From the northern tip of Canada to the southern tip of Chile, it is all America. People get suckered into products with "Made In America". My 80-year-old wife has a screamer Fiat 500, with 90,000 miles on it. She has gone through 3 sets of Continental tires rated to 140. For the 4th set, we bought Joy Road tires from the internet store that Smiles. Look like the ones about twice the price other than the name on them. She has got more miles on them and they still are not worn out. We live in the country and have a mile of gravel road to drive to get home. Well, that and she drives like a crazy woman, foot on the floor, and sometimes lets off to make a turn. My pickup is going to need tires by next winter and I am going to look for LT tires from ??? at a far less price.
@@bigun447 Okay... but nowhere in my comment did I say "America." We'll say "American made" in everyday talk and even in advertising, but the actual product will say "Made in the USA" if it was actually made within the United States." Besides, my comment was more along the lines of companies that are based in the USA, yet sell a number of products that weren't made in the USA. For instance, modern-day Craftsman- who ran a whole ad campaign 5 or 6 years ago about how they were "bringing manufacturing back to the USA," but then only did so for a few select products.
I'd prefer USA made rather than USA owner. If a rich man in the US gets richer off my tire purchase vs a rich man in Japan, I personally don't care all that much. But is 100 people in the US have jobs because of the tires I buy vs 100 people in Japan, that means something to me, and should mean something to everyone here. Sure, its harder to find out which models of tires are made, but that does our economy and our fellow countryman better. 🇺🇸
I researched what brands was American owned a few years ago because I also like to buy American owned tires. I like the Cooper brand and the other tire companies Cooper owns. I won’t knowingly buy any tire made in China.
Michelin has been my go to tire for our cars for 40 years. Nitro for my truck. Hercules on my trailer. Knew to many drug users that worked at the Kelly / Goodyear plant in Fayetteville NC.
I am now brand loyal for Cooper tires purchased and installed by Discount Tire. Great tires and even better customer service at Discount Tire. Coopers are great traction, great price, and durability. My car came with Hankook and those wore out in 30k miles (I'm not driving it hard). Coopers are giving me 50k on average and are very quiet as well delivering great fuel economy.
There are 12 tire manufacturing plants in South Carolina, the most of any state. Six of them are Michelin, two are Bridgestone, and two are Continental.
50 years ago I recall Goodyear bragging they didn't make any private label tires, but they owned Kelly Springfield who made TONS of private label tires. Department stores like J.C. Penny, Sears, K-Mart all had their own private label tires, I used to pretty well know who made what. You could always tell a Firestone sourced tire, handling those got your hands filthy in short order. Not too long before the 721 tire disaster for Firestone in 1978. Last 10 years or so, been sticking with Goodyear and Michelin, also had a couple sets of Firestones I was happy with, used to avoid them like the plague. The biggest change I've noticed is flat tires are almost a thing of the past, not sure whether the tires themselves are better or if tire inflation monitors are responsible. Leaning towards better tires, haven't had a tire separate in decades now.
I’m afraid that I have always bought. Goodyear tried cheap tires when I was young. They were crap. I’ve always ran Goodyear and probably always will.!! I’ve had very very good luck with them.!! and they’re American and I visited many of the plants around the United States that make them.
Several years back I had a Maxima that I had bought Michelin tires since the first tires wore out. It had just over 200,000 miles so I thought I would buy a less expensive tire and my tire store recommended Cooper tires. The tires were noisy, slipped on wet roads, and road rough. I replaced them after two months with Michelins and my dealer gave me full credit for the cost of the Coopers. Michelin tires ever since on all my cars with great ride, good traction, and great mileage.
I have bought Cooper Tires. from a privately owned tire store, for at least 20-25 years now. I have never had an issue with a Cooper tire. Great wear, reasonable price. Until I see a change, that's where I'll stay.
I bought Coopers for my trucks, Good Years otherwise, but about 5 years ago my new Coopers said made in China, I took em back and bought Good Year ever since, I was really surprised how much better the Good Years are, I put the Dura Tracks on, 110,000 and still going, I put the 10 ply because I do a lot of towing and heavy loads, I have saved a lot of money with these tires.
@ That is not surprising. Unfortunately our government has been supporting the off shoring of our manufacturing for many years. And now they are beginning to wake up to the error of their ways. Hopefully it’s not too late to get many of our factories back here where they belong.
Actually Jon. Dunlop was a Scottish vet who developed the first inflatable tyres for bicycles. Once upon a time the brand itself was British owned. Avon is another British brand.
@@Fordguy02 I have no doubt that that is the case. I think the factory is still going not far from where I live. The car and motorcycle tyres have always been on the exclusive side. They make a lot of inflatable boats for the military etc.
I avoid any tires made in China. My last tires were two for my winter beater - they were Firestone's made in Argentina. Before that, the previous two on were Hercules made in the USA, so it has Hercules on the front, and Firestones on the back.
In the RV community, we refer to them as "ChinaBOMBS" It is only a matter of time before they blow out. If your lucky they leave you stranded, sometimes the tire schreds and damages your rig!
My main criteria for tire is something that is comfortable and safe. I had been putting Firestone tires on my vehicles for a number of years and was fairly satisfied except for one thing, there was a curious wandering going on that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I had the alignments checked but it never changed. I just decided that my vehicles were getting older and that's just the way it was. One day the Firestone tires weren't available but yokohama's were so I installed them and wow there was a huge difference, The wandering was gone and an added bonus was a ride that was as smooth as glass.
I've had excellent experiences with General Altimax and General Grabber tires on my Subarus. General is a subsidiary of Continental but is US based and the tires are made in the US. I find Bridgestones to be too expensive and wear too fast (at least the ones that came with the cars) and haven't been happy with the wet traction of Firestones. I've had some good years using Goodyears and used to buy Michellins at Costco which I also liked but now buy Generals from a local tire shop. Great traction, quiet ride, good wear, and lower price.
76 years old here. Have used Goodyear -They are "OK" 35 years with Michelin, 2 Sets Continental. Last set? Blackhawk (made in China) 65,000 mile tread warranty handle very close to the Continentals that were OEM, and I mean VERY close. Quiet, smooth. 10,000 miles and havent even worn the 1/32 off yet. And? Set of 4 - 345 Dollars.
I’m very loyal to Continental. Ive got a set of ExtremeContact DWS06+ on my Mazda 3 and I absolutely love them! I’ve had success in the past, so I keep buying!
I've got that same tire on my first generation Mazda 3 as well. That is a great tire! I hoped that this tour was available for the cx5 size but alas no.
I always try to go with Cooper. Good tires, good value, US Made. Never cared for Goodyear all that much. Had great luck from Continental, Toyo, and Bridgestone as well.
