The AutoGuide Show Apr 27, 2026

Are You Buying the Wrong Tires? An Expert Explains: Ep. 119

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22:58

Term

seatbelt

A seatbelt is a primary safety restraint that reduces injury risk in crashes by keeping occupants secured during sudden deceleration. Proper use matters—seatbelts should be worn low across the hips and snug across the chest.

Company

BF Goodrich

BF Goodrich is a tire company. They make tires designed for off-road driving, and the guest explains what to look for and how to keep those tires in good shape.

Term

off-road tires

Off-road tires are made for rough ground like dirt or mud. They grip better there, but they can be louder and wear differently when you drive mostly on pavement.

Concept

test driving

Test driving isn’t only “taking a car for a spin.” It can mean doing planned driving steps, writing down what you notice, and checking specific things the car does.

Concept

noise and comfort tests

These tests check how loud the car is and how comfortable it feels when you drive. Think “how annoying is the noise” and “does it ride smoothly.”

Term

mountain balance your own tires

Mounting and balancing means putting the tire on the wheel and making sure it spins evenly. If it’s not balanced, you can feel shaking and the tire can wear out faster.

Concept

telematics

Telematics is the car’s “connected” technology—using sensors and a network to share information. In testing, they make sure it sends the right data and works correctly.

Concept

slow speed circles

They drive in tight circles at low speed to test things in a controlled setting. It’s a way to check how systems behave without going fast.

Brand

VFGoodridge

VFGoodrich (spoken as “VFGoodridge”) is a tire brand discussed in the context of product lines. The guest explains that they handle off-road products while another person handles on-road products, implying different tire designs and performance goals by use case.

Concept

on-road products vs off-road products

On-road vs off-road tire categories reflect different priorities: on-road tires typically optimize for quietness, comfort, and wet/dry grip, while off-road tires emphasize traction in loose terrain and durability. The speaker’s split responsibilities highlights that tire design targets change with intended use.

Concept

seasonal switchover

Seasonal switchover is when you switch tires for different seasons. Winter tires are built to grip better in cold, snow, and ice, while summer tires work best in warmer weather.

Term

all-terrain tires

All-terrain tires are made to handle both regular roads and rougher surfaces. The important twist here is that some all-terrain tires can also be good in snow.

Car

TrailTerrain TA

TrailTerrain TA is a VFGoodridge tire meant for mixed driving—regular roads plus light off-road. They’re saying it’s also built to work in snow and on ice.

Car

TrailTerrain TA Plus

TrailTerrain TA Plus is a new VFGoodridge all-terrain tire coming out on June 1st. The hosts are treating it as a winter-capable option, not just a “rough-road” tire.

Car

TA KO3

TA KO3 is a VFGoodridge all-terrain tire that’s been around for a couple of years. They’re saying it’s also designed to handle snow and ice, not just dirt roads.

Term

severe snow certified

“Severe snow certified” refers to tires that meet a recognized standard for winter traction, which in this segment is tied to the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake requirement. It indicates the tire has been tested for performance in snow and on ice, not just general cold-weather suitability.

Term

Three Peak Mountain Snowflake Certification

The Three Peak Mountain Snowflake is a label that means the tire has been tested to work well in winter snow. It’s a quick way to know the tire is meant for cold-weather traction, not just “all-season” marketing.

Term

tire designation on the side

The side of the tire has important labels that tell you what it’s designed for. The hosts are saying to check those labels—some tires aren’t truly winter-ready even if they sound like they are.

Term

fuel economy

Fuel economy is how far you can drive on a gallon of gas. Tire design can change it—some tires roll more easily than others, which can help or hurt efficiency.

Car

TrailTerrain TA+

TrailTerrain TA+ is an all-terrain tire that’s designed to feel more comfortable and quiet on regular roads. It’s suggested for drivers who want some off-road ability but mostly care about day-to-day driving.

