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Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 vs Firestone Winterhawk 3 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Blizzak WS90 leads, 68–64 Narrow edge

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Tire ABridgestone

Blizzak WS90

Winter

Tests 74 · 1 test Owners 63 · 21 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 15 in 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires (overall ranking)

Tire BFirestone

Winterhawk 3

Winter

Tests 68 · 4 tests Owners 60 · 8 reviews

Best test result: #18 of 45 in 2017 50 Winter Tyre Shoot Out (overall ranking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 75

    Dry

    Blizzak WS90 +11
    64
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winterhawk 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)8767
    Reviews found online5660
    Dry Braking (% of best)90%94%
  2. 65

    Wet

    Blizzak WS90 +1
    64
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winterhawk 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)6366
    Reviews found online6961
    Wet Braking (% of best)79%80%
  3. 73

    Snow

    Blizzak WS90 +8
    65
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winterhawk 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)7071
    Reviews found online7956
    Snow Braking (% of best)70%94%
    Snow Handling (% of best)85%98%
  4. 66

    Comfort

    Blizzak WS90 +1
    65
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winterhawk 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)71–
    Reviews found online5960
  5. 65

    Noise

    Winterhawk 3 +1
    66
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winterhawk 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)7165
    Reviews found online56–
  6. 63

    Treadwear

    Winterhawk 3 +4
    67
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winterhawk 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)–70
    Reviews found online6162
  7. 64

    Handling

    Blizzak WS90 +6
    58
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Winterhawk 3
    Reviews found online6458
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak WS90Firestone Winterhawk 3
Relative Score 68 64
Dry 75 64
Wet 65 64
Snow 73 65
Comfort 66 65
Noise 65 66
Treadwear 63 67
Handling 64 58

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
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Neutral
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Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Blizzak WS90

Winterhawk 3

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryBlizzak WS90Winterhawk 3ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 90% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 94% #16/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test −3.8 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 100% #1/15 · 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires 6% #18/45 · 2017 50 Winter Tyre Shoot Out +94.4 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 70% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 94% #21/30 · 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview −24.1 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 85% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 98% #10/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test −12.7 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 79% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 80% #32/48 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test −0.8 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Blizzak WS90

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and acceleration on ice and hard-packed snow
  • Excellent braking performance in hazardous winter conditions
  • Strong capability in slush and deep snow

Cons

  • Increased road noise during highway driving
  • Less responsive or 'softer' handling feel on dry pavement
  • Potential for minor rubbing depending on vehicle fitment
All owner themes in the Blizzak WS90 review

Tire B Winterhawk 3

Pros

  • High levels of ride comfort and low noise
  • Good longevity and tread wear resistance
  • Affordable price point

Cons

  • Inconsistent or poor grip on snow and ice
  • Unreliable wet weather performance and braking
  • Pronounced understeering tendencies
All owner themes in the Winterhawk 3 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 B · Firestone Winterhawk 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available45—
Rim diameters15″ – 19″—
Tread depth11/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Firestone Winterhawk 3

Winner: Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 — better dry, snow and handling. Pick the Firestone Winterhawk 3 if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 75 vs 64 on dry.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 73 vs 65 on snow.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 64 vs 58 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Firestone Winterhawk 3 scores 67 vs 63 on treadwear.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
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Tire B · Firestone Winterhawk 3
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How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

68

Narrow edge

Blizzak WS90

Amazon