Hello John, I would just like to point out that just because the company might be from a particular country eg: U.S. Does not mean the product is MADE in that country. It's the quality of the product that matters, not where the company HQ is. I am first and foremost for homegrown products, but ANY company trying to entice me to buy their product with my hard earned dollars better have their A game on. Cheers.
I always have tough Continental tires on my road bike, because it sucks to get a flat while riding a bike. My car has General Tire, a formerly american brand owned by Continental.
Nice one, Jon. Very thoughtful. We too have wondered about tires. IN the small town some of us worked in during the 1960s a company known as Gates Rubber Co. had a plant where they produced rubber belts and straps. They also produced tires for the midwest. The plant closed and the town slowly succumbed to a slow death since only corporate agriculture was the only industry left. We were wondering does Gates Rubber Co. still exist in some iteration somewhere? Do you know? How can we find out?
My dad sold Gates tires. Gates Super Silent Safety radials came out and he put a set on our 55 Dodge. Non Radial Suspension car but the tires beat the regular tires of the era that only lived about 10,000 miles. Atlas had 20K mile warranty but soon got tired of replacing them. 7.10X15 tires on the back of every young guy's hot rods got replaced really quick.
I have done exactly what you are mentioning. I start however with the nationality of the tire brand and then I look at the main factors of tire type, handling, and treadwear. Additionally, I only want made in USA. And that can include almost all tire makers whether they are based in the USA or not.
Tires are a complicated subject. I usually research tires at Tirerack, they test lots of tires. Then, I choose a tire with the best price and performance that fits. I don't particularly look at brands. In my experience all of them are good and last long, if installed correctly and you take care of your car and the tires - correct inflation (outside temperature changes makes it inconvenient), tire rotation, alignment. Tires are important, they hold the car on the road, they affect your gas mileage, stopping distances and also noise.
I've had pretty good service out of 3 common brands , Bridgestone/Firestone, Goodyear and Cooper. Funny that you should do this video now as I am currently shopping for tires for my personal pickup truck and WOW it's sticker shock! But I'll probably go with the Cooper , like you said I've had good service and they're priced reasonably. Thanks again.😊
I bought this on Amazon: Starfire Solarus AS All-Season Tire. About this item: 50,000 mile warranty, All-Season Touring TireM+S Rated (mud and snow) Manufactured by Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
I'm 3rd generation in the auto business and had relatives at each of the Big 3, Hudson, and an uncle who was a lab technician at Uniroyal (U.S. Rubber) in Detroit. But like most of American tire manufacturing is long gone.
Now when it comes to brand loyalty, personally I have none. My last 5 purchases have been Nitto, Douglas, Dunlop and Cooper (twice). My main criteria is based on a combination of Treadwear rating, country of manufacture and price
I get what you are saying, and agree on principle. However, if it's just a good quality tire you're looking for, Japanese, German, French, Italian are good quality. Definitely NO Chinese. Unless you're selling that car.
I like Nokian tires. They make an awesome studded winter tire. My Subaru is on winter 9 with the same Nokian winter tires. I’ll have to replace the tires because of their age and not because of tire ware or lost/broken studs.
I would never run tires for more than six years. A lot of tire shops in my area won’t touch a customer car if the tires are more than five years old because they know the rubber has degraded that much. My current summers are only five years old but they are dry rotted and cracked. The DOT code is 2019. I have to get new ones in the spring.
I'm an auto tech so I deal with tires a lot. I get first hand experience of how different tires drive and how long they last, etc. I have no idea how your average person can be expected to make an educated decision choosing a tire though.
I second this. The AT3 XLT is excellent. I also bought the AT3 4S for a previous truck but it's a softer compound that started missing chunks of it around the edges at 15K miles. It'd look used up at 20K despite still having 7/32" thread depth.
See now I've tried cooper 3 times and regreted each time . Michelin has been my go to tire for 30 yrs and will remain as my go to . Goodyear came in for me just above Cooper.not saying they are bad ,I didn't have good luck. Now I'm running CC2's and in my 3rd set ,love them .
Nokian, Michelin, Continental looking for the best traction first, wear second in a size that fits my wheels (Enki 15x7 RPF1). I run dedicated winters and summers mounted on different sets of wheels.
Ive never had great experiences with Goodyear or Firestone. Aftermarket ive always gotten Michelin, this time out I got feedback from several tire people friends of mine that recommended Continental and I'm impressed so far.
"We all need these." -- So true. Tires are the one thing that doesn't change; even if the power source of the engine changes. Tire shops will continue to stay in business long after muffler shops go out of business.
@@AllCarswithJon Electric vehicles are heavier and as a result, they wear out tires faster. Tire manufacturers actually benefit from the prevalence of battery electric vehicles because the tires wear out faster and need to be replaced more often.
I've had the opposite luck. Off brands, Cooper, Douglas etc have been bad for me. I've had the best luck with Pirelli, Goodyear and Michelin. Both in car and motorcycle tires. And yes, I always try and wait for a sale.
I'd like someone to cover the theory about OEM tires being lower quality/not lasting compared to aftermarket tires. My only 2 experiences with OEM Goodyears were quite bad and neither of them lasted 30K despite being all season tires on non sports, nor off-road vehicles.
Tire makers manufacture OE tires to the specifications of the OE engineers, not what the customer wants, or even how the Tire maker would build them if given the choice. For example, the car manufacurer may want a super grippy tire to sell the caf with great handling, but then the tires wear out quickly. Then the customer gets mad at the tire company, not the car manufacturer who created the problem in the first place.
@markh3057 makes sense. My guess is the OEMs also have cost targets so tire manufacturers might lower their quality to meet that cost. Either that or make up their profit on volume sold
I've had good experience by replacing tires with exactly what the OEM's installed when the vehicle was new and when they are available. Goodyear and Continental over the last 10 years or so. Both of these brands served well.
I live 4 miles down the same road as what is one of if the largest tire shop/retailer on the east coast. He is also the largest Cooper and Michelin dealer in the US. Lately he’s been selling these tires from a company called Atlas. They are a Chinese company that is actually really good. He says that he’s gotten better life out of them on his Tesla than his OE do. I have them on my Camry and they are great.
Merry New Year! According to a recent report, Cannoo (sp?) sent everyone home with no pay for the end of the year. A former place of employment of mine did something like that a number of years ago; needless to say I had my resume on the street the next day. It did have a happy ending though. I found another job and had my resignation letter in my hand when they called me in and told me I was being laid off, but here is 6 weeks pay. I did not show them my resignation letter!
It really depends on the vehicle and what I'm trying to do with it. On my daily driver with stock wheels, whatever the cheapest all-season tire at the store is fine. But for my "fun" vehicles I'm much more DIY...Order the wheels and tires online, mount and balance them myself.