Term

sidewall durability

Sidewall durability is how well the tire’s “side” holds up to bumps and scrapes. If you hit potholes, curbs, or rough trails, a tougher sidewall can help prevent damage.

Concept

over-tire their vehicles

“Over-tiring” means buying a tire that’s tougher and more off-road-ready than you actually need. If you mostly drive on pavement, that can be a waste of money (and sometimes the ride gets worse).

Car

2014 Forrester XT

A Subaru Forrester XT is a sportier version of the Forrester. The host is saying that for a mostly on-road lifestyle, a very aggressive off-road tire can be more than you really need.

Car

Forester Subaru Forrester

Car

Forresters

They mean the Subaru Forester. Even though it’s a capable vehicle, the tires you put on it can be the difference between feeling confident on rough roads versus slipping around.

Term

differentials

Differentials split power between wheels (and in some systems, can limit wheel slip), which helps the vehicle maintain traction when conditions change. The speaker uses it as a comparison point: tires often determine how much grip you actually get in the real world.

Term

transmission

The transmission is what helps the car send power to the wheels. They’re saying that even if the car’s drivetrain is good, the tires still matter a lot for real traction.

Term

rugged everything

“Rugged everything” is the trend of making normal cars look and market themselves like they’re ready for rough roads. It also affects what kinds of tires people want to buy.

Car

OEMs

OEMs are the car companies themselves, not aftermarket brands. The point is that manufacturers are starting to make more rugged-looking cars straight from the factory.

Car

Toyota RAV4

They’re using a Toyota RAV4 as an example of a CUV people like. The main benefits they mention are sitting higher, seeing better, and having room for passengers.

Term

trim levels

Trim levels are the different “packages” you can buy for the same model. Higher trims usually add more features, and that can change what kind of driving experience people expect.

Term

CUVs

CUVs means crossover SUVs. They’re kind of in-between a regular car and a full SUV, and many now offer off-road options.

Concept

OEM off-road packages

An OEM off-road package is when the carmaker sells an SUV setup meant for dirt roads and trails. Instead of you modifying it yourself, it comes that way from the factory.

Car

Explorer Tremor

The Ford Explorer Tremor is a more rugged version of the Explorer. It’s meant to handle dirt and rough roads better than a standard trim.

Car

Wilderness Outback

The Subaru Outback Wilderness is a tougher, off-road-ready version of the Outback. It’s designed to be more capable on trails and rough roads without needing aftermarket mods.

Car

Outback Wilderness Outback

Term

aftermarket

The aftermarket is everything you buy to modify a car that isn’t made by the original automaker. In this case, people were adding off-road gear themselves before manufacturers offered it from the factory.

Term

trail terrain plus

“Trail Terrain Plus” sounds like the name of a particular tire product. They’re saying it was designed to balance quiet ride, good efficiency, and real off-road traction.

Term

low noise

Low noise means the tire is designed to make less road noise. That matters because even off-road tires have to be comfortable for everyday driving.

Term

three-peat-mount snowflake

It’s a special winter badge on the tire. If you see it, the tire has been tested to work better in snow than non-winter tires.

Term

TrailTrain Plus

TrailTrain Plus sounds like a tire improvement package. In this discussion, it’s mainly about making the tire grip better in rain.

Term

wet traction

Wet traction is how well the tire can grip on a wet road. Better wet traction means shorter stopping distances and less slipping in rain.

Car

Jeep Wrangler

The Jeep Wrangler is an off-road SUV built for rough terrain. People often choose tough, aggressive tires for it depending on how they drive. That’s why it shows up in conversations about tire choices and traction.

Concept

one-tire solution

It means you buy one tire that can handle a bunch of situations. Instead of switching tires for different weather or driving, you can use the same set year-round.

Brand

BF Goodridge

BF Goodrich is a well-known tire company. They’re famous for tires that can handle rough terrain, but the discussion here is about how many buyers use their tires mostly for daily driving.

Term

KO2

KO2 is the older, long-popular BF Goodrich all-terrain tire. They’re saying it was the default choice for years, and now KO3 is the newer version.

