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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 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 1 + 5 road tests and 21 + 6 owner reviews. How we score

UltraGrip 9+ is ahead, 76–68

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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.

  1. 73

    Dry

    Blizzak WS90 +5
    68
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 4 tests8560
    Reviews found online5579

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 85 + 40% × 55.1 = 73

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 60.1 + 40% × 79.3 = 68

  2. 67

    Wet

    UltraGrip 9+ +18
    85
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 5 tests6587
    Reviews found online6983

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 65.3 + 40% × 69 = 67

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 86.6 + 40% × 83.4 = 85

  3. 73

    Snow

    UltraGrip 9+ +7
    80
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 5 tests6985
    Reviews found online7974

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 69.1 + 40% × 79.2 = 73

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 84.7 + 40% × 74.1 = 80

  4. 61

    Comfort

    UltraGrip 9+ +15
    76
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests6877
    Reviews found online5675

    Blizzak WS90: 40% × 68.5 + 60% × 56 = 61

    UltraGrip 9+: 40% × 76.8 + 60% × 74.7 = 76

  5. 63

    Noise

    UltraGrip 9+ +6
    69
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests7071
    Reviews found online52≈ 67 (est.)

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 51.7 = 63

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 70.7 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 69

    No owner ratings of noise for UltraGrip 9+. 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

    UltraGrip 9+ +14
    75
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 63 (est.)71
    Reviews found online5881

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 63.2 (est.) + 40% × 57.8 = 61

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 71.4 + 40% × 81.4 = 75

    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).

  7. 62

    Handling (owners)

    UltraGrip 9+ +12
    74
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90UltraGrip 9+
    Reviews found online6274
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    78
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests–78
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak WS90Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
Relative Score 68 76
Dry 73 68
Wet 67 85
Snow 73 80
Comfort 61 76
Noise 63 69
Treadwear 61 75
Handling (owners) 62 74
Efficiency – 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 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

± 6

UltraGrip 9+

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 WS90UltraGrip 9+ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 90% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 92% #13/16 · 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 79% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 95% #4/16 · 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test – Different tests
Ice Braking Snow 100% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/16 · 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 70% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/16 · 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 85% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 97% #4/10 · 2021 AMS Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling (tester's mark) Snow 55% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 90% #3/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 94% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung 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 #3/16 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test – 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 UltraGrip 9+

Pros

  • Excellent wet and cold weather grip
  • High levels of ride comfort and low noise
  • Strong value proposition compared to premium competitors

Cons

  • Performance on deep snow and ice may lag slightly behind specialized winter-focused brands like Nokian
  • Limited feedback on long-term tread wear due to low mileage in current reviews
  • Increased noise levels specifically on concrete road surfaces
All owner themes in the UltraGrip 9+ review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4519
Rim diameters15″ – 19″14″ – 16″
Tread depth11/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—
Sizes in common1111

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+

Winner: Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ — better wet, comfort and treadwear. Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 if dry matters most to you.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 85 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 76 vs 61 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 75 vs 61 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 74 vs 62 on handling.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
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Tire B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
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Blizzak WS90 or UltraGrip 9+?

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak WS90 or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 85 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak WS90 or UltraGrip 9+?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 73 vs 68 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Blizzak WS90 or UltraGrip 9+?

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

Which is quieter, Blizzak WS90 or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 69 vs 63 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak WS90 or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 76 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Blizzak WS90 or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 75 vs 61 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