Firestone Destinaton XT's anyone?

[Frenchy]

Time to talk about some tires that many of you dont use for who knows what reason that I could really care less about.

The Firestone Destination XT. A fairly new tire from Firestone/Bridgestone that has been out for a few years. It is classified as an ALL-Terrain tire and supposedly it the top in its class. It's 3 peak rated and has a 50,000 mile warranty.

Now the only way to get a true test of what tire is better is to simply put the tire against like competitor tires like the BFG K02 and the Falken Wildpeak AT. Until a true test between the tires on like vehicles are done there won't be any true way of telling.

Now why did I go with this tire? For starters I myself do like Firestone tires. Nothing wrong with a preference, many on here like BFGoodrich, Nitro, Goodyear and many others. I should also add that I was curious with the Destination XT and did not want to go with the BFG K02. I also took some time to discuss with some different people(both on the Forum and in the area i live in) to get information that would be beneficial too know.

Now overall I have about 30,000 miles on the Firestone Destination XT's between my truck and service van(yes I convinced my boss to get a set on a 2WD van lol). I have had the tires for roughly 6 months on the truck and 5 on the van(but most of the miles on the van).

Now for the fun part!!

The first thing I noticed with these tires was the road manners. For an ALL-Terrain you would expect a fair bit of road noise but I have yet to get any noise what so ever. I was suprised with how quiet the tires were(they still are quiet). Also I notice that dry traction isnt a major issue either. Like most out there we tend to push our trucks a bit through the twisties when we can. With doing such the tires hold up well and just hug the road. Not something you would expect with an ALL-Terrain. Wet traction? Just about the same as dry traction!! Yes i can slip a bit easier but the tires still want to just grab and go.

OffRoad performance!! Well I'm sure some of you will question this but I can promise that these tires do very well!! I have plowed through Mud, floated on Sand and beat the ever living shit out of them on Sharp Jagged Rocks that most tires wouldnt be able to handle. Going through all that I had no difficulties with the tires as they just want to go!! Even with the Service Van I go to some customers that dont like to clean their lots and leave sharp thing like screws and nails around. Yeah I have yet to puncture a single tire.

Winter stuff!!

Well as much as I hate to say it winter might be stuck in a shipping container off the cost of California right now lol!! That dosent mean I wasnt able to get winter testing done though. The day before Thanksgiving it decided to snow at my place. Enought that roads were slick and about 1-2 inches were on the ground. Not much when you think about it but thats all it takes to cause problems. Well it suprisingly did not cause issues for the Firestone Destination XT's. When I was headed home I was headed up hill the whole way and the tires didnt complain. Now I'm sure the 16 tons of weight in the back of a servoce van helped but that is beaides the point. The following day I left my house early in the morning to head to AZ for Thanksgiving. From my house I had to drive for about 30 miles in the slick snow with my truck. Now the night before I decided to get two sand bags that weigh 70 lbs each. I'm sure that did help quite a bit. Well going though the slick roads i was in 4WD for a bit but most of it I was in 2WD with no problems. To say the least I was quite impressed!!

Mind you these are not snow tires but they are 3 peak rated. Ues a snow tire will still kick its ass in the winter since every tire has its place.

Now to compare to the BFG K02 with what I do know. So far if you put the Firestone Destination XT against the BFG K02 in the same size and load rating you will notice the Firestone is lighter!! Depending on the size most of the time the Firestone has a higher speed rating(not by much but a little). Where do you benefit with a lighter tire? Generally speaking better MPG, better handling, improved Acceleration and probably a few other things that I can seem to think of at this time. One thing that really makes the Firestone stand out over the K02 is the sipes in the tread. The sipes in the Firestone go all the way down as with the K02 they dont quite do that. The K02 doesn't even have that many sipes compares to the XT. With that bit of information I do believe that the Firestone Destination XT is far superior to the BFG K02, but until a side by side test with like vehicles this is simply speculation.

Now some of you might think you need to do your research(5 minute youtube video) before buying this tire. Well the only true research you can do is buy a set and see how it performs for yourself!! Until you do that you wont truly know.

