December 12, 2020
Utilizing some of the most advanced winter compound and construction technology manufacturers have in their toolboxes, Studless Ice & Snow winter tires offer the high levels of winter traction and performance needed to give drivers the confidence to venture into winter’s worst weather. Engineers have been hard at work pushing the perceived boundaries of traction in snow and on ice, while simultaneously enhancing clear road performance to levels once thought impossible from their most-capable winter products. Tires in the Studless Ice & Snow tire category typically enjoy longer product life cycles, so the emphasis for manufacturers to "get it right" is perhaps stronger than many other lines. That’s why we take notice when four major manufacturers release flagship Studless Ice & Snow winter tires over a two-year period that will most certainly set new standards and compete with each other for several years to come.
In 2019 we saw two newcomers to the category. The first was Bridgestone’s Blizzak WS90, which boasted improved ice and snow traction combined with enhanced clear-road handling and braking performance. Utilizing the company’s next generation Multi-Cell compound and bite particles, along with 15% more block edges than the previous-generation tire, it established itself as a strong replacement. The Blizzak WS90’s long-standing pedigree of offering some of the highest levels of worst weather traction has in turn made it a sizable target for the competition. Our second new addition to the category was Continental’s VikingContact 7, which was previously only available in the European market. The VikingContact 7 took aim at the Bridgestone with competitive traction and a balanced, sporty feel, designed to make winter driving effortless fun rather than a white-knuckle battle for traction and trajectory. Featuring a conspicuous groove network tread design and specialized Nordic compound, the VikingContact 7 has no doubt helped push the category’s recent emphasis on providing top-tier snow and ice traction combined with solid wet grip and good on-road comfort.
Fresh for 2020 is Goodyear’s flagship premium winter offering, the WinterCommand Ultra. Like the others in the test, the WinterCommand Ultra features a highly-advanced tread compound designed to maintain flexibility in extreme conditions and inclement weather. This Cryo-Adaptive compound is molded into hydro dynamic grooves with the company’s V-Tread pattern technology designed to help provide traction and stability in harsh winters, but also excel on variable wet and intermediate road conditions often encountered by North American drivers.
After a long and successful tenure by its predecessor, Michelin has released their next-generation Studless Ice & Snow winter tire, the X-Ice SNOW. It features wider grooves for increased snow-to-snow traction, plus enhanced slush and hydroplaning performance while appealing to traditional North American consumer expectations. Developing traction on hard-packed snow and ice has always been one of the most difficult duties appointed to winter tires. Michelin’s answer to this age-old task is, of course, a modern solution called Inclusion Technology. The polymer-based inclusion compound technology is claimed to generate micro-roughness on the surface of the tread blocks for enhanced traction and helps to mitigate the lubrication effects of the inevitable thin layer of water developed beneath the contact patch.
With this powerhouse lineup, our testers set out to discover the differentiators that set each tire apart from its peers in a group of undoubtedly excellent Studless Ice & Snow winter products. Our evaluation used 2020 BMW 430i Gran Coupes fitted with new, full tread depth 225/50R17 tires mounted on 17x7.5 wheels.
Our 6.0-mile loop of expressway, state highway and county roads provides a great variety of road conditions that include city and highway speeds, smooth and coarse concrete, as well as new and patched asphalt. This route allows our team to experience noise comfort, ride quality and everyday handling, just as you would during your drive to school or work.
When consumers make the decision to purchase a tire from the Studless Ice & Snow category, they have most likely put a strong emphasis on getting the best performance for the worst conditions. When the weather is at its worst, top-tier Studless Ice & Snow winter tires are at their best, powering through deep snow, heavy slush and finding traction on slick ice where others struggle. While this reassuring wintertime stability is rightfully at the top of consumer priorities, it used to seem like clear road handling and wet traction were secondary functions. The reality is many North American drivers spend most of their wintertime driving hours on cold, dry and wet roads and need a tire that also performs well between winter weather events.
