Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 Review: Unmatched Studless Winter Tires for Safe and Confident Driving in Cold Conditions

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Nowadays, the “Blizzak” brand is almost as well-known as the “Bridgestone” brand, particularly in regions that experience severe winter weather. That should give you a very fair idea of how high-quality these tires are. It appears that the Japanese tire manufacturer does an excellent job with all of its products, but this is especially true with regard to its winter tires.

The Blizzak WS90 is the most recent winter tire model to be introduced by Bridgestone. Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 review The new model, which makes use of cutting-edge materials and technology, is in direct competition with other premium products, in particular the Michelin X-ice Xi3 and the Continental VikingContact 7.

Small vehicles, compact hatchbacks, mid-size sedans, minivans, compact crossovers, and even certain large crossovers can all benefit from Bridgestone’s Blizzak WS90 tires, which come in the most popular sizes. Bridgestone offers these tires. Undoubtedly noteworthy is the fact that the sizes span from a wheel diameter of 14 inches to a wheel diameter of 19 inches.

However, if you already have all-season tires mounted on your vehicle, there is no reason for you to purchase the WS90. To begin, all-season tires are not built to handle more than a thin dusting of snow. A deeper snowfall creates a significant challenge for all-season tires, and driving on ice is not an option. Investing in a quality set of winter tires, such as these Blizzaks, will make your vehicle significantly easier to control, as well as improve its acceleration and braking performance.

Because the greatest premium winter tires also function well on dry and wet surfaces, I anticipate the Blizzak WS90 to perform quite well in this category as well. In the end, it would be beneficial if your next set of winter tires were comfy; after all, nobody wants a driving experience that is unpleasant.

You have, fortunately, arrived at exactly the perfect location to learn everything there is to know about the brand new winter tire that Bridgestone has to offer. In this comprehensive evaluation of the Blizzak WS90 tire, I will discuss how well this model performs in severe wintry weather over a variety of terrains, how comfortable it is, and how long it will keep its tread life.

But before we get into that, let’s take a look at the characteristics that Bridgestone included in the WS90 that set it apart from the other models on the market.

What are the features of the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90?

Bridgestone claims that their Blizzak WS90 tire is capable of helping you maintain command of your car even in the most treacherous of driving conditions. In addition, they assert that in the company’s own testing, the WS90 has proven to be a “leader in control on ice.”Bridgestone’s high-tech Multi-Cell compound with biting particles was what made all of those things possible, thanks to Bridgestone’s efforts. The hydrophilic coating of the compound is responsible for removing the tiny layer of water that forms between the tread and ice surfaces, which results in an increase in traction. In the meantime, the bites leave small particles behind, which aid even more.

The innovative compound was shaped by Bridgestone into a tread pattern that is symmetrical. Increased block stiffness contributes to more responsive steering and longer tread life according to the pattern’s design. While this is going on, the EdgePerformance Technology Package has been upgraded to include a larger contact area as well as 15% additional block edges. The addition of this package improves traction in snow and ice.

In addition, because of the modifications made using silica, the tire maintains its pliability and softness even when exposed to the frigid temperatures of winter. This attribute contributes to improved traction in snow and ice. Last but not least, the tread pattern is packed to the brim with numerous minute zigzag sipes, which increase the biting edges even further.

What are the maintenance indicators?

On the Blizzak WS90, Bridgestone installed the standard tread wear indicators (TWIs). These are thin rubber bars that are inserted into the circumferential grooves that go around the tire. As the rubber degrades, the rubber bars rise to the surface and become more obvious.

The bars will be totally flush with the surface when the tread depth reaches 5/32 of an inch. At that point, you should quickly change your summer tires to your winter tires. This is due to the fact that their performance will not be satisfactory, particularly in conditions when there is snow and ice.

However, Bridgestone added an additional set of indicators to the vehicle. When the MultiCell compound on the WS90 has been entirely worn away, these “winter wear bars” indicate that the WS90 just has the ordinary winter compound left.

The Blizzak WS90, to its credit, possesses an outstanding treadlife. When compared to the Blizzak WS80, the manufacturer claims that it should provide the user with one additional winter’s worth of wear. In addition, purchasers of these tires appear to be extremely pleased with the length of time that they serve them.

On the other hand, Bridgestone’s winter tires are not covered by any kind of treadwear warranty. Michelin, however, is one of the few manufacturers that does so. In light of the fact that Bridgestone and Michelin produce tires with comparable price points, I was hoping that the WS90 would come with a treadwear warranty. It’s possible that we’ll have to wait until the following generation.

How does it behave on a dry tarmac?

The responsiveness of the steering is impressive for a winter tire. However, not only is it not very linear, but it also does not offer a great deal of feedback. It’s not something that winter tires often do, but I think it’s important to point out anyhow.

