Who Needs Winter Tires?
Anybody who lives in a northern region where winters are cold and snowy has likely experienced getting stuck in the deep snow or sliding out of control on black ice. When the winter conditions get bad, it doesn’t matter if you have rear, front, or four-wheel drive – if your tires don’t have traction, the drive can go from frustrating to scary pretty fast. The ideal solution is to install a set of winter tires that provide impressive grip in cold, wintery conditions. We had the opportunity to experience the benefits of winter tires firsthand at the Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado – and yes, winter tires make all the difference.
What are Winter Tires?
Designed to provide maximum traction in winter conditions, winter tires not only perform well in snow and ice-covered roads but are also built to deliver better overall performance in cold weather compared to all-season tires. Winter tire compounds maintain flexibility even in sub-freezing temperatures, and unique tread patterns with biting edges add traction on wet, snowy, or slushy surfaces. With markedly improved performance in winter conditions, some areas of Canada now require winter tires between December 15 and March 15. But winter tires are just for winter use – while they provide excellent performance and stability in winter conditions, they are designed specifically for cold weather use. The tires still function when temperatures rise above 50 degrees but will wear quickly on dry pavement in warmer weather.
Bridgestone Blizzak Tires
There are several dedicated winter tires on the market, but one of the best-known is the Bridgestone Blizzak. Bridgestone introduced the first Blizzak winter tire in Japan in the late 1980s as the brand’s response to studded tires being outlawed in Japan. Blizzak tires came to Canada in 1992 and arrived in the U.S. the following year. Today, Bridgestone offers Blizzak winter tires in various sizes for cars, trucks, SUVs, commercial vehicles, and sports cars.
Blizzak Design
There are multiple styles and sizes of Blizzak tires, but the newest models are the WS90 and DM-V2 – the former is designed for cars and minivans, the latter primarily for SUVs and light trucks. Blizzak tires are produced from a special compound that uses silica enhancements to improve grip in the cold and on icy roads. Tires feature Bridgestone’s Multicell technology, which uses tiny, spongy cells in the tire tread to pull the water from the surface of the ice, providing improved grip. The tread features interlocking sipes that provide a biting edge on slick surfaces, while block edges deliver improved control in deep snow.
Winter Testing with Bridgestone
Bridgestone invited us to its winter driving school in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to experience firsthand how Blizzak tires handle snow and ice-covered roads. We also had the opportunity to test out the brand’s new WeatherPeak all-weather tires as well as their Potenza Sport AS (all-season) tire.
Competitive Tire Testing
In addition to driving vehicles with Bridgestone products, we tested comparable tires on the same vehicles and courses. The side-by-side comparison was informative, but it is important to note that this event was hosted by Bridgestone. While the comparisons were performed fairly, the tests were designed to showcase the Bridgestone products.
The Course
The Bridgestone Winter Driving School has a course that simulates typical public roads, complete with sharp turns, steep climbs and descents, high-speed curves, and straight-line runs. The surface was a mix of hard-packed snow and exposed ice, the latter quite slick. With Toyota as the school’s current vehicle partner, we drove Toyota 4Runners and AWD Camrys throughout the day.
Comparing Winter Tires
For the comparison, we drove the same course in Toyota 4Runners fitted with Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2s and then with Nokian’s newest tires, the Hakkapeliitta R5. Both winter tires provided excellent traction for accelerating with almost no wheel slip as we pulled away from a standstill. Stopping was equally impressive for both, bringing the 4Runner to a controlled stop from 30 mph on hard-packed snow. However, there were noticeable differences between the Bridgestone and Nokian.
The Differences
While the straight-line performance between the Bridgestone and Nokian tires was similar, the Blizzak excelled in the turns. In tight 180 turns, the Blizzak could maintain the course with minimal understeer, while the Nokian tended to push towards the outside of the course. The Blizzak tire remained more predictable and consistent even when the surfaces changed from snow to ice. Driving with the Nokian tire was more challenging, requiring more steering correction as the 4Runner passed over different surfaces. In higher speed curves, the Nokian was controllable, but the vehicle’s rear slid out a bit – this didn’t happen with the Bridgestone Blizzak. Both tires perform very well in winter conditions, but the Bridgestone showed itself to deliver a bit more stability and consistency.
All Weather Tires
We switched to the Toyota Camry AWD to test Bridgestone’s newest all-weather tire, the Bridgestone WeatherPeak. All-weather tires are similar to all-season variants but also feature a level of winter performance, identified with a 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake showing they are certified for snow performance. The Bridgestone WeatherPeak tires performed surprisingly well, and while the Blizzak tires provided superior traction, the WeatherPeak delivered consistent performance on the packed snow with no unexpected loss of traction. For many consumers who live in locations that occasionally get snow but primarily deal with cold and rain in the winter, the WeatherPeak makes an excellent alternative to the dedicated winter tire with the advantage of being usable year-round.
Bridgestone vs. Michelin
Similar to the test in the 4Runners, we tested the all-weather tires on Camrys – half fitted with Bridgestone WeatherPeak tires and the others with Michelin CrossClimate2 tires. The differences between these two tires were more pronounced, with the Bridgestone delivering more consistent performance in accelerating, braking, and turning. The Camry on the Michelin tires felt loose and would slide unexpectedly if we hit a patch of ice. Where the WeatherPeak steadily approached the limits of its grip, the Michelin seemed to reach this point suddenly, which required quick corrections.
Performance Tires
As an additional test, Bridgestone fitted the AWD Camry with its latest all-season performance tire, the Potenza Sport AS. We tested this tire on a wet track last year and were impressed with its impressive performance and grip. This tire is not built specifically to handle winter weather; however, it performed admirably on the packed snow. The grip was not even close to the experience with the Blizzak, but acceleration and braking were better than expected, with a consistent response. While there was some loss of traction when moving quickly through a curve in the track, traction let go linearly, making it predictable and easy to control for a smooth, safe drive.
Real World Testing
As an additional data point, my personal vehicle is fitted with Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 tires. The Subaru Ascent has standard all-wheel drive, and with all-season tires in the snow, it could get around, but it easily oversteered and needed extra room to stop. Switching to the Blizzak tires was immediately noticeable when winter arrived in southeast Michigan. The tires provide outstanding traction for accelerating and stopping on snowy roads as well as on black ice, making the Subaru much more capable during the cold Michigan winter.
Worth the Investment
If you live in an area where winter brings subzero temperatures, snowy days, and icy roads, winter tires are an excellent investment. With excellent grip on slick roads and the ability to get around in deep snow, winter tires increase the level of safety and confidence in winter driving. While there are multiple brands of winter tires on the market, our time with the Bridgestone Blizzak showed this tire to be an excellent option for a safer, more relaxing winter drive.
