Bridgestone · Continental · Tire Comparisons
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Continental and Bridgestone are premium tire brands that enjoy an excellent reputation among the masses. Their tires’ superb ride quality, excellent road manners, and unusually extended treadwear warranties help distinguish them from the competition.
Continental Rating: 4.7/5
4.7/5
Bridgestone Rating: 4.5/5
4.5/5
Availability of options is another area where these brands excel. Regardless of the category of tires you want to install on your vehicle (all-season, all-terrain, high-performance, etc.), you can count on Continental and Bridgestone to offer a set meeting your requirements.
All in all, Continental and Bridgestone tires appeal to the same end-user. That is something you already know, as your presence here indicates. That’s not the only thing we know about you – we’re also aware of your desire to learn what distinguishes these brands’ tires from each other.
Guess what? We have come up with this article to provide you with the same. In this Continental Vs Bridgestone tires comparison, we’ll highlight all the key areas where these tire brands differ. But before that, let’s turn our attention to the histories and families of these premium tire brands.
Continental’s History
Many people didn’t know that Continental didn’t start as a tire manufacturer. Instead, for more than three decades after its founding in Hannover, Germany, in 1871, the company was producing soft rubber products and rubberized fabrics.
It was only in 1904 that Continental produced its first tire. That tire had a tread along its circumference and a groove inside the tread area. The presence of the groove gave the tire the flexibility heretofore not seen in tires, making it more controllable in slippery conditions.
Fast forward to 1987, and after years of toiling in South America, Continental made an official entry to the US tire market. The company made waves by purchased General Tire from GenCorp, giving rise to the Continental General Tire Corporation.
At the time of writing, Continental is the 4th largest tire manufacturer in the world. The famous tire brand produces a wide range of tires from bicycles and motor bikes to passenger cars and commercial trucks. Still, much of its fame comes from its passenger tires.
Continental Tire Families
Four families complete Continental’s tire lineup. These include ultra-high-performance or UHP, touring and grand touring, all-terrain or AT and winter tires. All these tires are available for passenger cars, CUVs, SUVs, sport coupes, and light trucks.
Ultra-High-Performance
There are twelve tires in Continental’s UHP family. All of them offer a thrilling driving experience, courtesy of an enhanced steering response and brilliant high-speed stability. These tires cornering performance, dry/wet acceleration and lateral tracking also makes them the first choice of enthusiast drivers.
Not everything is excellent about Continental’s UHP tires, though. Take, for instance, the Premium Contact 6, one of Continental’s flagship UHP tires. Sure this model does offer dynamic handling and boasts ridiculously short braking distances. But its asking price can wipe out all your savings.
Touring and Grand Touring
Continental’s touring and grand touring tires demonstrate why drivers love both these categories. These models come with best in-class tread wear warranties. Their wet traction is also supreme, made possible by the plethora of circumferential and lateral grooves.
Need proof? Then you must check out the CrossContact LX25. Here is an all-season touring tire that is backed for 70,000 miles and possesses all the features mentioned above. The same could be said about the TrueContact Tour, one of the most reliable touring tires on the market.
Winter
Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol, M+S symbol, flexible tread compound and multiple circumferential grooves – any tire which comes with at least three of these four features has what it takes to safely carry your vehicle from point A to point B in harsh wintry conditions.
Guess what? Each of Continental’s 12 winter tires possess all four features mentioned above. So that, whether you opt for the Conti 4×4 WinterContact or the Winter Contact TS 860, a surefooted and reliable performance on the snow will be all but guaranteed.
All-Terrain
There are only two tires in Continental’s all-terrain family. The first of them is the TerrainContact A/T, the manufacturer’s flagship all-terrain tire. Dirt, gravel, grass, soil, rocks, you name it. This tire has what it takes to transition effortlessly from the traveled to the less-traveled roads.
However, as great as this tire is, it suffers from one serious flaw. The TerrainContact A/T isn’t available in large truck sizes. So, if you own or drive a light commercial vehicle, the TerrainContact™, which is made for light-duty commercial vehicles, might serve you better.
Bridgestone History
Bridgestone was built on the idea that only with continued innovation could Japanese companies rival their global competitors. However, for the first two decades after its founding in 1931, the company wasn’t able to put this vision to practice. As allied forces were busy bombing its facilities.
Still, even as many of its factories were going up in flames, Bridgestone continued to cling to the tire manufacturing business. Such steadfastness bore fruit in 1946, when, a year after Michelin had produced the world’s first radial tire, Bridgestone came up with a radial tire of its own.
