Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 vs Michelin X Ice XI3

Both the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 and the Michelin X Ice XI3, are reputed for their impressive winter performance, but each has its unique strengths and weaknesses. In this article, we’ll dive deep into their performance categories, giving you a comprehensive understanding of how these tires fare against each other.

Blizzak WS90

Tire Sizes

The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 comes in 52 total sizes in 15 to 19 inches (wheels) with following specs.

  • Speed ratings: T or H.
  • Load ratings: SL or XL.
  • Tread depth: 11 or 12/32″.
  • Weight: 17 to 29 lbs.
  • Tread warranty: None.

Review this tire in greater detail: https://snowytires.com/bridgestone-blizzak-ws90-review/

On the other side, the Michelin X Ice XI3 (used to) come in 14 to 19 inches rims with following specs.

  • Speed ratings: T and H.
  • Load ratings: SL or XL.
  • Tread depth: 10.5/32″.
  • Weight: 16 to 30 lbs.
  • Tread warranty: 40k miles.

Tread Appearance

The Bridgestone Blizzak Ws90 is renowned for its solid and thoughtfully crafted directional tread pattern. Let’s check it out in details.

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

The tread is made up primarily of three prominent ribs, with the central one being seamless/continuous-running.

This main rib is decorated with wave-like sipes and slanted lateral slits, elegantly paired with in-groove notches.

And those notches then join up with the V-shaped incisions aimed towards both sides (facing the shoulders).

Speaking of which, the shoulder blocks also feature notches, though they cover both angles.

Meaning, the ones facing the central rib are lateral, and you also see another pair of these notches, further out, formed by longitudinal slits.

Moreover, these lugs also contain zigzag-shaped slits on them, combined with elongated wave-like sipes.

On the other hand, Michelin X Ice XI3 also comes up with a very unique pattern as well.

Michelin X Ice XI3
Michelin X Ice XI3

Let’s start form the middle.

So here you see a straight longitudinal slits in the middle-most area, which is engraved with small rides on the base.

These basically hold on to the snow particles and allow for amazing traction values. I’ll discuss more on this later.

The surrounding blocks are situated on two ribs, forming two more longitudinal channels, though they are more tough passing, (you can say).

They consist of lugs, having sharp edges (which are chamfered), and numerous wave-like siping.

The shoulder lugs are elongated, and have a more curving design.

And these blocks are laced with multiple-angled sipes, and wave-like, longitudinal, in-groove notches.

Directional Grip

The efficiency of directional grip predominantly relies on the tread’s central area, since it’s where the majority of the tire’s load is concentrated, (talking about when the tire rolls straight, like on highways).

Considering this principle, it’s not surprising that the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 outshines its competitor in this respect. as the middle section of this tire is adorned with a continuous running rib, ensuring a steady ground contact as the tire propels forward in a straight line.

On the other hand, the Michelin X-Ice XI3’s center area features longitudinal grooves. And yes, the surrounding lugs, too, lack the streamlined structure necessary for optimum straight-line rolling.

Therefore, the Blizzak WS90 generally records shorter braking distances, making it superior in terms of directional grip.

Dry Handling

The tire’s lateral traction or handling is significantly influenced by the shoulder lugs.

As the tire navigates corners, the weight it carries shifts towards the tread’s edges (shoulders), and the interaction of these lugs with the ground dictates the handling performance.

So in this area, the Michelin X-Ice XI3 secures the lead, even though both tires showcase similar footprints.

The secret to its triumph lies in its shallower tread depth.

Although the difference is minimal, it plays a substantial role in handling.

Shallower tread depth means the lugs are less susceptible to flexing or bending as the tire corners.

This results in a more balanced steering feedback and superior handling on the X-Ice XI3.

Wet Traction

Wet traction hinges upon two major factors: the intricacy of the siping and the flexibility of the tread.

When it comes to these attributes, both tires perform remarkably well, as they both, well-equipped with plenty of multi-angled biters, provide nearly identical braking distances and handling times.

Though still, if you have to pick one here, I’d say, go with Blizzak, as the tire with it’s more aggressive siping pattern (featuring more teeth, if you will), gets to be 0.3 seconds better on wet handling lap times (on average).

Moreover, the tire also features a relatively softer rubber compound, so its sipes have a better efficacy to soak up the water particles coming underneath.

So Blizzak WS90 is although better, note that the difference is very marginal.

Tread Life

Winter tires typically suffer from shorter tread life, due to their softer rubber compound, which wears out relatively quickly.

Though, this rule, however, doesn’t hold true for the Michelin X-Ice XI3, which stands as one of the most long-lasting winter tires on the market.

So, what’s its secret?

The answer lies in its innovative tread compound. The rubber in the Michelin XI3 is considerably firmer and less susceptible to rapid wear.

In contrast, the Blizzak WS90 comes with a softer compound, which offers excellent adaptability in extreme temperatures but disappoints in the wear department.

That’s why it’s logical that Michelin offers a 40k miles warranty for the XI3, while Bridgestone doesn’t provide one for the Blizzak WS90.

Vibration Absorption

Tires are essentially auxiliary shock absorbers, as they cushion your ride from the imperfections of the road.

And having said that, among the two winter tire titans, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 takes the lead with its innovative compound.