The Michelin X-Ice SNOW had big shoes to fill when it came to clear on-road handling and performance. Its predecessor became the de facto benchmark for what an excellent handling Studless Ice & Snow winter tire should feel like, so our team had high hopes for the X-Ice SNOW in the on-road portion of our test, and it didn’t disappoint. The ride felt well-controlled over almost all impacts large or small, with no perceptible secondary motion or sensations of the tire losing its composure. The tire seemed to find the right balance between stiffness and compliance over every surface of our test route. The high level of on-road refinement continued with the tire’s noise comfort. Many consider louder tread noise to be an acceptable tradeoff for winter tires, but the X-Ice SNOW managed to produce only marginal tread harmonics at a medium volume which wouldn’t find itself out of place in a group of touring all-season tires. Our team was again impressed by the tire’s on-road handling characteristics. Inputs were met with a well-proportioned change in direction without any loss of feedback or required changes in input pressure. Some testers noted a slight tendency for the tire to tramline at higher speeds on certain surfaces, which could require more attention and correction on a windy day, but this was after struggling to find criticisms and is a trait that’s not considered unusual for any tire in this category. Continental’s VikingContact 7 proved itself to be a good on-road performer as well, by providing a relatively smooth ride over larger road imperfections. Smaller impacts were more perceptible but still well within an acceptable level for the daily commute. The tire did generate noticeable impact noise over most bumps, which tended to create more of an event out of a crack or seam in the pavement than the feeling alone would generate. Road noise was generally unobtrusive, with a moderate, consistent white tone which was pleasant to the ear but somewhat more obvious on coarse pavement. Steering feel from the VikingContact 7 had the tendency to be polarizing at times. In some ways the fast and light steering felt sporty, thanks to its linear and direct feel. However, combined with a lack of positive return to center, the steering could feel somewhat uncontrolled when driven over undulating pavement. Like the Michelin, though, many of these criticisms are in the realm of what we would expect from an all-season tire, so stepping back and remembering these are Studless Ice & Snow winter tires is a compliment and testament to how good the category has become on-road.
The Blizzak WS90 brought a more traditional on-road winter tire experience for our team. The Bridgestone seemed to let the driver know right up front it’s a winter tire first and foremost, with a distinctive growl over most surfaces. However, the Blizzak WS90 managed to keep any serious tread reverberations to a minimum, which some of the tire’s predecessors struggled with. At higher speeds on smooth pavement, there was a noticeable higher pitched tone, which again could fade into the background thanks to its consistent frequency. The Blizzak WS90 managed to soak up large impacts with a well-damped and controlled feel similar to the Michelin. Medium and smaller bumps however, had the tendency to reverberate after impact, which at times created an unsettled feeling on broken pavement. While the tire’s handling didn’t stand out as a leader, it also didn’t bring any attention to itself like many legacy Studless Ice & Snow products had the tendency to do. Its natural input response should feel very good to an experienced winter tire driver while perhaps going unnoticed to the uninitiated after the swap from their all-season product.
Compared to most of the tires from the category, the Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra was an interesting on-road experience for our team. Steering was fast and light, which gave the tire a sporty disposition, but at times could make it feel artificial or forced. Moderate and above steering inputs would build in a non-linear manner, creating a quick initial trajectory change but with a lag and secondary response that made it feel like the tread was catching up to the rest of the tire. The Goodyear was the hardest-riding tire in the group, combined with a significant tread pattern tone that was present over most surfaces. While the ride comfort and road noise were never inappropriate, the differences seemed to stand out in this group of competitors.
Aggressive handling maneuvers are far from the intended use of Studless Ice & Snow winter tires. Knowing this, our track testing consisted of objective braking and skid pad testing, combined with some basic observations from our test driver.
Wet traction, and specifically wet braking, have been important considerations, and unfortunately, sometimes an acknowledged tradeoff for Studless Ice & Snow winter tires in the past. Clear, wet roads can be more prevalent than snow and ice for many parts of the country, which left many consumers accepting diminished wet performance for superior ice and snow traction. While sometimes recognized as a weaker performance metric in the category, manufacturers have made great strides in advancing wet performance in the latest generations of winter product. All four of our tires tested well, with the Bridgestone realizing a clear advantage in braking along with achieving the highest lateral wet grip, thanks to its strong traction and gentle understeer at the limit. The VikingContact 7 essentially matched the Bridgestone on the wet skidpad with its bright steering feel, but with a tendency to go from pushing to oversteer with little warning. The Continental and Michelin matched each other in wet braking distances with the Goodyear right on their heels. While the Goodyear and Michelin might not have had the outright lateral wet traction of the Bridgestone and Continental, they did exhibit superior handling balance, which could be argued is an acceptable concession for a few hundredths of a lateral wet g. The Michelin made satisfying work of the skidpad, happy to lead with the tail at the limit, letting the throttle steer the car around. The WinterCommand Ultra exhibited an impressive balanced and predictable feel, with the front and rear of the car working in unison, sure to provide confidence in slippery conditions.
