I am have been researching S and T-rated tires for my Chevy Impala and want to buy tires made in the USA. My experience with Goodyear tires is that they are overpriced and develop problems, like radial pull, over time. Cooper (and their associated brands) have had too many recalls for safety reasons. Bridgestone/Firestone is out of the question also as I have had 2 failures of the Bridgestone tires I currently have on the car. Have any of you used BFG Momentum or Control Plus tires and, if so, what has been your experience? Any other alternatives/suggestions would be appreciated. I really want to support American workers and yes I know that BFG is owned by Michelin, a French company. Thanks!
BF Goodrich Momentum
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Other than BF Goodrich (again - owned by Michelin) there is Kelly Tire. Supporting "American workers" is often fairly a matter of diminishing returns. The imported tire you buy probably helps pays more in salaries to American workers along the distribution chain than to the factory workers for a "Made in USA" tire. However - you might be able to find several Michelin tires that are made in their South Carolina plant. However - that's not a given since the same model of Michelin tire might be made in the US, Canada, or France. Unless you go to a tire shop and specifically ask to see where the tire came from, you can't guarantee where the tire was manufactured. I recently bought a set of Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S tires that were made in Canada. Some of them are made in the US.
A BF Goodrich tire won't necessarily be American. I've found that a great many of their tires are made in Asia now - primarily Thailand and Malaysia. BTW - I'm not sure what the "Momentum" is. It sounds like one of those limited distribution tires that they might sell to only a few retailers. I looked it up, and mostly it seems to be sold primarily by GM dealerships.
A BF Goodrich tire won't necessarily be American. I've found that a great many of their tires are made in Asia now - primarily Thailand and Malaysia. BTW - I'm not sure what the "Momentum" is. It sounds like one of those limited distribution tires that they might sell to only a few retailers. I looked it up, and mostly it seems to be sold primarily by GM dealerships.
y_p_w: Thanks for your response. Kelly tires have a pretty good reputation but their line has not been updated in years although I heard that some new tires may be coming out in 2007. I was sorry to hear that BFG is outsourcing their tires to Asia. The Momentum is a limited distribution tire that is sold by selected dealers that carry Michelin/BFG/Uniroyal tires. I guess I will have to go to some tire dealers and lay eyes on prospects before I make my decision.
Control Plus tire is a decent tire that does all things OK. Not familiar with Momentum either but might be a Revelation(Sears) type thing. If it is cheaper than unless you just need basic tires and it all you can afford at the time I would at least go with Control Plus. If you can get them I love my Traction TA's.
It's probably an OEM-style tire made for low rolling resistance to increase EPA mileage estimates.
Like you acknowledged, the BF Goodrich brand is owned by Michelin. They own several plants around the world, including Thailand. I would guess the BFG branded tires made in Thailand are made to a very high standard. This isn't "outsourcing" in the traditional sense where a company contracts out to other manufacturing companies. These are likely well-trained Michelin employees using advanced manufacturing equipment under the supervision of European supervisors. Part of the reason they want to be in Asia is because it's a growing source of sales and could be a huge potential market.
Oh - I didn't paint the whole picture of Michelin's presence in the US. They have 14 plants in six states.
I have put on Michelins from Italy, hungary(i think), canada, mexico, brazil, france, spain, USA. On and on.
Some tires from the same line have certain sizes made here some there. And the best part is that they all have some of the most consistent construction in the world. They have the least amount of run-out on average and require the least amount of weight of any manufacturers tires and that applies for their entire line. The BFGoody stuff is catching up and you can see the similarities in construction and design.
My favorite tires by far.
Some tires from the same line have certain sizes made here some there. And the best part is that they all have some of the most consistent construction in the world. They have the least amount of run-out on average and require the least amount of weight of any manufacturers tires and that applies for their entire line. The BFGoody stuff is catching up and you can see the similarities in construction and design.
My favorite tires by far.
The BFGoody stuff is catching up and you can see the similarities in construction and design.
My favorite tires by far.
It is good to know that that quality of BFG has increased under Michelin ownership. Years ago I used BFG Touring T/A tires on a Ford Probe and had some balancing problems. I took them to a specialist shop and they broke down 2 of the tires and remounted them and balanced all 4 tires on the car with a Hunter machine. The owner told me that although BFG was owned by Michelin at that time the newer technology had not trickled down to all of their lines.
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