It’s internal construction, basically consist of a softer nylon cap plies, and its outer rubber features a more thermal adaptive tread composition.

And together both of these provide a better settling of the vibrations, compared to Michelin XI3.

Noise Generation

Now let’s talk about the unseen enemy of a peaceful drive – tire noise.

But what causes noise? Well two things. First air that comes in (mostly through shoulder voids), hitting the tread walls.

And second, that impact echoing the walls around, producing in-groove resonance.

Now although both tires have really compact designs, which restrict a lot of air to come in and hit around, the Michelin X-Ice XI3 still manages to hold the upper hand.

This is thanks to its superior pitch sequencing technology, which creates a symphony of different tonal frequencies that harmoniously cancel each other out, effectively muffling the noise.

In simpler words, you don’t get as much groove resonance in this tire’s case.

So Blizzak is louder overall.

Snow Performance

When it comes to navigating snow, the Michelin X-Ice XI3 stands out. (I am talking about fluffy, soft snow here, by the way).

The tire basically is offering more in-groove biters, which effectively trap (more) snow particles.

And because of this, its tread makes snow contact on the ground (with that lodged snow).

It’s like making a snowball: snow sticks better to snow than it does to rubber, thereby creating superior traction.

On the other hand, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 isn’t able to do so. Its tightly packed, less aggressive tread pattern doesn’t catch as much snow, resulting in a lower snow collection efficiency.

So fluffy snow traction is seen better on Michelin XI3.

Ice Performance

Ice is the most slippery thing tires encounter, so here you need a ton of biters on the tread.

And that’s where Blizzak comes in with its thoughtfully crafted tread design, featuring angled cuts and V-shaped grooves that swing in both lateral directions, providing a much better grip.

This also goes for its more aggressive siping pattern, offering shorter braking efficacy on packed up snowy terrains.

On the flip side, the Michelin X-Ice XI3 although also features a lot of biters, they are still not enough to provide you with similar performance values compared to Blizzak.

Fuel Usage

When it comes to fuel economy, the game is all about the tire’s rolling resistance – think of it as the tread’s clinginess to the road.

Here, the Michelin’s tire steps up as the more fuel-efficient choice, even though both tires weigh about the same, and share similar tread designs.

So why is that the case?

Well Michelin XI3 has the advantage of shallower tread depth.

With this, its lugs aren’t that bending, as the tire maneuvers (especially corners).

And with less overall bending of the lugs, less heat generation is made, basically overall, less energy is consumed.

So you get a more fuel efficient tire compared to Blizzak WS90.

Summary

Based on my examination of various performance categories, it’s clear that both the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 and Michelin X-Ice XI3 have their unique strengths and weaknesses.

While the Blizzak WS90 excels in terms of directional grip, wet traction, vibration absorption, and ice performance, it falls short when it comes to dry handling, tread life, noise generation, snow performance, and fuel usage.

On the other hand, the Michelin X-Ice XI3 shines in these areas but doesn’t perform as well in the categories where the Blizzak WS90 leads.

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 vs LM-32

Both these winter tires from Bridgestone are noted for their stellar abilities, though they present unique strengths and weaknesses across different parameters such as comfort levels, fuel usage, traction on different surfaces, and dry directional grip.

Blizzak WS90

Info on Sizes

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 comes in 16 to 20″ with following.

  • Speed ratings: H, V and W.
  • Load ratings: SL and XL.
  • Tread depth: 9 to 12/32″.
  • Weight: 22 to 35 lbs.

While the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 comes in 52 total sizes in 15 to 19 inches (wheels) with following specs.

  • Speed ratings: T or H.
  • Load ratings: SL or XL.
  • Tread depth: 11 or 12/32″.
  • Weight: 17 to 29 lbs.

Review this tire in greater detail: https://snowytires.com/bridgestone-blizzak-ws90-review/

Tread Appearance

The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is a strong tire for winter, with a special tread design. Let’s break down its key features.

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

The tread has three main parts, or ribs. So let’s talk about them one by one.

First off, the shoulders, so these lugs are filled with a lot of biters. You get lateral notches facing the middle, and these combined with the longitudinal slits (in the middle of these lugs), yield amazing traction values.

Moreover, these shoulder blocks also have zigzag slits running along near the edges of the tire. And like other winter tires, you get a ton of siping here as well.

The central rib is made continuous, and it features similar slits, which grow wider towards the edges as they meet the V-shaped notches.

These V shaped notches face on both sides laterally.

And of course you get a lot of siping here as well.

On the other hand, Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 also features a directional pattern.

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32

If we divide up the tread in the same way, we find three parts, or “ribs”, in the middle that look like columns of blocks.

And these make 4 longitudinal channels.

The middle most rib is continuous running, and features rectilinear (lateral) sipes on it.

And yes, with it’s zigzag shape, it makes very tough passing grooves there.

The surrounding ribs have blocks with sharp edges, and interlocking wave-like sipes.

Moreover, you can also see thick slanted slits in them as well.

Moving towards shoulders, you see elongated lugs here, with similar tread features, though you get very prominent longitudinal cuts here (which act as snow sipes).

And yes, these lugs are connected to the following blocks by secondary rubber layers underneath (and those lugs are also connected to the middle-most rib in a similar fashion).

