Bridgestone Winter Tires

Initial Review, 100 Miles on Tires
December 11, 2009

Waited for a decent snowfall to write review.Blizzak definitely live up to being superior ice & snow tires. In stop & go traffic, cornering, steep hills & hwy driving they hold the road. Only used the 4x4 during the snowstorm, but soon realized the tire gripped so well (no fish-tailing) that I didn't need to use it.Highly recommend for winter driving.

Initial Review, 44,000 Miles on Tires
March 21, 2013

Very good all around tire. If one front tire hadn't worn at the inner edge due to an alignment an issue, I probably could have gotten 50,000 miles out of this original equipment set. I normally use dedicated snow tires during the winter, as we live in the mountains of Northeast Utah at 6,450' MSL in a ski town, and have snow 4-6 months of the year. These tires worked well in snow, slush; not quite as well on ice, but well enough I felt comfortable not fitting dedicated snow tires. Wet and dry traction during summer months was very good. I saw some complaints in other reviews about noise, but I have not noticed an undue amount of tread noise or slap over expansion joints. I would definitely consider buying another set. I also appreciate that Bridgestone/Firestone was a sponsor of Driver's Edge (wish they still were) an excellent driver education program for teens, that actually teaches vehicle dynamics skills.

Initial Review, 4,500 Miles on Tires
March 19, 2013

This is my first ever set of winter tires, so I can't really compare them to any other tire, except all-seasons. My first misconception was that the tires would make my car invincible in the snow - they didn't. You still have to be mindful of how you're driving. Having said that, I've only driven a handful of times in the snow with these tires, and I fully enjoyed all of them. I could drive twice the speed of the other cars, in a lane that was still snowed in and had barely any tracking. I've also played around in a parking lot with about 2-3 inches of fresh snow and the responsiveness of these tires is very good. You will still slide if you're braking too quickly or turning too sharply, but much less than with the all-season tires that I've had in the past. I had one experience with deep snow, and it wasn't a good one. I tried to plow through a foot of snow in my driveway and got stuck. Not really the tire's fault, but I did notice that FWD with an open differential is not very good for those instances. That's why I think that your drive train will play a big part in the overall performance of these tires. Last thoughts - they look nice and meaty, noise level is low, and ride comfort is great. Not recommended for spirited driving, but excellent for everyday use. I would like to compare these to the Bridgestone Blizzaks, if I ever get the opportunity. Snow tires are fun!

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
March 19, 2013

I replaced my OE ContiProContact's at 36k miles after getting stuck in 6" of snow. These tires are just as quiet and proved increased traction in all weather conditions. In addition, the stiffer sidewalls greatly increase response, while not noticeably increasing harshness. I don't have enough mileage on the tires to comment on tire wear or fuel economy impact from switching to non LRR tires, but I would highly recommend these tires for a nice performance upgrade. They got me through a couple snow storms of 4-6" without too much drama, but they aren't a replacement for winter tires. They're more like a higher mileage summer tire with moderate winter capabilities, which is what I was looking for.

Initial Review, 17,000 Miles on Tires
March 08, 2013

These wonderful Continentals replaced the absolutely awful original equipment Contis (4X4 Contact) which were toast by 20,000 miles; identically the same tread life exhibited by the same tire on my former 2004 V8 Touareg= terrible. On the 2004 I replaced with Bridgestone Dueler Alenzas (18") and loved those, however that tire is not available in 19" for the 2010. These DWS Extreme Continentals do all and more than those Bridgestones. At 17,000 miles, with 5000 mile rotations, I have suffered no ills whatsoever. Low road noise, outstanding treadwear to date even on this 5200 lb. vehicle, great, confidence-inspiring handling in sweepers. I have had no deep snow experience to date, but this is an all season, not a winter tire. The difference in wear rate vs. 4X4 Contacts is the ticket. 540 vs. 360 plus they cost less. Buy these tires from Tire Rack!