This gave birth to the Bridgestone Vs Michelin rivalry, which continues to this day. The rivalry has also catalyzed some major acquisitions in the tire industry. Only two years after Bridgestone had acquired The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, Michelin went ahead and purchased BFGoodrich in 1990.
In 2021, the latest year for which data is available, Bridgestone announced an operating profit of £2.5 billion. This amounts to a 90% increase compared with 2020. Based on these numbers, it shouldn’t be surprising to note that Bridgestone is currently the world’s 2nd largest tire manufacturer.
Bridgestone Tire Families
Bridgestone has divided its tire catalog into eight lineups or families. These include the Bridgestone Potenza, Alenza, Turanza, Dueler, Driveguard, Ecopia, Blizzak and WeatherPeak. Each of these families contain tires meant for different weather conditions.
Potenza
Bridgestone’s Potenza tires target sports cars and high-performance vehicles. Yet, every member of this lineup is different from the other, letting you pick a Potenza that best meets your requirements. Take the example of Potenza RE-71R, RE2 and RE80As to understand this point.
While the RE-71R is a premium extreme performance summer tire, the RE92 offers excellent dry performance on a budget. That isn’t the case with the RE 980AS. This tire strikes the perfect balance between dry and wet traction, though it could have fared better on the comfort department.
WeatherPeak
The WeatherPeak Tires are Bridgestone’s touring/all-season models. Reliable year-round performance, quiet and comfortable ride, responsive handling for a superior grip, and an astronomical asking price – every member of this family has these four qualities in abundance.
However, not every claim that Bridgestone makes about the WeatherPeak tires is true. For instance, we’re yet to see any genuine reason why this family contains the ‘next evolution of the all-season tire’. Plus, the 70,000-mile warranty could have been stretched to 80,000-mile given these tires prices.
Alenza
Bridgestone’s Alenza tires are grand-touring tires for summer and mild winter conditions. There are several members in this lineup, including the Alenza A/S, Alenza Sport, Alenza Plus, and Dueler HL Alenza, among others. All the tires are made for different driving styles.
For instance, if everyday driving is all you use your vehicle for, the Alenza A/S might be worth a shot. The Alenza Plus deserves your attention if you want sporty performance at a budget. Conversely, if you own a light truck or any other light-duty commercial vehicle, go for the Dueler H/L Alenza.
Turanza
The Bridgestone Turanza lineup has many things in common with the Alenza family. Members of both families offer an extremely comfortable ride in dry and wet road conditions. Both offer tires backed with extensive treadwear warranties, which in some cases exceed the 80,000-mile mark.
Yet, there is one thing that gives the Turanza an edge. Its tires are super-quiet on the road. Road growl is something that is alien to these tires. So, if you have a habit of driving with the windows rolled all the way down, the members of this family would see to it that you don’t need noise-canceling headphones.
Dueler
The Bridgestone Dueler family strikes the sweet spot between off-roading and refinement. On the one end, these tires have all the features required for a reliable off-roading experience. Examples include stiff sidewalls, puncture-resistant tread compounds and high-density sipes.
On the other end, these tires don’t sacrifice comfort at the altar of off-roading. Their flexible rubber compound makes sure that the road noise is kept at a minimum.
DriveGuard
Bridgestone DriveGuard is one of the brand’s and the market’s best run-flat tires. Don’t know what a run-flat tire is? As the name implies, these tires can be driven up to 100 miles even when they are punctured. That too without any danger of the tread or the inner rubber falling apart.
The DriveGuard Plus features various improvements over Bridgestone’s other run-flat tires. Bridgestone has reinforced its sidewalls to help them support the load even when they’re deflated. A unique cooling fin technology minimizes the risk of bust ups.
Ecopia
In every field of life, sustainability has become a buzzword of late. The tire industry isn’t any different, with many brands introducing tires that are deemed to weigh light on the environment. If Bridgestone is to be believed, the Ecopia family is also populated by eco-friendly tires.
Among the Ecopia family, the H/L 422 Plus is our favorite. And for plenty of good reasons. This tire boasts one of the highest fuel economies of any eco-friendly tire out there. At the same time, it is backed with an exceptional 70,000-mile treadlife warranty.
Blizzak
The Bridgestone Blizzak family is populated by tires designed for harsh wintry conditions. This family also boasts the Blizzak WS-80, one of the most popular snow tires on the market. The WS-80 offers such streamlined performance on snow that it’s our first pick for winter tires.
Another thing that distinguishes Blizzak tires is their availability. These tires come in all shapes and sizes, a quality that enables them to fit virtually every vehicle you see on the road.