Comfort Levels

When it comes to comfort, the story unfolds in two parts, we have noise reduction department, and then there’s tire’s ability to settle down the road shocks.

Let’s check both out separately.

Road Noise

The primary source of this noise is air particles colliding with the walls of the tread, with the shoulder area serving as the main gateway.

So you can say, the smaller the shoulder voids, the less noise gets produced.

In this respect, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores more points with its relatively more compact design.

By keeping the shoulder voids small, it restricts the amount of air entering and hitting the tread walls.

However, it doesn’t get to celebrate victory just yet, as the Blizzak LM-32 counters with its pitch sequencing technology.

How this technology works?:

Well it works by putting variations in the tread block geometry, causing the air particles to create different sounds. These various tones then cancel each other out, thereby reducing noise.

So, when it comes to noise, it’s a stalemate between the two tires.

Road Bumps Absorption

Next, let’s talk about the ability to absorb shocks, where the Blizzak WS90 seems to take the lead, with its softer overall tread compound.

The tire’s malleable composition lets it soak up the imperfections of the road in a better way.

Though just like the noise, you get to see yet another plot twist here as well.

You see, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 may seem to be less efficient in soaking up the bumps, it still offers a subjectively better feel of overall steering.

So in the light of these factors, it seems fair to call it a draw between the two when it comes to overall comfort.

Fuel Usage

The fuel efficiency of tires is deeply rooted in the tread design and overall weight, as these elements impact the rolling resistance, a key factor that determines fuel consumption.

And in this regard, both Bridgestone Blizzaks exhibit nearly identical levels of rolling resistance.

The Blizzak WS90, lighter on average across all sizes, has slightly wider tread voids. This results in increased lug movement during maneuvers, which in turn requires additional fuel.

And at the same time, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32, despite its heavier weight applying more force on the lugs, manages to strike a balance, with its stiffer compound, leading to equivalent fuel consumption levels.

So, when it comes to fuel efficiency, it’s a draw between these two brothers.

Ice Traction

On icy terrains, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 steps into the spotlight with its superior performance.

The tire employs advanced design techniques, like the even distribution of specialized biters across the tread fitted with V-shaped notches.

These notches enable the tire to achieve a better grip on packed terrains. Moreover, the variety of siping angles within its design equips the tire with a multi-directional grip, enhancing traction.

Conversely, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32, with a less aggressive siping pattern and lacking multiple angles, finds its overall ice traction somewhat limited.

Fluffy Snow Traction

When it comes to navigating the softer, powdery snow terrains, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 takes a slight lead due to its comprehensive network of tread voids, functioning as snow traps.

These snow traps basically offers superior snow to snow contact, where the lodged snow meeting the ground provides greater friction.

And if you are wondering why that happens, know that naturally, snow like to stick to other snowflakes, instead of rubber.

Simply put, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 lacks these specific traits. I mean the tire isn’t able to provide as much snow contact with the lodged snow (in the grooves).

Moreover, with the tire’s smaller tread voids, you also don’t get to see as much paddling where on Blizzak LM-32, snow is thrown backwards and a much better forward momentum is generated.

So overall, Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 emerges as the superior choice in terms of powdery snow traction.

Dry Directional Grip

The capacity for directional grip is mostly attributed to the central area of the tread, as this region carries the bulk of the tire’s load during straight-line motion, like highway driving.

This specific attribute tells why the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 shines in this aspect.

Despite both tires showcasing continuous central ribs for consistent road contact, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32’s compact and continuous pattern extending to the surrounding lugs contributes to a shorter braking distance, by approximately 2 feet, compared to the Blizzak WS90.

Thus, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 demonstrates superior linear grip.

Dry Lateral Traction

Handling, or lateral traction performance is largely dependent on the tire’s shoulder structure and overall mass. Allow me to explain why.

During cornering, due to inertia, the weight is displaced to the edges of the tread (shoulders/sidewalls). Though both tires exhibit similar footprints in this area, the heavier Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 tends to exhibit more lug flex due to its greater weight.

This excessive lug bending leads to an imbalance between understeer and oversteer, compromising the tire’s overall steering feedback.

As a result, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 comes out on top in terms of dry handling, providing better control and stability.

Wet Traction

The tire’s traction on wet surfaces hinges greatly on its tread design and the composition of the rubber compound.

And having said that, here, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 shines a bit brighter than its rival, even though both tires feature extensive siping.

Sipes in a tire primarily act as channels/voids/slits that expel air and draw in water particles, thereby enhancing wet grip.

And so the Blizzak WS90 leveraging a dual siping system, combining assertive interlocking and linear designs, offers wet traction abilities.

Additionally, the multi-angled sipes present in the Blizzak WS90 offer superior cornering capabilities, ensuring grip in all directions.

On the other hand, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 opts for a different siping approach, featuring predominantly lateral sipes, resulting in a slightly different traction performance.

However, it’s noteworthy that the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 excels in resistance to hydroplaning, as the tire demonstrated superior ‘float’ speeds (the maximum speed a tire can maintain over standing water without losing contact with the road) in both straight and curved water-testing scenarios.

To Conclude

Assessing these tires across the spectrum of discussed criteria, it becomes evident that each holds its own appeal based on specific strengths.

The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 stands out for its commendable performance in wet traction, shock absorption, and ice traction.