Term

KO3 tire

The question compares a specific tire model (KO3) to a “regular” tire, implying different construction and intended use. In practice, off-road-oriented tires can have deeper tread and different wear behavior, so rotation and alignment care can matter more.

Term

rotate their tires

Rotating tires means swapping them to different wheel positions. It helps them wear more evenly, so they last longer and stay quieter.

Term

rotation patterns

A rotation pattern is the exact order for moving tires around the car. The right pattern depends on whether your car pulls from the front or the rear.

Term

front-wheel-drive

Front-wheel-drive means the front wheels do the work of moving the car. Since they handle more of the driving and steering, they usually wear differently than the rear tires.

Term

rear-wheel-drive

Rear-wheel-drive means the rear wheels do the work of moving the car. Because the rear tires work harder, they can wear differently than the front.

Term

heel-and-toe wear

Heel-and-toe wear is an uneven tread pattern where the tire wears more at the leading edge (“toe”) or trailing edge (“heel”) of the tread. It’s often linked to alignment issues or driving habits (like frequent city stops/turns) and can reduce ride comfort and increase noise.

Term

alignment

Alignment refers to how the wheels are set relative to each other and the road, including angles like camber and toe. If alignment is off, tires can develop uneven wear patterns (like heel-and-toe wear) and may become louder over time.

Term

front steer axle

The front steer axle is the front part of the car that helps you steer. Because it turns more often, the front tires usually show wear issues first.

Term

all-wheel-drive vehicles

All-wheel-drive (AWD) means power can be sent to all four wheels, but steering and braking loads still often fall heavily on the front tires. That’s why rotation still matters for AWD vehicles even if drivers assume the drivetrain will “balance” wear automatically.

Term

weight distribution is still on the front axle

Even with AWD, the vehicle’s mass and the steering/braking forces can be concentrated more on the front axle. That front-heavy load can drive faster wear on front tires, making correct rotation and maintenance crucial.

Term

center differential

On many AWD cars, the center differential helps send power to the front and rear wheels. If your tires wear unevenly, the wheels roll at slightly different speeds, and the drivetrain has to keep compensating.

Term

tire rotation

Tire rotation means moving your tires to different spots on the car. It helps them wear more evenly so you get better traction and longer tire life.

Concept

free rotation

Many tire stores will rotate your tires for free. That makes it easier to keep tires wearing evenly without extra trips or extra cost.

Company

Headlight Restoration and Ceramic Kit

This kit is meant to clean up cloudy, yellow headlights and help protect them afterward. Better clarity can mean brighter, safer night driving.

Company

Chemical Guys

Chemical Guys makes car-care products you can buy to clean and restore things on your vehicle. Here, they’re mentioned for a kit that restores cloudy headlights.

Term

headlights that have gotten very hazy

Headlights get hazy when the clear plastic lens gets worn or oxidized over time. When that happens, the light doesn’t shine as far or as clearly.

Term

no tools

Many headlight kits need tools like sanders or drills. This one is described as being simpler—no tools—so it’s easier for DIYers to use.

Term

swirl motions

They’re describing a simple hand technique: rub the compound in small circles. That helps clean the lens evenly without needing heavy tools.

Term

ceramic sealant

After you clean and polish your headlights, you can add a ceramic coating. It acts like a shield to help keep dirt and water from making the lights look cloudy again.

Car

Chevrolet Camaro

The Chevrolet Camaro is a sporty muscle car. The host is basically saying they’d want a big V8 engine and maybe a manual transmission, because those are part of what many people expect from a Camaro.

Term

V8

A V8 is an engine with eight cylinders. People often want a V8 in muscle cars because it usually delivers strong power and a more classic feel.

Car

Cadillac CT5

The Cadillac CT5 is a luxury sedan, meaning it’s meant to be comfortable and upscale. The podcast mentions a specific look and a supercharged version, which is a way to boost engine power. That’s why it comes up when talking about sporty trims and options.

