Blizzak Winter Tires

Initial Review, 6,000 Miles on Tires
March 13, 2012

Really, really, like these tires.

I was very happy with just how good a dry pavement tire they were. Very quiet overall with just a little hum at around 30. Stopped, started, and cornered as good as the OEM Conti tires that came with the car, on dry and wet pavement. I was expecting a gas mileage hit but never really saw anything significant.

The bad news is that winter was pretty much non-existent here in the northeast, so I don't have a ton of snow and ice driving experience with them, even with ski trips almost every weekend this winter. But the limited experience I did have on ice, packed snow, and occasional light unplowed snow indicated they are very capable tires in those conditions. No deep snow experience, so I didn't rate that, but I will say that they showed no signs of packing full of snow in 3 or 4 inches and pulled through fine, so I'd expect deeper to be no problem either.

I've not had good experiences with Goodyear tires up to this point. I got these tires as an experiment and also because they were reasonable compared to Blizzaks and X-Ice. I'm very pleasantly surprised.

Initial Review, 6,500 Miles on Tires
March 31, 2011

Purchased Dunlop SP Wintersport M3s with rims and sensors to mount on a new Maxima. Have Blizzaks on an 08 Highlander, and had Michelin X-Ices on prior vehicle (04 Celica GT-S Tsunami). Had very high expectations based on ratings vs. competitors in same size. Car has been driven 90% highway, 10% city through above-average winter snowfall north of Toronto, ON, Canada. Tire has performed well in dry and wet, however struggles with increasing amounts of snow - +1.5 inches (very slippery around easy corners, breaks traction earlier than would be expected.... so overall we are satisfied (but with a little disappointment on deep snow). Will consider again, but will take closer look at Michelin and Bridgestone next time.

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
February 28, 2010

We bought AWD for three reasons: 1) our steep driveway in the winter; 2) to get around for those few days of really big snow; 3) to do that without having to buy winter tires. But the OEM All-season tires (Bridgestone Dueler H/T) are worthless in even light snow. I can get up the driveway and get out in snow, but can't stop or turn. I'm well aware that AWD does not help stop or turn, but I expected a lot more from all-season tires.



With previous experience with winter tires, we bought these winter tires. It's the first time we bought this particular winter tire. It instantly transformed the vehicle into an invincible machine this winter. The added bonus is that it didn't seem to give up anything in the dry like my other set of Bridgestone Blizzaks (absolutely great winter tire), at least under normal operating g-loads.



The only bad thing about these tires (I found the same thing on another set of General all season) is the side wall doesn't look uniform -- looks like bulging.

Initial Review, 2,500 Miles on Tires
March 17, 2012

These were my first ever set of snow tires. I survived record snowfall last year (2010-2011) on a set of Bridgestone Pole Postition RE960AS on my 1994 Nissan Maxima, they were fine. This year (2011-2012) I bought a 2009 Camry LE 2.4 and equipped it with these Blizzak WS70s. And we proceeded to have the mildest winter in the history of western North Carolina. We had one significant snow event in the higher elevations at the the TN line. I had one day of fun blasting mountain roads with these tires. They were excellent! The most notable thing about them was the fact that I could stop on an icy hill and then go again. With all season tires here in the mountains, most stop signs are merely a polite suggestion. With the true winter tires I can stop anywhere and move again without drama. So in essence my experience with the winter tires is that I can stop and go slowly in places where I wouldn't dare slow down on all seasons. The car felt more like a car and less like a sled. Braking was phenomenal.

Now with that said, most of my experience is on 40-60 degree days on dry roads during this exceptionally mild winter. So how do the Blizzaks perform out of their element? OK. At 70 mph on dry interstate they made me feel like I was driving a giant millipede down the road. Those tall soft treadblocks were all over the place! But once I got used to it, it was ok. Inspite of the initial squeamishness I felt, I got used to the feeling and realized the car isn't going to do anything crazy. I even took the car past 100 mph just to see...Well I'm still alive to write this review. Its mid March now, so I'm making an appointment to switch back to my all seasons. I can't wait for next winter, hopefully their will be more than one snow event. And FYI the wear on the tires after 2500 non-snowy miles is negligible.

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
March 18, 2012

while the winter here has been a record mild one, the ice traction and snow pack traction has been good. I've been more impressed with the dry performance. handling is precise with none of the Blizzak squishiness I've experienced on my other cars. would definately buy these again.

