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)
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 vs Riken Snow — 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 + 4 road tests and 117 + 9 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: Blizzak LM005 69, Snow 68.
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Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
Key facts
- In 3 tests that measured wet braking for both, Blizzak LM005 won 3 and Snow won 0 (average 100% vs 82% of the best).
-
68
Dry
Blizzak LM005 +266Why this score
Source Blizzak LM005 Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 27 / – tests 77 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 55 65 Blizzak LM005: 60% × 77.3 + 40% × 55 = 68
Snow: 60% × 66.9 (est.) + 40% × 65.4 = 66
No road tests of dry for Snow. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
-
88
Wet
Blizzak LM005 +2167Why this score
Source Blizzak LM005 Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 32 / 4 tests 100 64 Reviews found online 71 71 Wet Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 3–0 100% 82% Blizzak LM005: 60% × 100 + 40% × 71 = 88
Snow: 60% × 64.4 + 40% × 70.6 = 67
-
73
Snow
Blizzak LM005 +271Why this score
Source Blizzak LM005 Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 32 / – tests 79 ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 64 71 Blizzak LM005: 60% × 79.4 + 40% × 64.1 = 73
Snow: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 70.5 = 71
No road tests of snow for Snow. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
-
66
Comfort
Blizzak LM005 +264Why this score
Source Blizzak LM005 Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 77 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 58 63 Blizzak LM005: 40% × 77.1 + 60% × 58.4 = 66
Snow: 40% × 67.4 (est.) + 60% × 62.5 = 64
No road tests of comfort for Snow. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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68
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Blizzak LM005 Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 25 / – tests 69 – Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) – Blizzak LM005: 60% × 68.8 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 68
No owner ratings of noise for Blizzak LM005. 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.
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38
Treadwear
Snow +3068Why this score
Source Blizzak LM005 Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests 37 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 41 69 Blizzak LM005: 60% × 36.5 + 40% × 41 = 38
Snow: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.7 = 68
No road tests of treadwear for Snow. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
59
Handling (owners)
Snow +766Why this score
Source Blizzak LM005 Snow Reviews found online 59 66 -
83
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Blizzak LM005 Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 27 / – tests 83 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 | Riken Snow |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 69 | 68 |
| Dry | 68 | 66 |
| Wet | 88 | 67 |
| Snow | 73 | 71 |
| Comfort | 66 | 64 |
| Noise | 68 | – |
| Treadwear | 38 | 68 |
| Handling (owners) | 59 | 66 |
| Efficiency | 83 | – |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
69
/ 100
Blizzak LM005
68
/ 100
Snow
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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 3 tests that ran both, Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 finished ahead 3 times and Riken Snow 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | Blizzak LM005 | Snow | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | Wet | 100% | 82% | +18.0 | 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2023 Winter Tyre Test 54 Set Braking Test · 225/45 R18 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #1/54 | #40/54 | – | 3–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2023 Winter Tyre Test 54 Set Braking Test · 225/45 R18 |
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
Tire B Snow
Pros
- Exceptional snow, ice, and winter traction
- High value for the money in the budget tire category
- Low road noise compared to standard winter tires
Cons
- Reduced wet-weather braking performance during spirited driving
- Lower-tier classification compared to premium flagship winter tires
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 | B · Riken Snow |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 165 | 41 |
| Rim diameters | 14″ – 22″ | 15″ – 18″ |
| Tread depth | 9/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 40 | 40 |
Which one should you actually buy?
69
/ 100
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
68
/ 100
Riken Snow
Too close to call: Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 and Riken Snow are within 2 points overall. Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 is stronger on wet. Riken Snow is stronger on treadwear and handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Riken Snow scores 68 vs 38 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 scores 88 vs 67 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Riken Snow scores 66 vs 59 on handling.
Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
Tire B · Riken Snow
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Blizzak LM005 or Snow?
Which is better in the wet, Blizzak LM005 or Snow?
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005, 88 vs 67 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak LM005 or Snow?
Neither, by our numbers: 68 vs 66 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is better in snow, Blizzak LM005 or Snow?
Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 71 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Blizzak LM005 or Snow?
Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 64 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, Blizzak LM005 or Snow?
Riken Snow, 68 vs 38 on our treadwear 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