Car

Chevrolet Corvette

The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car designed for fast, exciting driving. The podcast is talking about whether something the Corvette currently has will continue to be available. That kind of change matters because it affects what buyers can expect from the car.

Concept

mid-engine design

A mid-engine car puts the engine closer to the middle of the vehicle. That can help the car feel steadier and easier to control when you’re turning.

Concept

traditional muscle car

A “traditional muscle car” is the classic American style of car—usually bigger, louder, and built around a powerful V8. The hosts think people want that kind of feel again, not just a sports-car-like experience.

Car

Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang is a sports car that’s built for driving enjoyment. The podcast mentions it in relation to how sales are changing over time. That matters because it shows how popular it remains and how buyers are responding.

Concept

sales slowing down

They’re using sales trends as a clue about what buyers want. If sales slow down, the company may change the car’s style or character to attract more customers.

Car

Dodge Challenger

The Dodge Challenger is a muscle car, meaning it’s designed to feel powerful and fast. The podcast says it kept selling well for a long time while other models changed. That’s why it comes up in a discussion about sales trends.

Concept

larger sedan platform

A “platform” is the car’s basic foundation that other parts are built on. If a Camaro were moved to a bigger sedan-based foundation, it could change how the car rides, handles, and fits its engine and drivetrain.

Brand

Buick

Buick is another General Motors brand. They’re mentioning it to suggest the Camaro could use shared engineering or parts from other GM cars, not be completely unique.

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Hello and welcome to The Auto Guide Show.

This week we talk to BF Goodrich about off-road tires, their boom in popularity,

and some tips for their care.

I restore some headlights and we have our mailbag feature.

First we'll take a quick break and we'll be right back with BF Goodrich.

Okay, welcome back. We have a special guest joining us.

If you could just introduce yourself and what you do.

Hey, Mike. Yeah, I'm Brandon Sturgis and I'm a global product manager for BF Goodrich.

And I manage our off-road tires for the BF Goodrich brand.

And just a little extra tip that I used to be a test driver for BF Goodrich for about 10 years.

So that was my prior role to this one.

That sounds pretty fun. Just get to go test and abuse the tires.

Although I've been to many manufacturers test facilities and it sounds all like,

oh, you're just doing hot laps or climbing mountains.

But there's a lot of work involved in test driving.

I've watched the tediousness of drive two feet stop, record something, drive two feet stop.

That's right. If you don't enjoy note taking, you probably shouldn't try to be a test driver

because you have to make a lot of notes.

And also, you're right. You're not running laps every hot laps, I would say, every single day.

Sometimes you're doing some noise and comfort tests.

Sometimes you're coordinating future tests in the future.

And then sometimes you even have to mountain balance your own tires.

Well, I used to work at OEM and I was doing tests for telematics.

I mean, I wasn't officially test driver, but I was.

But it was a lot of, we had to test everything under three miles an hour and over three miles an hour.

It was a lot of slow speed circles in our back parking lot as we tested every system.

And I had to make sure I kept that car down.

So yeah, it could be some long days sometimes.

For sure.

All right. Well, let's get into tires.

So as you said, you are basically in charge of the product of VFGoodridge.

Is that all products or is it a certain segment with them?

Yeah. So there's actually another guy that I work with.

He handles our VFGoodridge on-road products and then I take care of our off-road products.

So our goal is to make sure that our customers are happy with the products that we have in market.

We are looking to the future.

What are we going to do over the next five years or so?

And we work really closely with our tire designers at our research campus to bring these tires to life.

So being an off-road, this kind of brings me to my first question.

With on-road tires, especially in areas like I live up here in Toronto, seasonal tires make sense.

You have your winters and your summers.

With off-road, it seems less people are inclined to that.

Is it still important to have a seasonal switchover if you live in a very wintery snowy region?

Yeah. I mean, with our all-terrain tires that we have in the VFGoodridge brand,

we have two all-terrain tires, an on-road all-terrain tire called TrailTerrain TA.