Just got two New Lion Heart 215/60R/16 delivered to my front door for $141.91 all in, for my 2001 Honda CRV and they are smooth, quiet and great in The Rain. First set, also Lion Heart lasted for over two years the Lion Hearts in the rear still have plenty left. Had it Not been for the CV Axles and tie rods that i recently replaced im sure i would have got another two years usage out of them. For round about Daily Driving Lion Heart is Plenty of Tire especially for the Price. For the tires on the thumb pix i have Kumho for Highway driving performance also quiet and smooth rolling. Kelly Tires on the SUV Family hauler, not as quiet as the others brands but great Traction. IMO, it really boils down to on what type of Driving you do and type of Vehicle You drive.
I just bought a set of Goodyear Winter Command. Mostly because they were $80 a pc. They were the least expensive brand name tire in my size that I could find. Made in USA.
I buy tires for my pickup by looking at the tread pattern, i dont need boring straight line treads for road use suv's and i dont need chunky off road treads, once i find one that i like i stick with it. But they usually discontinue tires very fast these days and re use the name
@AllCarswithJon My buddy needs new tires in his 99 Solara and he has Syntrys on it right now that have been a nightmare from the start. We chased after everything, we checked CV axles, control arms, bearings, brakes and alignment and replaced a few that were worn. Come to find out the radial bands in the tire were broken from the factory 😔
It doesn't matter where the tires are made. My American owned Goodyear tires on my German made car purchased from an American owned dealership were made in Slovenia. Go figure. I'm not brand loyal, I try to buy the best tires for my particular need.
What about Mastercraft? Their tires are almost identical to Cooper tires in the tread and sidewall design from what I've seen. I bought Mastercraft Avenger G/T tires for my Buick Roadmaster. But I looked at the Cooper Cobra G/T and the only difference I saw was the name. The script font and size along with the tread are identical. The only real reason I went with the Mastercraft is because of the price and the word 'Master'craft on a Roadmaster made me smile😊
Interesting video. I'd be more curious what tires are actually made in a USA factory even if they are foreign owned company. FWIW, I usually go to tirerack to compare price and ratings then buy locally.
Great video, Jon!! Ive always been a guy that mulls over tires before i buy..lol. I am NEVER hesitant to go with Michelin; they are my first choice. But, im not going to put them on a car that i do not plan on keeping for the life of the tires, or if i believe the tires will outlast the car. Ive had very good luck with Cooper, Firestone, Michelin, and uniroyal. However, i will Never again buy a Goodyear or Goodrich brand. Both have been miserable tires from my experience.. Back a few years ago... from 2010 to 2017, i was a new Phord salesman. They always put the Hankook on the Explorers... like the one you own. They even put those trash tires on the $60k sport models. Nobody ever got more than 25,000 miles from those things...imagine plopping down 60 grand for a car, and the manufacturer puts the worst tire thwy can find on it...THEN, they would put a nice set of coopers on the econo-box Focus...another reason i hate the Phord motor company. Right now, my truck has Firestone Desination LT, they have been very good... even up here in snowy ohio winters. Both of my cadillacs have michelins. Both my 71, and 75 Imperials have Firestone... and i JUST bought Dunlops for my Honda Goldwing motorcycle. Coincidently enough,,,, the dunlops have "made in USA" molded right into the tire.... with an American flag, even! Haha. I just stay away from the chineese brands... ive seen and heard of too many accidents and failures caused by them. Ive also owned General tires in the past and was very happy with them as well!
I’m really enjoying the Goodyear Assurance Comfort Drive tires on my Subaru Crosstrek. Quieter and with better wet and winter (southeastern USA so not much real winter here) weather performance than the stock Falken tires that came on the vehicle when I bought it.
Odd story here, company I drive for had a set of General tires and despite not knowing how long they lasted, they seemed to ride and handle better than the Firestones we have on our other vehicles.
I buy my tires based on performance ratings and reviews. My BMW has Federal 595 RSR’s they arent DOT approved because they’re a track tire. But wow! They grip like glue in the twisties! My 86 Bronco had 35” General Grabber Mud Terrains. Awesome on and off road tire!
I believe Yokohama makes its tire in the U.S. - I always found that interesting. I love Coopers, but they quit making the 15" (plus1) for my Mustang, going one size wider using the same wheels gave me a lot better handling and braking - currently I run Generals -
IMO, brand loyalty can be exploited by the manufacturer who can bank on customers coming back without questioning and not bother with quality. I suspect that contributed to American automotive malaise in the late 70's and 80's. I've become increasingly loyal to quality the older I get. Younger me was loyal only to initial cost. I went as cheap as possible and kept paying the price in the long run- you get what you pay for. At this point I don't take into account where corporate headquarters is. With tires, I go with mileage- like most of the poll respondents. My "ranked choice" puts traction as the second factor, and cost being third/last; the manufacturer does not matter to me- though I respect those who feel otherwise. Cute tidbit at the end... though I might make a fine point of pointing out that the question as posed was "what is the #1 tire company" as opposed to "who manufactures the most". Lego is a toy, not tire company. Still an interesting bit of trivia.
It's all good. I make far worse mistakes than that myself. For whatever it's worth I find your channel to be one of the better ones out there. Your subject matter is interesting and you present it very well.
You want a good tire brand. This is a mechanic opinion. Hankook they have great performance for the price they are I think Korean or at least in the region of the earth. I have them on my truck and they are a better tire than the goodyears that I bought the truck with.
Cool video. I should’ve known the answer for the trivia because I’ve read it somewhere but I wasn’t thinking outside the box and I was sure the answer was Sumitomo. lol. Oh, fun fact. Mr Ishibashi of Bridgestone used to go to the same church in Tokyo at the same time my mom used to go to way back when. I’m not sure if he’s still Christian though.
Cooper tires here on my truck, I bought them strictly on how they looked and a larger load rating. On our Subaru, I buy the cheapest lowest milage tires I can find. Any tire on our Outback always has worn very even over the years and miles and usually lasts for 70 or 80 thousand miles no matter what tire we use. ---- I do understand the story of how cheap shoes cost more than expensive ones over the long run as a comparison.
Today I only buy Good Year, I do road racing all the time and Goodyear makes the best track tires by far, the Michelins fall apart and offer poor traction, I have never had a Good Year tire fall apart, we have the Goodyear triple tread on both the Cutlass and the Impala, the tires on the Cutlass have 125,000 miles on them, and the Impala 108,000, nothing else comes close, the only real American tire company.
