Advanced Rubber Compound vs. Metal Spike, and the winner is...
Written: Jan 14 '02 (Updated Jan 15 '02)
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Pros: Quiet (compared to studded tires)
Road Friendly.
Cons: Cost.
Performance on ice is NOT as good as studded.
The Bottom Line: Good snow tire, studs are always better on ice
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| mwagers's Full Review: Bridgestone Blizzak Passenger/Performance Tire |
Of course its the metal spike. I had these tires two cars ago. I went from studded tires to the Bridgestone Blizzak and was not that impressed. I was sold by the ad showing a car stopping on a hockey rink. Ooooooh. Well they aren't all they are hyped up to be.
The Bridgestone Blizzak is a great SNOW tire and it does outperform a 'standard' (cheaper) snow tire on ice, but nothing will compare to the grab of a metal stud.
The benefits of the Blizzak are:
Quieter
Much quieter than a studded snow tire. Although almost any good snow tire will make a whooring noise on the highway, due to the deep and spaced out tread patterns necessary to run on snow.
No Studs
I don't know if this is a benefit or a drawback. The tire performs well on ice. It does not have to be removed during summer months. I know in some areas studded tires are outlawed altogether, so it might be one of your only options. Lack of studs also does less damage to road surfaces. You decide which of these are important to you.
Wet weather
The Blizzak performs well in wet weather. It does not offer a directional pattern, as many higher end tires do, to give additional resistance to hydroplaning. It will likely outperform the tires that came on your new car in wet weather, due to its 'open' tread and siping qualities.
The drawbacks are:
Wear
I had the tires for about two years. I probably put about 40K on them during this time and then my car got wrecked. They were just about done for as far as tread goes. Don't expect over 50K on any decent snow tire. The rubber compounds are designed softer than all season tires to give added traction.
Performance on ice
The Blizzak is a 'composite rubber' snow tire. Tire manufacturers began marketing these types of tires a few years ago. The idea is that the rubber compound is designed to be porous and (in theory) it will be able to grip better on wintry roads. Some manufacturers have also developed a 'micro-stud' composite. This is a sort of fiberglass, for lack of better description. The tire has small fibers which will (in theory) grip the ice. These tires are VERY expensive (over 150each) and the theory seems like a good one. But nothing gives me the warm fuzzy on ice than studs. Most composite tires do not perform as good as studded tires on ice, but do outperform traditional snow tires. This is exactly the case for the Blizzak.
Overall the Blizzak is a good winter tire. If you don't NEED to drive in the snow a lot, it should be sufficient for you. If you do a lot of driving in adverse winter conditions, go for studs if you can. Nothing will make more of a difference on winter driving than your tires, not 4X4, AWD, or ABS. They are all reduced to nothing if you don't give them good tires.
Other Options
If you want a little more performance on ice check out the Nokian Hakkapelita studded tire(Read my review).
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 100/ea
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Epinions.com ID:
mwagers
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Location: Somerville, MA, USA
Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 6 members
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