Goodyear and Michelin are among the top revenue-raking tire manufacturers globally, and also among the ones that have been around the longest.
Goodyear went into business in 1898 and is the largest manufacturer out of the U.S. Michelin, on the other hand, was started just short of a decade earlier, in 1889, and remains the largest European-based manufacturer, with its headquarters in France.
The two manufacturers produce a wide range of tires across all categories, and both have solid industry reputation. Therefore, to establish which of the two is the preferable tire maker, we would have to perform a more detailed pick-and-choose operation by going into the specific categories of wheels.
This is exactly what we seek to do in this comparative article, to help you make out the better superlative when choosing wheels for your car with the nameplate in mind.
Summer Tires:
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric vs. Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
These two tires lead the pack in the summer tire category. Both wheels feature a sporty look with thin sidewalls — just what a sporty tire should look like.
While Michelin tires generally edge most Goodyear tires in the wear aspect, not so with the Eagle F1 asymmetric. The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric is proven to wear out just as slowly and evenly.
The Goodyear provides a more dynamic feel to driving, which enhances the sporty driving experience, while the Michelin makes for a more predictable driving.
The Eagle F1 Asymmetric delivers better steering precision on the road, is quieter and provides better comfort, while the Pilot Sport PS2 provides better grip on dry roads.
The Pilot Sport PS2, on the other hand, provides the better price bargain of the two tires, nearly one-third cheaper than the Eagle F1 Asymmetric.
Recommendation: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric.
All-Season Tires:
Goodyear Assurance TripleTred vs. Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 Plus
Most drivers want a tire that can perform well all year round, without the need to replace them when they experience changing inclement weather seasons.
With this in mind, many tire makers develop and equip tires capable of versatility in dry pavements, off roads, highways, and city roads, in summer, and winter, and everything between.
Goodyear’s Assurance TripleTred wheels and Michelin’s Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires are the best wheels from the respective manufacturers in the Ultra High Performance All-Season category.
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ slightly edges the Goodyear Assurance Tripletred in performance on both dry and wet surfaces. It provides better handling and comfort, and is also a lot quieter than the Assurance Tripletred.
The Pilot Sport A/S 3+ is also the longer lasting of the two wheels, providing more mileage for the money thanks to its durable components, but it is also pricier.
Goodyear’s Assurance Tripletred, though, is the more versatile of the two, easily fitting in SUV’s, light trucks, and other larger automobiles, whereas the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S is confined to smaller automobiles such as sedans and sport cars.
Recommendation: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 Plus.
All-Terrain Tires:
Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac vs. Michelin LTX A-T2
Spotting a rugged pattern design for the most challenging of road surfaces, Goodyear and Michelin’s best all-weather, all-terrain wheels are true performers on the road.
The Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac, though, is the clear winner of this duel. It has superior traction in both dry and wet surfaces. It also provides a firm grip and steering response in snowy conditions a lot better than the LTX A-T2.
The LTX A-T2 is one of the leading premium wheels by the manufacturer in this category. It is notably durable due to its solid construction. In addition to its long tread life, it provides general comfort, particularly in vibration and noise reduction, which are essential when driving in rough terrain. For driving on gravel road surfaces, the LTX A-T2 wheels are the more preferred option.
Recommendation: Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac.
Winter Tires:
Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT (SUV/CUV) vs. Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2
Of all the inclement weather conditions that hamper driving, winter has the most impact on your driving experience. This is why many manufacturers design wheels primarily meant for driving in the harsh winter conditions.
Goodyear’s studless Ultra Grip Ice WRT (SUV/CUV) tire provides Ultra High Performance in all weather conditions with no real weakness.
It’s enhanced to deal particularly with the challenging conditions posed by winter climate, rolling well on highways, city roads, and freeways with ice, slush, or snow. It provides exceptional comfort and handling in winter without sacrificing on performance.
Its challenger, the Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2 edges the Goodyear in dry driving and fuel efficiency, as well as in rolling nice and quiet on the road — but only slightly. It, however, is rather disappointing in snow.
Both premium tires retail at good prices, but once more, the Goodyear beats the Michelin on tread wear, adding to its overall likeability aspects.
Recommendation: Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT (SUV/CUV).
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Run Flat Tires:
Goodyear Eagle LS-2 ROF vs. Michelin Primacy MXM4 ZP
The idea of safely continuing with your driving after a puncture — even though for a relatively short distance — is what makes run flat wheels surge in popularity in recent years.
Evidently, you wouldn’t expect these tires to get you through tough conditions on the road, and especially on snow and ice. Hence, they are more preferred for use on smoother, dryer road surfaces.
Also, equipping them with components to be able to carry a car’s weight through several dozen miles means that they would have to give up some performance aspects, including comfort, handling, and tread life.
The technological solution for flat tires by Goodyear is Run On Flat, also known as Extended Mobility Technology. This engineering has been used in the production of the EMT variant of the Goodyear Eagle LS-2 tire.
Michelin’s Primacy MXM4 Zero Pressure tire provides competition for our choice of Goodyear run-flat tires, and records better ratings in majority of aspects. These range from better handling and comfort, to lower noise levels in dry and wet conditions.
The two tires post similar tread wear ratings over the course of their relatively shorter tread life.
Recommendation: Michelin Primacy MXM4 ZP.
Sam is Automole’s editor-in-chief and classic car enthusiast. Sam is studying mechanical engineering at Cockrell School of Engineering, Austin. He also writes for many top automotive publications and appears on the Collecting Cars Podcast.
