Bridgestone promises a lot with its new all-weather WeatherPeak tire and in our thorough testing it has delivered impressively.
PROS
- True four-season performance
- Extremely quiet
- Comfortable
CONS
- Slightly less dynamic handling than regular all-seasons or class leaders
- Premium pricing
It didn’t take long for the weather to change, the snow to start flying, the slush to build up and then the roads to ice over. The WeatherPeak was up to the task!
While it’s early in the winter season we’ve already been able to put this new all-weather tire through some of the harshest testing its going to get. It’s important to point out before we get too much farther into this review that the WeatherPeak isn’t a conventional all-season, but rather an all-weather or four-season tire. What this means is that it’s designed for not just for three seasons but for true winter weather – where all-season tires always come up short.
It’s certified by the Rubber Manufacturer’s Association and comes wearing the three peak mountain snowflake logo on its sidewall as proof. Now this doesn’t mean it’s a true winter tire, but rather that it meets a certain minimum standard. As we found out, it meets and exceeds that standard significantly.
Affixed to our Toyota Highlander test vehicle we tackled the first true winter storm of the year in the NorthEast with amazing capability. Traction in deep snow was impressive and while not quite as grippy as a class-leading winter tire, it gave loads of confidence and there was no issue of getting stuck. Slush squished under foot and the tire does an impressive job of clearing the footprint for ideal grip. Then, when the temperatures dropped and roads iced over, we were very much impressed with the raw grip provided and lack of ABS braking.
Coming to a stop proved drama-free on icy surfaces with loads of grip ensuring the car stopped where we wanted it to.
Getting into the specifics of what makes this tire so special, Bridgestone has joined the four-weather fad (although we have to think its more than just a fad) offering this truly premium touring tire with more grip than it should in inclement weather.
A quick examination of the tread pattern and the blocks show plentiful sipes that easily grip snow and use it as a friction surface against the snow on the road. The center tread section includes interlocking teeth between the blocks that do double duty of providing grip, while also closing in on each other during more performance-focused driving in the dry or wet, aiding stability and driving responsiveness.
The shoulder tread blocks are made up of four smaller sections. They’re large enough to provide stable and predictable cornering capability, while the slits between the sections work to help evacuate water and provided added edges for maximum wet grip.
This design does impact dry weather performance and these tires come up slightly short of other premium all-seasons – although that’s to be expected as a rational tradeoff for heightened winter grip.
Compare this to the Michelin CrossClimate 2 which uses a unique v-shaped tread pattern, and the Michelin does offer more lateral grip in the dry.
What the WeatherPeak offers as an added benefit is its tread life. Numerous brands are now offering four-season tires, but almost all have the tradeoff of noticeably lower tread life. Not here.
While 60,000 miles seems to be the industry average for tread life on this class of tire, the WeatherPeak offers an impressive 70,000 miles.
As an added note, we’re compelled to comment on tread noise. It’s really nonexistent here. At least to the same level of a conventional all-season. We didn’t expect this, base solely on the heavy siping and expected some added hum. There isn’t any!
Is the Bridgestone WeatherPeak Any Good?
Offering slightly less engaging driving in the dry, the WeatherPeak delivers an impressive premium tire with true winter grip. While these types of tires are often sold as an ideal option for those who live in mild winter climates, this option goes above and beyond. In slush, deep snow and even on ice, the WeatherPeak offers true traction, stability, confidence and safety.
It does cost a premium, but unlike all of its rivals, you don’t have to sacrifice any tread life – or worry about swapping tire when the season change.
Bridgestone WeatherPeak Price
Four-season tires tend to cost a bit of a premium and that’s true with the WeatherPeak. The smallest 15-inch fitments start at around $180 per tire while the largest 20-inch sizes retail for just over $260 per tire.
Bridgestone WeatherPeak Warranty
Bridgestone backs the WeatherPeak four-season tire with a 70,000 mile tread life warranty. Bridgestone also backs all of its tires with a 90 day try and buy guarantee.
Bridgestone WeatherPeak Sizes
15
- 175/65R1584H
- 185/55R1582V
- 185/60R1584H
- 185/65R1588H
- 195/65R1591H
16
- 185/55R1683H
- 195/50R1684V
- 195/55R1687V
- 205/55R1691V
- 205/60R1692V
- 205/65R1695H
- 215/55R1693H
- 215/60R1695V
- 215/65R1698H
- 215/70R16100H
- 225/60R1698V
- 225/65R16100H
- 235/65R16103T
- 235/70R16106H
17
- 205/50R1793V
- 215/45R1791V
- 215/50R1795V
- 215/55R1794V
- 215/60R1796H
- 215/65R1799H
- 225/45R1791V
- 225/50R1794V
- 225/55R1797V
- 225/60R1799H
- 225/65R17102H
- 235/50R1796V
- 235/55R1799V
- 235/60R17102H
- 235/65R17104H
- 245/65R17107H
18
- 215/55R1895H
- 225/40R1888V
- 225/45R1895V
- 225/50R1895H
- 225/55R1898V
- 225/60R18100H
- 235/45R1894V
- 235/50R1897V
- 235/55R18100V
- 235/60R18103H
- 235/65R18106H
- 245/40R1893V
- 245/45R1896V
- 245/60R18105H
- 255/65R18111H
19
- 225/55R1999V
- 235/40R1996V
- 235/55R19101H
- 255/60R19109H
20
- 235/55R20102H
- 245/50R20