Destination XT
Destination XT tires are designed for off-road and all-season use. These tires can be fitted to various categories of SUVs and light trucks. Firestone's range of tires includes many models designed for crossovers and SUVs. The question is, why was it necessary to create another model with similar characteristics?
It turns out that the Destination XT has a number of distinctive features compared to other Firestone SUV tires. And we will talk about these features further.
What are the differences?
It's no secret that most all-season tires ride well either in summer or winter, or they always ride poorly. Destination XT tires, unlike most all-season tires, perform excellently in all climates. And, of course, these are really good off-road tires. And the most useful difference is durability. Tires are not permanent, but they will last one and a half times longer than other tires. And now about all these features in more detail.
All-season handling at a high level
As already mentioned, an all-season tire is versatile, but not the best solution. For example, many manufacturers of all-season tires advise buyers to use additional snow chains for better grip on packed snow and ice.
Now, it's clear that snow chains are useful things. But how can a tire be called an all-season tire if it hardly stays on the road in winter? The Destination XT behaves like a winter tire in winter. This is confirmed by a special snowflake pictogram with three peaks (marking 3PMSF). Thanks to the special composition and effective tread pattern, the tire runs well in a straight line and perfectly fits into corners on dry, wet and snowy surfaces.
Truly off-road tire
Destination XT tires are a versatile choice for a variety of vehicles, including urban crossovers and true SUVs. Therefore, these tires should ride equally well on asphalt and rough terrain. Should, but how really?
In fact, the Destination XT performs better off-road than other off-road tires made by Firestone. And on the asphalt, these tires provide good acceleration dynamics, intense braking, and comfort in the cabin.
About durability
The Destination XT is a practical tire that not only handles well but also lasts a long time. The manufacturer gives these tires a guarantee of 50 thousand miles or 80 thousand kilometers of run. Alternatively, the manufacturer gives a 90-day warranty. During this time, the buyer, faced with a factory defect or other defects, can return the tires to the dealer. We think this is a great advertisement and further proof of the high quality, reliability, and durability of the Destination XT.
On the comfort in the cabin
It's no secret that an off-road and even more so an all-season tire is loud. There is nothing surprising here, because the tread, in contact with the road surface, creates noise. And the more aggressive the tread pattern, the louder the noise. But only Destination XT, like all modern Firestone off-road tires, are not much noisier than passenger car tires. And this is an important advantage if you have a long trip.
Technology, tire construction, and manufacturing materials
The Destination XT is a great off-road tire. Much of the many benefits of these tires come from the manufacturing techniques. The main part of the technology is designed to ensure the efficiency of the tread and the reliability of the tire. For example, there are technologies for reinforcing tires by means of a, particularly dense weave carcass. As a result, the tire retains its internal volume even at excessive air pressure.
Another technology aimed at strengthening the tire involves the use of all-metal belts around the perimeter of the center rib. This reinforcement maintains the tire's configuration and ensures that the tire is evenly pressed against the road surface over the entire contact area. Uniform contact is a primary condition for uniform wear of the tread, which, again, translates into a longer tire life.
The tires of this model are equipped with power rings made of a solid metal cord. The use of solid rings to reinforce the beads ensures a tighter fit of the tire to the wheel rim. This is true when you consider that the tire is tubeless and absolute tightness is a must.
No less progressive technologies are used in the design of the tread pattern. It is clear that the tread is not just a network of beautiful patterns. Each tire's tread has a functional purpose. But these tires are much more serious. Here, the 3D sipes (transverse and diagonal grooves) are made at a slight slope in the direction of the wheel rotation. This is done in order to provide a better grip on the road surface.
Diagonal grooves extending from the center to the sidewalls perform 2 functions at once. First, they divert water to the side from the contact patch of the tire with the road surface. Secondly, these grooves act as additional lugs that provide additional traction when traveling over rough terrain - mainly on dirt and gravel.
The sidewalls of these tires deserve special mention. The sidewalls are more reinforced than the entire tire. First of all, there are metal reinforcing inserts in the sidewalls.
In addition, the rubber layer on the sidewalls is almost doubled due to the additional thickness of the shoulder strap. Such a measure prevents damage to the sidewalls upon contact with various obstacles such as curbs, traffic police, damaged sections of the road surface, etc.
A few words about the design
Firestone is one of the few companies that still produce tires with white lettering on the sidewalls to this day. Of course, the presence of white letters is not important, but you must agree that it looks stylish, especially if the tires are bought for a classic American pickup. However, there are solid black tires that look no worse and are bought mainly for modern cars.
Fuel economy
Want to make your SUV less power-hungry? To do this, simply install the Destination XT tires on it.
Ask how you save fuel? We are happy to answer - due to the special tread pattern and optimal balance, the tire creates a minimum rolling resistance. Consequently, the wheels do not have to overcome additional resistance, which means that the engine does not need to generate additional power and work for wear. According to the manufacturer, the fuel savings with Destination XT tires averaged around 15%! You must admit that the savings are very good, especially if the car is used on a daily basis for long trips.
Characteristics in numbers
Let's start with the sizes. The Destination XT is available in diameters from 16 "to 20". This variety is likely to be sufficient for most varieties of modern SUVs and light trucks.
The maximum permissible speed for these tires is 125 mph. However, who would think of accelerating an SUV to such speeds? Nevertheless, the buyers of these tires in their reviews have repeatedly stated that the car on Destination XT tires handles well at speeds up to 95 mph, without creating any discomfort for the driver and passengers in the cabin. Considering that we are talking about SUVs, good handling at these speeds is an excellent result.
Let's summarize
Destination XT is a versatile off-road and all-season tire. Firestone manufactures a wide range of off-road tires. But the Destination XT is probably the best of the line. We recommend purchasing!