Goodyear Reliant tires look like a decent Walmart-exclusive at an attractive price

Updated Dec 11, 2021 to reflect newer reviews

Goodyear’s got a new Walmart-exclusive tire on the market called the Goodyear Reliant, an affordable All-Season tire made for cars, crossovers, minivans and SUVs (pretty much everything except trucks.)

The Goodyear Reliant is a direct replacement for the Goodyear Viva 3.

Currently, Goodyear Reliant tires are “Made in Mexico.”

That’s a non-starter if you plan to shop for 100 percent American made products.

Goodyear Reliant vs Goodyear Viva 3

Goodyear knows they can’t win over new and returning (former Viva 3 owners) shoppers on price alone. Goodyear has to deliver on performance at the expense of a slightly more expensive tire. The Reliant is just that.

Priced about 25% more than the same size Goodyear Viva 3 but a lot cheaper compared to their Goodyear Assurance (flagship all-season) and other premium offerings, the Reliant is engineered and marketed to be an affordable all-season that delivers above-average performance.

  • Micheline Defender T+H 225/65/17- $168
  • Goodyear Assurance 225/65/17- $147
  • Goodyear Viva 3 225/65/17- $69
  • Goodyear Reliant 225/65/17- $103

So, are Goodyear Reliant tires any good? Let’s dive into that.

Features

The mark of a good all-season tire is one that delivers grip and traction in dry weather but can also handle rain. Goodyears says these new Goodyear Reliants delivers on both thanks to its “specialized rubber compound” and “Aquatred Grooves”

Here’s the Goodyear Reliant description,

The Goodyear Reliant All-Season Tire offers an improved driving experience with enhanced wet grip and all-season confidence. Goodyear Reliant All-Season is designed to maintain road contact with a specialized rubber compound and Aquatred® grooves to maximize water evacuation. The optimized tread design and construction handles driving variabilities to deliver reliable tread life and a quiet ride.

Goodyear Reliants have a 65,000 mile Limited Treadwear Warranty, 5,000 more miles than the Viva 3 and just as many miles as their Assurance.

Additional specs include,

  • Treadwear rating: 600
  • Traction A
  • Temperature A
  • Speed Rating: H

Aquatred is a model and technology of Goodyear tires popularized in the 90s they discontinued in the early 2000s. Goodyear eventually incorporated Aquatred technology into the rest of its lineup so it’s interesting to see them use a tried-and-true trademarked technology once again.

Be cautious about 5-star reviews, many purchasers received a discount.

The problem with Walmart-exclusive tires is Walmart.com is currently the only site with reviews. As of this writing, Goodyear Reliants have a suspiciously sizeable amount of 5-star ratings.

Reading through dozens of reviews, several mention “For full disclosure I was given the ability to buy these tires at a discount for my feedback.” or “I received this product at a discounted price in exchange for my honest opinion” which is a huge red flag.

Seriously, ctrl+f “discount” filtering for 5-star reviews and the number of times the above sentence about discounts is mentioned, not re-worded differently, is disconcerting and highly suspect.

I later found out that Goodyear collaborated with a TheInsidersNet, a marketing firm that partners with enrolled testers who often benefit from free or heavily discounted products. Goodyear gave $150 discounts to prospective testers in exchange for reviews.

I’d take those particular 5-star reviews with a grain of salt and would recommend reading the 3 or 4-star reviews for a more unbiased take.

Reviews after August 31, 2021 (after the TheInsidersNet campaign) are probably safe.

Dry

Despite all the inflated reviews, they have some merit. Reviews praise Reliant All-Seasons for providing more than enough grip and traction on the straights and twisties when the weather’s nice and dry.

Here are some notable quotes from a few reviews not mentioning a discount.

“The Reliants have very good grip and the vehicle feels more responsive at the steering wheel (formerly equipped with Bridgestone Ecopia) (July 7, 2021 review from Carlos)

Traction has been amazing on my extremely steep driveway and I have not had any issues with braking or skidding.” (August 2, 2021 from Stefyt)

Wet

Reviews show Goodyear Reliants offer a decent amount of grip, traction, and braking performance in wet and rainy conditions.

This is exactly where Goodyear’s Aquatred technology comes into play as Reliant All-Seasons features thick grooves with an optimized pattern to evacuate water quickly to prevent hydroplaning.

Goodyear’s “specialized rubber compound” also seems to deliver as much confidence-inspiring performance in wet conditions as it does in the dry.