I did do survey but cant remember what i choose but i have tyre dealerships preferences who ever gives me good service n looks after my vehicles. I got angry one time when kid instead dropping tailgate to access the tyre he lifted out of the bed n roll the tyre down my tailgate. This ute is my Sunday drive n with 300hp I very selective with tyres, I went Bridgestone because they are on HSV performance cars/utes. I dont mileage but have road holding especially in the rain. I had similar ute but V6 n went cheaper tyres while i got good mileage the trade off was road holding again in the rain. Off road you have becare full as i got cheap Bridgestone stones n brake ripping rubber out of centres, 3 months old n no dealership wasnt going off free replacement. The better replacement tyres cost $15 more, i got better mileage n handling when came back for replacement the dealership was trying offer cheap ones that i originally had problems with. I always ask around especially mechanics n tyre fitters their choice.
I go with Bridgestone/Firestone because I like the local Firestone shop plus I have their credit card. 6 months 0% Interest is nice. I did have General Tires for a few years as well.
Interesting you bring that up. I've had poor service from Firestone tires (although I really want to like them) so when I buy tires it's from a Tire Rack or Discount Tire. BUT, when I need other 'tire work' done, like fixing a flat, etc., I much prefer our local Firestone shop.
Great Video Jon, thanks………..just sub’d cause we think alike! I’ve used Coopers for years and loved them. The last ones I bought (second set for my suv) were made in Mexico…..I looked at the ones I was replacing, same size, model, ratings…….but said made in USA….. And……I have bought more expensive tires in the past and also had them fail before wearing out………I used to buy from Discount Tire Direct (no local Discount Tire near me) and found recently that they merged with Tire Rack……. One more thing for you to check out…….I suspect that different manufacturers have some of their tire sizes, models made by other companies, therefore not having to buy additional molds…… P.S. I replace my tires well before they wear to the point they won’t pass inspection……. I’ll be watching!
I’ve got Goodyear tires on my Explorer so I’m all good and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Tho for the tires I honestly didn’t know, guess I was lucky but if I wasn’t I’d switch. Unfortunately I don’t think many people care, it’s a me first society we live in and anyway tires are a small part of it all, having American tires on a Toyota or Kia is useless, regardless where those cars are assembled, the company that benefits is abroad. Buying American cars in America should be a no brainer for a majority of people and parts would go along but it’s not the case, there are always people to say they choose what’s cheaper even if this cheaper is foreign and buying foreign the very reason they have to buy cheap. People are… well, they are
Yep, I voted “whatever is on sale” for the tire poll because we’re such cheapskates. lol! We have always used cheaper brands like Dunlop and Falken in Japan. We tried the higher mileage rated Bridgestones and like with your experience, the expensive ones just seem like a ripoff. So kept to the cheap ones like Falken that at least say “made in Japan” for quality assurance (because we don’t get discount American brands like Cooper and Japanese make decent tires too). I didn’t know Dunlop name was owned by Goodyear because Sumitomo makes most of the Dunlop tires, or so I thought.
I didn't dig too deep into it (wasn't the point of the video) but I was surprised at the number of tire brands that are owned by separate companies depending on where they're sold. Goodyear owns the Dunlop name in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, whereas Sumitomo has the brand in Japan, Latin America, Asia and Africa.... and coincidentally the Goodyear name in Japan!
I have Falken tyres on my car right now. I wanted all-seasons for my wheel size, and the choice was Goodyear or Falken. I've been running Goodyears previously, but the Falken ones were recommended to me, and I would probably have chosen them anway as there aren't US American but German, as far as I can tell.
@MartinIbert Falken Tire is currently a brand of Sumitomo Rubber Industries, having been originally founded by Ohtsu Rubber & Tire as their performance brand.
Goodyear owns Mickey Thompson, Avon too. Most of their tires are made here and Canada with a small number of the value models from Chile. This is nothing new Firestone, General, and BFG were sold out years ago. Even Hoosier is now a German brand owned by Continental.
It would be nice to buy tires made by Americans by an American company but at the end of the tire, what's I want the most is safety, reliability, longevity, and handling
As a Canadian, I look at where the tires I’m buying are actually made, instead of where the company is headquartered. Thanks for the video Jon.
Bingo!
Keep in mind that "US-owned company" doesn't necessarily mean "made in the US."
From the northern tip of Canada to the southern tip of Chile, it is all America. People get suckered into products with "Made In America". My 80-year-old wife has a screamer Fiat 500, with 90,000 miles on it. She has gone through 3 sets of Continental tires rated to 140. For the 4th set, we bought Joy Road tires from the internet store that Smiles. Look like the ones about twice the price other than the name on them. She has got more miles on them and they still are not worn out. We live in the country and have a mile of gravel road to drive to get home. Well, that and she drives like a crazy woman, foot on the floor, and sometimes lets off to make a turn. My pickup is going to need tires by next winter and I am going to look for LT tires from ??? at a far less price.
@@bigun447 Okay... but nowhere in my comment did I say "America." We'll say "American made" in everyday talk and even in advertising, but the actual product will say "Made in the USA" if it was actually made within the United States." Besides, my comment was more along the lines of companies that are based in the USA, yet sell a number of products that weren't made in the USA. For instance, modern-day Craftsman- who ran a whole ad campaign 5 or 6 years ago about how they were "bringing manufacturing back to the USA," but then only did so for a few select products.
I'd prefer USA made rather than USA owner. If a rich man in the US gets richer off my tire purchase vs a rich man in Japan, I personally don't care all that much. But is 100 people in the US have jobs because of the tires I buy vs 100 people in Japan, that means something to me, and should mean something to everyone here. Sure, its harder to find out which models of tires are made, but that does our economy and our fellow countryman better. 🇺🇸
I researched what brands was American owned a few years ago because I also like to buy American owned tires. I like the Cooper brand and the other tire companies Cooper owns. I won’t knowingly buy any tire made in China.
this. some "import" stuff is made here. toyota, bmw, Mercedes... im sure theres more...
Michelin has been my go to tire for our cars for 40 years. Nitro for my truck. Hercules on my trailer. Knew to many drug users that worked at the Kelly / Goodyear plant in Fayetteville NC.
I am now brand loyal for Cooper tires purchased and installed by Discount Tire. Great tires and even better customer service at Discount Tire. Coopers are great traction, great price, and durability. My car came with Hankook and those wore out in 30k miles (I'm not driving it hard). Coopers are giving me 50k on average and are very quiet as well delivering great fuel economy.
I did the exact same thing 😁. Bought Cooper at Discount tire.
There are 12 tire manufacturing plants in South Carolina, the most of any state. Six of them are Michelin, two are Bridgestone, and two are Continental.
I love near Akron and it's sad how many good jobs in the rubber industry were shipped offshore.