Actually soon to be launching our TrailTerrain TA Plus in June on June 1st,

as well as probably the most well-known tire that we have in our lineup, the all-terrain TA KO3 that has been out in market for a couple of years.

Those two tires are actually severe snow certified.

So they do have capabilities in snow and on ice,

and they meet the requirement for certain areas in Canada that do require the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake Certification.

So with off-road tires, we do see a lot of the market really likes a tire that can do a little bit of everything.

And so that's why these tires have that Three Peak Mountain Snowflake Certification,

because when people think of off-roading, I think snow does come to mind,

and they just want to have, I would say, that capability to kind of do a little bit of it all.

And that's why they're buying four-wheel drive SUVs, they're buying four-wheel drive CUVs, four-wheel drive pickup trucks,

because they need that capability when it comes up.

The winter tires are absolutely amazing for really that one condition,

but we see a lot of customers wanting kind of all-around capability, including snow.

Yeah, that's a good point to bring up, because your tires are rated and not all off-road tires are created equal.

Some aren't, so it's important to look for that designation on the side.

You brought up your two lines of the sort of real kind of hardcore off-road and the on-road off-road.

When it comes to deciding between the two, is it what's more important,

the vehicle you're going to put them on, or what the customer plans to do with them?

It's the second one, absolutely. It's really what the customer is looking to do.

It's really the customer's preference. Kind of the easy way to decide, at least between those two tires,

we have obviously more to choose from, but between those two all-terrain tires,

if you're asking questions about fuel economy, noise, comfort, more on-road attributes,

really the on-road all-terrain tire, the TrailTerrain TA+, is really the tire that's really meant for you.

If you are concerned about sidewall durability, toughness, more levels of off-road traction,

that's really where KO3 comes in.

It's not about the vehicle so much, it's more about what the customer needs are,

what your needs are when it's time to purchase a set of tires.

Yeah, that kind of leads to something that I've said before,

I see a lot of people who over-tire their vehicles.

I mean, if you're doing it for looks, I get it, but I have a 2014 Forrester XT,

and KO3s would be a little overkill for anything I'm ever going to do with that high-mileage old vehicle.

I mean, it looked really cool, but is that sort of a common mistake you see sometimes with consumers,

are there other mistakes or misconceptions that they have when buying tires?

And I don't really like to call it a mistake necessarily.

In the end, you make the decision of the set of tires that you want.

And yeah, you're right, some people may think that you've made a mistake

because a set of KO3s on a Forrester is a bit too much,

but if that's what you wanted in the end, that's what you wanted.

And that's why we offer these various options.

We have some sizes in KO3 that would fit on your Forrester as an example.

But really, if you think about, I would say, most consumers who are driving,

and I'm sorry, keep coming back to your vehicles because I think it's a really great example,

most consumers who are driving a Subaru Forrester don't need a KO3.

They're spending more of their time on-road.

They're probably more concerned about those on-road attributes.

And so really a tire like TrailTrain TA Plus would probably be a better solution for them.

Yeah, and I mean, I obviously like the Forresters.

I've owned a couple different Subarus in this one, and they're pretty capable,

but that tire can do so much more than the transmission and differentials

in the Forrester is ever going to be capable of.

So I get it, not being someone who's looking at the sales data like obviously you are,

has there been a spike in specifically your lines in the last couple years?

Because it seems to be this trend right now with rugged everything.

And I mean, OEMs are going rugged right from the factory now.

Yeah, that's a really great call out.

And maybe take it back just to take it back a few years.

I think the main trend that you see in the market is that less and less people are buying cars

and more and more people are buying CUVs.

When you just look at what a CUV can offer, it gives you a little bit of extra capability.

It gives you a little bit of extra room.

I'll use my wife as an example.

She has a Toyota RAV4.

She really likes the seating position of it.

My kids like being able to sit up a little bit and see out of the back windows.

