Whether you’re commuting to work or heading off-road, both the Firestone Destination XT and the Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3 are designed to provide exceptional performance and comfort. But which one comes out on top? Let’s compare and see.
Being a tire engineer from my perspective the Firestone Destination XT features a superior on-road grip when it comes wet and snowy pavements. And off-road it provides better mud, sand and rocky terrain traction. The Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3 on the other hand, is much better in terms of dry traction, noise dampening, and fuel economy. Moreover, although by a slight margin, it also gives you longer tread life.
Sizes Facts
The Firestone Destination XT offers following specs.
- Sizes come in 15 to 20 inches (wheel diameter).
- Speed ratings: R and S.
- Load ratings: Only C and E.
- Weight range: 35 to 60 lbs.
- Tread depth range: 14 to 17/32″.
- Treadwear warranty: 50k miles.
The Bridgestone Dueler Revo 3, on the other hand, comes in 16 to 20 inches rim diameters, having following specs.
- Speed ratings: S, R, and T.
- Load ratings: SL, C and E.
- Weight range: 30 to 60 lbs.
- Tread depth range: 12/32″ to 16/32″.
- Warranty: 60k miles (for non-LT sizes only).
- Winter ratings: Not rated with 3PMSFR (like seen on Destination X/T).
Tread Structure
The Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3 has 4 circumferential ribs, with the inner two featuring thicker lugs.
The inner fat ribs are actually made of a single, uniquely shaped block that has deep notches, siping, and biting edges on the sides.
These ribs form curved inner longitudinal channels, while the outer ribs are (somewhat) straighter.
Despite its aggressive appearance, the tire has a road-oriented structure, with firm directional reinforced foundations under the tread blocks which helps on highways.
Furthermore, its shoulder lugs are also very tightly packed and have small lateral grooves that are not full depth, due to the continuous secondary layers underneath.
Moreover, these blocks have serrated outer edges, and they connect with sidewall lugs (which are very thin, comparatively).
On the other hand, the Firestone seems to have been designed with better off-road traction in mind.
The shoulder lugs, while primarily intended for snow, also have a blocky design, that works well on pavements, where their wider tread voids self clean on dirt filled tracks as well.
Moreover, their outer staggered edges, and U shaped sidewall lugs supply amazing rock climbing abilities too.
The central ribs contain F and S shaped lugs.
They all carry all sorts of biters, including snow vices which are clearly seen in the image (sharp saw tooth biters on outer ribs, facing shoulder lugs).
And unlike the shoulders, they features interlocking (wave-like) siping pattern on them.
Directional Grip
This grip is calculated with stopping distances (from a specified speeds, I use 50mph). And it’s judged by considering the central section of the tread, as that makes the most (solid) connection with the surface.
That’s why with a greater footprint availability, the Bridgestone Dueler A/T supplies better grip here.
The Firestone Destination X/T on the other hand, features an interlocking structure of S and F shaped blocks, forming wider tread voids in between, so it can’t offer similar rubber to road contact, relatively.
Dry Handling
In terms of handling, the Firestone XT gets to have same problem. Its wider tread voids between the shoulder lugs don’t offer a good enough connectivity between the tread and the road.
(I am considering shoulders here, as during cornering, the weight on the tire shifts towards edges).
Moreover, it’s pliable tread compound is also causing slower handling times. During turns, they are more prone to bending, which produces over and under steering, as a result.
The Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3 on the other hand, features a continuous running shoulder rib, and so it’s contact with the road is more stable. This allows for superior steering sensitivity as a result.
Wet Traction
Optimal wet traction is only possible with effective water evacuation, which is facilitated by sipes and the grooves.
Most of the water is thrown out with the help of channels (tread voids), while some left over comes directly in contact with the lugs, which are cleared off with sipes.
Sipes are just slits which soak up water particles by expanding (throwing air out, and creating negative pressure).
That’s why the Firestone Destination X/T with more of those, combined with a softer, and “flexible” tread, supplies superior wiping abilities.
Moreover, it’s sipes (in the middle) are also better structured, forming an interlocking pattern (which are more effective).
The Bridgestone Dueler A/T on the other hand, lacks with it’s harder tread composition, and rectilinear sipes.
Moreover, with it’s packed up shoulder lugs and longitudinally arranged ribs, it can’t evacuate as much water out, sideways, as its counterpart.
Fuel Consumption
Even though both tires show up with minor difference, its still imperative to analyze their performance for long-term benefits.
But what impact’s tire’s fuel efficiency, well, there are primarily two main factors here, tire’s weight and tread composition.
Although both tires come up with similar weighing sizes (on average), with softer compound, the Firestone Destination X/T shows up with lacking MPGs.