For pricing I suggest going with a Firestone Bridgestone dealer(like the actual Firestone and Bridgestone Auto care centers) as they will give a lower price to begin with on the tires and you can always check for coupons and rebates too!!

Well there we have it folks!! My input on the Firestone Destination XT!! Would I buy it again? Absolutely!! I plan to get a set for the old Pathfinder I have too!!

What was the purpose of this? Really to give anyone and everyone some information on a tire that might have peaked your interest. Will any of you go spend you money on a set of these right away? I doubt it but it may have you thinking about your next set of tires!!

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[9zero1790]

i considered the firestone xt and feel like they are a good quality tire that would served me well. i had a set of the firestone steel tex years ago and they were good tires. I ended up with the bfg on the ranger since they were just a lil better deal at the time. it seems like bfg is more focused on race / off road image and performance stuff than the more daily driven types of tires. that is not a bad thing but also not really a positive either. they miss the boat on some stuff. The extra sipping definitely makes a difference for those who are driving on wet streets. tires are a practice in compromise unless you have the money to have dedicated play vehicles. The worst all terrain tire I ever had was the good year wrangler rst or rts something like that. they had zero wet traction. first drop of rain and it was loose as a goose. they were loud and rode rough. When i got rid of them and put something else on it felt like a brand new truck.

 

[slowmachine]

Time to talk about some tires that many of you dont use for who knows what reason that I could really care less about.

The Firestone Destination XT. A fairly new tire from Firestone/Bridgestone that has been out for a few years. It is classified as an ALL-Terrain tire and supposedly it the top in its class. It's 3 peak rated and has a 50,000 mile warranty.

Now the only way to get a true test of what tire is better is to simply put the tire against like competitor tires like the BFG K02 and the Falken Wildpeak AT. Until a true test between the tires on like vehicles are done there won't be any true way of telling.

Now why did I go with this tire? For starters I myself do like Firestone tires. Nothing wrong with a preference, many on here like BFGoodrich, Nitro, Goodyear and many others. I should also add that I was curious with the Destination XT and did not want to go with the BFG K02. I also took some time to discuss with some different people(both on the Forum and in the area i live in) to get information that would be beneficial too know.

Now overall I have about 30,000 miles on the Firestone Destination XT's between my truck and service van(yes I convinced my boss to get a set on a 2WD van lol). I have had the tires for roughly 6 months on the truck and 5 on the van(but most of the miles on the van).

Now for the fun part!!

The first thing I noticed with these tires was the road manners. For an ALL-Terrain you would expect a fair bit of road noise but I have yet to get any noise what so ever. I was suprised with how quiet the tires were(they still are quiet). Also I notice that dry traction isnt a major issue either. Like most out there we tend to push our trucks a bit through the twisties when we can. With doing such the tires hold up well and just hug the road. Not something you would expect with an ALL-Terrain. Wet traction? Just about the same as dry traction!! Yes i can slip a bit easier but the tires still want to just grab and go.

OffRoad performance!! Well I'm sure some of you will question this but I can promise that these tires do very well!! I have plowed through Mud, floated on Sand and beat the ever living shit out of them on Sharp Jagged Rocks that most tires wouldnt be able to handle. Going through all that I had no difficulties with the tires as they just want to go!! Even with the Service Van I go to some customers that dont like to clean their lots and leave sharp thing like screws and nails around. Yeah I have yet to puncture a single tire.

Winter stuff!!

Well as much as I hate to say it winter might be stuck in a shipping container off the cost of California right now lol!! That dosent mean I wasnt able to get winter testing done though. The day before Thanksgiving it decided to snow at my place. Enought that roads were slick and about 1-2 inches were on the ground. Not much when you think about it but thats all it takes to cause problems. Well it suprisingly did not cause issues for the Firestone Destination XT's. When I was headed home I was headed up hill the whole way and the tires didnt complain. Now I'm sure the 16 tons of weight in the back of a servoce van helped but that is beaides the point. The following day I left my house early in the morning to head to AZ for Thanksgiving. From my house I had to drive for about 30 miles in the slick snow with my truck. Now the night before I decided to get two sand bags that weigh 70 lbs each. I'm sure that did help quite a bit. Well going though the slick roads i was in 4WD for a bit but most of it I was in 2WD with no problems. To say the least I was quite impressed!!