So there's a lot of benefits that people see in CUVs,

and that's why the market has really increased.

So less cars being purchased and more CUVs.

And within a CUV, you have different trim levels.

You can get a base model.

You can get a mid-trim level.

And then historically, you've been able to get a limited or kind of a more luxurious model.

But you are absolutely right.

The trend recently is a lot of, well, a lot.

Almost all of the OEMs are offering some sort of off-road package now within these CUVs.

That is a trend that's been happening over the last few years.

And really, I personally think that started in the replacement market.

Before that was even an option for an OEM, people were taking those vehicles doing the modifications themselves

because that's what they were needing or wanting for their own.

And the OEMs saw that happening in the market and just now is giving the entire market that option to buy it right from the showroom floor.

So yeah, that for sure has been happening a lot over the last four or five years.

And the trend that we have seen with all-terrain tires is they're actually growing four times compared to the replacement market.

So there's more growth in off-road, all-terrain off-road tires compared to just the overall market.

Yeah, I don't doubt it.

We just did a shootout of mid-sized SUVs that wore the rugged off-road, whatever you want to call them,

Explorer Tremor, Wilderness Outback and whatnot.

And I think part of why this is booming right now, and you brought up a great point about the aftermarket started it,

is these aggressive tread all-terrain tires aren't like the tires of old.

They're actually pretty quiet and smooth on the road now, and I can't speak to the fuel economy specifically.

But yeah, I think a lot of the trade-offs aren't there that they used to be, yet you still get the capability.

Yeah, correct. And like specifically for trail terrain plus, you know, when we were designing that tire,

some of the things that you just mentioned were very important to us from a tire design point of view.

We really wanted to focus on low noise.

We wanted to focus on fuel economy because we know that that's important to the customers.

But then some off-road capability.

I mentioned earlier snow.

Snow is important, so this tire is marked with three-peat-mount snowflake.

But wet traction, that was the big improvement that we made with TrailTrain Plus, is improving the wet traction.

So a lot of these on-road attributes are really the most important or more important attributes of the tires on for that particular tire.

And it's because of what you just said, you know, that's what people are looking for with these kind of vehicles and how they typically use them.

The wet traction actually is a great point you brought up because I've been doing this for a while.

And yeah, I remember getting in friends or even sometimes on other tire manufacturer events,

and you get into Wrangler with the nobbiest, most aggressive tire, and then you hit some rain.

And you're just sliding all over because it's great for rocks and dirt, but not so much for the wet.

And that's a big difference I've noticed with the all-terrain tires, like the ones you were describing specifically.

They're so much better in the wet and snow now. It really could be a one-tire solution.

Yeah, exactly. You know, tire technology, and I keep going back to the folks who do our tread compound formulations.

You know, they are super smart people.

And when you give them, you know, what they are looking for is that they're just looking for me to tell them what our customers need.

So it's really important for me to understand the market and to understand what our customers are looking for.

And as we were just talking about, this on-road all-terrain segment is really important.

You know, BF Goodridge, when you think about the BF Goodridge brand, you know, I think people think of, you know, desert racing and Baja.

That's really where we got started, you know, about 50 years ago.

And people see the BFG brand as like this really rugged, you know, spending a lot of time off-road.

But really, a big part of the consumer market are not those people, right?

The people who are driving Subaru Forsters just like yourself day in and day out back and forth to work.

And so, you know, what someone needs to race or to spend time down in Baja or some of these off-road areas like, let's say, in Moab, Utah,

is going to be different than what, you know, someone like you need with your Forester in Toronto.

Yeah, it's sort of the, I would say, the halo effect.

I mean, it's the KO3 now, but for almost decades, it was KO2 was the go-to tire of 711 to off-road.

And then I think a lot of people would go shopping and they end up buying something a little more tamed because they don't need that.

But having something like that, I think it's done great for the company.

But you do, as you said, you even do more than off-road. There's on-road tires as well.

That's correct. Yeah. You know, just wanted to mention our advantage control line.

