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Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 vs General Altimax Arctic — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 45 + 32 owner reviews. How we score

Blizzak WS80 is ahead, 70–59

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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.

  1. 65

    Dry

    Blizzak WS80 +8
    57
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS80Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online6451

    Blizzak WS80: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 64.1 = 65

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.5 = 57

    No road tests of dry for Blizzak WS80. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    No road tests of dry for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 71

    Wet

    Blizzak WS80 +9
    62
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS80Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7260

    Blizzak WS80: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 72 = 71

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62

    No road tests of wet for Blizzak WS80. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    No road tests of wet for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 76

    Snow

    Blizzak WS80 +17
    59
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS80Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online8152

    Blizzak WS80: 60% × 73.5 (est.) + 40% × 80.7 = 76

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 51.6 = 59

    No road tests of snow for Blizzak WS80. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

    No road tests of snow for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 70

    Comfort

    Blizzak WS80 +10
    60
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS80Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7151

    Blizzak WS80: 60% × 69.4 (est.) + 40% × 70.7 = 70

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 50.8 = 60

    No road tests of comfort for Blizzak WS80 or Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 67

    Noise

    Blizzak WS80 +5
    62
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS80Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6554

    Blizzak WS80: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 65.4 = 67

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 62

    No road tests of noise for Blizzak WS80 or Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 65

    Treadwear

    Blizzak WS80 +8
    57
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS80Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online6550

    Blizzak WS80: 60% × 65.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.8 = 65

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.1 = 57

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak WS80. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

    No road tests of treadwear for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 69

    Handling (owners)

    Blizzak WS80 +20
    49
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS80Altimax Arctic
    Reviews found online6949
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak WS80General Altimax Arctic
Relative Score 70 59
Dry 65 57
Wet 71 62
Snow 76 59
Comfort 70 60
Noise 67 62
Treadwear 65 57
Handling (owners) 69 49

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.

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Important
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Less important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Blizzak WS80

Altimax Arctic

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Blizzak WS80

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and grip in deep snow, slush, and ice
  • High confidence and safety during severe winter weather and mountain driving
  • Surprisingly low road noise on dry and wet pavement

Cons

  • Reduced fuel economy / lower gas mileage
  • Slightly squishy handling and reduced braking performance on dry roads
  • May feel less responsive than standard all-season or newer model compounds in non-winter conditions
All owner themes in the Blizzak WS80 review

Tire B Altimax Arctic

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and ice
  • High value and affordable price point compared to premium competitors
  • Reliable wet and dry handling during cold weather months

Cons

  • Handling and responsiveness drop off compared to dedicated summer or all-season tires
  • Some users report accelerated wear once the tire reaches 50% tread life
  • Minor tendencies toward understeer during hard cornering
All owner themes in the Altimax Arctic review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 B · General Altimax Arctic
CategoryWinter Premium Touring tiresWinter Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available211
Rim diameters15″ – 18″17″
Tread depth11/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80

General Altimax Arctic

Winner: Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 — better handling, snow and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 scores 69 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 scores 76 vs 59 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 scores 70 vs 60 on comfort.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 scores 71 vs 62 on wet.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS80
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Tire B · General Altimax Arctic
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Blizzak WS80 or Altimax Arctic?

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak WS80 or Altimax Arctic?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80, 71 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak WS80 or Altimax Arctic?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80, 65 vs 57 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Blizzak WS80 or Altimax Arctic?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80, 76 vs 59 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Blizzak WS80 or Altimax Arctic?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80, 67 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak WS80 or Altimax Arctic?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80, 70 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Blizzak WS80 or Altimax Arctic?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80, 65 vs 57 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