They bought Cooper Tire, which was based, and still made in Findlay, Ohio
50 years ago I recall Goodyear bragging they didn't make any private label tires, but they owned Kelly Springfield who made TONS of private label tires. Department stores like J.C. Penny, Sears, K-Mart all had their own private label tires, I used to pretty well know who made what. You could always tell a Firestone sourced tire, handling those got your hands filthy in short order. Not too long before the 721 tire disaster for Firestone in 1978.
Last 10 years or so, been sticking with Goodyear and Michelin, also had a couple sets of Firestones I was happy with, used to avoid them like the plague. The biggest change I've noticed is flat tires are almost a thing of the past, not sure whether the tires themselves are better or if tire inflation monitors are responsible. Leaning towards better tires, haven't had a tire separate in decades now.
I’m afraid that I have always bought. Goodyear tried cheap tires when I was young. They were crap. I’ve always ran Goodyear and probably always will.!! I’ve had very very good luck with them.!! and they’re American and I visited many of the plants around the United States that make them.
Several years back I had a Maxima that I had bought Michelin tires since the first tires wore out. It had just over 200,000 miles so I thought I would buy a less expensive tire and my tire store recommended Cooper tires. The tires were noisy, slipped on wet roads, and road rough. I replaced them after two months with Michelins and my dealer gave me full credit for the cost of the Coopers. Michelin tires ever since on all my cars with great ride, good traction, and great mileage.
I have bought Cooper Tires. from a privately owned tire store, for at least 20-25 years now. I have never had an issue with a Cooper tire. Great wear, reasonable price. Until I see a change, that's where I'll stay.
I bought Coopers for my trucks, Good Years otherwise, but about 5 years ago my new Coopers said made in China, I took em back and bought Good Year ever since, I was really surprised how much better the Good Years are, I put the Dura Tracks on, 110,000 and still going, I put the 10 ply because I do a lot of towing and heavy loads, I have saved a lot of money with these tires.
@@user-Dr. Good to know.
Glad to see that some Americans are still supporting their fellow Americans. My Michellins are made in America. Keep it up my hillbilly friend.
I agree. My new Jeep came on Michelins made in Ardmore, OK. I was proud of that, but reading up on it showed that plant will be closing soon.
@
That is not surprising. Unfortunately our government has been supporting the off shoring of our manufacturing for many years. And now they are beginning to wake up to the error of their ways. Hopefully it’s not too late to get many of our factories back here where they belong.
Actually Jon. Dunlop was a Scottish vet who developed the first inflatable tyres for bicycles. Once upon a time the brand itself was British owned. Avon is another British brand.
Dad works for cooper and I remember when they bought out Avon
@@Fordguy02 I have no doubt that that is the case. I think the factory is still going not far from where I live. The car and motorcycle tyres have always been on the exclusive side. They make a lot of inflatable boats for the military etc.
I have Michelin tires on my SUV, manufactured in South Carolina.. I live in SC & always get good deals on these, & they ride & grip fantastic..
I avoid any tires made in China. My last tires were two for my winter beater - they were Firestone's made in Argentina. Before that, the previous two on were Hercules made in the USA, so it has Hercules on the front, and Firestones on the back.
In the RV community, we refer to them as "ChinaBOMBS" It is only a matter of time before they blow out. If your lucky they leave you stranded, sometimes the tire schreds and damages your rig!
My main criteria for tire is something that is comfortable and safe. I had been putting Firestone tires on my vehicles for a number of years and was fairly satisfied except for one thing, there was a curious wandering going on that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I had the alignments checked but it never changed. I just decided that my vehicles were getting older and that's just the way it was. One day the Firestone tires weren't available but yokohama's were so I installed them and wow there was a huge difference, The wandering was gone and an added bonus was a ride that was as smooth as glass.
I've had excellent experiences with General Altimax and General Grabber tires on my Subarus. General is a subsidiary of Continental but is US based and the tires are made in the US. I find Bridgestones to be too expensive and wear too fast (at least the ones that came with the cars) and haven't been happy with the wet traction of Firestones. I've had some good years using Goodyears and used to buy Michellins at Costco which I also liked but now buy Generals from a local tire shop. Great traction, quiet ride, good wear, and lower price.
Bridgestone was originally a British company, then sold to the Japanese. They make tires all over the world as do Goodyear and Cooper.
Goodyear and Cooper make almost all tires in USA
76 years old here. Have used Goodyear -They are "OK" 35 years with Michelin, 2 Sets Continental. Last set? Blackhawk (made in China) 65,000 mile tread warranty handle very close to the Continentals that were OEM, and I mean VERY close. Quiet, smooth. 10,000 miles and havent even worn the 1/32 off yet. And? Set of 4 - 345 Dollars.
I’m very loyal to Continental. Ive got a set of ExtremeContact DWS06+ on my Mazda 3 and I absolutely love them! I’ve had success in the past, so I keep buying!
I've got that same tire on my first generation Mazda 3 as well. That is a great tire! I hoped that this tour was available for the cx5 size but alas no.
I always try to go with Cooper. Good tires, good value, US Made. Never cared for Goodyear all that much. Had great luck from Continental, Toyo, and Bridgestone as well.
Hello John, I would just like to point out that just because the company might be from a particular country eg: U.S. Does not mean the product is MADE in that country. It's the quality of the product that matters, not where the company HQ is. I am first and foremost for homegrown products, but ANY company trying to entice me to buy their product with my hard earned dollars better have their A game on.
Cheers.
I always have tough Continental tires on my road bike, because it sucks to get a flat while riding a bike. My car has General Tire, a formerly american brand owned by Continental.
Last I looked General's were still made in the U.S. -
Toyo here. Last 3 sets of Coopers had one bad tire in each set and they WONT make it right.
Nice one, Jon. Very thoughtful. We too have wondered about tires. IN the small town some of us worked in during the 1960s a company known as Gates Rubber Co. had a plant where they produced rubber belts and straps. They also produced tires for the midwest. The plant closed and the town slowly succumbed to a slow death since only corporate agriculture was the only industry left. We were wondering does Gates Rubber Co. still exist in some iteration somewhere? Do you know? How can we find out?
My dad sold Gates tires. Gates Super Silent Safety radials came out and he put a set on our 55 Dodge. Non Radial Suspension car but the tires beat the regular tires of the era that only lived about 10,000 miles. Atlas had 20K mile warranty but soon got tired of replacing them. 7.10X15 tires on the back of every young guy's hot rods got replaced really quick.
@robertallan4489 They're now known as the Gates Corporation, and specialize in belts and hoses. Still American, based in Denver, Colorado.
Legos are made in Denmark AND Enfield CT
I have done exactly what you are mentioning. I start however with the nationality of the tire brand and then I look at the main factors of tire type, handling, and treadwear. Additionally, I only want made in USA. And that can include almost all tire makers whether they are based in the USA or not.