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
March 02, 2012

Purchased these back in December to prepare for the incoming winter season - Although this season was pretty much snowless, there were two days where it snowed, one of which I tested the Blizzaks on. On dry pavement, the tires are quite soft and do not respond well to cornering and braking. They are decent (considering they are snow tires), so they are drive-able on average. In the rain, they outperformed my all seasons by a lot. I didn't get my slip light on (at any time), and it was pretty much a breeze driving through the rain, quite the surprise! On the day that it snowed, I didn't lose traction on the highway at all. However, on ice in a parking lot, I slightly lost traction, even with sand bags in the back, and driving with low RPM. In the case of deep snow, it was alright, but going above 2500-3000rpm, slip light instantly came on. Would purchase again for the winter - worked great in the rain too, which was a great added bonus.

Initial Review, 6200 Miles on Tires
May 19, 2011

I have the unique experience of driving a set of Bridgestone WS-70 Blizzaks this last winter and a set of Dunlop DS-3 Graspics the previous winter (different vehicle) so I can provide a comparison between the two. The Dunlops hold a major advantage in deep snow traction and dry-road handling over the Blizzaks; the Blizzaks hold a slight advantage in slush, ice and rain conditions over the Dunlops, but not enough to justify their costing 25% more. Bottom line: If you value handling or already have decent winter-driving skills and just need a better winter-edge for your ride, go with the Dunlops and save some money; if you have to have maximum ice & slush traction at any cost and don't care about handling, then go with the Blizzaks.

Initial Review, 500 Miles on Tires
February 03, 2012

THEN: I had Pirelli's P6 Four Season's when I initially purchased my Audi A4, but the tread was almost ¾ gone on the rear tires, and probably ½ depleted on the front. Nothing particularly impressive about the Pirelli's I owned. They did look visually appealing, but they were quite loud on the freeway; actually the noise was almost unbearable! They could have been usable for another year easily, but I couldn't deal with the noise. The dealer recommended I get Pirelli's again. I didn't.
NOW: Kumho's are visually stunning (which is a mild factor I consider). They are relatively affordable (they had a promotion which gave me $50 in rebate). 500 miles plus driven on the tires and as such, they are technically "broken-in" So now I guess I can offer my thoughts about them.
I have 235-45-17 Ecsta 4X on 2002 A4 3.0 Quattro. Performance in the snow is the ultimate measure for me and so far, no regrets. NO spinning at all, braking in the snow and wet weather has improved considerably! I do have Quattro, so you would expect that the Pirelli's I owned previously would perform somewhat decently in the snow and wet weather, but they left a lot to be desired! This was another reason why I wanted new tires.
(Just a stray thought..DO get some Bridgestone Blizzaks if you are looking for some nice, non-compromising winter tires. I had them on my previous vehicle, and they were absolutely phenomenal in the snow and ice and winter in general).
Winter tires on Quattro are not necessary for me; the Ecsta 4X works harmoniously with Quattro and ESP.
The tires feel firm and secure on the road (I highly recommend getting them aligned). Noise level is noticeably lower than previous Pirelli's. Road grip is impressive on all surfaces; this translates to smooth, yet responsive handling. Though not typical of me, I can be somewhat of a spirited almost aggressive driver depending on my mood, and these tires are yet to disappoint

Initial Review, 5000 Miles on Tires
February 15, 2012

hello,it's my first winter with these tires, we did not get a lot of snow this years but a lot of glaze frost so a lot of time the road are covert with black ice, in these condition the tires work great, they where steady and firm.
when i drive to fast in a corner in this kind of condition i slide but i just slow down and the tires take back the grip to correct the problem.
on a dry road they are a bit noisy specialy when you turn, i think it's the softness of the tires !
overall i think they are a good set of tires for winter, but hey i'm not a pro to tell you the best survey, so from Denis, have a good day.

Initial Review, 300 Miles on Tires
February 15, 2012

I purchased this tire for the winter season. Unfortunately it has not snowed too much here where i live. My car makes 320whp and 350wtq to the front wheels. Traction with all seasons or summers in the snow is absolutely ridiculous. I spin, I cant move, the rear likes to move around alot, due to the aftermarket rear sway bar. With these tires i can confidently "Glide" through powder snow as well as the black ice and/ or packed snow the day after. I gave it a 6 for steering responsivness given to the sidewall thickness and its a snow tire. Great buy. Also i had read about the wear on the blizzaks during dry days and these tires have awesome treadwear for a winter tire. I drove on them for 2 weeks with dry above 40 degree temps and they didnt wear a bit. I would recommend these for a winter tire to anyone who deals with ice or snow.

Initial Review, 100 Miles on Tires
February 29, 2012

I was reluctant to buy snow tires for my g6 gt. After walking up our 1000 ft, unpaved, uphill drive way because my car wouldn't make it the last 4 winters I finally gave in and bought these. They are amazing!! I drove through slush all day and 8 inches of snow up the drive way without spinning my tires once!! I should of bought these years ago!!