This is because, as mentioned in the handling section above, it’s lugs are more prone to bending, so they stick on the surface with greater force, consuming more energy compared to a more stable Dueler Revo 3.
Tread Life
Tread wear is affected by a lot of factors, though out of them, the most important ones include tire’s rolling resistance and structure.
There are basically 2 things involved here.
- Tread burning rate.
- And tread burning time.
And Firestone X/T is lacking in both.
It’s softer tread burns faster, and it’s overall shallower tread depth (on average), gets down to 2/32″ of legal tread-depth-limit faster.
The Dueler A/T Revo 3 does the opposite, that’s why its tread wear warranty is also 10k miles greater, comparatively.
On-Road Noise
Tread noise is although dependent on a lot of factors, it’s mostly generated with air particles, hitting the walls of the tread.
And since most of that air comes through the shoulder grooves, the Bridgestone Dueler A/T with its super closed up lugs there, restrict a lot of it.
Moreover, it’s tread is also less deflecting, so it also generates lower groove resonance.
Some rubber compounds are not so great at soaking up the noise energy, and so they deflect more of the generated noise, creating echoing. Firestone Destination X/T is one of those tires.
And since it shoulder voids are much more spacious, its generates a lot more of that noise to begin with.
Winter Traction
The Bridgestone Dueler AT although does not come with 3 peak mountain snowflake rating, it’s performance is worth noting, still.
This rating, like some folks think isn’t a true measure of tire’s handling and cornering abilities on snowy roads. It just tells you about the tire’s acceleration performance. I discussed it in detail here.
The tire offers a lot of biters in the form of in-groove notches, sharp edges (on outer circumferential grooves), and thick siping, and all of them supply ample snow gripping capabilities.
Though overall the Firestone Destination X/T with it’s interlocking structure and snow vices everywhere still remains unbeatable in this department, relatively.
Off Road Traction
Off road covers a lot of variations, so it’s best we sort out this section in to different types of terrains. Let’s see how well both of these tires perform in each of them.
On Mud
On mud you need scooping tread blocks, and evacuating tread voids.
And it’s pretty much out there, why Firestone Destination X/T is better on this terrain type.
It’s interlocking structure offers a lot of pathway variations for the thick mud to escape, and it’s staggered shoulders, combined with sidewalls account for the needed paddling.
The Dueler Revo 3 on the other hand, with it’s longitudinally packed ribs restrict mud-flow from moving out laterally, so it lacks here comparatively.
On Rocks
Rocky terrains include a lot of variations on it’s on.
In terms of gravel and dirt, the Destination X/T features superior efficacy, even though both tires are missing with stone ejectors.
And in terms of climbing rocks, it’s greater number of biters, and softer tread account for providing multiple gripping angles.
Moreover, it’s sidewall lugs supply you with extra footprint which yields superior traction on slopes as well.
The Bridgestone Dueler A/T on the other hand, although offers decent biters in the middle, offering directional climb, it’s less aggressive sidewall lugs can’t produce as much lateral gripping as its competitor.
On Sand
Sand grip is also seen better on Destination XT. This is because, for one, it’s tread is softer, so it molds better with this soft terrain.
Two, it’s edges are not as biting, so it’s not as susceptible to digging.
And three, it features thicker U shaped sidewall lugs which spread out and increase the overall width of the tire allowing for better floating, which is exactly what makes sand traction.
That’s why digging is your worst enemy here.
The Dueler AT Revo 3 on the other hand, comes with a stiffer compound, and it’s sharper sides tend to dig in more, so its overall sand traction is not on par to it’s counterpart.
Conclusion
So as discussed above in detail, both tires have their good and bad.
The Firestone X/T comes with a malleable compound providing you with greater wet road stability and traction, and staying soft on snowy terrains (featuring 3 peak mountain snowflake rating unlike its competitor).
Moreover it’s off-road traction is also superior, as seen in almost all terrain types.
The Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3, in comparison, provides better dry traction, and steering response, and supplies you with a much quieter ride. Moreover, it’s fuel and tread economy is also seen slightly better.
I ran both the Revo 3 and the Destination XT. Between the two these tires do not compare.
The Revo 3 did ok in the first 5,000 miles. After that it lost a lot of wet traction. Winter traction wasn’t impressive either(then again it’s not a snow tire) for an All-Terrain.
The Destination XT is an excellent tire. When compared to it’s competition (BFG KO2, General Grabber ATX, Falken Wildpeak, etc) it’s lighter when looking at the same size and load rating. Overall traction both On and Off-road have been great including winter traction. So far I have ran it on 3 different vehicle’s and I have been happy with them. Definitely a great tire to consider!!
Thanks for sharing Chris.