Tires are a complicated subject. I usually research tires at Tirerack, they test lots of tires. Then, I choose a tire with the best price and performance that fits. I don't particularly look at brands. In my experience all of them are good and last long, if installed correctly and you take care of your car and the tires - correct inflation (outside temperature changes makes it inconvenient), tire rotation, alignment. Tires are important, they hold the car on the road, they affect your gas mileage, stopping distances and also noise.
I've had pretty good service out of 3 common brands , Bridgestone/Firestone, Goodyear and Cooper. Funny that you should do this video now as I am currently shopping for tires for my personal pickup truck and WOW it's sticker shock! But I'll probably go with the Cooper , like you said I've had good service and they're priced reasonably. Thanks again.😊
I bought this on Amazon: Starfire Solarus AS All-Season Tire. About this item: 50,000 mile warranty, All-Season Touring TireM+S Rated (mud and snow)
Manufactured by Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
I'm 3rd generation in the auto business and had relatives at each of the Big 3, Hudson, and an uncle who was a lab technician at Uniroyal (U.S. Rubber) in Detroit. But like most of American tire manufacturing is long gone.
So more info for you. Mickey Thompson tires are made in the USA. Cooper makes them for Mickey. We should all try to buy made in the USA products.
Amen!!
Now when it comes to brand loyalty, personally I have none.
My last 5 purchases have been Nitto, Douglas, Dunlop and Cooper (twice).
My main criteria is based on a combination of Treadwear rating, country of manufacture and price
I get what you are saying, and agree on principle. However, if it's just a good quality tire you're looking for, Japanese, German, French, Italian are good quality. Definitely NO Chinese. Unless you're selling that car.
I like Nokian tires. They make an awesome studded winter tire. My Subaru is on winter 9 with the same Nokian winter tires. I’ll have to replace the tires because of their age and not because of tire ware or lost/broken studs.
Same here, I got 11 years out my Nokians on my Subaru, dry rot got them, still had almost half the tread left.
I would never run tires for more than six years. A lot of tire shops in my area won’t touch a customer car if the tires are more than five years old because they know the rubber has degraded that much.
My current summers are only five years old but they are dry rotted and cracked. The DOT code is 2019. I have to get new ones in the spring.
I look for made in USA, which both our michelins and BFGs are both made here. Same company owns both
The last BFG's I bought were made in China, they were performance tires for my Camaro they are dangerous, It's Good Year for everything now,
I'm an auto tech so I deal with tires a lot. I get first hand experience of how different tires drive and how long they last, etc. I have no idea how your average person can be expected to make an educated decision choosing a tire though.
every truck/SUV ive own has had Goodyears on them and they always start having tread separation issues. Sadly Cooper doesn't make A/T tires.
except for their entire range of at tires. I like the AT3 XLT
Um they make a lot of A/T tires
I second this. The AT3 XLT is excellent. I also bought the AT3 4S for a previous truck but it's a softer compound that started missing chunks of it around the edges at 15K miles. It'd look used up at 20K despite still having 7/32" thread depth.
See now I've tried cooper 3 times and regreted each time .
Michelin has been my go to tire for 30 yrs and will remain as my go to .
Goodyear came in for me just above Cooper.not saying they are bad ,I didn't have good luck.
Now I'm running CC2's and in my 3rd set ,love them .
The first set of tires I ever bought were Cooper radials shortly after radial tires were introduced 😁👍👍
Nokian, Michelin, Continental looking for the best traction first, wear second in a size that fits my wheels (Enki 15x7 RPF1). I run dedicated winters and summers mounted on different sets of wheels.
Ive never had great experiences with Goodyear or Firestone. Aftermarket ive always gotten Michelin, this time out I got feedback from several tire people friends of mine that recommended Continental and I'm impressed so far.
"We all need these." -- So true. Tires are the one thing that doesn't change; even if the power source of the engine changes. Tire shops will continue to stay in business long after muffler shops go out of business.
I think that's a good point.
@@AllCarswithJon Electric vehicles are heavier and as a result, they wear out tires faster. Tire manufacturers actually benefit from the prevalence of battery electric vehicles because the tires wear out faster and need to be replaced more often.
I've had the opposite luck. Off brands, Cooper, Douglas etc have been bad for me. I've had the best luck with Pirelli, Goodyear and Michelin. Both in car and motorcycle tires. And yes, I always try and wait for a sale.
I'd like someone to cover the theory about OEM tires being lower quality/not lasting compared to aftermarket tires.
My only 2 experiences with OEM Goodyears were quite bad and neither of them lasted 30K despite being all season tires on non sports, nor off-road vehicles.
Tire makers manufacture OE tires to the specifications of the OE engineers, not what the customer wants, or even how the Tire maker would build them if given the choice. For example, the car manufacurer may want a super grippy tire to sell the caf with great handling, but then the tires wear out quickly. Then the customer gets mad at the tire company, not the car manufacturer who created the problem in the first place.
@markh3057 makes sense.
My guess is the OEMs also have cost targets so tire manufacturers might lower their quality to meet that cost. Either that or make up their profit on volume sold
I've had good experience by replacing tires with exactly what the OEM's installed when the vehicle was new and when they are available. Goodyear and Continental over the last 10 years or so. Both of these brands served well.
I live 4 miles down the same road as what is one of if the largest tire shop/retailer on the east coast. He is also the largest Cooper and Michelin dealer in the US. Lately he’s been selling these tires from a company called Atlas. They are a Chinese company that is actually really good. He says that he’s gotten better life out of them on his Tesla than his OE do. I have them on my Camry and they are great.
Merry New Year! According to a recent report, Cannoo (sp?) sent everyone home with no pay for the end of the year. A former place of employment of mine did something like that a number of years ago; needless to say I had my resume on the street the next day. It did have a happy ending though. I found another job and had my resignation letter in my hand when they called me in and told me I was being laid off, but here is 6 weeks pay. I did not show them my resignation letter!
It really depends on the vehicle and what I'm trying to do with it. On my daily driver with stock wheels, whatever the cheapest all-season tire at the store is fine. But for my "fun" vehicles I'm much more DIY...Order the wheels and tires online, mount and balance them myself.
Just got two New Lion Heart 215/60R/16 delivered to my front door for $141.91 all in, for my 2001 Honda CRV and they are smooth, quiet and great in The Rain. First set, also Lion Heart lasted for over two years the Lion Hearts in the rear still have plenty left. Had it Not been for the CV Axles and tie rods that i recently replaced im sure i would have got another two years usage out of them. For round about Daily Driving Lion Heart is Plenty of Tire especially for the Price.
