Are Goodyear Tires Worth the Money? (Answered!)

When you hear the name Goodyear, chances are, you think two things: 

“Hey, I recognize that name” and “Hey, those tires are expensive.”

Let’s tackle why they are a popular brand and determine if Goodyear Tires are worth the price tag.

Are Goodyear Tires Worth the Money?

Goodyear tires can more than make up for the price tag with their toughness, excellent performance, and certification quality. They can even save you money in the long run, offsetting the initial investment cost.

Goodyear tires are pound for pound more cost-effective than their less expensive competitors.

How? Read on to find out!

Goodyear — Price vs. Value

You might be surprised to learn that premium tires can stack up quite well against economy tires in terms of price despite a higher sticker price. 

How? Cost over time and Cost per mile.

Humans are notoriously bad at calculating costs over a long time period. 

We often only see things in terms of short-term gains or losses but miss out on seeing the effects over a longer period.

As an example: 

You can buy two chairs, one for $100 and one for $75. 

You like the first chair better, but it also costs $25 more, so you take the second chair instead. 

Sounds reasonable, right?

Now, if the two chairs both last ten years, using basic math, we can figure out that the first chair costs you $10 a year, and the second one costs you $7.50 a year. 

So now that you only see that there is only around a $2 difference per year, doesn’t the first chair seem more appealing?

Imagine that the first chair can also last significantly longer, holds up better, and has better features. 

Suddenly, the premium chair is a better deal than the inexpensive chair.

This same concept applies to tires. 

As the amount of time and miles increase, the cost difference between the two products becomes smaller.

People don’t often consider or have a concrete calculation for how much they will be driving.

Basically, the longer and more frequently you drive, the more the gap between a premium-priced tire and a lower-priced tire narrows.

Warranty

The Goodyear treadwear warranty increases the value of your tires’ dollar per mile cost. Goodyear tires will be covered for tread wear for 50,000 miles, with some models such as family tires lasting 85,000 miles.

Goodyear also has a 24,000-mile defect warranty that can represent half of your tire’s lifespan.

The amount you spend on your tire initially can increase the value you get out of them because the ability to last longer makes the price you are paying per mile driving much lower.

Cutting Edge Technology

Goodyear tires have put a lot of time into developing features that make their tires stand out from the competition. 

Goodyear was initially founded in 1898 by Charles Goodyear. 

He discovered the process of galvanizing rubber and making tires’ mass production a possibility.

Charles Goodyear started the tradition of company innovation and heavy research investment that keep Goodyear at the forefront of innovation in the tire industry to this day.

Being on the cutting edge of the industry means your tires are getting the latest methods informed by high-quality data and adding a level of security value.

Goodyear was the first to develop tires for autonomous shuttles public transportation authorities use to transport people without human drivers.

They were able to develop an innovation using soybean oil in thor tires that keep the rubber in a tire more flexible in changing temperatures.

Goodyear has also made strides in tire environmental sustainability. They developed a tire model made from 70% renewable and sustainable material and have made it a goal to establish a 100% sustainable tire by 2030.

Testing and Safety Benefits

In addition to cutting-edge technology, Goodyear has also invested in cutting-edge test laboratories.

Each Goodyear tire is individually tested through sometimes 50 or more rough tests to measure the gripping ability, traction, stability at higher speeds, constitution, and braking power of their tires.

Goodyear winter tires also receive additional tests that test different challenges that snow, ice, and cold weather can impose.

These tests can give tire owners confidence that they can take their tires in more types of conditions and hold up under pressure.

Tires are meant to be able to endure the road. 

Investing in a premium tire gives you the confidence that you will be able to navigate situations that may come up more quickly and financially than if you had settled for an initial lower-cost tire.

Performance tires

For those drivers looking to get the maximum value out of their tires, Goodyear offers a premium-priced performance tire that rewards those who can afford to spend more at the initial purchase.

The performance line of tires has fine-tuned features to maximize vehicle performance.

The Apex of the tire is both broader and more solid than a regular passenger tire which helps the tire navigate around corners.

The Chafer of the tire comes with extra rim protectors to stop them from suffering from too much lateral movement while driving and also better protects the tire from outside forces.

Goodyear also puts the tire belts at a more extended angle giving the driving increased control and responsiveness.

Much work has also gone into the tread of performance tires, which have an extended tread cap giving increased wet and dry traction. 

Goodyear designs the tire pattern itself to maximize handling capabilities.

Durability

Goodyear tires are perhaps most famous for their reputation for high durability.

Thanks to the high-quality material construction that Goodyear tires are composed of, they are highly resistant to punctures and tears.

Goodyear has developed innovations such as the 3-D Block Interlocking Pattern and Silent Armor techniques that further bolster the resistance to outside tire damage.

The most durable brands of Goodyear tires like the Goodyear Assurance TripleTred are rated for a tread life of 80,000 miles, which is significantly more than similar premium tires in its class.

Goodyear vs. Firestone

Goodyear’s fiercest American competitor would probably be Firestone tires. 

The two companies have a lot of commonalities between them that make for an interesting comparison.

Car enthusiasts consistently see Firestone as a racing tire. 

It holds the advantage in performance compared to the average Goodyear tire and is the choice for American drivers looking to race their vehicle or take their car driving in fair weather.

However, Goodyear takes the lion’s share of the advantages. 

Goodyear has a broader range of tire options, and although it gets edged out in the performance tire category by Firestone, the catalog of its other tires holds up better.

Goodyear’s all-season tires and touring tires have consistently scored higher marks from experts on traditional sedans and passenger vehicles.

Final Thoughts

You have seen how value works in the tire industry, and the benefits investing more money at the initial outset can have on the value of a tire.

The only saying goes, you have to “spend money to make money,” and this saying holds for tires as well.

Take into account your circumstances, and if you don’t turn your nose at the sticker price, you may find the tires you want are more affordable than you think.