A Honda Odyssey owner says,

“They have nice grip in the rain which we have been having a lot of.” (July 11, 2021 review from Samuel)

In central Texas we have been getting a lot of rain and the tires performed wonderfully. The stopping distance was the same as in dry ground, and I could not feel any slippage from being on wet roads.” (Aug 19,2021 review from Demeris)

“Just put 4 of these on a 2011 Sonata and can honestly say they are the best tires I have had on this car yet. Car is driven along the Oregon coast with a lot of rain, and they handle it excellent.” (Nov 26,2021 review from John)

Snow

Goodyear Reliants just dropped Spring 2021, so most purchasers have not left reviews with their snow impressions.

Reviews remain optimistic that Reliants wet weather performance will carry into winter.

Off-road

Although Goodyear Reliants aren’t designed for off-road driving, its thick grooves should offer decent grip on a light fire trail or off-the-beaten path to that picnic site.

You should definitely not take Goodyear Reliants on serious off-road trails if you don’t want to get stuck.

Comfort

Reviews show Goodyear Reliant tires offer a comfortable and smooth ride.

There are, however, a lot of reviews that mention a hum or louder noise at highway speeds or that these Reliants are significantly louder than the tires they replaced.

This 2017 Lexus RX350 owner said,

Driving in the streets of Chicago, there are plenty of potholes and these tires drive over them comfortably. On the expressway, the tires are quiet, steady and comfortable as well. (June 25,2021 review)

A Mercedes E320 owner mentions,

“They (Reliants) are very quiet and smooth all season tires. I highly recommend them for a Mercedes smooth ride. They mounted with ease and balanced perfect.” (July 22, 2021 review from Sayed)

The Odyssey owner with the wet weather comment above does mention,

I do notice a little more road noise (compared to my old Douglas tires.)

A 4-star review says,

I noticed a little hum when you’re on the highway and that was the only reason I gave it 4 stars. (June 27, 2021)

These 1 and 2-star reviews are not happy with the noise.

“Extremely loud. Sounds like I’m getting ready for liftoff instead of just cruising down the road.” (Nov 8, 2021 review from John)

“So noisy I have to turn my radio up to drown out the road noise. I thought they probably would get better with time. Wrong…” (Oct 12, 2021 review from Linwood)

“I am very unhappy with these tires. Why? They are very noisy. Woo Woo ….Woo woo they whine. I don’t know how anybody could say these tires are quiet.” (Sept 8, 2021 review from Jeffrey)

Should I buy Goodyear Reliant tires?

On paper, the Goodyear Reliant has all the right ingredients for a decent all-season: an optimized all-season-specific tread pattern, a good rubber compound, deep grooves for water, and an affordable price.

But let’s face it, these Reliants, despite their improvements over the Viva 3, are still a cheap tire made on a budget, and that comes with compromises.

While Goodyear Reliants might grip good enough in all conditions, comprises might show themselves, as hinted at in the aforementioned reviews, with not confidence inspiring handling around corners (“thin” sidewalls, ) and road noise at levels deemed unacceptable depending on your noise tolerance.

As with a lot of tire shoppers looking for a deal, those who come across these Goodyear Reliants are willing to overlook possible added noise and sub-par handling at the limit if it means a significantly lower price.

For some, price is King.

All the reviews thus far, taken in its totality, hint that the Goodyear Reliant is a decent all-season that might come with compromises.

If you can spare an extra $100 on a set of tires, the quieter ride, better performance, and possibly longer tread life with a slightly more expensive premium tire might be worth it.

But, if you’re on a budget and the set you have on is showing their wear bars, I have no reservations recommending these all-seasons. Anything new is better than near bald.

And even if you’re not on a budget, don’t drive much anyway, and are attracted by that low price, a good majority of you will be surprised at the overall value received at Reliant’s price point.

Don’t expect Continental ContiProContact or Pilot Sport Cup 2 levels of performance but, for day-to-day driving and that semi-annual trip to Yosemite, Goodyear Reliants should be, at best, good enough.

And don’t say I didn’t warn you about the noise and less than ideal cornering performance if those compromises start to rear their ugly heads driving out of the tire center.

Do you own Goodyear Reliants? Let me know your .02 in the comments below, good or bad.