On the contrary, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 exhibits superior performance in powdery snow traction and dry directional grip.

It’s also noteworthy that both tires perform equivalently in terms of fuel usage and road noise, making the choice highly dependent on individual requirements and prevalent driving conditions.

Cooper Evolution Winter vs Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

The stage is set for Cooper Evolution Winter, boasting its remarkable durability in severe conditions, to clash with the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, celebrated for its comprehensive winter performance. When these tire titans vie for supremacy, who will claim victory?

Blizzak WS90

Available Sizes

The Cooper Evolution Winter comes in 67 sizes in 14 to 20 inches, having following specs.

  • Speed ratings: T and H.
  • Load ratings: SL or XL.
  • Tread depth: 12 and 14/32″.
  • Weight: 17 to 37 lbs.
  • Tread warranty: None.

On the other hand, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 offer 52 total sizes in 15 to 19 inches (wheels) with following specs.

  • Speed ratings: T or H.
  • Load ratings: SL or XL.
  • Tread depth: 11 or 12/32″.
  • Weight: 17 to 29 lbs.

Review this tire in greater detail: https://snowytires.com/bridgestone-blizzak-ws90-review/

Tread Appearance

The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is a robust winter tire showcasing a well-thought-out tread design. Let’s take a deeper dive into its notable characteristics.

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

So its tread has 3 parts, where there are 2 outer ribs, and the one in the middle.

Starting with the outer ones, the shoulders, you see a lot of biters there.

There are full depth notches facing the middle, laterally, and then there are similar biters arranged longitudinally, (in the central part of these shoulders).

Moreover, you also see zigzag slits, further out.

And yes, of course, there’s a lot of siping here, as one would expect.

The middle rib is made continuous.

And there are lateral slits here, which meet up with the V shaped notches, facing both sides (laterally).

On the other hand, Cooper Evolution Winter also features a directional pattern.

Cooper Evolution Winter
Cooper Evolution Winter

When we look at the tread, we see it has three ribs, in the middle, which are like columns of blocks, if you will.

These “columns” create 4 circumferential channels of very zigzag shapes.

The middle most rib houses arrow-shaped lugs with keen edges, embedded with wave-like sipes that run laterally.

While on the surrounding ribs, you see two types of lugs having multi-angles siping, along with stud holes.

Moreover, these blocks are also “open”, forming wider surrounding grooves, or tread voids.

As for the shoulder lugs, they closely mirror the aforementioned features, including snow vices, sipes, and stud holes.

And yes like the following rib, these blocks also create snow-vices along with sharp (multiple) edges.

Wet Traction

Wet traction is predominantly determined by two elements: tread design and rubber compound. These, in turn, dictate the tire’s grip and hydroplaning resistance. Let’s check them out one by one.

Wet Grip

Despite both tires being equipped with considerable siping and pliable tread rubber, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 still gains the upper hand in terms of grip.

This is because, the tire features dual siping design, where you get to see a comprehensive array of rectilinear and interlocking pattern of those slits.

For folks who don’t know sipes work by sucking in water particles, so the biters can grip on the slightly dried up surface, and here dual siping designs work better.

Moreover, as already mentioned in the Ice Performance section, you get multiple angles to siping here on Blizzak too, and so they offer superior biting efficacy on the wet ground.

In contrast, the Cooper Evolution Winter, featuring only laterally oriented sipes, isn’t as proficient in delivering overall traction, resulting in longer wet braking distances and handling times on average.

Hydroplaning resistance

Hydroplaning occurs when water doesn’t let the tread to properly contact the surface below, and so this causes the tire to float a little bit, where all sort of traction is lost. So it’s a big deal.

And out of both tires, the Cooper Evolution Winter performs exceptionally well.

Its broader grooves and sweeping arms, enable higher average float speeds, in both curved and straight aquaplaning tests.

Moreover, its interconnected web of grooves proficiently disperses water in all directions, offering superior hydroplaning resistance overall.

On the other side, the Blizzak WS90 lacks with its longitudinal rib, which doesn’t allow proper sideways removal of water (as quickly as its counterpart).

Dry Traction

Dry traction is two parts, there’s directional grip and then there’s handling. Let’s check out both one by one.

Directional Grip

So dry grip depends on the central area of the tread, as that forms the most contact with the ground, especially when it comes to winter tires, with the rounded contact patch and directional design (for the most part).

And so in this case, with Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 takes the cake.

The tire features a continuous running central most rib, which doesn’t allow for any breaking of the connection between the rubber and the road.

This results in superior baking distances (measure of directional grip).

On the other side, Evolution Winter lacks with it’s wider tread voids, which can’t offer the similar contact patch.

Handling

The overall sideways traction or cornering abilities of a tire hinges on its shoulder lugs.

And here, two things are judged. One, how well those lugs meet with the ground as the tire turns. And two, how much lugs bend, during.

And in both of these aspects, you get to see, the Blizzak WS90 has the upper hand.

It’s closed up pattern forms a greater contact with the ground, and with it’s lighter weight, its lugs don’t want to flex/mold too much as the tire corners.

You see, during cornering, most of the tire’s weight goes towards shoulders, and their bending limits the over and under steering balance, causing a delayed steering response.

That’s why with heavier structures and wider grooves, you see longer handling lap times on Cooper Evolution Winter.

