Founded: 2015
Founder: Kumho Tire
Headquarters: Gwangju, South Korea
Website: https://www.discounttire.com/tires/brands/pathfinder
Pathfinder is a private label brand owned by the Korean tire company Kumho. Distributed exclusively by Discount Tire, the brand’s products are specially designed for SUVs and light trucks, featuring a number of advancements that are created with the use of cutting-edge technology. If you are an off-road enthusiast, you’ll surely appreciate Pathfinder tires for their excellent driving capability.
Who makes Pathfinder tires? As one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers, Kumho offers a wide range of tire models, covering almost all common types of vehicles – from passenger cars to trucks and buses. Exporting its tires worldwide, the company has a global network of dealing centers.
The aggressive tread patterns of Pathfinder tires point out their outstanding off-road characteristics. Made of a durable compound, they can show powerful traction on nearly every kind of surface. While driving, rolling friction can be reduced thanks to a solid center rib, that makes the vehicle more stable at high speeds and provides a better braking ability. Designed with multiple small sipes around the tread pattern, Pathfinder tires demonstrate great grip and steering response even in rainy or snowy weather. With this, confident traction is possible through zigzag circumferential grooves which channel water away from the contact patch.
Indeed, Pathfinder tires’ all-terrain and all-season qualities are evident if you pay attention to their general structure with thousands of extra biting edges. And that’s what ensures comfortable driving in uncommon road conditions. A visible sign of this is the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol you can see among the identification marks on the tire. The 3PMSF indicates that the tire has successfully passed the test drive in light snow acceleration traction. However, it doesn’t mean that the tire is a full-fledge winter tire.
Where are Pathfinder tires made? Most products of the brand are manufactured at Kumho’s facilities in South Korea, in Gwangju, Pyeongtaek, and Gokseong. Some shipments may come from the company’s affiliated factories in China.
As for pricing, Pathfinder tires are quite affordable, considering the class they belong to. Depending on the model and the size you choose, you may pay from $70 to $225 for a tire. This is a really favorable offer if you additionally take into account their better-than-average mileage warranty. According to the manufacturer, the Pathfinder AT and Pathfinder HSR are capable to ride almost 50,000 miles before you need to replace them, and the Pathfinder HT comes even with a 60,000-mile warranty.
Definitely, the high quality of Pathfinder tires is beyond any doubt. The combination of the best driving characteristics, a longer lifespan, and affordable prices makes them perfect for off-roadsters to ride on almost all kinds of terrain. Surely, you won’t be disappointed if you’ll stop your choice of these tires.