For the tires on the thumb pix i have Kumho for Highway driving performance also quiet and smooth rolling.
Kelly Tires on the SUV Family hauler, not as quiet as the others brands but great Traction.
IMO, it really boils down to on what type of Driving you do and type of Vehicle You drive.
I just bought a set of Goodyear Winter Command. Mostly because they were $80 a pc. They were the least expensive brand name tire in my size that I could find. Made in USA.
I got a set of Continental tires for our 2018 RAV4 they have 20000 miles (32000 km) on them and they are doing great, Made in USA.
I liked cooper till I bought a set for a WRX. All seasons made in China. No traction in wet, even in warm conditions
I buy tires for my pickup by looking at the tread pattern, i dont need boring straight line treads for road use suv's and i dont need chunky off road treads, once i find one that i like i stick with it. But they usually discontinue tires very fast these days and re use the name
I am comfortable buying any off-shore tire as long as it not from China. Tires aren’t a good place to save a buck. Buy once, cry once.
My friends and I were just discussing this last night at 2am while playing fps games. This is extremely relevant content! lol Thank you!
What an odd topic at 2am while playing.... :)
@AllCarswithJon My buddy needs new tires in his 99 Solara and he has Syntrys on it right now that have been a nightmare from the start. We chased after everything, we checked CV axles, control arms, bearings, brakes and alignment and replaced a few that were worn. Come to find out the radial bands in the tire were broken from the factory 😔
I recently started using Milestar Tires, which is a brand owned by Tireco, Inc., an American company.
Made in Communist China.
It doesn't matter where the tires are made. My American owned Goodyear tires on my German made car purchased from an American owned dealership were made in Slovenia. Go figure. I'm not brand loyal, I try to buy the best tires for my particular need.
Produced at the Sava plant, a Slovenian brand owned by Goodyear.
What about Mastercraft? Their tires are almost identical to Cooper tires in the tread and sidewall design from what I've seen. I bought Mastercraft Avenger G/T tires for my Buick Roadmaster. But I looked at the Cooper Cobra G/T and the only difference I saw was the name. The script font and size along with the tread are identical. The only real reason I went with the Mastercraft is because of the price and the word 'Master'craft on a Roadmaster made me smile😊
They're almost identical because Mastercraft Tires is a subsidiary brand of Cooper Tire & Rubber.
Interesting video. I'd be more curious what tires are actually made in a USA factory even if they are foreign owned company. FWIW, I usually go to tirerack to compare price and ratings then buy locally.
Many are made in USA but Goodyear and Cooper make the most in USA
Sorry, but Hoosier Racing Tire is a subsidiary of Continental AG, and has been for the better part of a decade now.
Great video, Jon!! Ive always been a guy that mulls over tires before i buy..lol. I am NEVER hesitant to go with Michelin; they are my first choice. But, im not going to put them on a car that i do not plan on keeping for the life of the tires, or if i believe the tires will outlast the car.
Ive had very good luck with Cooper, Firestone, Michelin, and uniroyal. However, i will Never again buy a Goodyear or Goodrich brand. Both have been miserable tires from my experience..
Back a few years ago... from 2010 to 2017, i was a new Phord salesman. They always put the Hankook on the Explorers... like the one you own. They even put those trash tires on the $60k sport models. Nobody ever got more than 25,000 miles from those things...imagine plopping down 60 grand for a car, and the manufacturer puts the worst tire thwy can find on it...THEN, they would put a nice set of coopers on the econo-box Focus...another reason i hate the Phord motor company.
Right now, my truck has Firestone Desination LT, they have been very good... even up here in snowy ohio winters. Both of my cadillacs have michelins. Both my 71, and 75 Imperials have Firestone... and i JUST bought Dunlops for my Honda Goldwing motorcycle. Coincidently enough,,,, the dunlops have "made in USA" molded right into the tire.... with an American flag, even! Haha.
I just stay away from the chineese brands... ive seen and heard of too many accidents and failures caused by them.
Ive also owned General tires in the past and was very happy with them as well!
I’m really enjoying the Goodyear Assurance Comfort Drive tires on my Subaru Crosstrek. Quieter and with better wet and winter (southeastern USA so not much real winter here) weather performance than the stock Falken tires that came on the vehicle when I bought it.
Odd story here, company I drive for had a set of General tires and despite not knowing how long they lasted, they seemed to ride and handle better than the Firestones we have on our other vehicles.
I buy my tires based on performance ratings and reviews.
My BMW has Federal 595 RSR’s they arent DOT approved because they’re a track tire. But wow! They grip like glue in the twisties!
My 86 Bronco had 35” General Grabber Mud Terrains. Awesome on and off road tire!
I believe Yokohama makes its tire in the U.S. - I always found that interesting. I love Coopers, but they quit making the 15" (plus1) for my Mustang, going one size wider using the same wheels gave me a lot better handling and braking - currently I run Generals -
IMO, brand loyalty can be exploited by the manufacturer who can bank on customers coming back without questioning and not bother with quality. I suspect that contributed to American automotive malaise in the late 70's and 80's.
I've become increasingly loyal to quality the older I get. Younger me was loyal only to initial cost. I went as cheap as possible and kept paying the price in the long run- you get what you pay for. At this point I don't take into account where corporate headquarters is.
With tires, I go with mileage- like most of the poll respondents. My "ranked choice" puts traction as the second factor, and cost being third/last; the manufacturer does not matter to me- though I respect those who feel otherwise.
Cute tidbit at the end... though I might make a fine point of pointing out that the question as posed was "what is the #1 tire company" as opposed to "who manufactures the most". Lego is a toy, not tire company. Still an interesting bit of trivia.
You might just have me there on the wording of my trivia question. However, as it was just a fun tidbit, I won't sweat it too much! :)
It's all good. I make far worse mistakes than that myself.
For whatever it's worth I find your channel to be one of the better ones out there. Your subject matter is interesting and you present it very well.
You want a good tire brand. This is a mechanic opinion. Hankook they have great performance for the price they are I think Korean or at least in the region of the earth. I have them on my truck and they are a better tire than the goodyears that I bought the truck with.
I have used Cooper A/T tires on my trucks for decades. Yokohama makes the bespoke tire for my Lotus.
Have had nothing but trouble with Cooper and their subsidiaries.
Cool video. I should’ve known the answer for the trivia because I’ve read it somewhere but I wasn’t thinking outside the box and I was sure the answer was Sumitomo. lol.
Oh, fun fact. Mr Ishibashi of Bridgestone used to go to the same church in Tokyo at the same time my mom used to go to way back when. I’m not sure if he’s still Christian though.