Snow Performance

When it comes to performance on fluffy snow, both tires make a commendable show of themselves, but the Cooper Evolution Winter still inches forward a little bit. And an examination of its tread design shows the reasons behind this.

As already discussed, the tire comes with a greater number of voids, predominantly formed by in-groove notches, which basically serve to entrap snow particles, facilitating better snow-to-snow contact.

The entrapped snow forms the contact patch with the ground as the tire rotates, creating improved traction, and this happens because snow adheres more effectively to itself than to rubber.

Furthermore, the tire features sweeping V-shaped lugs, which are proficient at displacing heavy snow, and aiding forward progression, by pushing the snow backward during rotation. (Newtons Third Law if you will).

And so this attributes contributes to the tire’s slightly superior acceleration times.

In contrast, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 takes the back seat here.

And the tire’s longer braking distance and handling times (on tests), are because of it’s rather more sealed/crowded up tread pattern with narrower in-groove notches.

These aren’t able to offer as much snow to snow contact.

Moreover, with missing swooping lugs, you also don’t get the plowing effect here too.

Tread Life

Tread life is highly influenced by rolling resistance, which is the product of tire’s weight and rubber composition.

So it makes sense why the Cooper Evolution Winter takes the back seat in this department too.

The tire’s heavier weight places a lot more stress on the tread, and as lugs are more spaced apart, each lug get to bear more weight pressure upon itself, as they rub against the road with greater force.

And yes, the tire’s relatively softer rubber compound isn’t helping that either.

In this context, the Blizzak WS90 holds the advantage of being lighter, and featuring streamlined lugs, which face smaller friction as the tread meets the road.

Ice Performance

On icy terrain, the situation flips, with the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 providing shorter braking distance (on average, on all tests). And you also get to see similar results in the acceleration department.

That’s because the tire features a ton of biters spread across the tread.

Its central rib for example gets to have two slanted incisions of varying widths, creating off-set edges, and even those join further into V shaped notches facing in both directions (sideways).

All of these tread features basically better grip on the packed up snow and icy terrain.

And yes, same goes for the sipes. Although both tires have plenty, the Blizzak WS90 gets to provide more angles to them.

In terms of handling, where shoulders play a major role, you get to see a ton of biters there as well.

Like I mentioned in the tire’s tread section, those shoulder blocks get both laterally and longitudinally arranged notches, which grip in all directions.

Moreover, you also get similar to the middle, multi-angled sipes. So these get to be parallel to the direction of tire’s travel, providing extra gripping.

In contrast, the Cooper Evolution Winter, with its wider tread voids, fails to grip the ice as effectively. Also, the absence of notches and multi-angled siping on its central and shoulder lugs leads to a longer average braking distance and handling time.

Though subjectively, its steering feedback aligns closely with that of the Blizzak WS90.

Comfort Levels

Tire comfort is predominantly influenced by factors like road noise and vibration absorption. These factors are determined by the tire’s construction, materials utilized, tread pattern, and sidewall design, which essentially reflects the smoothness during cornering.

Let me start with noise.

So simply put, noise is just air particles hitting the tread walls, so voided the tire gets, the louder it becomes.

That’s why with a smaller tread voids, you see Blizzak WS90 taking the lead here.

Though in the other part of comfort, which has to do with bumps absorption, you see Cooper Evolution performing better.

This is because the tire basically has a relatively softer tread compound, and so the shocks get absorbed in its tread in a much better way.

Fuel Economy

The fuel efficiency of tires is intrinsically tied to their traction and structural weight, and both of which are dimensions where the Cooper Evolution Winter could see some improvements.

The tire has a combination of relatively greater weight and tread voids, and both of these cause extra lug bending, as the tire corners, brakes or accelerates.

This molding/bending of the lugs, of course, causes extra energy expenditure.

On the other side, the Blizzak WS90 has a more streamlined, longitudinally aligned ribs, which don’t produce as much of the rolling resistance.

And the tread compactness, don’t waste energy in to flexing the blocks, and instead focuses that energy in to rolling the tire as a whole.

To Conclude

In terms of snow performance, the Cooper Evolution Winter excels with its unique tread design and larger number of tread voids, showcasing superior snow grip and removal abilities.

However, when faced with icy conditions, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 outperforms its rival. It owes this performance to its intricate biters, slanted incisions, and multi-angled sipes, which together enhance traction and handling capabilities.

In a similar manner, the tire also demonstrates superior grip, in both wet and dry roads, though the Cooper Evolution Winter shines in its resistance to hydroplaning.

But when considering all aspects, the Blizzak WS90 edges ahead, given its slightly superior fuel economy, tread life, and quieter performance.

Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra vs Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Winter driving challenges even the most seasoned drivers. Will the impressive siping technology and enhanced snow traction of the Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra stand up to the multi-cell compound and optimized footprint of the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90? Let’s find out.

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
Unpacking of a new tire.

Tire Sizes

The Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra comes in 15 to 18 inches with following.

  • Speed ratings: H only.
  • Load ratings: SL and XL.
  • Tread depth: 11/32″ on all.
  • Weight: 18 to 28 lbs.

Review this tire in greater detail: https://snowytires.com/goodyear-wintercommand-ultra-review/

On the other hand, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 offer 52 total sizes in 15 to 19 inches (wheels) with following specs.

