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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 vs Continental IceContact 3 — 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 1 + 13 road tests and 21 + 3 owner reviews. How we score

IceContact 3 leads, 72–68 Narrow edge

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Continental IceContact 3
Tire BContinental

IceContact 3

Winter

± 5

Tests 79 · 13 tests Owners 65 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 19 in 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 (ice handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 73

    Dry

    Level
    73
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90IceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 11 tests8576
    Reviews found online5568

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 84.9 + 40% × 54.7 = 73

    IceContact 3: 60% × 76 + 40% × 67.5 = 73

  2. 67

    Wet

    IceContact 3 +6
    73
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90IceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 12 tests6674
    Reviews found online6970

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 65.6 + 40% × 68.7 = 67

    IceContact 3: 60% × 74.4 + 40% × 69.6 = 73

  3. 73

    Snow

    IceContact 3 +6
    79
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90IceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 12 tests6984
    Reviews found online7870

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 68.7 + 40% × 78.4 = 73

    IceContact 3: 60% × 84 + 40% × 70.3 = 79

  4. 61

    Comfort

    IceContact 3 +15
    76
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90IceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests6896
    Reviews found online5662

    Blizzak WS90: 40% × 68.3 + 60% × 55.7 = 61

    IceContact 3: 40% × 96.3 + 60% × 61.8 = 76

  5. 63

    Noise

    IceContact 3 +7
    70
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90IceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 11 tests7072
    Reviews found online51≈ 67 (est.)

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 70.4 + 40% × 51.3 = 63

    IceContact 3: 60% × 72 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 70

    No owner ratings of noise for IceContact 3. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 61

    Treadwear

    Blizzak WS90 +4
    57
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90IceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online5851

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 63.6 (est.) + 40% × 58 = 61

    IceContact 3: 60% × 61.2 (est.) + 40% × 51.3 = 57

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak WS90. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for IceContact 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 62

    Handling (owners)

    IceContact 3 +5
    67
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90IceContact 3
    Reviews found online6267
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    67
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90IceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests–67
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak WS90Continental IceContact 3
Relative Score 68 72
Dry 73 73
Wet 67 73
Snow 73 79
Comfort 61 76
Noise 63 70
Treadwear 61 57
Handling (owners) 62 67
Efficiency – 67

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
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
± 7

Blizzak WS90

± 5

IceContact 3

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 WS90IceContact 3ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 90% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 97% #3/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 79% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 99% #2/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 81% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Ice Braking Snow 100% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 70% #6/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Ice Traction Snow 100% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 68% #6/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 70% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 85% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/8 · The BEST Studded Tyres for 2025 – Different tests
Snow Handling (tester's mark) Snow 55% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 90% #6/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 94% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Noise (tester's mark) Noise 91% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 60% #13/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #8/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test #5/10 2025 UTAC Ivalo Studded Winter Tire Test R16 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Blizzak WS90

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and acceleration on ice and hard-packed snow
  • Excellent braking performance in hazardous winter conditions
  • Strong capability in slush and deep snow

Cons

  • Increased road noise during highway driving
  • Less responsive or 'softer' handling feel on dry pavement
  • Potential for minor rubbing depending on vehicle fitment
All owner themes in the Blizzak WS90 review

Tire B IceContact 3

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and braking performance on packed snow and ice
  • Predictable handling in severe winter conditions
  • Strong performance on lake ice tracks

Cons

  • Premature stud wear or loss reported after moderate mileage
  • Potential for reduced stability in deeper snow (4-5 cm) depending on tire width
  • Unpredictable handling characteristics when paired with certain electronic stability control systems
All owner themes in the IceContact 3 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 B · Continental IceContact 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available45—
Rim diameters15″ – 19″—
Tread depth11/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Continental IceContact 3

Narrow edge: Continental IceContact 3 — better comfort, noise and wet. Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Continental IceContact 3 scores 76 vs 61 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Continental IceContact 3 scores 70 vs 63 on noise.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental IceContact 3 scores 73 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Continental IceContact 3 scores 79 vs 73 on snow.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
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Tire B · Continental IceContact 3
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Blizzak WS90 or IceContact 3?

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak WS90 or IceContact 3?

Continental IceContact 3, 73 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak WS90 or IceContact 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 73 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, Blizzak WS90 or IceContact 3?

Continental IceContact 3, 79 vs 73 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Blizzak WS90 or IceContact 3?

Continental IceContact 3, 70 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak WS90 or IceContact 3?

Continental IceContact 3, 76 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Blizzak WS90 or IceContact 3?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 61 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