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| Photo: REVolution |
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Bridgestone Blizzak Betrayal
It turns out being from the SouthWest coast doesn't necessarily prepare you for driving in the NorthWest winter snow. Who knew? And thus we have become devotees of the mighty Bridgestone Blizzak. On the Shadowagon, they turn what's already a decent winter driver into a nearly unstoppable tank, limited only by ground clearance. We've now gone through multiple sets of these incredible tires and so it will come as a shock (well, it was to us) that we've chosen a new make and model this year - the Michelin X-Ice Xi3. After a hefty rebate, these are a screaming deal and the reviews of this new offering are that they're even better than the Blizzaks. We'll see and will report our findings in the months to come. Bring on the snow!
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I have the previous generation Michelin X-Ice on one of my fleet, and they are really good on ice or shallow snow. Not exceptional in deep snow (but still quite acceptable). Very predictable.
ReplyDeleteBlizzaks are fabulous when they are new, but my understanding is that the layer of "magic rubber" does not extend completely through the tread. As a result, partly-worn Blizzaks lose their grip long before I am ready to replace them. The Michelins (and many others) have "magic rubber" all the way through.
Snow tire debates often tend towards the religious. What I have learned is that for the enthusiast-driver, we will tend to drive to the limit of adhesion in snow (just because it is FUN!). That limit will be a constantly changing target, as road conditions vary more in snow than in any other weather situation (due to odd accumulations, drifting, etc etc). Anyway, the result is that no matter what snow tire you choose, you probably are going to use up all the available grip anyway. So, just pick any of the top rated tires with hydrophilic rubber , and away you go. Have fun.
Reminds me why I live where I do. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWe get by with AWD and a good set of all seasons.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for your comments and patience.
ReplyDeleteI've never noticed what you're talking about Bobinott but that might be more a function of how little my snow tires are required to perform in extreme conditions. Plus, I have a very short commute.
It will be interesting to see how the Xi3s do, even if I may or may not notice a difference from the Blizzaks.
Keep us updated on the Michelins!
ReplyDelete