  • Speed ratings: T or H.
  • Load ratings: SL or XL.
  • Tread depth: 11 or 12/32″.
  • Weight: 17 to 29 lbs.

Review this tire in greater detail: https://snowytires.com/bridgestone-blizzak-ws90-review/

Tread Appearance

The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 distinguishes itself with its robust and meticulously designed directional tread pattern. Allow me to delve into its intricate details.

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

At first glance, one can observe three pronounced ribs on the tread, where the middle (most) rib stands out, with its, you can say, continuous, unbroken structure, devoid of conventional blocks (you mostly see).

This central rib presents numerous intriguing features. And starting with the most evident one, it sports an abundance of wave-like siping.

Additionally, it incorporates lateral slits that thicken as they extend towards the edges, connecting with the V-shaped outer notches.

These dual-facing V shaped notches, provide great longitudinal traction, as they are facing both sides.

The remaining two ribs host the shoulder lugs, which while may appear bisected, they aren’t entirely so, due to their slits’ limited depth, so consequently, they function as in-groove biters.

Furthermore, these ribs also encompass biters facing laterally, so their notches directed towards the central rib.

And yes, complementing these features are the zigzag longitudinal slits, found towards the edges of the tire.

On the other hand, Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra also features a 3 rib design.

Goodyear WinterCommand ultra
Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra

In the center, the lugs may appear divided, but since these incisions aren’t full depth, they are identified as in-groove notches.

These lugs seamlessly connect with the incoming blocks, resulting in a V-shaped design.

In addition, these blocks are adorned with a wealth of laterally arranged, interlocking sipes.

Furthermore, you can observe numerous in-groove biters, and it’s clear to see how the lugs are separated by curving lateral grooves as well as longitudinal channels that bisect the shoulders.

Speaking of which, these shoulder blocks are the biggest. And they present sharp chamfered edges, yet maintain a siping pattern similar to lugs in the middle.

And yes, worth reminding, you can see unique T-shaped biters at the at the outer edges (sidewalls, you can say).

Snow Performance

When it comes to fluffy snow, although both tires are pretty impressive, the Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra still gets to have the upper hand.

And looking at its tread it makes sense. The tire features much wider tread voids, and in-groove notches which trap in the snow particles.

This basically allows for ground contact with the lodged snow (in the tread voids). And its better significant, as snow stick better on snow, compared to tread’s rubber.

Moreover, the tire also features swooping V shaped lugs, which provide better snow scooping abilities, throwing back thicker snow and creating forward momentum. This allows the tire to have slightly better acceleration times in comparison.

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 on the other hand, shows up with smaller braking and handling efficacy.

The tire is pretty closed up, with central most rib running continuously, and in-groove notches not having enough width to them.

And yes, although the tire has a directional tread pattern, it does not offer proper swooping arms like its competitor. And so its paddling abilities on snow are limited.

Ice Performance

When evaluated on icy conditions, the tables turn, with the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 taking the lead, as the tests show its impressive 11 feet (on average) shorter braking distance, when compared to its counterpart.

And yes, same was seen in terms of acceleration abilities too, where the tire was 1 second faster (going from 0 to 40 mph).

The tire basically gets to offer a multitude of intricate biters spread across its tread.

It’s central rib is decorated with slanted incisions of varying widths, V-shaped notches (facing both directions laterally), and a lot of siping.

And yes, worth mentioning, all of these biters also have dual angles to them too, so you get epic biting efficacy out of them when it comes to packed up snowy terrains.

All of these features basically help the tire to achieve shorter braking distances.

While the shoulders, which offer superior handling times, feature biting edges in both lateral and longitudinal directions, promising improved grip from every angle. And here again, the sipes play a significant role with their two distinct angles too, just as seen on the lugs in the middle.

In contrast the Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra lacks a little with its larger tread voids, and less in number, notches.

For effective braking where central area of the tread is significant, the tire with wider lateral tread voids can’t seem to grip in the packed up ice.

Moreover, it’s missing multi-angles siping is not helping it a lot either.

Same goes for the handling area, where it’s missing notches don’t offer better handling times in comparison.

Wet Traction

Wet traction is primarily dictated by two factors: the design of the tread and the rubber compound used. And these elements influence two crucial aspects: grip and resistance to hydroplaning.

In terms of grip, both tires feature an abundance of siping and soft tread rubbers, so they do pretty great here. Though still the Blizzak WS90 still manages to take the lead.

This is because the tire offers the use of both rectilinear and interlocking sipes, which have superior water absorption capabilities, providing exceptional wet grip. Furthermore, their multi-angled structures enhance the tire’s cornering and braking abilities, especially when the sipes are parallel to the tire’s movement.

In contrast, the Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra, which primarily uses laterally oriented sipes, doesn’t offer the same level of overall traction. As a result, it generally produces longer wet braking distances and handling times.

Though, when considering hydroplaning resistance, which is an integral part of overall wet traction as well, the tire does pretty great.

Its V shaped lugs offer superior clearing of water, allowing for higher float speeds on average in both straight and curved aqua tests.

Dry Traction

Dry traction is determined by the tire’s overall contact with the ground, and its sub-categorized on two element, directional grip and lateral traction.