55 COMMENTS

  1. I bought 4 new good year reliant tires for our ford edge they ride smooth and are quiet on the hwy as well haven’t driven in the rain yet but think with aquatread tech they will do good in the rain as weppl only time will tell longevity but so far so good

  2. I don’t know about the Reliant tires, but I have a set of Goodyear Assurance All-Season tires on my Cadillac CTS and they’re absolutely the WORST tires that I have ever used. Period. If the road is even slightly damp my car slides all over the place. Given that the Reliants cost even less, I’d pass.

    • I put a set of Reliants on my Crown Victoria, walmart had a promo with free install so 400 all in. Im really surprised with the amount of grip on wet pavement for such a cheap tire. Drove 250 miles during the last FL tropical storm and the car handled great

  3. I just purchased a set of the Goodyear reliant tires for my Lexus LS430. The car originally came with Michelin primacy. Even though I just had the reliant installed (driven less than 50 miles) the Goodyear seems to be what I was looking for in an all season tire. Will update in the upcoming weeks at to whether or not these tires meet my expectations.

  4. I just bought two of these for the back of my car we dont drive it alot and we had to get two tires quick an i had to order michelins so i bought these. The ride home seemed ok. Its a smooth car anyway so it rides nice. Well see how theyperform

  5. Currently, Goodyear Reliant tires are “Made in Mexico.”

    That’s a non-starter if you plan to shop for 100 percent American made products.

    Because … Mexico is on which continent? Gotta love the US Centric world view, eh?

    • Even today, a lot of people hear Goodyear and automatically think U.S. made. If you zoom in on their model tire photo on Walmart.com it even shows made in U.S.A. made which, as I found out, they’re not. In an earlier version of this blog post, I made the mistake of assuming that was the case, which, I later found out, it was not. It’s worth nothing.

  6. I bought 4 at the Walmart Black Friday early sale replacing the Viva 3 set from the 2017 sale as they have 66000 miles with smooth ride still and the normal increase in highway noise with age hardening the rubber compound but still not worn to the wear indicator bars… excellent service and performance so I replaced them early and with the Reliants. The sale out the door was cheaper than I paid for the Viva3s but not offered for free was the road hazard and free balance /rotation included in 2017.
    Ride is very smooth – better I’d say… Highway cruise is a a little quieter than the hardening tires I have replaced and louder than the very quiet Viva 3s when they were new. Very satisfied so far and expect better traction wet or dry… Very good value and as a “95V” I regard these as “touring tires”, best combination of capabilities for my Toyota Camry XLE that I have found!

  7. Thanks for solving the mystery and collecting the reviews Paulo! Very helpful since there is not a lot of info out there.
    Planning to get these since they are a good deal and just need basic tires.

  8. I just purchased these 4 new Goodyear Reliant tires on a Black Friday sale at Walmart. Had them installed on a 2015 Bmw 320i. The tires are great, feels smooth and quiet on the road. By the way, the location of the Walmart I went to could not do the installation for me as their machine did not have the ‘rubber sleeves’ to prevent the 17 in factory alloy wheels from being scratched. So I had to take the tires to America’s tires and pay a separate labor charge to have them installed.

  9. I just put a set on my 09 mitsubishi eclipse, they are a little bit noisy at 60mph and up but it’s a case of you get what you pay for if you want silence it’s gonna cost you. Dry grip is way better than my previous tires (Douglas proformance), wet grip is also an improvement (new the Douglas spun on damp roads). Really I have only put 50 miles on them but first impressions I will buy them again if they last atleast somewhat close to the 65000 miles claimed and don’t develop mystery vibrations.

  10. Thanks for posting this info. I was considering replacing my old tiger paws ? with the Assurance tires but found these Reliants for about $40 less per tire – for that much difference and reading all these positive reviews hey – I’ll take a chance!
    We live in a (medium)snow area 3500 ft – so I’ll give them a thorough evaluation in the spring!

  11. I purchased four of the Goodyear Reliant to replace the OEM Continentals on my 2014 Escape. The ride is smoother and quieter than the original tires and at much lower cost. I will strongly consider them when my other vehicle needs tires. I would highly recommend them.

  12. Looking at these for my Ford Edge. I visited the local store and found the Reiiants marked “Made in USA”. Ended up buying a pair for our Volvo V70 and are happy with them so far. They were also marked Made in USA. Given a choice, I’d rather buy tires made in USA.

      • I just purchased a set of these tires for my 2017 Nissan Maxima SL. Size 245/45/18. The sidewalls are clearly marked “Made in USA”. I looked after reading this review, which was very well done. Thank you.

