Pros
- Exceptional ride quality over smaller and larger imperfections
- Low tread noise for a comfortable ride
- Very good traction, grip, and braking on dry roads
- Good handling in the rain
- Outstanding treadlife and very long treadwear warranty
- Good snow traction for an all-season tire
- Fair price
Cons
- Long stopping distances on wet roads
- It doesn’t feel very responsive and agile
- It doesn’t absorb large potholes as good as other grand-touring tires
All-season tires are by far the most popular type in the US since they offer excellent durability, good overall traction, and high levels of comfort.
Ask professional drivers, though, and they’ll tell you that all-season tires are very compromised, especially when compared to regular summer and winter tires.
In other words, they are a compromise in both situations – you’ll never get the best performance.
However, things are changing for the better in recent years. There are numerous high-performance all-season tires that stick to the road very well in the summer, but also “all-weather” tires, a variation of all-season tires that offer better winter traction.
These tires usually have the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) symbol, which signifies that the model meets some previously defined criteria for longitudinal traction on snow and ice.
The BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport is a regular grand-touring all-season tire made for the general public, focusing on enhanced grip and traction.
The American tiremaker is very popular among SUV and truck drivers, primarily thanks to its outstanding lineup of all-terrain and off-road tires, which are in a category of their own.
But how does a BFGoodrich grand-touring all-season/all-weather tire compare against the premium competition?
We’ll put the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport through its paces to answer that question and give you a definitive answer.
Notably, we’ll cover every area that we deem important for this type of tire and passenger-car drivers in general.
Let’s dig into the matter in the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport review and see if the Advantage T/A Sport is good enough to be your next traveling companion!
Contents
Specifications and Maintenance Indicators
The BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport is an all-season grand-touring tire available in rim sizes ranging from 15’’ to 18’’.
With these sizes, BFGoodrich covers subcompact, compact, and mid-size cars, including sedans, minivans, and even some crossovers. The tire is available in T, H, and V-speed ratings.
BFGoodrich provides a 70,000-mile treadwear warranty on T-speed rated models, and 60,000-miles on H and V-speed rated models. That’s an outstanding warranty for the price, comparable to the best tires in the category.
Besides, owners of the tire are very pleased with how long it lasts.
You can monitor the tread depth of the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport using the industry-standard tread wear indicators (TWIs).
These are narrow rubber bars that sit recessed into the tread grooves. As the tire wears down, the TWIs will become more visible, and when the tread depth reaches 2/32 inches, they will be completely flush with the surface.
When the tire reaches that point, you should immediately replace it since it doesn’t have enough tread depth for safe driving on wet roads. It’s also illegal in most places.
Features and Performance of the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport
BFGoodrich markets the Advantage T/A Sport as an all-season all-purpose tire for passenger cars and puts an accent on agile handling and outstanding treadlife.
1. Handling and Steering Feel
“Sport” is one of the strongest marketing words globally. Put it on any product you can imagine, be it an energy bar, sneakers, cars, SUVs, or even tires, and people will buy into it.
That’s precisely why BFGoodrich has put that word into its latest grand-touring all-season tire.
Now, we don’t have a problem with words, but we definitely have a problem with how people perceive them.
The BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport is not a high-performance tire; hence there is nothing sporty about it. That is, of course, if your idea of “Sport” is a relaxed ride on the highway.
But how does that translate into real-world driving? Well, for starters, the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport is not nearly as responsive as an enthusiast driver would want. There is a perceived delay when you turn the steering wheel, and the vehicle turns into the corner.
For daily driving, this is a non-issue, but don’t expect to particularly enjoy driving on twisty roads.
If you want more agile handling, we suggest going for the Michelin CrossClimate 2 and Vredestein Quatrac 5. Or, go for a high-performance tire for an even bigger difference.
2. Dry Road Holding
For dry grip and traction, BFGoodrich incorporated an advanced all-season compound, molded into a symmetrical design.
Furthermore, the tiremaker used its proprietary Next Generation ETEC (Equal TEnsion Containment) System, which optimizes the footprint of the tread, delivering greater highway stability and cornering grip.
So, how does that translate into the real world? For most drivers, the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport handles absolutely fine.
It accelerates with ease, provides a good cornering grip, and always stops on time. In other words, you and your family will be completely safe.