And in both these areas, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 takes the lead.

The tire’s central-most continuous running rib actually forms a great and consistent contact with the road, resulting in shorter braking distances and faster acceleration times in tests.

Though, when it comes to dry handling, the Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra outperforms its competitor.

Although both tires exhibit similar shoulder footprints, making contact with the surface, the WinterCommand Ultra manages to make more of its rubber come into contact with the road.

This is because it has minimal tread features compared to the WS90, which comes with numerous tread features such as lateral and longitudinal incisions.

Comfort Levels

The comfort level of a tire is generally influenced by factors such as road noise and the capacity to absorb vibrations.

These characteristics can vary depending on the tire’s construction, materials employed, the design of its tread, and the sidewall structure.

And here both tires perform equally great, I mean they both offer pretty smooth ride, cushioning bumps.

And they both are equally bald, and so offer similar noise reduction performance as well.

This is significant as noise gets generated when air particles strikes on the walls of the tread.

Fuel Economy

Fuel consumption is influenced by factors such as tire’s adherence to the surface, and overall tread pattern and considering these factors, one can see why the Blizzak WS90 offers a superior overall performance.

With longitudinally aligned central rib, its tread basically features a more streamlined design, that allows the tire to roll straight in a much better way.

On the other hand, on Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra, the directional tread pattern with lateral tread voids cause more hurdles for the tire as it maneuvers, producing greater overall rolling resistance, which then consumes more fuel.

This is because on this tire, lugs are more prone to flex/bend relatively, which then consumes, or you can say, wastes more energy.

In other words, energy is used in to molding of the blocks, instead of rolling the tire.

Conclusion

In a performance comparison between the two excellent winter tires, distinct advantages were observed for each.

The Goodyear tire excelled in fluffy snow due to wider tread voids and in-groove notches, alongside V-shaped lugs for superior snow clearing, and offered amazing capabilities when it came to lateral traction on dry roads.

Whereas the Blizzak WS90 offered superior icy traction, with its numerous biting edges and varied incisions, and provided much better braking and handling efficacy on wet roads.

Moreover, the tire also offered slightly better fuel economy too.

Though in terms of comfort, both tires are equally great.

Cooper Discoverer True North vs Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Up for comparison are the Cooper Discoverer True North, renowned for its sturdy construction and dependability, and the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, celebrated for its comprehensive winter performance. Who will come out on top in this tire tug-of-war?

Blizzak WS90 on BMW

Tire Sizes

The Cooper Discoverer True North comes in 15 to 20 inches, having following.

  • Speed ratings: H and T.
  • Load ratings: SL and XL.
  • Tread depth: 11/32″ on all.
  • Weight: 21 to 34 lbs.

On the other side, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 comes in 52 total sizes in 15 to 19 inches (wheels) with following specs.

  • Speed ratings: T or H.
  • Load ratings: SL or XL.
  • Tread depth: 11 or 12/32″.
  • Weight: 17 to 29 lbs.

Review this tire in greater detail: https://snowytires.com/bridgestone-blizzak-ws90-review/

Tread Appearance

The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is a strong winter tire with a carefully planned tread pattern. Let’s take a closer look at its features.

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

The outside of the tire, or the tread, has three parts, where two outer ribs are shoulders and then we have the one in the middle.

Talking about the outer ribs first, you see a lot of biting edges there.

There are slanted full depth notches facing the middle. And then there are similar types of notches, though they face longitudinally.

(This way, the tire is able to bite in both directions).

Moreover, further out, you get zigzag longitudinal slits, and of course bedsides that there’s ton of siping.

In the middle, you have continuous running rib, so no lugs are formed there.

But just like the shoulders, you get full depth notches, joined up with slits.

Moreover, these biters have V shaped openings, facing both directions, further adding to overall tire’s biting abilities.

On the other hand, Cooper Discoverer True North features an asymmetric pattern.

Cooper Discoverer True North
Cooper Discoverer True North

But when you consider the shoulder lugs, you get to see that those are symmetrical.

Though all these blocks on either sides, don’t carry a lot of features, I mean as you can see, they only get to have wave-like sipes a long with sharp edges.

Coupled with the adjacent rib (on the left of image), you see very powerful zigzag circumferential groove formations.

This rib contains squared and L shaped lugs, with a lot of edges and snow vices. And with combination to the following rib, it makes a straight longitudinal channels.

The rest of the blocks have multiple angles, and they form a web of interconnected grooves, allowing for superior self cleaning capabilities.

Snow Performance

Both tires performed well all types of snowy conditions, delivering competitive performance.

However, the Cooper Discoverer True North still demonstrated superior traction, particularly when it comes to slightly fluffy terrains. And looking at its tread, it makes sense.

As the tire features asymmetric tread pattern, with lugs having a more open design, they get to provide better snow to snow contact.

The fluffy snow gets easy picked up buy the interlocking grooves and snow-vices, and is trapped there. This allows for the tread to provide contact with the ground with the lodged snow.

And this provides superior traction, as snow sticks better on other snowflakes instead of rubber.

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is more closed up, forming continuous running rib in the middle and missing interlocking groove structure.

So its tread isn’t able to pick up as much snow as its competitor.

Ice Performance

When testing in icy conditions, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 emerges as the superior option, as it showcases a better average braking distance compared to its counterpart.

