Firestone, a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas, has launched the Destination LE4 highway touring tire, the successor to the brand’s best-selling Destination LE3. Built for CUVs, SUVs, and light trucks, the LE4 pairs a deeper tread depth, an advanced compound, and a non-directional tread pattern aimed at longer wear and stronger wet and light-snow performance.
“Drivers loved the Firestone Destination LE3 for its comfortable, quiet ride and all-season reliability,” said Jeremy Norwood, chief engineer, new product engineering, Bridgestone Americas. “With the new Destination LE4, we enhanced those strengths by extending wear life and improving wet-weather handling, delivering dependable performance, confident control and everyday value.”
The tire carries a 70,000-mile limited mileage warranty. Bridgestone says external wear testing projects the LE4 to last about 16% longer than the Destination LE3, 9% longer than the General Grabber H/T, and 43% longer than the BFGoodrich Advantage Control HT, with results based on average most-worn groove testing on a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 in size 265/70R17.
Internal stopping tests in the same size at 55 mph cite shorter wet and dry distances versus several competitors and a modest dry-stop improvement versus the LE3. Thinner 3D sipes versus the predecessor are intended to support wet and light-snow traction; Firestone notes the LE4 is not a dedicated winter tire.
Engineering milestones for the LE4 include high-strength, lightweight carcass architecture and an engineered mixing process for greater compound consistency. The line is available now in 65 sizes for 15- to 22-inch rims, with popular fitments including the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Mazda CX-5, and Nissan Armada.
More information is available from Firestone and in the Bridgestone Americas announcement on PR Newswire.
