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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 vs Michelin Defender T+H — 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 0 + 1 road tests and 45 + 1 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Blizzak WS80 and Defender T+H are level at 70.

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Michelin Defender T+H
Tire BMichelin

Defender T+H

Premium Touring All Season tire

± 8Provisional

Tests – · 1 test Owners 69 · 1 review

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))

Category by category

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

  1. 66

    Dry

    Defender T+H +3
    69
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS80Defender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6470

    Blizzak WS80: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.2 = 66

    Defender T+H: 60% × 68.8 (est.) + 40% × 70 = 69

    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 0.41).

    No road tests of dry for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 72

    Wet

    Level
    72
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS80Defender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7373

    Blizzak WS80: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 72.7 = 72

    Defender T+H: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.8 = 72

    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 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 77

    Snow

    Blizzak WS80 +12
    65
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS80Defender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 74 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8261

    Blizzak WS80: 60% × 74.2 (est.) + 40% × 82.2 = 77

    Defender T+H: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 61.1 = 65

    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 0.32).

    No road tests of snow for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 68

    Comfort

    Blizzak WS80 +1
    67
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS80Defender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6866

    Blizzak WS80: 40% × 68.6 (est.) + 60% × 68.2 = 68

    Defender T+H: 40% × 68.1 (est.) + 60% × 65.9 = 67

    No road tests of comfort for Blizzak WS80. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 65

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS80Defender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)–
    Reviews found online64–

    Blizzak WS80: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 63.8 = 65

    No road tests of noise for Blizzak WS80. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 67

    Treadwear

    Defender T+H +6
    73
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS80Defender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 67 (est.)76
    Reviews found online6768

    Blizzak WS80: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 66.6 = 67

    Defender T+H: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 67.9 = 73

    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 0.36).

  7. 68

    Handling (owners)

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS80Defender T+H
    Reviews found online68–
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak WS80Michelin Defender T+H
Relative Score 70 70
Dry 66 69
Wet 72 72
Snow 77 65
Comfort 68 67
Noise 65 –
Treadwear 67 73
Handling (owners) 68 –

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
Neutral
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

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Blizzak WS80

± 8

Defender T+H

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.

DisciplineCategoryBlizzak WS80Defender T+HΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #6/9 2018 Autofil Studless Winter Tire Test R16 #1/8 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires – Different tests

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 Defender T+H

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 B · Michelin Defender T+H
CategoryWinter Premium Touring tiresPremium Touring All Season tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available21—
Rim diameters15″ – 18″—
Tread depth11/32″—
UTQG—820 A - B B
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80

Michelin Defender T+H

Too close to call: Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 and Michelin Defender T+H are within 2 points overall. Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 is stronger on snow. Michelin Defender T+H is stronger on treadwear and dry. Michelin Defender T+H rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 scores 77 vs 65 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 67 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender T+H scores 69 vs 66 on dry.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS80
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Tire B · Michelin Defender T+H
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Blizzak WS80 or Defender T+H?

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak WS80 or Defender T+H?

Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 72 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak WS80 or Defender T+H?

Michelin Defender T+H, 69 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Blizzak WS80 or Defender T+H?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS80, 77 vs 65 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak WS80 or Defender T+H?

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

Which lasts longer, Blizzak WS80 or Defender T+H?

Michelin Defender T+H, 73 vs 67 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