Mind you these are not snow tires but they are 3 peak rated. Ues a snow tire will still kick its ass in the winter since every tire has its place.

Now to compare to the BFG K02 with what I do know. So far if you put the Firestone Destination XT against the BFG K02 in the same size and load rating you will notice the Firestone is lighter!! Depending on the size most of the time the Firestone has a higher speed rating(not by much but a little). Where do you benefit with a lighter tire? Generally speaking better MPG, better handling, improved Acceleration and probably a few other things that I can seem to think of at this time. One thing that really makes the Firestone stand out over the K02 is the sipes in the tread. The sipes in the Firestone go all the way down as with the K02 they dont quite do that. The K02 doesn't even have that many sipes compares to the XT. With that bit of information I do believe that the Firestone Destination XT is far superior to the BFG K02, but until a side by side test with like vehicles this is simply speculation.

Now some of you might think you need to do your research(5 minute youtube video) before buying this tire. Well the only true research you can do is buy a set and see how it performs for yourself!! Until you do that you wont truly know.

For pricing I suggest going with a Firestone Bridgestone dealer(like the actual Firestone and Bridgestone Auto care centers) as they will give a lower price to begin with on the tires and you can always check for coupons and rebates too!!

Well there we have it folks!! My input on the Firestone Destination XT!! Would I buy it again? Absolutely!! I plan to get a set for the old Pathfinder I have too!!

What was the purpose of this? Really to give anyone and everyone some information on a tire that might have peaked your interest. Will any of you go spend you money on a set of these right away? I doubt it but it may have you thinking about your next set of tires!!

What size did you buy, and what wheels are you running them on?

 

[Dgc333]

If I was considering Firestone tires I would go for the Destination AT2 over the XT. The XT only come in LT rating, I don't need that and don't want to take the ride comfort hit or the weight penalty of an LT tire. In the 265/70-17 size on my Ranger the XT weighs 7 lbs each more than the AT2.

The Firestone tire I do have experience with is the Winterforce tires. I have had them on three vehicles and they are beasts in the snow and slop. Have not got them for the Ranger yet, I want to see how the mountain snow peak rated General Grabber ATx that came on the Ranger do first. My previous experience with All Terrain tires in snow and slop has not been positive.

 

[JohnnyO]

I had a couple sets of Destination A/T's on my old Sport Trac and liked them a lot. I didn't take it off-road but they were quiet for an A/T. good in rain and snow, treadlife was decent, and they didn't cost an arm and a leg. Sport Trac took an odd size and early on the aftermarket had not caught up so my only choices at first were the OE Goodyears which were terrible in snow, Michelins that cost a crap-ton of money, and the Firestones.

 

[Frenchy]

What size did you buy, and what wheels are you running them on?

I run 285/70-17 on the factory sport wheels. Yes I have the Old Man EMU lift with no spacers. The only rub I have is at full lock and it doesnt bother me.

If I was considering Firestone tires I would go for the Destination AT2 over the XT. The XT only come in LT rating, I don't need that and don't want to take the ride comfort hit or the weight penalty of an LT tire. In the 265/70-17 size on my Ranger the XT weighs 7 lbs each more than the AT2.

The Firestone tire I do have experience with is the Winterforce tires. I have had them on three vehicles and they are beasts in the snow and slop. Have not got them for the Ranger yet, I want to see how the mountain snow peak rated General Grabber ATx that came on the Ranger do first. My previous experience with All Terrain tires in snow and slop has not been positive.

You would be surprised with the XT. Yes itnis an LT but I dont habe any issue with ride comfort. Most of it is with the sidewall height, A bit of it comes to tire and the other big factor is the change of suspension as we have all noticed that the factory shock suck. Poin being the XT wont give you the harsh ride you think you will get.

