Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1

Bottom Line

If you want maximum winter traction for your SUV or truck, the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 is the hands-down favorite. Experts have recommended this tire line for years, and hundreds of pleased owners say it's simply unbeatable on snow and ice.

Performance

'Beyond excellent' on snow and ice. Owners rave about the Blizzak DM-V1. "In my 24 years of driving experience throughout Europe, as well as here in Canada... the Bridgestone DM-V1 tyres are the BEST tyres that I have used for harsh winter conditions," says one TireRack.com customer from Calgary, Alberta. Another reviewer -- who regularly drives in Alaska on snow-packed, ice-crusted roads at 40 below zero or worse -- calls the Blizzak DM-V1 "absolutely the best tire for this environment," with traction that is "beyond excellent."

TireRack.com staffer Gary Stanley uses the DM-V1 on his family's Mazda CX-7. Once, he bought an all-wheel-drive Infiniti coupe with all-season tires -- and drove it home through a snowstorm, white-knuckled and slow. His wife sailed along in the Mazda, with the DM-V1s "making easy work of the conditions."

Its archrival, the Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2 (*Est. $150), runs neck-and-neck with the Blizzak DM-V1 in a test conducted by a leading consumer review publication. Both grip excellently in ice and snow -- better than any other studless winter tires for SUVs/trucks. Both are just fair on wet and dry roads (as usual for a severe-winter tire).

Owners say the Blizzak trumps the Michelin on ice and snow. Canada's Automobile Protection Association recommends both tires for ice traction, but finds the Blizzak's deeper treads better in snow.

Comfort

Quiet and extremely comfortable. This is one of the smoothest-riding winter tires you can buy for your SUV or truck, reviewers say. Owners award the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 the highest possible rating for ride comfort at TireRack.com, and one expert source rates it Very Good. It's quiet, too -- one of the quietest in an expert test. TireRack.com customers rate it highly for keeping tire noise to a minimum.

The rival Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2 rates just as highly for comfort; owners find it a little quieter than the Bridgestone, but expert testers find the Bridgestone quieter.

Durability

No treadwear warranty, but most owners are pleased with its durability. Like most winter tires, the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 carries no treadwear warranty.

Overall, owners give it high marks for treadwear, although the Bridgestone is not quite as highly rated as the Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2. Plenty say they've gotten 20,000 miles or more out of the Blizzaks. "Buying my second set today -- enough said," writes one owner after putting 45,000 miles on the Blizzaks. Another writes, "I had 15,000 miles on them when I sold the car and I could have put another 15,000 miles on them."