Bridgestone has a stellar track record of knocking it out of the park with its Blizzak line, and the WS90 follows a similar theme.
Bridgestone’s ‘Blizzak’ series has gained huge levels of popularity over the years, especially in areas with the harshest winters. That alone should be a strong enough testament to how great these tires are, as thick snow is one of the toughest terrains for tires to perform well on.
In this review, we’ll go over the WS90’s winter performance, ride quality, dry-road traction, durability, and more. Keep reading!
Overview
As mentioned above, the Blizzak WS90 is primarily targeted towards areas that get thick layers of snow during the winter.
It’s designed to provide top-quality control and grip even in chilly conditions. Even in such harsh conditions, it can offer high acceleration traction and good braking.
The WS90 features an asymmetric tread pattern. It has stiff blocks that greatly improve the tire’s long-term durability and better steering.
This particular tread pattern aims to increase traction with enhanced block edges. These edges also increase the contact area between the tire and the surface. As a result, you experience stronger overall grip, better handling, and high braking performance on ice, snow, and slush.
The compound quality is top-tier as well. It’s silica-based, providing top-of-the-line grip on icy and snowy surfaces.
On icy roads, a water layer can be generated between the ground and the tire’s tread rubber. Due to this, traction can take a massive hit in winter conditions.
To address this common issue, Bridgestone has put some serious thought into the tire’s mold design. They’ve added bite particles into it that help cut and get rid of that water layer for improved traction.
The tire is incredibly durable too. According to testers, the wear rate on the WS90 is a lot slower than its previous model — the WS80. Bridgestone has always been great at taking feedback and applying it to their next-gen products.
Pros
- Great braking performance on ice and snow
- Good traction
- A high rating on meeting industry standards
Cons
- There’s no warranty for the tread life
Winter Performance
The Blizzak WS90 follows its predecessor WS80’s trails when it comes to winter performance. No matter how harsh the weather gets, you’ll be able to stick to the road, accelerate, and brake well thanks to its incredible traction.
With these tires installed, you can stop worrying about ever getting your car stuck in the snow. Acceleration and braking performance on winter roads is nearly class-leading.
Most of this can be attributed to the WS90’s grippy silica-based compound, with a design filled with enhanced biting edges.
How does it behave on a dry tarmac?
We all know the dry tarmac story of every winter out there — and it’s a sad one. Most winter tires have soft and pliable compounds for optimized performance on slippery snow roads, but this takes a toll on their dry road performance.
However, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 responds surprisingly well for a winter tire. Stuff like a lack of feedback and a non-linear nature are to be expected — but worth noting.
What matters is that the WS90 does offer ample grip and traction on dry pavements. Granted, it’s not in the same league as those summer tires, or even the top-quality all-season ones. However, you’ll easily be able to get around in the summer with your WS90’s.
Thankfully, this tire does not wiggle while cutting corners. Many winter tires are prone to this annoying issue, and if you’re an experienced driver, you know exactly what we’re talking about.
When it comes to dry tarmac braking, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 leads the winter tire chart for some of the shorter stopping distances.
If you need a winter tire with decent dry capabilities, this one’s the one to go with.
How is it over wet and slippery roads?
Now, let’s talk about its performance on rainy days.
The handling feels quite secure with the WS90s on wet roads. It’s highly responsive to the driver’s inputs without any significant understeer or oversteer. Moreover, it’s got nearly the best hydroplaning resistance in its category.
The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 also sets records on wet road braking distances, and not by a few inches. It stops as much as 5 feet shorter in rainy conditions than the 2nd best winter tire. Pulling numbers like these, the WS90 has already set new winter tire standards for rainy-weather performance.
Is it suitable for off-road driving?
Deep grooves on a tire are usually good indicators of promising off-roading capability. That’s also the case with the Blizzak WS90’s! It’ll give you better shallow mud traction than some of the best summer or all-season tires out there.
Bear in mind though, these shouldn’t be regularly taken out to off-roading tracks or rough patches. This is because winter tires have pliable and soft tread compounds which can easily be damaged by repeated exposure to hardpacked surfaces, such as stones, dirt, and gravel.
It’ll get you through a challenging off-roading patch in a tricky situation, but shouldn’t be driven off-road for longer periods.
Is it comfortable and refined?
Winter tires mostly lack in providing an enjoyable ride quality. Similarly, the WS90’s ride will also feel firmer, so bumps and thumps can be felt through the cabin.
However, if your car has great suspension, you might not notice them. Nevertheless, the tires are still more comfortable than most other winter tires out there. Frankly, those aren’t that hard to beat though.
Final Verdict
To close things out, the Bridgestone Blizzak deserves a 5 out of 5 rating according to industry standards. Snow is the WS90’s native territory, and its winter performance is off the charts.
The fact that it sets braking records on wet conditions as well is wildly impressive.
The tire’s overall control, handling, stability, responsiveness, and traction are all top-tier for its category. If you’re looking for no compromises on winter performance with more-than-enough capabilities in all other conditions — go with the Bridge Blizzak WS90!