However, you should refrain from pushing it too hard through the corners.
It’s a grand-touring all-season tire, after all, meaning it’s not designed for performance driving. Thus, it will lose traction sooner, especially when driven very fast.
Overall, though, the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport is among the safest tires in its category on dry roads, comparable to the best premium models.
3. Traction, Grip and Hydroplaning Resistance in Rainy Conditions
Wet roads are still a big issue safety-wise, with most traffic accidents happening when it rains. For that reason, tiremakers invest a lot into making their products better for rainy conditions.
BFGoodrich employed a full-depth tread pattern with large circumferential grooves, Aqua-Flume grooves, and its 3D Active Sipe Technology to channel water and combat hydroplaning.
The result is a mixed bag, though. In isolation, the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport feels fine in the rain, but try any of its closest competitors, and you’ll immediately see it’s far behind.
Simply put, there is not enough longitudinal traction, meaning your SUV will struggle to accelerate, especially if it doesn’t have AWD, and the stopping distances will be longer.
Not as long as some cheaper alternatives, but a step behind the premium competition.
The tire feels much better through the corners, with secure handling in the wet.
Overall, the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport should be fine for a regular drive on wet roads. However, if it often rains in your area, we suggest going for the Vredestein Quatrac 5.
4. Winter Traction and Braking
The 3D Active Sipe Technology might not have helped much for wet roads, but it works wonders over the snow. Sure, the tread compound also helps here, but who cares as long as the tire handles well?
And, the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport really does work on snow. It’s still not on the level of a proper winter tire, but better than most all-season tires.
Overall, you can expect good longitudinal traction, shorter stopping distances, and better handling.
The same doesn’t apply for icy roads, though, where the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport still struggles.
For extreme wintry conditions, and proper winter tire is a must.
5. Should You Go Off-Road With It?
BFGoodrich might be famous for its all-terrain and off-road tires, but we see nothing from those models here.
The tread pattern is simply not aggressive enough, meaning the tire won’t provide you with meaningful traction.
In addition, the internal construction isn’t very tough, and the carcass isn’t cut-and-chip resistant.
Comfort and Noise
The first thing that most drivers notice when they put new tires on their vehicles is the noise performance. If a certain model is noisy, you’ll immediately be able to tell – you don’t need a lot of experience.
So, how does the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport handle noise? Pretty good, actually. It’s not the quietest tire we’ve tested, but it’s still good enough.
There is a slight tread growl on rough patches, but nothing out of the ordinary. This is especially true on modern SUVs, which have much better sound insulation and mostly alleviate the issue.
Overall, the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport is one of the quietest grand-touring tires out there.
But what about comfort? Well, for that, it’s the suspension in your vehicle that makes the biggest difference, but tires play a role, too. And, as far as rubber goes, this is one of the most comfortable tires in its category.
The BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport absorbs smaller imperfections with ease, making the ride airplane-like.
It doesn’t iron out larger bumps and potholes with the same success, but it’s still very good. an area where most tires usually struggle.
The same attributes apply on the highway, where this model provides one of the smoothest and most relaxed rides you can have in this category.
Overall, despite the “Sport” moniker in the tire’s name, we were very pleased with how comfortable it is.
Noise is not an issue, particularly on modern, and the tire absorbs most imperfections on the road with ease.
Hence, if you want the most relaxed ride, we think you should go for this tire.
You can see more BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport review here: Video created by Zack Alger
Final Words
The BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport is a fine tire overall. It is safe to drive on dry roads and provides a boost in the winter compared to regular all-season tires.
Wet braking isn’t its forte, but it’s still better than some cheaper alternatives in that regard.
Besides, BFGoodrich offers an excellent treadwear warranty, despite keeping it affordable for most people.
Should you buy it? Well, it depends. If you are in the market for a super-comfortable tire that will work in most conditions and won’t break the bank, the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport is a good solution.
It’s not without its faults, but few tires are. Hence, we think that you should put it into consideration the next time you shop for tires.
I’m Ivo Gievski, the content writer for Tireer. We built our website with over 15 years of experience and extensive research in the automotive and technology sectors. My dedication to delivering high-quality content is unwavering, and I strive to continuously hone my skills to stay ahead of industry trends and provide readers with informative, engaging, and valuable insights.