tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 vs Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 32 + 5 road tests and 117 + 6 owner reviews. How we score

UltraGrip 9+ is ahead, 76–66

Check price on Amazon · UltraGrip 9+ or Blizzak LM005 on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
Tire ABridgestone

Blizzak LM005

Winter

± 5

Tests 73 · 32 tests Owners 58 · 117 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 54 in 2023 Winter Tyre Test 54 Set Braking Test (wet braking)

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
Tire BGoodyear

UltraGrip 9+

Winter

± 6

Tests 75 · 5 tests Owners 79 · 6 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test (ice braking)

Category by category

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

Key facts

  • In 5 tests that measured wet braking for both, Blizzak LM005 won 5 and UltraGrip 9+ won 0 (average 100% vs 91% of the best).
  • In 5 tests that measured snow braking for both, Blizzak LM005 won 2 and UltraGrip 9+ won 3 (average 98% vs 99% of the best).
  • In 4 tests that measured dry braking for both, Blizzak LM005 won 3 and UltraGrip 9+ won 1 (average 96% vs 93% of the best).
  • In 4 tests that measured straight aquaplaning for both, Blizzak LM005 won 3 and UltraGrip 9+ won 1 (average 96% vs 96% of the best).
  • In 4 tests that measured snow traction for both, Blizzak LM005 won 2 and UltraGrip 9+ won 2 (average 99% vs 99% of the best).
  1. 68

    Dry

    Blizzak LM005 +1
    67
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM005UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 27 / 4 tests7760
    Reviews found online5579
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 3–196%93%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–0100%98%
    Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–090%80%

    Blizzak LM005: 60% × 77.3 + 40% × 55 = 68

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 59.8 + 40% × 78.8 = 67

  2. 88

    Wet

    Blizzak LM005 +3
    85
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM005UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 32 / 5 tests10086
    Reviews found online7183
    Curved Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–097%97%
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 3–196%96%
    Wet Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–090%50%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 5–0100%91%
    Wet Braking (concrete) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%91%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–0100%99%

    Blizzak LM005: 60% × 100 + 40% × 71 = 88

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 86.3 + 40% × 83.1 = 85

  3. 73

    Snow

    UltraGrip 9+ +7
    80
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM005UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 32 / 5 tests7985
    Reviews found online6474
    Ice Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–189%100%
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 2–398%99%
    Snow Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–198%97%
    Snow Traction (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 2–299%99%
    Snow Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%90%

    Blizzak LM005: 60% × 79.4 + 40% × 64.1 = 73

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 84.7 + 40% × 73.7 = 80

  4. 66

    Comfort

    UltraGrip 9+ +9
    75
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM005UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 1 tests7776
    Reviews found online5874
    Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–190%100%

    Blizzak LM005: 40% × 77.1 + 60% × 58.4 = 66

    UltraGrip 9+: 40% × 75.7 + 60% × 74.1 = 75

  5. 68

    Noise

    UltraGrip 9+ +1
    69
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM005UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 25 / 3 tests6971
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 2–199%98%

    Blizzak LM005: 60% × 68.8 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 68

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 69

    No owner ratings of noise for Blizzak LM005 or UltraGrip 9+. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 38

    Treadwear

    UltraGrip 9+ +38
    76
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM005UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 2 tests3772
    Reviews found online4182
    Abrasion (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–162%69%
    Wear (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–265%79%

    Blizzak LM005: 60% × 36.5 + 40% × 41 = 38

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 71.5 + 40% × 81.6 = 76

  7. 59

    Handling (owners)

    UltraGrip 9+ +15
    74
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM005UltraGrip 9+
    Reviews found online5974
  8. 83

    Efficiency

    Blizzak LM005 +5
    78
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak LM005UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 27 / 4 tests8378
    Fuel Consumption (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–197%98%
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–293%94%
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak LM005Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
Relative Score 66 76
Dry 68 67
Wet 88 85
Snow 73 80
Comfort 66 75
Noise 68 69
Treadwear 38 76
Handling (owners) 59 74
Efficiency 83 78

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
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

Blizzak LM005

± 6

UltraGrip 9+

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

In the overall rankings of 11 tests that ran both, Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 finished ahead 7 times and Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ 4 times.