Initial Review, 43,000 Miles on Tires
March 06, 2013

I've had these original equipment tires for over 40K miles and three New England winters. I'm surprised at some of the other reviews showing very low mileage as I am not yet ready for replacements and I don't drive conservatively. Also, these are not snow tires and "all season" is a BS industry marketing ploy. I haven't needed to switch to winter tires but I drive carefully knowing stopping distance in snow is worse than with snow tires. Duh. Overall, these have been excellent tires. I may or may not get a second set when the time comes but only because I don't like the premium price compared to some other reasonable replacement tires such as the Yokohama PradaX. Beware of some of the exaggerated negative reviews although perhaps Honda and Toyota have matched the tire poorly but my Mazda has done just fine.

Initial Review, 40,000 Miles on Tires
March 08, 2013

Great tires for the money. I have a very long commute, and I'm now on my third set. Very quiet, comfortable and smooth riding. Much better for comfort than the OEM Bridgestones, and Michelin's that followed those. Treadwear somewhat average, I've been switching them out at roughly 50K which is the same as the other brands mentioned above. I also use the Altimax Arctic tires in the winter, and highly recommend those as well.

Initial Review, 12,000 Miles on Tires
March 11, 2013

I descided to purchased these tires based on their excellent customer reviews. Obviously something must have changed shortly before I bought them as I see the ratings have dropped considerably. On dry pavement I have had little issue cornering and braking seem excellent but get the road a little wet and performance begins to drop. Put a small amount of slush on the road and you can just about forget about accelerating, stopping or turning. They have very little bite in hard packed snow and almost none in soft snow. These are bar far one of the worst sets of tires I have ever owned. Living in Wisconsin I see all types of weather and I will without a doubt be running different tires come next winter. I will not put up with these horrible tires for another winter. I can only hope I can manage to wear these things out during the summers that I will be stuck using them.

Initial Review, 8,000 Miles on Tires
March 06, 2013

These tires replaced some terrible Michelin all-seasons which made the hatchback Mercedes basically a hockey puck in the ice/snow. The LM-60 tires are absolutely the best rubber I've found, hands down, for winter sport tires. This opinion is compared to Dunlop Wintersport M3, D3, Blizzak WS-60, and Nokian Vatiiva. I have used all of these other tires extensively on multiple cars with multiple driving styles, and I would now go with the Blizzak marque in general for ALL winter vehicles from here on out.
Cons- winter tires are always noisier, and the Blizzaks fit the mold. Mileage suffers a bit, and wear is accelerated with the softer rubber. Driving with an average style can prolong life and get you hopefully 4-5 seasons out of them. Start getting some G's on your turns frequently, and you may only get a couple seasons at best. These tires will not wear well on cars with suspension work / increased cambers. Beware.

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
March 06, 2013

This set of Blizzak WS-70s are superior to the previous older set I owned and ran for 9 New England winters. As long as one only runs them during winter months, they last a reasonable amount of time with very good performance. They really excel in icy and slushy conditions, which are common in the Northeast.

Initial Review, 7,500 Miles on Tires
February 27, 2013

Amazing Winter tires for a front wheel drive sports car. Was able to do rooster tails in 6 inches of snow, and Ice was not ever a problem. Going up and down hills, even from a stopped position was also better than expected. very little tire spin even in 6 inches of snow on non treated roads. Road noise was also very little. Noting that tread wear was faster than i expected I probably would have rotated every 2500 miles. I will be able to get a second season out of these tires though.

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
February 28, 2013

I should have purchased these DM-V1 Blizzaks when my truck was new! They are extremely quiet, handle great in the water, and handle our Erie lake-effect snow and ice covered roads with ease. I went through 2 sets of Bridgestone Dueler Revo's thinking they would be the best year-round tire, but they wore quickly even with regular rotations, they were relatively loud, and they were absolutely aweful in the snow and ice. The Blizzaks are much quieter, give a much more comfortable ride, and significantly increased my fuel mileage! I would recommend them to anyone who faces winter weather as we do. Now I just need to find a comparable tire for the summer months with all of the benefits we have found with the Blizzaks. We have been big Blizzak fans on our cars through the Blizzak WS-50, WS-60, and WS-70 tire models, but they did not fit my truck. I'm so glad I trusted the Blizzak name and tried the DM-V1!