Continental Vs Bridgestone Tires: Differences
Here are the major differences between Continental and Bridgestone tires:
Performance
Bridgestone tires are no match for their Continental counterparts in the performance department.
Take, once again, the example of the Premium Contact 6. We’re yet to see a tire from Bridgestone that could compete with the Premium Contact 6 in terms of steering response, high-speed stability, and dry/wet traction and grip.
Sure, this tire doesn’t come cheap, but that is the case with nine out of 10 HP and UHP tires. While there are brands like Toyo and Nitto to meet the demands of enthusiasts on a budget. But when it comes to extreme performance, tires from premium brands like Continental are born-winners.
Availability of Options
Here is one area where Continental lags behind Bridgestone.
Unlike Continental, which offers tires in four different categories, Bridgestone’s tire family consists of 8 different lineups. Every category from all-season to all-terrain and from winter to extreme summer performance is covered by Bridgestone.
Price and Warranty
There is no clear winner on the price and warranty fronts.
Start with the price. As you may have noted by now, Continental and Bridgestone tires aren’t for those with shallow pockets. Tires from both these brands have the potential to wipe out anyone’s savings.
The same goes for warranty. 70,000-mile is the average warranty you get on the all-season, touring and grand-touring tires on both these brands. Sure, warranties on sports and winter tires vary. But the variance isn’t enough to proclaim one a winner and the other a loser.
Advantages of Continental
- Offers better tires for sporty driving
- Backs its models with generous warranties
- Tires are available in a large number of sizes
Advantages of Bridgestone
- Offers tires in multiple categories
- Boasts some of the best winter tires on the market
- Provides eco-friendly tires on a budget
Continental Vs Bridgestone Tires: Which Brand to Choose?
Continental tires are a better option for sporty driving. These models are also a better choice for the race track as well as the street. However, if you live in an area which receives more than its fair share of snow, or you do regular off-roading, Bridgestone tires should be on top of your wish list.
FAQs
Continental vs Bridgestone Tires | Tire Hungry? ›
Continental Tires: Conclusion
In our 2021 best tires review, we ranked Continental tires seventh overall and gave it a 4.0 out of 5.0-star rating. Continental tires are an excellent option for all-season drivers and are notably safe in wet and dry conditions.
Continental Tires: Conclusion
In our 2021 best tires review, we ranked Continental tires seventh overall and gave it a 4.0 out of 5.0-star rating. Continental tires are an excellent option for all-season drivers and are notably safe in wet and dry conditions.
Wet Grip Performance: Continental uses a special rubber compound in its tires, designed primarily for use in wet weather. High-speed Stability: Its unique design and engineering reduce rolling friction and improve steering response. Savings on fuel consumption are estimated to be around 8%.
Which is better Michelin or Continental? ›Continental Truecontact is one of the market leaders in wet traction, while Michelin Defender tires are commendable on dry roads. They are both usable in light snow. They both have noise reduction ability, but TrueContact has a slight edge in overall comfort. Both brands are usable in light snow.
Are Continental tires a premium brand? ›Tire brands
Continental, our premium brand, enjoys a leading position in the original equipment and replacement business.
| Miles | Kilometers | |
|---|---|---|
| S & T Rated | 65000 | 105000 |
| H & V Rated | 50000 | 80000 |
| LT Sizes | 50000 | 80000 |
| CrossContact LX20 | 70000 | 112000 |
Continental AG, commonly known as Continental or colloquially as Conti, is a German multinational automotive parts manufacturing company specializing in tires, brake systems, interior electronics, automotive safety, powertrain and chassis components, tachographs, and other parts for the automotive and transportation ...
Are Continental and Michelin tires the same? ›The Michelin tire has H and V speed ratings, while the Continental tire is rated for T, H and V. While the French brand's tire is suitable for a wider range of cars, both brands offer an excellent model that performs well in summer and winter and delivers a safe ride on the road.
What is an alternative to Continental tires? ›- Continental.
- Valeo.
- Bosch.
- Michelin.
- Hyundai Mobis.
Nine decibels – that is how much our ContiSilent™ can reduce the sound of road noise inside your car. An inner tyre absorber, made of polyurethane foam, is attached to the inner surface of the tyre tread, to cushion the road.
Is Bridgestone better than Michelin? ›
Bridgestone and Michelin tires are the best of the best, and both are at the top regarding performance. The only noticeable difference between Michelin and Bridgestone cars is their performance on dry roads. Michelin tires are much more responsive and can give drivers sleeker handling when traversing dryer areas.
Are Continental tires good in snow? ›Continental all-season tires are designed to offer impressive grip on both summer and winter roads and good braking performance on dry and wet roads.