DisciplineCategoryBlizzak LM005UltraGrip 9+ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 96% 93% +2.4 3–1 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Dry Handling Dry 100% 98% +1.8 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test · 195/55 R16
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 90% 80% +10.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Curved Aquaplaning Wet 97% 97% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 96% 96% 0.0 3–1 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Wet Braking Wet 100% 91% +8.7 5–0 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Wet Braking (concrete) Wet 100% 91% +9.4 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Wet Handling Wet 100% 99% +1.3 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test · 195/55 R16
Wet Handling (tester's mark) Wet 90% 50% +40.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Ice Braking Snow 89% 100% −11.4 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Snow Braking Snow 98% 99% −0.6 2–3 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Snow Handling Snow 98% 97% +0.4 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test · 195/55 R16
Snow Handling (tester's mark) Snow 100% 90% +10.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Snow Traction Snow 99% 99% +0.5 2–2 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 90% 100% −10.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Noise Noise 99% 98% +0.6 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Abrasion Treadwear 62% 69% −7.4 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Wear Treadwear 65% 79% −13.9 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Fuel Consumption Efficiency 97% 98% −1.7 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 93% 94% −1.0 1–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test · 195/55 R16
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 74% 78% −4.8 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test · 195/55 R16
Total Cost of Ownership Cost #12/20 #7/20 – 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Value Cost 63% 79% −16.3 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16
Overall Ranking Overall #6/16 #3/16 – 7–4 in 11 shared tests Newest: 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test · 205/60 R16

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Blizzak LM005

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and braking performance on wet roads and heavy rain
  • High driving comfort with low interior noise levels when new
  • Predictable and stable handling characteristics in dry and mild winter conditions

Cons

  • Rapid and premature tread wear, with many users reporting the tire wearing out within 5,000 to 15,000 km
  • Noticeable degradation in snow and ice grip by the second or third season
  • Increased tire noise, whining, or humming vibrations as the tire ages
All owner themes in the Blizzak LM005 review

Tire B UltraGrip 9+

Pros

  • Strong cold-weather and wet grip, with one owner describing wet grip at 0–10°C as feeling as sure-footed as in the dry
  • Capable snow and ice performance in the conditions reported, including hill climbs past stranded vehicles and handling of icy rural roads
  • Comfortable and quiet on the road, with some noise noted only on concrete surfaces; one reviewer found it quieter than a Nokian WRD4

Cons

  • Long-term durability is largely unproven, as reviewers had covered only about 1,000 to 8,000 km and several said it was too early to judge wear
  • Snow and ice performance was not tested extensively, since mild winters or limited exposure meant some owners could not comment on severe conditions
  • Snow traction was reported as not matching a Nokian WRD4 in one second-hand comparison
All owner themes in the UltraGrip 9+ review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available16519
Rim diameters14″ – 22″14″ – 16″
Tread depth9/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—
Sizes in common1818

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+

Winner: Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ — better treadwear, handling and comfort. Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 if efficiency and wet matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 76 vs 38 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 74 vs 59 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 75 vs 66 on comfort.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 80 vs 73 on snow.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet braking

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 won 5 of 5 shared wet braking tests.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Blizzak LM005 or UltraGrip 9+?

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak LM005 or UltraGrip 9+?

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005, 88 vs 85 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak LM005 or UltraGrip 9+?

Neither, by our numbers: 68 vs 67 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, Blizzak LM005 or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 80 vs 73 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Blizzak LM005 or UltraGrip 9+?

Neither, by our numbers: 68 vs 69 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak LM005 or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 75 vs 66 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Blizzak LM005 or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 76 vs 38 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Blizzak LM005 or UltraGrip 9+?

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005, 83 vs 78 on our efficiency score.

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.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

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