Cooper tires here on my truck, I bought them strictly on how they looked and a larger load rating. On our Subaru, I buy the cheapest lowest milage tires I can find. Any tire on our Outback always has worn very even over the years and miles and usually lasts for 70 or 80 thousand miles no matter what tire we use. ---- I do understand the story of how cheap shoes cost more than expensive ones over the long run as a comparison.
Today I only buy Good Year, I do road racing all the time and Goodyear makes the best track tires by far, the Michelins fall apart and offer poor traction, I have never had a Good Year tire fall apart, we have the Goodyear triple tread on both the Cutlass and the Impala, the tires on the Cutlass have 125,000 miles on them, and the Impala 108,000, nothing else comes close, the only real American tire company.
I have a set of Nokian & I’ve owned serval sets & they heald up well
Is Uniroyal still in business?
Bought by Michelin
Depending on the region of the world, a Uniroyal can be a product of either Michelin Group or Continental AG.
I used to buy only Michelin because they lasted more miles. That may or may not still be true.
Depends on type- OEM’s are cheap, don’t last
Whatever happened to Uniroyal?
Bought by Michelin
@AllCarswithJon Depends on the region of the world. They're a Michelin Group brand in North America, but owned by Continental AG in Europe.
I did do survey but cant remember what i choose but i have tyre dealerships preferences who ever gives me good service n looks after my vehicles. I got angry one time when kid instead dropping tailgate to access the tyre he lifted out of the bed n roll the tyre down my tailgate. This ute is my Sunday drive n with 300hp I very selective with tyres, I went Bridgestone because they are on HSV performance cars/utes. I dont mileage but have road holding especially in the rain. I had similar ute but V6 n went cheaper tyres while i got good mileage the trade off was road holding again in the rain. Off road you have becare full as i got cheap Bridgestone stones n brake ripping rubber out of centres, 3 months old n no dealership wasnt going off free replacement. The better replacement tyres cost $15 more, i got better mileage n handling when came back for replacement the dealership was trying offer cheap ones that i originally had problems with. I always ask around especially mechanics n tyre fitters their choice.
I go with Bridgestone/Firestone because I like the local Firestone shop plus I have their credit card. 6 months 0% Interest is nice. I did have General Tires for a few years as well.
Interesting you bring that up. I've had poor service from Firestone tires (although I really want to like them) so when I buy tires it's from a Tire Rack or Discount Tire. BUT, when I need other 'tire work' done, like fixing a flat, etc., I much prefer our local Firestone shop.
America is no longer a heavy manufacturing country. I have had good luck with Goodyear Assurance tires.
Great Video Jon, thanks………..just sub’d cause we think alike! I’ve used Coopers for years and loved them. The last ones I bought (second set for my suv) were made in Mexico…..I looked at the ones I was replacing, same size, model, ratings…….but said made in USA…..
And……I have bought more expensive tires in the past and also had them fail before wearing out………I used to buy from Discount Tire Direct (no local Discount Tire near me) and found recently that they merged with Tire Rack…….
One more thing for you to check out…….I suspect that different manufacturers have some of their tire sizes, models made by other companies, therefore not having to buy additional molds……
P.S. I replace my tires well before they wear to the point they won’t pass inspection…….
I’ll be watching!
Smart, I do the same, not taking a chance
I’ve got Goodyear tires on my Explorer so I’m all good and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Tho for the tires I honestly didn’t know, guess I was lucky but if I wasn’t I’d switch. Unfortunately I don’t think many people care, it’s a me first society we live in and anyway tires are a small part of it all, having American tires on a Toyota or Kia is useless, regardless where those cars are assembled, the company that benefits is abroad. Buying American cars in America should be a no brainer for a majority of people and parts would go along but it’s not the case, there are always people to say they choose what’s cheaper even if this cheaper is foreign and buying foreign the very reason they have to buy cheap. People are… well, they are
Yep, I voted “whatever is on sale” for the tire poll because we’re such cheapskates. lol! We have always used cheaper brands like Dunlop and Falken in Japan. We tried the higher mileage rated Bridgestones and like with your experience, the expensive ones just seem like a ripoff. So kept to the cheap ones like Falken that at least say “made in Japan” for quality assurance (because we don’t get discount American brands like Cooper and Japanese make decent tires too).
I didn’t know Dunlop name was owned by Goodyear because Sumitomo makes most of the Dunlop tires, or so I thought.
I didn't dig too deep into it (wasn't the point of the video) but I was surprised at the number of tire brands that are owned by separate companies depending on where they're sold. Goodyear owns the Dunlop name in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, whereas Sumitomo has the brand in Japan, Latin America, Asia and Africa.... and coincidentally the Goodyear name in Japan!
@AllCarswithJon Yeah that is surprising. Seems like tire brands are just brands of the dominant manufacturer of that region.
The best tires I could buy for my Trabant 601 are made in England. So that's what I got.
I have Falken tyres on my car right now. I wanted all-seasons for my wheel size, and the choice was Goodyear or Falken. I've been running Goodyears previously, but the Falken ones were recommended to me, and I would probably have chosen them anway as there aren't US American but German, as far as I can tell.
While Falken makes tires in various locations around the world this company was formed in Japan in the early 1980s.
@@richardbrown3069 Thanks!
@MartinIbert Falken Tire is currently a brand of Sumitomo Rubber Industries, having been originally founded by Ohtsu Rubber & Tire as their performance brand.
Thanks guys for setting me straight on that. I still like the Falken tyres on my car, be they Japanese or German.
I also want a sturdy tire where the side wall won't blow out. That's a lot of China tires with side wall blow outs.
Goodyear owns Mickey Thompson, Avon too. Most of their tires are made here and Canada with a small number of the value models from Chile.
This is nothing new Firestone, General, and BFG were sold out years ago.
Even Hoosier is now a German brand owned by Continental.
A lot of those brands were acquired through the Cooper acquisition, and Cooper sources a lot of tires from China.
Good for you. Thanks
I like General tires, at least for 4WD.
Nokian is a foreign brand I actually like but that's it. Michelin makes some decent tries but why buy them when you can buy American (Goodyear)
Goodyear and Cooper are the only ALL American tires.
Good info. & vid 😊
Thanks!
What about GOODRICH?
Michelin Group of France.
American made is more important to me than American Tire Brands. Goodyear's aren't all made here. Cooper's are designed in India...
Hankook are decent tires. Kooky name and decently priced too.
2:13 Bridgestone Firestone makes great tires. Who cares what country the tires are made in? As long as the tires are good; that's all I care about.
It would be nice to buy tires made by Americans by an American company but at the end of the tire, what's I want the most is safety, reliability, longevity, and handling
Gislaved is Swedish.
They're a brand of Continental AG.
i only buy cooper tires
Cooper or Goodyear
Michelin for years
"I buy American Brands" and he is pointing to a honda accord....