If you are leaning towards the most reputable tire manufacturers to face winter with full confidence, see how the Goodyear Wintercommand vs Blizzak WS-90 compare.
Blackcircles Canada helps you make the perfect selection between these two high quality tires. Are you looking for new tires? Take a look at our winter tire purchasing guide, or ask a member of our team of professionals to assist you, thanks to our online chat.
Comparing Goodyear Wintercommand vs Blizzak WS-90 tires
Goodyear Wintercommand and Bridgestone Blizzak WS-90 are both tire models with an excellent reputation. Both belong to reputable brands and are suitable for the same vehicle category, which means touring and crossover vehicles.
Even if they are both winter tires, we can easily and quickly notice, just by looking at them, an important difference in the conceptual design of the Goodyear Wintercommand vs the Blizzak WS-90. The first of the two boasts a “V” shaped directional tread that is much more pronounced and with much deeper grooves. It is also a studdable tire.
Inversely, the second cannot be studded. Even if it also has a directional tread, it is less pronounced, and we can see that the surface, which comes in direct contact with the road, is wider and that the tire has an interlocking sipes pattern.
These characteristics greatly influence both tires’ performance and skills. In fact, a wider contact surface means better traction on dry roads, while deeper grooves translate into better water evacuation.
This means we can expect the Bridgestone Blizzak to offer an optimal driving experience and traction on dry roads, while the Goodyear Wintercommand will definitely be better in wet road conditions. When we compare the Goodyear Wintercommand and the Blizzak WS-90, we notice a greater driving experience on ice for the former, and better traction in the snow for the latter.
Let’s look at both of these tires’ specifications in more detail, and the skills they will offer in terms of winter driving.
Goodyear Wintercommand specifications
In the Goodyear tire range, the Wintercommand finds itself halfway between the Ultra Grip Ice –which is an ice expert-, and the Ultra Grip Winter –most performant in the snow. This means it is a versatile tire that is performant on most surfaces. Moreover, it is possible to add studs for even greater performance on icy surfaces.
Amongst its numerous features, you will find:
- A directional tread;
- Deep grooves;
- Full-depth sipes in an interlocking pattern;
- Grip edges;
- A tread compound that remains flexible in all temperatures.
The depth of the Goodyear tire grooves provide excellent water, snow and slush evacuation, for optimal traction on wet or snowy roads. Its sipes also contribute to outstanding grip on ice and snow, while the edges allow for optimal braking and accelerations.
This tire is extremely versatile, which makes it an excellent companion for Canadian winters.
Blizzak WS-90 specifications
A reliable and optimized tire, the WS-90 generation is designed for increased resistance, compared to previous generations. Here are a few of its features:
- A new compound with a wider contact surface;
- A combination of circumferential and lateral grooves;
- 3D sipes;
- Blocs that are 30% more rigid;
- 15% more gripping edges;
- A MultiCell compound that attracts water so as to evacuate it better.
We notice that the Blizzak WS-90 is designed to grip snow even better thanks to its edges, and its new MultiCell technology gives it increased traction on ice. It has been improved all around and now offers great versatility for the cold season.
Spacing between blocks insures greater water, snow and slush evacuation, and so does the groove design. When it comes to the sipes, they provide added traction on ice.
Take advantage of excellent traction in all road conditions with the Bridgestone tire.
Choose between the Goodyear Wintercommand and the Blizzak WS-90
Before you even make your tire selection, it is important to establish your needs, so that it will be easy for you to determine which is best for you. For example, if you live in the country, where roads are more often covered in snow and ice rather than asphalt, a studdable tire option certainly represents the ideal choice. In this case, leaning towards the Goodyear Wintercommand tire would probably be the preferred option.
It is important to understand that the road conditions you will be faced with should definitely influence your choice. Both tires are excellent winter tire options, but their design does offer different skills and features.
Snow and ice are both road conditions that we are regularly faced with during winter. Both of these tires are excellent options for the two, but the MultiCell compound offered with the Bridgestone tire make it more performant in the snow, while the sipes on the Goodyear tire make it more skilled on the ice.
The Blizzak WS-90 is quite comfortable and agile on dry roads thanks to a wider contact surface and wide central tread. Inversely, the Goodyear Wintercommand is more performant on wet surfaces, thanks to its deeper grooves that help evacuate water rapidly and efficiently. Both are reliable and resistant to aquaplaning, which means they are safe options.
The contact surface also influences the amount of noise the tire produces. If both only produce light noise, the Wintercommand is indeed slightly noisier than its rival.
Price comparison
Several experts agree that the Blizzak WS-90 is the best winter tire on the market, as you can see in the Auto Guide. Its versatile skills and remarkable traction in the snow often justifies this choice.
However, choosing one of the most recommended tires has its price for consumers. Blackcircles’ advantageous prices place it between $130.99 and $319.99. Slightly less expensive, the Goodyear tire costs between $108.99 and $314.99. Take note, however, that Bridgestone tires come with an impressive 90 day satisfaction guarantee! The Goodyear still comes with a 30 day warranty, should you not be satisfied with the product.
The Goodyear does offer another advantage: its contact surface is less important and so creates less rolling resistance. This means it is slightly more durable than the Bridgestone tire, which has a more elevated rolling resistance. This data also influences fuel consumption.
All in all, several factors must be taken into account when you make your selection; the type of surface you will be driving on should be the main one, as well as if you wish to add studs to your tire or not.
With blackcircles, you will find the perfect tire to meet your needs and can take advantage of competitive prices. Contact our team for more advice, thanks to our online chat tool, or simply reach out over the phone!
