durability, though recently I’ve been hearing some reports that it doesn’t quite live up to its tread-life claims.
That’s sometimes the trade-off you make when opting for a budget-friendly tire, and something that you should expect in my experience (it’s why I recommend paying a little more for a higher quality tire if your budget allows it).
The Goodyear Assurance All-Season Tire will give you excellent traction in every kind of weather. This tire has a wide tread and excellent handling, and it offers a quiet ride.
If you don’t mind buying new tires a little more frequently, it’s a good option that is easy on the wallet.
Bridgestone Ecopia Ep422 Plus
If you want to go with the Bridgestone brand for your tires, this Ecopia option is a great option.
It is advertised to provide better fuel efficiency for your vehicle, and in my experience, it lasts a little longer than its Goodyear Assurance competitor.
This tire is also incredibly durable and reliable, making it my top choice for drivers looking for a high-performing all-season tire on a tight budget.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both these options are great choices for a general all-season tire. The one you choose depends on your own specific preferences and needs, as well as convenience.
You may find the Goodyear easier to find and more accessible, but in this category the Bridgestone (while more expensive) is the better tire.
Are Goodyear or Bridgestone Tires Best?
Both Goodyear and Bridgestone are excellent, well-known brands with a great reputation.
Overall, I find Goodyear tires more accessible and even affordable, but both brands offer similar outstanding options in every category.