 

[Frenchy]

If I was considering Firestone tires I would go for the Destination AT2 over the XT. The XT only come in LT rating, I don't need that and don't want to take the ride comfort hit or the weight penalty of an LT tire. In the 265/70-17 size on my Ranger the XT weighs 7 lbs each more than the AT2.

The Firestone tire I do have experience with is the Winterforce tires. I have had them on three vehicles and they are beasts in the snow and slop. Have not got them for the Ranger yet, I want to see how the mountain snow peak rated General Grabber ATx that came on the Ranger do first. My previous experience with All Terrain tires in snow and slop has not been positive.

While I'm thinking about it I do understand your concern for the weight depending on what you do you may not have to worry about it too much. The XT in that size is 6 lbs lighter then what I run. Would you see a hit compared to the AT? Yes but not if you went to the 285/70-17 like me. Also if you are going OffRoad I would suggest the XT for tue durability factor alone. I'm sure the AT can go OffRoad but it doesnt have the durability of the XT

 

[Dgc333]

That may be very true about the ride but there is also the weight hit. When it comes time to buy new tires I am going to choose based on the characteristics that are important to me.

An interesting tidbit that how simple changes can make a significant differences. My son had a Wrangler with General Grabber AT tires, these hollowed like banshee going down the road. My Ranger came with General Grabber ATx tires. I was expecting to be needing to swap these out right off but surprisingly they are very quiet. The only time you hear them is with the windows open. The only difference I can see in the tread is the ATx tires have sipes in all the tread blocks and my son's AT tires do not.

 

[Frenchy]

That may be very true about the ride but there is also the weight hit. When it comes time to buy new tires I am going to choose based on the characteristics that are important to me.

An interesting tidbit that how simple changes can make a significant differences. My son had a Wrangler with General Grabber AT tires, these hollowed like banshee going down the road. My Ranger came with General Grabber ATx tires. I was expecting to be needing to swap these out right off but surprisingly they are very quiet. The only time you hear them is with the windows open. The only difference I can see in the tread is the ATx tires have sipes in all the tread blocks and my son's AT tires do not.

Is it safe to say you have a tremor package with 265/70-17?

 

[Dgc333]

Is it safe to say you have a tremor package with 265/70-17?

Yes, a Lariat with the Tremor package.

 

[Frenchy]

Yes, a Lariat with the Tremor package.

I thought so, by chance wich set of General Grabbers are on there? When I look up the size there are 3 different ATX tires that show and I dont know wich one Ford used.

 

[Dgc333]

I thought so, by chance wich set of General Grabbers are on there? When I look up the size there are 3 different ATX tires that show and I dont know wich one Ford used.

There is only one model ATx but you can get it as a LT265/70-17, P265/70-17 or P265/70-17 with white lettering. The Tremor comes with LT265/60-17.

Come new tire time I would pick the Grabber APT in P265/70-17 from the General line. It's a more road focused all terrain tire.

My off roading is limited to the beach and the occasional dirt road. Aggressive all terrain tires are not the best choice for running on the beach.

 

[Frenchy]

There is only one model ATx but you can get it as a LT265/70-17, P265/70-17 or P265/70-17 with white lettering. The Tremor comes with LT265/60-17.

Come new tire time I would pick the Grabber APT in P265/70-17 from the General line. It's a more road focused all terrain tire.

My off roading is limited to the beach and the occasional dirt road. Aggressive all terrain tires are not the best choice for running on the beach.

Well there are 2 different lt types. Load range c and load range e. The question is wich one?

 

[Dgc333]

Well there are 2 different lt types. Load range c and load range e. The question is wich one?

Load Range C

 

[Frenchy]

Load Range C

Gotcha, well understanding that the Destination XT is a hogher load in that size it is still lighter(1 lb) and I would suspect you would still have good ride quality and not have to worry about an MPG hit honestly. Obviously the choice is yours but that is my input.

Anyways, the ATX os just a knockoff of the K02.

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