You know, that is, you know, if you think about the everyday vehicles that people drive to and from work,

you know, our advantage control line, we have sizes from, you know, small passenger cars all the way up into F-150 pickup trucks.

And it's an on-road oriented tire that's really meant to deliver strong mileage performance, good all-season performance for year-round use.

But yeah, that's outside of the off-road needs. We know there's a big part of the market who doesn't plan, you know, to do anything off-road.

And that's where advantage control comes in.

So before I let you go, just one quick question about sort of your two main lines.

Is there any sort of special tips or care that people need to do if they're buying, say, a KO3 tire compared to a regular tire?

I mean, obviously, don't take it to a local track to go laughing.

But is there other things to get more longevity out of the tire?

Yeah. I mean, the one thing that keeps coming up over and over again, and I hear people say it all the time, is they don't rotate their tires often enough.

And for me, that is something that I try to just drive home with people as much as I can.

If you want your tires to last the longest, if you want your tires to remain the quietest over their lifespan,

the proper rotation, keeping up with your rotations and doing it properly is really the best way to extend the life and to keep them the quietest.

And if you go to our website, bfgoodrichtires.com, we have some rotation advice that we can share with you.

The rotation patterns are a little bit different, but depending on if it's a front-wheel-drive car or a rear-wheel-drive car.

And so that is really the big advice that I can give people to help make their tires last the longest.

And especially with off-road tires, deep-treaded off-road tires, when new.

You know, if your alignment is not quite right or if you do a lot of city driving, you can get some heel-and-toe wear on the front steer axle.

And that's where that rotation really, really helps, like I said, minimize the noise and make them last the longest.

Yeah, I find it's the worst with all-wheel-drive vehicles because a lot of people think it's all-wheel-drive and I need to rotate it on powering all the wheels.

But the weight distribution is still on the front axle. You're steering and braking mostly with the front tires.

And then they wear out faster than your center differential is now trying to compensate.

Whole list of things that aren't changed if you don't rotate.

So yeah, preaching to the choir, I fully understand that.

And what I tell people, I mean, I do my rotations myself and I enjoy some me time in the garage every now and then.

And so, you know, that's something that you can think of.

Everybody needs a little garage time every now and then.

So if you do your rotations yourself, that's just a good excuse to get out there and do that.

But frankly, a lot of places that sell tires offer free rotation.

And so I think a lot of people skip out on that benefit and really, it's just taking the time to set the appointment and to make it happen.

So I'm just encouraging everyone to make sure they do that.

No, it's a great tip and I think that's a great place to leave it.

So I thank you so much for coming on and discussing the tire industry as a whole and offer a tire specifically.

They got a lot of good advice there and I'm interested in trying out some more products down the road.

Sounds good, Mike. Thanks for having me.

Thank you.

So this week's product, I am talking about the Chemical Guys Headlight Restoration and Ceramic Kit.

So the Headlight Restoration and Ceramic Kit is basically as it sounds.

It is for restoring those headlights that have gotten very hazy or maybe gone a little yellow or what not on higher mileage or older vehicles.

I have a 2014 Forester that has over 150,000 miles on it.

So it's been through some conditions, plenty of winters over a decade of them.

And the headlights, yeah, they've gone pretty yellow and the tail lights have also got a bit hazy.

So unlike a lot of Headlight Restoration kits, this one requires no tools.

So you don't need to tape off your car and put on a very abrasive chemical, use a drill or a sander to really scrub down.

There is a compound you put onto a special applicator and you do swirl motions on lights and you can scrub as much or as little as you need to until you get the desired result.

I was able to do it within minutes, which is amazing.

I did both headlights after you're done applying the solution and swirling the lights to get them clear.

There's a microfiber towel.

A microfiber towel you use to clean off the excess of compound.

And then there is a ceramic sealant you put on to help keep contaminants and water and stains and whatnot off the lights going forward.

Did it make them perfectly 100% as new as some of the more advanced, intensive and skill related kits?