Initial Review, 6,000 Miles on Tires
February 24, 2012

I live in Nebraska and my 2wd drive Chevrolet Colorado has very poor snow and ice traction with all season tires and I was considering trading it for a 4wd. I gave the Bridgestone Blizzak’s a try this winter and I have been amazed how good the traction is with them. I have not even needed to use sandbags for added traction. The stopping grip and the rear wheel traction is excellent. I will use these tires for safety in the winter moving forward. I am happy that I do not have to sell my beloved Colorado.

Initial Review, 8,000 Miles on Tires
February 22, 2012

I have these winters on my car now, and previously had trhe LM-22 non-runflat in the same tire. They are rather soft and not recommended for summer use, unless you want to just waste rubber because they get even softer with heat. So far best winter tire I have ever used on a car!! Turns my hobbled RWD sports car into almost an AWD car. Total confidence inspiring when weather turns nasty. Again take them off when temparatures rise or you will be leaving a lot of melted rubber on the roads.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
February 19, 2012

Excellent winter tire in all conditions. Very quiet for a winter tire and over all fuel economy is no different than the OEM's that came on the vehicle. They do follow rain grooved pavment which makes the vehicle shift side to side-but I have found this true of a Michelin Xi2's as well for the first few thousand miles.

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
February 20, 2012

There are no snow days at my job, so I thought a winter tire would be a good choice for my RWD 528i. Since this winter has been exceptionally mild, most of the miles are in dry or wet, rainy conditions. Dry and wet traction is very good, and because of the higher profile, you hardly notice the occasional pothole or sunken manhole cover. Cornering is not as good as with the stock summer performance tires, but is more than adequate for any sort of normal drive or commute.

We had our first snow this weekend, so I drove around in the snow and went to an empty school parking lot to test things out. Stating/stopping on an unplowed lot with 6" of snow - no problem. Turns were fine also. To induce any slipping in the rear end, I had to make sharp turns at about 40-45 mph. And, I was able to back down and pull up my long, steep driveway w/o problems, which our two cars with AWD have difficulty with.

My overall impression is that RWD with winter tires > AWD with all-season tires.

Initial Review, 30000 Miles on Tires
February 15, 2012

Best tire for winter driving ever. These tires have lowered my blood pressure significantly. I drive 150mi + per day and these tires are wearing extreamly well. I was worried about buying them due to the fact that they don't have a mileage rating but I see them going well into 60k. I drive a ton of interstate miles but plenty in town too. Never been so sure footed on slick icy roads!

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
February 15, 2012

I don't have a lot of snow driven miles on these tires but I am sold to them. While they lack a bit in dry cornering stability and responsiveness, they provide better traction in snow, slush and ice than Dunlop SP Winter-Sport 3D, and that's what matters in the winter. Will definitely buy again for my other cars.

Initial Review, 6000 Miles on Tires
January 29, 2012

Being in Calgary, Alberta, our road conditions vary from week to week. Heavy snow to chinooks to slop to ice to bare road. I really have enjoyed the EWC's for their quiet ride and cornering stability on dry pavement. In the snow, traction was really good for a tire without an visable knobby pattern. Ice traction was good starting from a standstill, but the stopping traction is stellar. Directional changes and stopping in all road conditions have surpassed my expectations. I am expecting, and it seems that the treadwear will last much longer than my previous Goodyear grips and the Blizzak's. I highly recommend this tire.

Initial Review, 3000 Miles on Tires
February 11, 2012

This our 2nd winter with the General Altimax Arctic tires and while this winter there has been practically no snow the tires still inspire confidence on dry or wet roads. Last winter we had tons of snow and one evening right after a good 6-8 inches of freshly fallen snow, I took the TDi out to really test the tires. I was amazed at the ability of these tires to get me through the deep snow on unplowed streets. The only other vehicles out were 4 wheel vehicles. Christmas of 2011 I drove the family north on a snow packed interstate, I really appreciated the gripping ability of the Altimax Arctic tires. We were passing other vehicles with confidence, (much to the consternation of my wife.) Previously, I had used the Bridgestone Blizzaks, but while they were excellent for snow and ice, the sidewalls were way too soft and really left me with much less confidence in turns and even driving on interstate. Over all my wife and I have been very pleased with the performance of our General Altimax tires, especially considering the costs of other tires. We do change tires in April to the General Altimax HP's and love those tires also. Both sets of the Generals I bought through Tire Rack and the delivery to the installer was right on, we'll continue to buy from Tire Rack.