Initial Review, 3,500 Miles on Tires
February 28, 2013

Great for light snow and slippery roads. Not the best for deep snow but way better than all season. Tire performance in wet conditions is excellent overall. Handling is only slightly less than the OEM Bridgestones. Cornering on dry salty roads could use a little improvement

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
February 26, 2013

Bought these before the Wisconsin winter. They have made a world of difference. I fishtailed once in what was probably 3-4 inches, and without any weight in the back of the wagon. I slipped on a patch of black ice on a side road, but once the tires hit snow again, they gripped right up and I was on my merry way. That is my entire list of incidents this winter. Accelerating from stoplights, stopping, turning, highway ramps have all been fine. Next year, the wife will be getting a set for her car.

They are also nice and sticky in dry/wet(not frozen) conditions. Noticed an immediate increase in performance when I put them on.

High quality tire.

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
February 25, 2013

My car was so-so in the snow before I bought these tires. Now i feel like I'm driving a 4WD truck. I can go through anything (within reason) and feel completely comfortable. We've got hit pretty hard with snow this winter too and there's no way I could have made an hour commute everyday in this snow without these tires. I will definitely be purchasing these again when it's time for a new car.

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
February 26, 2013

I live in Denver and with the changing conditions on a day to day basis that we experience here I knew I needed a good set of all season tires. I should mention that I don't like the cost and the pain of having a winter/summer set of tires.

So with much research and after reading all the reviews on the Continental DWS all season tire I knew they would be an excellent set of boots to strap to my RWD 2006 BMW 325i. Through the dry, rain and heavy snow they have not disappointed as of the first 1000 miles. (meaning I can't comment on tread life quite yet)

Prior to the Conti DWS I had a set of michelins and bridgestones on the front and back. While I can comment on my prior set of tires performance in the snow, I'd rather not. What I can say is the road noise and driving comfort were much improved with the DWS! Overall they offer supreme comfort and balance for city driving and elevated highway speeds.

As for the reason why everyone buys this tire: While not a full "winter" tire the DWS has yet to fail me and land me flat footed through 6-8 inches of snow we recently experienced. The car feels balanced and well planted with minimal oversteer and steering lock if I plant my foot down while entering a corner. But when the TC and DSC kick in my tires regain traction and the car regains its balance on corner exit and I'm off again to attack more snowy apex's! Which is something I can't say with the rear bridgestone tires that nearly landed me into the curb if it weren't for my cat-like car control reflexes earned during my karting days.

What I can say and what many reviewers fail to mention (as commented on above) is that even though the 325i is a RWD with the DWS tire and the addition of traction control and stability control the tires fare very well in snowy/icy conditions. I've been impressed with their grip under heavy acceleration as well as under heavy ABS activated braking. Road noise as mentioned is minimal for an all-season tire but I've also been impressed wit

Initial Review, 50,000 Miles on Tires
February 16, 2013

Great tire! Longest lasting tires ever purchased. Because of the larger rims/sport suspension on my fx, was looking for a very quiet & smooth riding tire. This particular tire delivers and durability was a plus. Did not seriously test in winter conditions though. Will definitely stick with this brand, well worth the premium price.

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
February 22, 2013

Simply put the best all around tire I have ever owned, smooth ride, little if any road noise and great traction in all conditions. Just had a major winter storm in St Louis and the tire was excellent in the snow and ice. I would have never made it home or up my driveway with the orginal Dunlops that came as standard on the car. Just an excellent all around tire!

Initial Review, 50,000 Miles on Tires
December 12, 2012

This review is re: two sets of this tire spent and replaced with 100k+ miles driven. I am now on my third set. All on Mercedes 300SE's. This tire remains a great handling tire in all weather conditions with the unknown of snow/ice where we change up to studded snows for 3-4 months of winter each year. No complaints. They are quiet, stop on a dime when req'd, corner hard when req'd, handle superbly cruising at 65-80mph wet or dry, very smooth handling. Replace at 50k+ miles or so. This review after two sets consumed with 100k+ miles. Now on third set of tires. Love the tire.