The Blizzak WS90 offers superior traction and grip on surfaces that are dry, which is perhaps the most crucial benefit. Even though all-season or summer tires will provide your car an advantage when it comes to traction, the Bridgestone is an exceptional choice for a winter tire. However, inexperienced drivers will probably never be able to tell the difference.

In addition to this, the Blizzak WS90 does not exhibit the same amount of squirming in the corners as other winter tires. In the meantime, it offers the driver a grip that can be used for quick cornering and a remarkable level of stability at high speeds. When it comes to stopping, the WS90 has the shortest stopping distances of any winter tire on the market today.

In general, a very good winter tire for dry weather, however it may not be the greatest one available right now.

How is it over wet and slippery roads?

When it starts to rain, the Blizzak WS90 continues to demonstrate its superiority. Although some premium winter tires might be able to compete with it in snowy situations, the Bridgestone is unquestionably the superior option on roads that are wet.

Regarding the way it handles, the tire has a really reassuring sense. It responds quite quickly to the input of the driver and does not oversteer or understeer in any way. Additionally, the resistance to hydroplaning is unparalleled in the category.

The performance of the brakes, which establishes new benchmarks for the category, is what is most impressive about the vehicle, however. This winter tire has a stopping distance that is more than five feet shorter than the next best winter tire; this is quite astounding stuff.

Overall, the Blizzak WS90 establishes new benchmarks for performance in wet conditions within the category.

With that being said, how is it on snowy roads?

The Blizzak WS90 is simply a great performer in the winter, much like its predecessor, the WS80. Because of how well it performs, the new Bridgestone winter tire is not affected in any way by the climate in which it is driven.Let’s begin with snow, because you are going to run into it quite a bit now that winter has arrived. The Blizzak WS90 achieves the best performance of any product in this category when it comes to acceleration. In other words, you won’t ever have to worry about getting stranded in the snow again.

In addition to this, the Blizzak WS90 has exceptional stopping distances thanks to its short stopping lengths. Although not first in the class, it is still up there among the very finest in the field.

However, in terms of handling, it will be difficult for you to find a better tire than this one. It reacts very quickly to the input that the driver provides without being unduly sensitive to that input. During this time, you won’t notice any oversteering or understeering from your vehicle at all, and it will seem entirely stable. It nearly feels like you’re driving on wet concrete rather than snow.

However, what about the ice? To reiterate, just like the majority of other Blizzak tires, the WS90 performs exceptionally well on slick terrain. The vehicle is able to accelerate without any problems and has very short stopping distances. Because it is made of that gripping material with all of the biting edges, it also handles really nicely. Investing in studded winter tires is your sole option for making further improvements to your traction on ice.

Is it suitable for off-road driving?

The Blizzak WS90’s aggressive tread design and deep grooves provide strong evidence that this tire will be an excellent choice for off-road driving. Additionally, it is true that it offers superior traction in muck in comparison to a set of all-season or summer tires.

The soft and flexible tread compound is, however, more prone to damage than its more rigid counterpart. Stones from hardpacked surfaces, such gravel and mud, have the potential to easily harm the rubber. Because of this, I wouldn’t exactly suggest utilizing the Blizzak WS90 for off-road driving if I had a choice. That is something you can do in a pinch, but you shouldn’t do it for an extended period of time.

Is it comfortable and refined?

The overall riding quality is fairly stiff. Although not ridiculously rigid as those on high-performance tires, they are nonetheless more rigid than those on conventional winter tires. Depending on the type of vehicle you drive, you could not even notice it at all, or it might drive you crazy. It would be ideal if it could maintain its composure over undulating terrain, but I suppose one cannot have everything in a tire.

However, the Blizzak WS90 performs significantly better than its predecessor in terms of noise. Even though there is still a discernible noise on all of the surfaces, I was happy with the performance as a whole. The noise produced by other winter tires is far higher, both when rolling and when hitting bumps.

More information regarding the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 Review may be found at: Vincent Mills is the creator of the video.

Should I buy the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90?

The majority of high-end winter tires have impressively good performance in terms of traction on ice and snow. There is no other tire in this category, however, that provides exceptional traction in both dry and wet conditions in addition to winter driving capabilities. At the time of this writing, the Blizzak WS90 is the most remarkable winter tire available in its category overall. Everything else about it is good, with the notable exception of the slightly harsh ride.

Any person who drives in severe winter circumstances is strongly encouraged to give Bridgestone’s newest studless winter tire a try. This is due to the fact that it comes highly recommended. The Blizzak WS90 can be expensive for some people, but the product more than makes up for the cost with its exceptional performance. You shouldn’t wait until the last minute to get a set for the upcoming winter.