Which is better Yokohama or Continental? ›Using the 205/65/15 tyre size as a yardstick, however, Yokohama looks to be a lot more eco-oriented than Continental. With only two matches for cars in this tyre size, Yokohama has a slightly shorter range than Continental in this regard.
Are Continental tires made in China? ›Other Countries Where Continental Tyres Are Manufactured
The leading factories are in Germany, the United States, China and Brazil. However, Continental also has several smaller factories in other countries, including Brazil, India, Romania, Hungary and Poland.
Continental tires are expensive because of the amount of money and effort that goes into the research of their constituent materials. First, chemists find the ideal rubber compound for production.
How many miles do Bridgestone tires last? ›The average warranty that comes with new Bridgestone tires is 50,000 miles. However, some of its all-season and touring models come with longer 65,000-mile tread life warranties. For comparison, some other big-name brands include warranties of 70,000 miles or more.
How often should you replace Continental tires? ›Together with other members of the tire and automotive industries, Continental advises that all tires (including spare tires) made more than ten years ago should be removed from service and replaced with new tires.
How often do you have to rotate Continental tires? ›Unless otherwise specified by the vehicle manufacturer, rotate your tires every 6,000 to 8,000 miles (10,000-12,000 kilometers) or sooner if uneven tread wear begins to appear.
Who makes Bridgestone tires? ›BSA and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market Bridgestone, Firestone, and associate brand tires for consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries.
Is Continental Made in USA? ›Based in Fort Mill, S.C., Continental Tire the Americas, LLC manufactures and distributes a complete premium line of passenger, light truck and commercial tires for original equipment and replacement markets.
Where are Bridgestone tires made? ›
But where are Bridgestone tyres made? The Bridgestone tyres are primarily produced in the headquarters factory in Japan. But after a few years, the firm began to produce tyres in other countries including the United States, Belgium, Australia, Brazil, China, etc.
Are Continental tires German? ›Since its foundation, the Germany-based company Continental has continued to grow - and so has the Business Unit Commercial Vehicle Tires. Foundation of the Continental–Caoutchouc & Gutta-Percha-Compagnie.
What rank is Michelin tires? ›“We aim to create the best experience for all types of drivers, so it's exciting and humbling for Michelin to earn our 98th and 99th J.D. Power Award for customer satisfaction in the tire category,” said Katelyn Berry, vice president of marketing for Michelin North America, Inc.'s business to consumer products.
Are Continental tires all season? ›A tire for all seasons, Continental's all-season range makes no compromise in milder parts of the world. Rather it combines the best of both summer and winter tires for the perfect all-rounder. In some countries, winter means freezing cold temperatures, heavy snow and icicles on every ledge.
Are Continental tires top of the line? ›Continental tires regularly score top ratings in independent tests all over the world; confirmed quality for a safe driving experience in all conditions.
Who are Continental competitors? ›Continental main competitors are Transprint USA, Bridgestone, and The Montague Company. Competitor Summary. See how Continental compares to its main competitors: Bridgestone has the most employees (143,616).
Are Continental tyres hard wearing? ›Yes. The hard-wearing Continental Urban and Touring tyres are equipped with features that make them a perfect all-round option for both the demands of daily commuting and multi-day tours. The highly durable compounds combine with exceptional puncture protection and comfort to deliver a safe and smooth ride.
Which tires are the noisiest? ›Heavy-duty tires designed to carry big loads may produce more noise. Traction tires that have more space between the lugs that help with off-road traction are noisier. Tires that are getting to the end of their tread life may be louder since there's less rubber between the steel belts inside and the road.
What tires have the least road noise? ›- Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack. ...
- Continental PureContact LS. ...
- Michelin CrossClimate 2. ...
- Michelin Premier LTX. ...
- Michelin Defender LTX M/S. ...
- Continental TerrainContact H/T. ...
- Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015. ...
- Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus.
Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack
Take on the road with a quiet, comfortable ride with the Turanza QuietTrack touring tire. These impressive all-season tires deliver control in wet and snowy conditions and are built to last for up to 80,000 miles*.
Is Bridgestone a premium brand? ›
At National, we stock premium tyres from the following premium tyre manufacturers: Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Goodyear, Michelin and Pirelli.
Is Bridgestone a premium tire? ›According to customers, Michelin is considered a premium tire brand, where Bridgestone is “high-end” but not often called premium. So, we've taken a touring tire for Bridgestone vs Michelin performance tires to see how their comfort level compares when we get to that category.
Are Continental tires good in rain? ›These tires have been great. Very good in rain and snow, no issue with excessive road noise and they have lasted longer than I ever expected.
