Six-month appraisal of Goodyear FuelMax

Thanks for the nice write up.

 

I can say something nice about another Goodyear brand, the Assurance ComforTred. I replaced some sort of Bridgestone tire about 40K miles after I purchased the car used because they were worn out, noisy, and were making the car drift all over the road. I didn’t do a lot of shopping around for LRR or competitive pricing. I have used Goodyear in the past with favorable results. Firestone too. So the main selling features of this brand were the 80K warranty and the “Comfort” sound insulation layer. I was interested in sound dampening since I run tire pressures at 42F/40R. There was also a manufacturer rebate that lowered the drive-away price down to $525.


My driving pattern is basically the same, week after week. A 140 mile round trip commute 5 times a week. The route is fairly hilly with an elevation difference of 2100 feet higher at the distant end. Driving during all hours of the day (rotating shift worker) in typical Arizona weather which is usually dry and windy.


My mpg basically stayed the same when I switched tires, but improved 4-6 mpg as the tires broke in. The vehicle usually averages between 46 and 48 mpg, moving along at interstate speed most of the time. It has almost been two years driving on these tires now and nearing the 60K miles mark. Tread wear is still even all the way around and will most likely exceed the 80K warranty before replacement.


The overall handling of the vehicle is much improved with these tires. It still can get a little twitchy in the wind but nothing like the white-knuckle driving on the previous set. And I’m talking WIND, like head and crosswind in the 35 to 50 mph range sometimes. Then there is the quiet. The technology works. A very quiet ride.


Not a lot of inclement weather driving with these tires. We don’t get much here in AZ. There were times in the summer thunderstorm season when I could only make 7 to 10 mph for a couple of miles with maybe 2 to 3 inches of standing water on the road and hurricane-like conditions just outside the windshield. Then there were some winter storms that put an inch or more of slush on the road and even a couple mornings with some black ice. Plenty of typical Arizona drivers find themselves in the ditch on days like those.


I will definitely purchase another set of these tires.