New Blizzak DM-V3 Studless Winter Tire

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According to Russian online magazines, Bridgestone is introducing the DM-V3 to the Japan market in August of this year. No mention was made of it appearing, or not appearing, in the North American market in 2020. I think the DM-V2 appeared in North America around 2014.

Some photos here:
http://colesa.ru/news/61195

Quote
...[the tire] is made of rubber compound Active Foam Rubber 2, containing micro bubbles, eliminating a film of water from the surface of the ice, increasing the level of adhesion. Compared to the previous model, the braking efficiency on an icy surface has increased by 9%.....The surface of the tire has a microtexture with irregularities, which is designed to provide optimal grip on the icy surface from the very beginning of operation......The new pattern is characterized by triangular blocks in the central part and wide diagonal grooves located at different angles. Bridgestone says that this configuration has increased traction on snow and ice.....


https://shina.guide/press/20082/

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Quote
..The new product line of winter studless tires Bridgestone Blizzak in comparison with the second generation tires has improved performance properties. It uses the patented technology of the manufacturer Active Foam Rubber 2, successfully used in passenger tires Blizzak VRX2 .........Developers [claim} 25 percent improvement in wear resistance of Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V3 tires with the use of Active Foam Rubber 2 rubber compound...
 
Whats next a racing slick made out of "foam rubber" for ice.

Not real happy with how full the tread block is.. yes better on ice rink testing.. but without voids I wonder how the deep snow traction is as well as how directionally stable it can be.

I feel my ws-70 were better in turns/sideways traction than the ws-80 and DM-V2.
 
Originally Posted by Rand
...Not real happy with how full the tread block is.. yes better on ice rink testing.. but without voids I wonder how the deep snow traction is as well as how directionally stable it can be.


It will have better traction on snow and wet pavement than the DM-V2, claims Bridgestone

Quote
...The new pattern is characterized by triangular blocks in the central part and wide diagonal grooves located at different angles. Bridgestone says that this configuration has increased traction on snow and ice....

...in comparison with the previous model, the number of straight longitudinal grooves was increased from two to four, which, in combination with the increased tread rigidity, improved the driving performance on wet surfaces. In particular, the braking efficiency increased by 6% compared with the previous model...
 
Originally Posted by SubLGT
Originally Posted by Rand
...Not real happy with how full the tread block is.. yes better on ice rink testing.. but without voids I wonder how the deep snow traction is as well as how directionally stable it can be.


It will have better traction on snow and wet pavement than the DM-V2, claims Bridgestone

Quote
...The new pattern is characterized by triangular blocks in the central part and wide diagonal grooves located at different angles. Bridgestone says that this configuration has increased traction on snow and ice....

...in comparison with the previous model, the number of straight longitudinal grooves was increased from two to four, which, in combination with the increased tread rigidity, improved the driving performance on wet surfaces. In particular, the braking efficiency increased by 6% compared with the previous model...


Not disagreeing with anything you said(or they said)

I'm concerned about the lack of tread void for slush planing performance, deep snow performance, and lateral traction. The tire will perform better on packed snow and ice no doubt.


Also without a doubt my dm-v2 once they break free they keep sliding much more than earlier models
 
Originally Posted by Rand
Whats next a racing slick made out of "foam rubber" for ice.

Not real happy with how full the tread block is.. yes better on ice rink testing.. but without voids I wonder how the deep snow traction is as well as how directionally stable it can be.

I feel my ws-70 were better in turns/sideways traction than the ws-80 and DM-V2.

I had DM-V2. Overall good tire, but had nasty behavior during cornering in slick (ice). Michelin XI2 I had after on same vehicle was much better tire.
And of course, that excessive weight for no good reason.
 
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The DM-V2's were actually designed for light pick up trucks, half ton/1500's and full SUV's like Tahoe's ect. Many that complain about them have installed them on smaller Mid size vehicles with larger size tires, Mid size SUV's, CUV's. The side walls are fairly firm! They are too firm for many lighter vehicles that they are installed on. The DM-V2's have never had a great reputation for lateral traction because of the side wall stiffness.

I have them on my Tribeca in the winter, 255/55/18, the Tribeca is the heaviest Subaru with a large 3.6L 256HP engine. I have put it thru the paces, messed around in vacant ice frozen big parking lots, and here in this part of N. Idaho we have some pretty nasty blizzards! If you know how to drive in these conditions, they are very impressive tires! If you don't know how to drive in these conditions, no tire is going to save you or be any more friendly. You must do your part, to many people want to blame the tire when the fact is, they made the mistake that caused the problem, but they expected the tire to save them.

I have WS90's on my Chevy K3500, they are equally as impressive.
 