Are Continental tires good for sports cars? ›Continental UHP tires are specially designed for high performance cars. They deliver exceptional handling and precise cornering for drivers who need uncompromising levels of safety with shorter braking distances on wet and dry roads.
Which is better Continental or General tires? ›In this comparison, we are comparing a tyre from a manufacturer from Germany (Continental) against a tyre from a manufacturer from Pakistan (General). General is a brand that belongs to the Continental group. Generally, Continental summer tyres are slightly better rated (85%) than General (62%).
Which tyre is best Bridgestone or Yokohama? ›Traction Comparison Of Bridgestone and Yokohama
Bridgestone tyres are designed to provide good traction in both wet and dry conditions, giving you better control over your vehicle in all weather conditions. Yokohama tires offer good grip in all but the most challenging driving scenarios.
We rate Yokohama tires 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. We like the company's wide tire variety and steps toward sustainability. Many Yokohama models are well priced, though tread life warranties are relatively standard and Yokohama customer reviews aren't as high as other providers we've reviewed.
What type of tires is best in rain and snow? ›- Continental PureContact LS. ...
- Michelin CrossClimate 2. ...
- Continental CrossContact LX25. ...
- Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus. ...
- Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4. ...
- Continental ExtremeContact Sport. ...
- Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) ...
- Bridgestone Blizzak WS90. Best Winter Tires for Rain.
| Product | |
|---|---|
| Best all-season tires overall | Michelin CrossClimate2 |
| Best all-season tires overall runner-up | Continental PureContact LS |
| Best all-season tires if money is no object | Michelin Primacy Tour A/S |
| Best all-season tires for the money | Yokohama Avid Ascend GT |
If you drive somewhere that rarely gets hit with snow or ice, all-weather tires should be just fine. But if snow, ice, and freezing temperatures are a common occurrence, it's best to invest in a reliable set of winter tires.
Are Michelin tires made in China? ›
Are Any Michelin Tires Made in China? Yes. The Michelin Group has a large presence in China that began in 1989. The company's Chinese manufacturing facilities are in Shenyang and Shanghai provinces.
How can you tell if a Continental tire is real? ›Continental offers an extensive range of original equipment tires. OE keys on the sidewalls show which brand and model an OE tires has been made for. But even if no marking is visible, you can be reassured that the tires is particularly manufactured for the specific car brand.
What nationality is Continental tires? ›Continental has a history of success going all the way back to 1871, when the company was first established in Hanover, Germany. Wherever people strive to turn their ideas of mobility into reality, we're ready to support them.
Are Continental tires run flat? ›EVERY TIRE IS THE SAME.
That's why we at Continental came up with the self supporting runflat technology that makes sure you reach your destination, no matter what obstacles life throws in your way. With a normal tire, you could break down on the side of the road on the way to an important event.
General is a brand that belongs to the Continental group. Generally, Continental summer tyres are slightly better rated (85%) than General (62%). In this particular case, the Continental PremiumContact 6 has a better rating of 90% compared to 75% of the General Tire Grabber GT.
Are Continental tires good in the snow? ›Continental all-season tires are designed to offer impressive grip on both summer and winter roads and good braking performance on dry and wet roads.
Who are competitors of Continental tires? ›Continental's competitors and similar companies include Valeo, Bosch, Michelin and Exxelia.
Which tires matter the most? ›Rear tires provide the vehicle stability, and if they have little tread, then stability is lost. Although new front tires will spread water and maintain traction, worn tires in the back will hydroplane and may cause the vehicle to spin out, says Tire Review.
What is better than all-season tires? ›Winter tires (also called snow tires) provide better traction in snow, on ice and in cold temperatures than either all-season or summer tires.
Are Continental tires all weather? ›Continental all-season tires blend the technologies of summer and winter tires into all-season tires that give superb performance in all but the most extreme weather conditions.
What tires work best in snow? ›
Studded tires provide the best traction you can get, even when you're encountering ice or packed snow. Studs are lightweight, small metal spikes that are staggered across the tread. They help break through packed snow and ice-covered roads to give you better traction.
Who is Bridgestone competitor? ›Bridgestone's competitors and similar companies include Continental, Trelleborg, Michelin and JTD Stamping. Bridgestone (株式会社ブリヂストン) is a company that specializes in auto and truck parts manufacturing. Continental is a company that specializes in the manufacturing of automotive parts and systems.
Are Continental tires made in America? ›Based in Fort Mill, S.C., Continental Tire the Americas, LLC manufactures and distributes a complete premium line of passenger, light truck and commercial tires for original equipment and replacement markets.