Dry traction objective tests revealed that each tire was capable of providing proficient grip for emergency maneuvers on the street. The Blizzak WS90 once again had an advantage in the braking portion of the test with the X-Ice SNOW, WinterCommand Ultra and VikingContact 7 progressively stopping further and equidistant from the last. The tires in our test managed to match each other in lateral dry traction by recording a respectable .88g around our skidpad.
There is always excitement when it comes time to test Studless Ice & Snow tires in their element, especially knowing we were testing four of, perhaps, the best tires on the market, head-to-head. As expected, the hype was validated, with all four tires delivering an outstanding performance on the light snow handling course and in the objective tests. Our test vehicle’s traction control was able to utilize the most grip from the Continental, Goodyear and Michelin, which made the 0-12 mph dash within a half-foot of each other, with the Bridgestone needing slightly longer. Braking from 25-0 mph found the Bridgestone beating out the Goodyear for 3rd position, with the Continental once again snatching the top spot from the Michelin by just over a half foot.
As our test transitioned to the light snow handling course and the traction control was turned off, we were able to gauge the tires’ ability to aggressively accelerate with wheel spin and how they react and communicate at the limit of grip. The X-Ice SNOW was clearly at home in this test, with excellent acceleration authority and consistently strong and predictable braking that encouraged the driver to go deeper into the corners. The Michelin had the ability to mix easily controllable yaw into the corners for predictable and forgiving slides when entry speeds outmatched the grip. The Blizzak WS90 also delivered poised handling characteristics with particularly pleasant rotation under light braking mid corner, which seemed to quickly correct any driver errors. We would have liked to see a little more traction from the rear end under heavy acceleration, which was also a critique of the other two tires in this test. While perfectly usable, the VikingContact 7 also had the tendency to sidestep on corner exit quicker than expected. The WinterCommand Ultra would happily pop the rear axle out mid-corner and keep it there, seemingly rewarding the driver that didn’t mind hanging the back end out. This, combined with its powerful front end traction, allowed the Goodyear to keep its lines tighter and achieve lap times only bested by the Michelin. However, while following the drivers intended path, the front end seemed to lag slightly behind the initial steering response, that took some getting used to.
Finding traction on ice is a primary function of Studless Ice & Snow winter tires and was no doubt a significant priority in development of all four tires in our test. The WinterCommand Ultra crossed the 60’ line first with impressive acceleration performance, followed by the X-Ice SNOW and VikingContact 7 about a tenth of a second on average behind. The Blizzak WS90 just trailed the other 3 in acceleration results with slightly slower, but consistent 60 foot runs. Ice Braking saw the Bridgestone back on top of the pack by a slight margin, with the Michelin and Goodyear essentially grouped together about a foot further. The Continental took the longest distance to rein our BMW to a full stop, but still provided impressive braking traction sure to satisfy on icy streets.
Due to the limited number of drivers participating in our 2020 testing as a result of the global pandemic, the sample size was not large enough to provide reliable fuel consumption data.
This latest crop of Studless Ice & Snow tires have not only found the delicate balance between clear road performance and wintry weather traction and stability, but have exceeded design constraints previously considered as absolutes. This is a testament to each manufacturer’s efforts to develop technologies that reduce performance tradeoffs which even a few years ago, were "just the way it is." The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 immediately established itself with a strong focus on braking performance in the dry, wet and ice, which will be a priority that many drivers are looking for in their winter tires. Although tread noise is slightly reminiscent of WS-series Blizzak tires of the past, drivers that upgrade to the Blizzak WS90 will be pleasantly surprised with the tire’s more sophisticated road manners, while still providing its trademark grip on ice, along with class-leading braking. The Continental VikingContact 7 proved to be an all-around good performer with a generally quiet ride, particularly over smooth pavement. It continues to deliver wet and dry traction in line with competitors that are significantly newer to the market, along with objective snow traction they struggle to match. The Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra may have felt a little unrefined on the bumpy streets, but its traction was competitive in every test and managed to make the most of what little traction was available for impressive acceleration on ice. All four competitors exhibited good on-road manners, but the Michelin X-Ice SNOW’s particularly excellent on-road composure stood out. Its refined ride combined with competitive traction in the wet and on ice, along with impressive traction and balance in the snow makes it a worthy competitor and successor in the X-Ice line.
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