TIRERACK new tests of Bridgestone BLIZZAK WS90 , Continental VIKING CONTACT 7 ...
- Thread starter odie
- Start date
If "October 19, 2022" is new then it is.
Krzyś
PS Where is Michelin I-ICE Snow?
They are here
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=263
Krzyś
PS Where is Michelin I-ICE Snow?
They are here
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=263
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- Joined
- Jul 11, 2014
- Messages
- 4,117
| 60' Ice Acceleration (Seconds) | |
|---|---|
4.26 | Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 |
4.38 | Continental VikingContact 7 |
4.80 | Cooper Discoverer True North |
5.15 | Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra |
| 12-0mph Ice Braking (Feet) | |
|---|---|
31.7 | Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 |
36.0 | Continental VikingContact 7 |
39.4 | Cooper Discoverer True North |
42.1 | Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra |
Had the WS80's and currently have the WS90's on an `06 Odyssey. Both worth their weight in gold when things get dicey in the winter time.
The 80's gave better traction, but wore quickly.
The 90's are quieter and are lasting more miles. Probably handle slightly better also than the 80's.
Both hit fuel economy a little.
The 80's gave better traction, but wore quickly.
The 90's are quieter and are lasting more miles. Probably handle slightly better also than the 80's.
Both hit fuel economy a little.
Never had the WS70’s but had the WS50’s and WS60’s. The WS50’s were much better than the 60’s IMO.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2014
- Messages
- 4,117
Tire | Avg. Speed at Center Ice Line (mph) | ABS Stop Distance 10-0 mph (feet) |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 | 10.6 | 33.5 |
| Michelin X-Ice Xi3 | 9.0 | 43.0 |
Both sets balanced nicely with minimal wheel weights and seemed very round and true. Great tires, would buy again!
I've used the X-Ice, WS-60, and DM-V2, and a brief time on a few others I cannot recall.
Blizzak DM-V2 are without a doubt, the best winter tire I've ever used by a wide margin. These tires defy physics, what is above and beyond is the braking ability on glazed over snow and ice. Deep snow traction is also off the charts.
I'll go out on a limb and say most other winter tires are a compromise in comparison.
Edit to add:
if you want a longer lasting tire, maybe a bit quieter above 60 MPH, little less squirmy on hard turns....then you need to find another tire that sacrifices snow and ice traction.
What is it worth to you?
When you have winter tires, best option is to get a spare set of wheels, and swap over for the winter driving as needed. The cost of the spare wheels will be evened out with 2 mount and balance procedures on your regular wheels so it's a no-brainer.
Blizzak DM-V2 are without a doubt, the best winter tire I've ever used by a wide margin. These tires defy physics, what is above and beyond is the braking ability on glazed over snow and ice. Deep snow traction is also off the charts.
I'll go out on a limb and say most other winter tires are a compromise in comparison.
Edit to add:
if you want a longer lasting tire, maybe a bit quieter above 60 MPH, little less squirmy on hard turns....then you need to find another tire that sacrifices snow and ice traction.
What is it worth to you?
When you have winter tires, best option is to get a spare set of wheels, and swap over for the winter driving as needed. The cost of the spare wheels will be evened out with 2 mount and balance procedures on your regular wheels so it's a no-brainer.
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The firs gen x-ice was below average, the ws-60 is over 15 years old and the dm-v2 while good had flaws such as mediocre lateral traction with sudden no warning loss of traction. While being slow to regain traction.
I have used all 3 of those and about a dozen more. There are better ones out there now.
Despite being a "current" tire The dm-v2 is an older design based off the ws-80. The newer dm-v3 based off the ws-90 is now out.
Opinion: DM-V2 a good tire in the worst conditions but its not above the other top tires. And its non winter condition attributes are below average.
I would look at the viking contact 7 for a real world tire that is every bit as good in winter conditions while handling like a standard touring tire in the wet and dry.
Yes the blizzak might outbrake it in a hockey rink.. but unless you drive a zamboni its not 100% applicable to real life driving conditions.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
I have WS90 on Tiguan and 328. It is exceptional tire, but IMO BC7 is bit better.
On Atlas, I could only source DM-V2 on 235/65 R18 size. I had it before. Good tire, but not on par Xi2 I also had. DM-V2 have this nasty habit of losing ice traction laterally without any warning. But, I didn’t have choice.
On Atlas, I could only source DM-V2 on 235/65 R18 size. I had it before. Good tire, but not on par Xi2 I also had. DM-V2 have this nasty habit of losing ice traction laterally without any warning. But, I didn’t have choice.