        Ted
        Dayton, Ohio

  13. I purchased two Goodyear Reliant tires to replace two worn out tires on 91/04/2022. The ride is smooth so far, and the service was great at the Walmart in Danville Ky. Plan on replacing the two rear tires in the future if the ride continues to be smooth and quiet.

  14. I purchased a set of four Reliant tires for my 2004 Honda Accord. They have performed great. We have had two snow events of at least three inches, one started yesterday, they did great. No sliding or spinning. Braking was good as well. I have to say there is very little road noise on dry pavement.

  15. I purchased a set of these in November 2021 for a 2017 Nissan Rogue replacing factory tires. The Ride, Handling, Braking, and weather conditions all seem fine… BUT THE NOISE!!!!
    I am seriously wondering if the tires are put on backwards or something. It’s unreal. Once on the hwy I was talking to someone on Bluetooth and they ask me if I’m in a car wash or something.

    Probably won’t recommend these tires!

  16. Very quiet on asphalt suffaces but I noticed noise crossing a bridge paved with concrete. I thought about it… and the Continental tires I replaced with these were even noisier going across the Escambia Bay Bridge. My tires clearly have Made in USA on the sidewall and a “V” speed rating. Traction and Temperature both A rated.

  17. I replaced all 4 Bridgestone Ecopia’s, which were already terrible themself, I might add, with 4 of the Reliants. While the Bridgestones were truly awful, they were almost dead silent going down the highway. Then once I left Walmart with the Reliant’s, it gave me flashbacks of the Cooper Zeon’s I had on a sportier car a while back. I now have 3,500 miles on them and nothing has improved. On fresh pavement they are obnoxiously loud, if that fresh pavement is wet it’s even louder than that, almost amplifying the noise even more. My car is very quiet and comfortable and I barely hear outside noises. I’ve driven with the windows cracked through town and you can hear them rumbling. As far as their performance, I’m overall pleased and have had no issues other than 1 instance of hydroplaning which was entirely my fault (lead foot). They did pretty great in the winter and I was surprised how well they plowed through 7 inches of thick snow. Would I buy again? No. Simply because I can’t stand the droning noise.

  18. I just put a set of these on my 2014 Jeep Patriot and couldn’t be happier. We haven’t had any snow yet but lots of rain and the handling has been great. I have found them to be vey quiet at all speeds. I drive at speeds of 60 to70mph 60 miles most every day. The ride is very smooth even on the lousy N.E. Ohio roads. Can’t speak to treadwear as I have only had the a Month or so.

  19. Bought in January 2022. After 5000 miles the sidewalls bubbled out on 2 of them. Walmart said it must be due to hitting potholes. Seems odd that i have never had this issue in over 40 years of driving.
    I have these on another car and the treadwear on all 4 is substantial with just 17k miles – 1/2 gone.
    I think you get what you pay for.

  20. Our local Walmart just installed 4 of these on my old ’96 Thunderbird, a car driven less than 5k miles a year. Time will tell if I made the right decision.

  21. Hi, I just put a set of Reliants on my wife’s Hyundai Tuscon. $96 each, plus $107 to install with roadhazard. A hare north of $500 all in with taxes, disposal, and roadhazard.

    We like them, and they say MADE IN THE USA on the side of the tire. I am in Texas close to the Mexico border.

    Treadwear 600, Traction A, Temperature A.

  22. Purchased my set of these (Made in Mexico) in 235/45/18 for my 2014 Kia Soul in Nov 2021. Have driven about 3700 miles and they have been great. Quiet and comfortable like the OEM Nexens. Raining season is coming here in N. FL so will see how they do in the wet.

  23. On the surface, these tires rate pretty well with one hidden agenda exception. I usually carefully watch my mileage on my Prius. When I put these tires on my car my mileage immediately dropped 7 to 8 mpg. That difference lasted over my entire trip of 650 miles. Over the rated 65,000 mile life that translates to me at approximately $720.00 calculated at $4.00 per gallon. I can’t possibly justify that kind of extra cost on any set of tires. And if you are a greenie, think of all the extra pollution those tires generate. I’m going to force them to take them back and sell me something else. Goodyear should stand up behind them.

  24. I get it. No one is willing to publish a negative comment about products they have purchased without compensation. Everyone only wants to hear the good and not the bad.

