Best Winter Tire Brands

Best Winter Tire Brands for the 2023 Season

Many companies make winter tires. Here are the top brands and their winter tire models

Bridgestone model Blizzak WS90 Winter Tire

The directional pattern of the Blizzak WS90 tread is designed with

Bridgestone Blizzak Winter Tire

increased block stiffness to provide more responsive steering and longer life. It alsp includes EdgePerformance Technology Package  with full-depth features and interlocking sipes that provide impressive performance longer through the tire’s life.

The tread pattern of the Blizzak WS90 provides greater contact area and 15% more block edges than the previous Blizzak WS90 version. That gives you increased ice traction and reducing braking distances in slippery conditions.

Like other Bridgestone Blizzak tires, it is molded from Multi-Cell compound with bite particles that squeegees the thin layer of water that develops between the tread rubber and icy surfaces, enabling the tire to better grip the ice. Silica enhancements in the compound further improve grip in snow and on ice.

Tirerack.com gives the Blizzak WS90 a 9.2 excellent rating overall with a 9.1 excellent rating on wet pavement, 8.8 rating on dry pavement, 9.3 rating on snow and an 8.5 rating for comfort. Tirerack.com treadwear rating is 8.5

Michelin X-Ice Snow Winter Tire

The X-Ice SNOW is Michelin’s winter tire coupes, sedans,

Michelin X Ice Snow Winter Tire

minivans and crossovers.  Michelin’s FleX-Ice 2.0 tire compound generates micro-roughness on the tread surface, helping improve grip both in snow and on ice. The compound also contains a high silica content that ensures the tire maintains its flexibility, even in severe climates.

The Michelin X-Ice Snow tread pattern is a molded continuous V-Shape with increased groove widths compared to the previous model. That tread pattern provides improved resistance to hydroplaning and better performance in slush conditions.

The X-Ice SNOW’s tread elements contain two types of full-depth sipes with complementary traction effects. Notched sipes provide numerous biting edges that help enhance traction in adverse conditions, along with variable thickness sipes that further aid traction while supporting the tread elements to maintain an efficient contact patch for control on packed snow and clear roads.

Tirerack.com gives the X-Ice SNOW a 8.4 good rating overall with a 8.9 excellent rating on wet pavement, 8.7 rating on dry pavement, 9.1 rating on snow and an 8.8 rating for comfort. Tirerack.com treadwear rating is 8.8

Continental VikingContact 7 Winter Tire

The VikingContact 7 is perfect for sedans, crossovers, coupes

Continental VikingContact 7 Winter tire

and minivans. The specialized Nordic compound of the VikingContact 7 utilizes canola oil to help the rubber remain flexible and adapt to snowy or icy conditions. The VikingContact 7 is designed with active grip silica to improve wet performance and braking.

The compound is molded into a tread pattern with a groove network designed to create a direct path to evacuate water and slush from beneath the contact patch. The optimized void ratio ensures there is always a high volume of rubber on the road for confident tracking and high-speed control. Solid linkages and special interlocked block bridges stabilize the tread pattern while also keeping grooves open for water and slush drainage.

The VikingContact 7’s 3D sipes feature varying thicknesses. While all the sipes create biting edges for grip in slippery conditions, the wider sipes form snow pockets that collect snow from the surface and hold it in the pattern, creating snow-to-snow traction for improved performance. Grip Edges on the outside of the tread blocks grab into snow and effectively increase the contact area of the tire, further enhancing traction on snow- and ice-covered roads.

Tirerack.com gives the VikingContact 7 a 8.6 good rating overall with a 8.7 excellent rating on wet pavement, 8.6 rating on dry pavement, 8.8 rating on snow and an 8.9 rating for comfort. Tirerack.com treadwear rating is 8.6

©, 2023 Rick Muscoplat