First 1,800 miles on WS-90s were all interstate. They’re nice. Smooth. Quiet. Not as squirmy as other winter tires I’ve had.
No bad weather yet, but may make it up to Keystone tomorrow, so, perhaps I’ll have more to report.
No bad weather yet, but may make it up to Keystone tomorrow, so, perhaps I’ll have more to report.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
I supposed to ski today, but a younger girl has the flu. Not sure I will make it tomorrow.
But they got some snow, so if you take Loveland Pass, you might get a feel of how they do.
However, I find them more squirmy than VikingContact 7 on BMW. Nothing dramatic. OTH, VC7 is definitely not worth the price difference.
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2022
- Messages
- 77
Have been running WS90s on my BRZ since December 2022.
If it's very cold and/or the roads are covered in snow/ice... they're good. They inspire lots of confidence and are extremely controllable. They make driving a light rwd car in winter a pleasure.
Any other condition- they are ass. Very loud with laughably bad traction in wet conditions above freezing. Braking distances are immediately noticeably long which feels bad. Chicago has seen a pretty mild winter this year and every single day that hasn't featured snow or very cold weather, I've thought about how much I dislike these tires.
Will switch to a 'performance winter' tire next. In the meantime, I'll be drifting the heck out of these WS90s to use them up as quickly as possible. They do nice big, easy slides (with zero tire squeal) which I consider a pro.
If it's very cold and/or the roads are covered in snow/ice... they're good. They inspire lots of confidence and are extremely controllable. They make driving a light rwd car in winter a pleasure.
Any other condition- they are ass. Very loud with laughably bad traction in wet conditions above freezing. Braking distances are immediately noticeably long which feels bad. Chicago has seen a pretty mild winter this year and every single day that hasn't featured snow or very cold weather, I've thought about how much I dislike these tires.
Will switch to a 'performance winter' tire next. In the meantime, I'll be drifting the heck out of these WS90s to use them up as quickly as possible. They do nice big, easy slides (with zero tire squeal) which I consider a pro.
I've ran winters every year sans 2 years since I've owned a car so I bought the DMV2s for the CX5 this winter thinking that with the 99% snow-less winters we've had here since the winter of 2013-14, maybe this winter would be "the big one" like forecasters predict for every year. What a disappointment and a waste of money....
Ice rink is for controlled test conditions for ice. after the zamboni makes its lap, ice is the most slippery because of the thin layer of the water treatment that is applied.
Making slush batches consistent is difficult, as well as fresh snow.
But, usually a look at the shoulder blocks are a nice indicator of cutting through slush. The Goodyears suffer a bit due to its rounded shoulder blocks,. unless they got some additional tricks in the grooves or within the exterior of the shoulder blocks.
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i have both tires but different sizes. ws90 in 205-60-16 and vikingcontact7 in 225-55-16. the ws90 are a bit noisier. the vikingcontact 7 are very quiet for winter tires. they are very good everywhere except for deep snow and they d'ont like spirited driving with lot of curvy roads. while they are good in deep snow, the ws90 is much better. and the ws90 d'ont mind spirited driving with lots of curves. i love both tires. but if there is a blizzard, i'd rather have the blizzaks.
FWIW, Consumer Reports tested 16 winter tires in 2022. Testing by CR of tires under winter conditions is not very comprehensive, so I would not rely on them alone to make a purchasing decision.
The top ten:
Blizzak WS90 - 73 points
X-Ice Snow -73 points
VikingContact 7 - 70 points
Hankook iZ2 - 69 points
GY Winter Command Ultra - 69 points
Altimax Arctic 12 - -68 points
Nokian R3 - 64 points
Nordman 7 - 64 points
Toyo GSi-6 - 64 points
Yokohama iG53 - 63 points
The top performer in hydroplaning resistance was the Firestone Winterforce 2
https://tiresvote.com/collection/consumer-reports-winter-tires/
The top ten:
Blizzak WS90 - 73 points
X-Ice Snow -73 points
VikingContact 7 - 70 points
Hankook iZ2 - 69 points
GY Winter Command Ultra - 69 points
Altimax Arctic 12 - -68 points
Nokian R3 - 64 points
Nordman 7 - 64 points
Toyo GSi-6 - 64 points
Yokohama iG53 - 63 points
The top performer in hydroplaning resistance was the Firestone Winterforce 2
https://tiresvote.com/collection/consumer-reports-winter-tires/
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