On average it came out 10 feet shorter.

Same was the case when it came to acceleration tests, where the tire was able to hit 40 mph from a standstill a full second faster (on average).

So why is that?

Well, all of this is credited to the Blizzak’s intricate biters all over the tread.

Its central rib presents slanted incisions of various widths, V-shaped notches that face both lateral directions, and abundant siping. All of these offer much better gripping/biting abilities on ice.

It’s noteworthy that all of these biters feature dual angles as well, so that grip gets further aided, allowing for shorter braking efficacy.

And in case of handling, where the tire’s shoulder lugs are key components, you get biters in both lateral and longitudinal directions, assuring improved grip from every angle.

And yes, same goes for sipes here too. Those also features two distinct angles to them, as seen in the central lugs.

In comparison, the Cooper Discoverer True North takes the back seat, with its larger tread voids and fewer notches.

For effective braking, the central tread area is crucial, and here, the tire, with its wider lateral tread voids, struggles to secure a better grip on packed ice.

And yes, the lack of multi-angled siping doesn’t do the tire any favors either.

This deficiency extends to the handling as well, where the absence of notches translates to longer handling times compared to its competition.

Wet Traction

Wet traction depends on two main features tread design and rubber compound.

Now here, although both tires have a ton of siping, and a pretty soft thermal adaptive rubbers, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 still takes the lead.

This is because, this tire features a lot of both rectilinear and interlocking sipes, which soak up water particles coming beneath, in a better way.

And as they also get to have multiple angles to them, you also get superior gripping values, as the tire corners, for example. Water gets soaked up in the slits, and biters/sipes parallel to the direction of tire’s movement provide the needed grip.

In case of Cooper Discoverer True North, you only get siping having lateral orientation.

Though the tire does better in hydroplaning, no doubt about that, and its also a key component of overall wet traction.

Upon testing the tire came out with slightly better speeds, on both curved and straight aqua tests.

And looking at its tread it makes sense as with its interconnected web of grooves, water is diapered off, in all directions, much better compared to its counterpart, which has continuous central rib, blocking the way.

Dry Traction

Dry grip depends on the overall rubbers contact with the ground. Here there are two main key components to note. Directional grip, and lateral traction.

The directional grip depends on the central area of the tread, and here the Blizzak WS90 with its continuous running rib provides much better efficacy, as it consistently stays connected with the surface, as the tire rolls straight.

And so because of that you get shorter braking distances on tests, along with acceleration times.

As for the tire’s overall handling capabilities, the Cooper True North, with its wider grooves, doesn’t quite match up to the Blizzak. However, this is just one part of the story.

A more significant factor undermining the Cooper’s performance is its heavier structure.

This weight leads to increased lug movement as the tire corners, which in turn diminishes steering feedback, and so you get longer handling times when compared to Blizzak.

Comfort Levels

Comfort in a tire often involves factors such as road noise, and vibration absorption, which can be influenced by the tire’s construction, materials used, tread pattern, and sidewall design.

Let me talk about all of them one by one.

So in case of tread noise, you get slightly better performance out of Blizzak WS90, and that’s because the tire’s tread is not as voided up as its counterpart.

This is significant as air particles hitting the tread walls is whats creating noise in the first place.

On the other hand, the Cooper True North offer slightly better cushioning to the bumps.

So overall, you can say its a tie between the two, when it comes to overall comfort levels.

Fuel Economy

Fuel usage depends on tire’s stickiness with the surface, and overall structural weight, and both of these are negatively impacting the performance on Cooper Discoverer True North.

In essence, the substantial weight of the tire intensifies the overall rolling resistance, and its relatively broader tread voids yield increased friction values, as the tire rolls on the tar surface.

(Though a significant increase in performance was seen, on extreme winter temperatures).

In contrast, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is not only lighter, but also features longitudinally aligned ribs, allowing for better streamlining compared to the asymmetric pattern seen on its counterpart.

This design facilitates smoother straight-line travel, such as on highways, leading to a more efficient fuel consumption by minimizing energy expenditure.

Tread Life

Tread longevity is also influenced by rolling resistance, and in this regard, the Blizzak outperforms its competition, yet again.

The tire’s lighter weight results in reduced force exerted by its blocks (on the surface), which in turn generates less friction, hence limiting faster overall rubber burning rate.

On the other hand, the Cooper True North not only carries more weight, but also places this additional load on a smaller rubber surface, as its tread voids are wider, comparatively.

This results in each of its lugs bearing more weight pressure on itself, thereby contributing to quicker tread wear and subsequently, limiting its overall lifespan.

Nonetheless, its noteworthy, that the difference here between the two tires’ performance is not a lot. And it makes sense why both don’t offer any warranties.

Summing Up

So overall, it all comes down to this.

The Cooper Discoverer True North is a better tire when it comes to fluffy snowy terrains, however, on packed up snow, and ice, its counterpart gets to show much better performance, coming out with shorter braking distances and handling times.

On tar, the Blizzak Ws90 again has a upper hand, in both wet and dry conditions, though the Cooper tire has the advantage when it comes to hydroplaning resistance.

Other than this, both tires perform great when it comes to overall ride comfort, where the Blizzak offers a quieter ride, and its counterpart features superior bumps absorption.