Not quite, but I'd say it was about 90%, which is such an improvement over how yellow my headlights were.

And like I said, it took minutes.

So instead of needing to spend hours with prep and doing the kit and letting it sit, it just took a couple of minutes.

I restored my lights so much better.

They are so much clearer at night.

I was using my garage as sort of a measure of how much light was getting through before and after.

And there is such a big difference.

So I do recommend this kit for someone who has yellowy or foggy or hazy lights.

It's simple to use.

You'll be able to get so much clarity and restoration without having to spend a lot of time.

So again, that's the Chemical Guys Headlight Restoration and Ceramic Kit.

We'll take another quick break and I'll be back with the mailman.

This week's question comes from a reader that wants to know,

what do we want to see out of a potentially new Chevrolet Camaro?

Well, the obvious answer is a V8.

A Camaro without a V8 would be pretty strange,

even though GM does have some fantastic turbocharged V6 and even four cylinder engines,

it'll need to have a range topping V8.

The next thing we would love to see is a manual transmission,

but I wouldn't hold my breath because, well, there aren't really that many left in GM's lineup.

There is the one in the CT5, the black wing that's paired to that supercharged V8.

Maybe that one sticks around, but as we know, the Corvette doesn't have one,

nor will it have one in the future, but that is a mid-engine design.

So that's a different sort of animal.

But me personally, I really hope the next Camaro kind of grows in size

and becomes more of a traditional muscle car.

For generations, the last couple, it was being a high-performance sports car

that was fantastic in that role, and it could embarrass a lot of more expensive machinery on the track,

much like the Mustang.

But as we saw, the sale started to slow down for it,

and they've been slowing down for the Mustang lately.

And before it's demise, the Challenger just kept growing in sales,

and people rode it off as this big, heavy, bulky muscle car,

but that sort of seemed to be what consumers wanted.

They wanted the big, comfy, loud, stylish V8 muscle car of old,

and I think Chevy can maybe tap into that,

especially if this is going to be built on a larger sedan platform for the CT5

and something from Buick.

Maybe put in that new V8 that's being developed for the Corvette

and still make it drive well and respond well,

but really focus on acceleration and sound and burnouts and all the good old muscle car things.

And of course, the styling.

So I'll flip it over to you.

What do you want to see in a potential new Chevrolet Camaro?

Let us know in the comments, and maybe your question will be on next week's episode.

But until then, this has been another episode of The AutoGuide Show.

We will see you next week.

The AutoGuide Show

About this episode

BFGoodrich’s global off-road product manager breaks down how to choose the right tires for real-world use, arguing that “seasonal” matters less for capable all-terrains—especially ones with severe snow/3-peak mountain snowflake ratings. He compares TrailTerrain TA Plus (quiet, fuel-economy and wet traction focus) versus KO3 (tougher sidewall/off-road bite), and calls out the biggest longevity tip: rotate tires regularly. The host also reviews a no-tools Chemical Guys headlight restoration/ceramic kit, then fields a mailbag question on what a new Camaro should bring—ideally a V8 and manual, plus classic muscle-car size and feel.

aftermarket alignment all terrain tires all-wheel-drive vehicles BF Goodrich BF Goodridge Buick center differential ceramic sealant Chemical Guys

Cadillac CT5 Chevrolet Camaro Chevrolet Corvette Dodge Challenger Ford Explorer Ford Mustang Jeep Wrangler Subaru Forester Subaru Outback Toyota RAV4

Original notes

This week Mike talks to Brandon Sturgis from BFGoodrich tires about a wide range of topics, including how to decide which off-road tires are right for your CUV or SUV. We also talk tire care tips, the advancements off-road tires have made in the past decade, as well as the current ruggedized SUV craze from automakers. Later, Mike talks about his latest product test, The Chemical Guys Headlight Restoration and Ceramic Kit. Finally, we visit the mailbag to answer what we want the rumored Chevrolet Camaro to be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AutoGuide Show

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