  25. thanks for this site, I was looking for good advice on these tires, prob will buy based on your review and comments here. Keep up the good work& I will review my tires after driving on them for awhile

  26. Just purchased 4 Goodyear Reliant tires for my 2017 Ford Explorer- took it up to 60 mph and the ride is very quiet and smooth- Hardly any road noise- very happy so far.

  27. The physics of each particular vehicle model and style shall determine the compatibility of the particular tire chosen.
    In my case, it was a huge difference on the positive side for my Honda Accord. Quet, responsive steering, good sidewall on sharp turns. Minimal noise over bumps, gravel, potholes.
    I’m satisfied for the money.

  28. I’ve had Goodyear Reliants on my 2014 Honda Pilot for about a year. They are VERY LOUD! The noise starts at 40-45 mph, then becomes tolerable at 60-65mph. At 70-75 mph you need the radio turned up. I would have spent extra money for better/quieter tires had I known.

  29. Just bought some Goodyear Reliants on Black Friday special.

    Regarding sound, no distinguishable difference from the prior tire.

    Regarding where it’s made, mine are USA (made week 30 and 36 of 2022). My buddy works for Michelin. He shared that the same model tire can be made at different factories, and I expect Goodyear is similar. Mine are 225/60/16 Hs. I would expect all of this model at that size is made in the USA. Maybe 17s are made in Mexico. Maybe 18s in Vietnam. Who knows, but for major manufacturers “where” the tires are made shouldn’t matter from a quality standpoint because they should all be using the same compounds using the same molds under a standard quality control set by Goodyear. Now, if your concern is about supporting US labor, then go to the local Walmart and look at them before buying them.

    Regarding the traits of the tire, sidewall is much firmer/thicker than the older Vivas. When picking the car up I compared them to the Assurant Outlast, and the sidewalls were even firmer than them. AA rating is better than Outlast AB. Steering did seem less stiff, so if pushed these might roll/sway a bit, but haven’t put them through the paces. Nor any rain or snow yet to test.

    Mostly I just wanted to comment on noise (no change for this car), which will probably depend upon the telemetry of your car’s setup. And comment on where they are made, which based on what I’ve read is mostly the USA and some in Mexico…I expect it depends upon the size/speed rating…all of a particular spec is likely made in the same place. My suggestion, when you post “where”, list you size and it will likely help others decide.

    225/60/16 H made in the USA

  30. I just got these tires installed on Saturday, and today was the first time I got to test them out in 3-4 inches of snow and slush. These handle great in the dry, and are the best all season tires I have driven in snow with. Yes, weather specific tires may be better in certain conditions, but these are the best all around tires I have driven on. Ride is smooth, relatively quiet for the amount of grip they provide.
    I did not receive any compensation for a review. Black Friday pricing $110 each.

    225/50/18 95V Made in USA

  31. I compared Bridgestone Ecopia tires to Michelin Defender tires and discovered that Bridgestone Ecopia tires have a competitive mileage due to their low rolling resistance design. However, the Michelin Defender has superior performance in wet, dry, and snow conditions.

  32. Got the black Friday deal for my 1993 Honda accord, so they were the 15 inch size,
    Can confirm, they are LOUD as HECK on the highway and even in town. What is the reason for it anyway? They were cheap. But I wish I knew why they are annoyingly loud, Ive rotated them at 5000 miles and no difference in noise.
    Yes, I took the time to write this comment because they are in fact loud AF.

  33. I bought a set of Goodyear Reliant tires for my Toyota Avalon. They are so noisy that I actually googled them to see if anyone else had the same issue. Well obviously they do. So I recommend NOT to buy these tires. They were quiet for about 5,000 miles….then wow it’s awful.

  34. Better than Douglas. Spent about 200.00 for 2 reliant tires on a 2010 Prius. About as noisy as any other tire at the same cost. Good in rain. We will see as they wear down.

  35. 235/65/18 Amazed at the difference in performance . Original tires were Michelin Latitude . Honestly these tires are smoother and quieter than the previous. I would buy again and highly recommend these tires. No one gave me any compensation or discount to post this review . Am I missing something here? I love free money , Buy these tires you will be impressed. Imho Premium tires is all about keeping up with the Joneses..

  36. I have 4 on my wife’s 2021 Kia Seltos AWD and they have a faint hum on perfect smooth pavement, but so little of that around here, doesn’t bother us. After 9000 miles have lost 1/10 of tread, so wearing very well. Handling is great, will see how they do in snow soon. Basically they were $200-$300 less than other options, we are happy!

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