86
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
90/100
33 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated May 2026
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 vs Hankook Icebear W440 — Compared (May 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
83
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
83/100
5 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 — better dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
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Category breakdown
7 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
Blizzak DM-V2 leads by 8
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 90 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | 82 |
| SimpleTire owners | 91 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Blizzak DM-V2 leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 92 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 76 | 86 |
| SimpleTire owners | 93 | – |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 94 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 98 | – |
| SimpleTire owners | 99 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Blizzak DM-V2 leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 88 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 76 | 88 |
| SimpleTire owners | 92 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 88 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 84 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 58 | 82 |
| SimpleTire owners | 86 | – |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Blizzak DM-V2 leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Blizzak DM-V2 | Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 78 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 | Hankook Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 86 | 83 |
| Dry | 90 | 82 |
| Wet | 90 | 86 |
| Snow | 99 | – |
| Comfort | 90 | 88 |
| Noise | 88 | – |
| Treadwear | 82 | 82 |
| Handling | 80 | 78 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
86
/ 100
Tire A
83
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 is widely regarded as a premier dedicated winter tire, consistently praised for its exceptional traction and braking performance on snow and ice. While users acknowledge that the soft rubber compound leads to faster tread wear if used in warmer temperatures, the consensus is that the safety and handling benefits in harsh winter conditions far outweigh these longevity concerns.
Pros
- Exceptional grip and braking performance on snow and ice
- High level of driver confidence in severe winter weather
- Surprisingly quiet and comfortable ride quality
- Significant improvement over all-season tires for winter handling
Cons
- Faster tread wear compared to all-season tires
- Performance degrades if left on the vehicle during warmer spring/summer months
- Potential for reduced wet-weather grip as the tire wears down
Observations
- Users report excellent performance across a variety of vehicle types, including heavy SUVs like the BMW X5 and VW Touareg, as well as light trucks like the Ford F-150.
- Owners of hybrid vehicles noted that the tire's soft compound may wear more quickly under the specific torque characteristics of their vehicles.
- Some users successfully utilize oversized tire diameters for increased ground clearance in deep snow without sacrificing ride quality.
The Hankook Icebear W440 is widely regarded as a high-value winter tire that offers impressive performance in snow and ice at a competitive price point. While some users note a necessary break-in period where the tires feel initially slippery, the consensus highlights a significant improvement in traction for rear-wheel-drive vehicles in challenging winter conditions.
Pros
- Excellent traction and confidence on snow and ice
- High value-for-money proposition compared to premium brands
- Noticeable performance improvement for rear-wheel-drive vehicles
- Reliable grip on ungritted and steep winter roads
Cons
- Noticeable 'slippery' sensation during the initial 100-mile break-in period
- Performance is strictly categorized as a budget-friendly option rather than a top-tier premium performer
- Mixed feedback on overall refinement compared to more expensive alternatives
Observations
- Users driving rear-wheel-drive platforms, such as the BMW 5 Series and Mazda Eunos, reported a transformative improvement in winter handling.
- The tire is noted for providing sufficient dry and wet grip once the initial break-in phase is complete.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 | B · Hankook Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Premium Touring Winter tire | Winter Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 48 | — |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 22″ | — |
| Tread depth | 13/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
86
/ 100
Bridgestone
83
/ 100
Hankook
Winner: Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 — better dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 90 vs 82 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 90 vs 86 on wet.
Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2
Tire B · Hankook Icebear W440
More comparisons
Also compared with
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 also compared with
Hankook Icebear W440 also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.