Originally Posted by KneeGrinder
The DM-V2's were actually designed for light pick up trucks, half ton/1500's and full SUV's like Tahoe's ect. Many that complain about them have installed them on smaller Mid size vehicles with larger size tires, Mid size SUV's, CUV's. The side walls are fairly firm! They are too firm for many lighter vehicles that they are installed on. The DM-V2's have never had a great reputation for lateral traction because of the side wall stiffness.

I have them on my Tribeca in the winter, 255/55/18, the Tribeca is the heaviest Subaru with a large 3.6L 256HP engine. I have put it thru the paces, messed around in vacant ice frozen big parking lots, and here in this part of N. Idaho we have some pretty nasty blizzards! If you know how to drive in these conditions, they are very impressive tires! If you don't know how to drive in these conditions, no tire is going to save you or be any more friendly. You must do your part, to many people want to blame the tire when the fact is, they made the mistake that caused the problem, but they expected the tire to save them.

I have WS90's on my Chevy K3500, they are equally as impressive.

Bridgestone will pack 2-4lbs per tire more than competitions. That is weight I am talking about.
Tire manufacturers, especially top tier like Bridgestone, will built tires in according to size they are making and that size is made for certain vehicles.
DM-V2 has same generation of compound as WS80. WS80 is knowns as problematic in lateral handling in ice and similar surface.
As for which SUV I had them on? BMW X5 35d which packed close to 1,000lbs more than Tribeca. Also, BMW that generation (E70) has by far best steering of all SUV's so it is very easy to notice when tires create issues as feedback from steering is simply astounding. Regardless, Michelin Xi2 proved MUCH better on same vehicle except that I would give small advantage to DM-V2 in deep snow and slush.
 
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I had the DM-V2 on my 02 Envoy, 4720 lbs without driver...they performed amazingly well especially braking on packed snow-ice. Tire size is 245/65/17.

As far as cornering....I agree the lateral grip while superior to an All-Season, is one area I wanted to be improved, but just had to get used to it. The side grip was good, but the snow and ice traction going forward and braking was phenomenal, it was the transition to a corner where you went from all the forward and braking traction in the world, to average sideways grip. You get all this confidence going forward, and expect the same in turns.
 
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Originally Posted by i6pwr
I had the DM-V2 on my 02 Envoy, 4720 lbs without driver...they performed amazingly well especially braking on packed snow-ice. Tire size is 245/65/17.

As far as cornering....I agree the lateral grip while superior to an All-Season, is one area I wanted to be improved, but just had to get used to it. The side grip was good, but the snow and ice traction going forward and braking was phenomenal, it was the transition to a corner where you went from all the forward and braking traction in the world, to average sideways grip. You get all this confidence going forward, and expect the same in turns.

DM-V2 would not be first tire that did not do good in lateral grip. The problem was that it was not progressive loss of traction. If you push any tire, it will eventually break loose. But, there is progressive loss of traction, so one can correct it. DM-V2 are holding, and then suddenly out of nowhere they break loose.
I think that DM-V3 as well as WS90 replacing WS80, are replacing previous tires so soon due to that reason, among others (not very good longevity).
 
Originally Posted by KneeGrinder
The DM-V2's were actually designed for light pick up trucks, half ton/1500's and full SUV's like Tahoe's ect. Many that complain about them have installed them on smaller Mid size vehicles with larger size tires, Mid size SUV's, CUV's. The side walls are fairly firm! They are too firm for many lighter vehicles that they are installed on. The DM-V2's have never had a great reputation for lateral traction because of the side wall stiffness.

I have them on my Tribeca in the winter, 255/55/18, the Tribeca is the heaviest Subaru with a large 3.6L 256HP engine. I have put it thru the paces, messed around in vacant ice frozen big parking lots, and here in this part of N. Idaho we have some pretty nasty blizzards! If you know how to drive in these conditions, they are very impressive tires! If you don't know how to drive in these conditions, no tire is going to save you or be any more friendly. You must do your part, to many people want to blame the tire when the fact is, they made the mistake that caused the problem, but they expected the tire to save them.

I have WS90's on my Chevy K3500, they are equally as impressive.


Since both my jeep and edvw's vehicle are the same or heavier than your tribeca I think you are barking up the wrong tree with your theory.

I've used over 20 models of winter tires.. and I will say again the dm-v2 have substandard lateral traction and abrupt breakaway/(not progressive)

I've owned 2 sets. I wonder what other winter tires you have personally owned to compare these to.. if you think these are the best ever.
They do have impressive straight line traction. And good deep snow traction, and are fairly amazing braking on ice to a stop(as at a traffic light or stop sign)

but they are deficient while cornering.. because they are so great in straight-line traction their average to below average lateral traction with instant loss of grip are not desiriable characteristics.

My conti EWC and blizzak ws-70 had a much more progressive cornering feel and would regain/maintain lateral traction superior to the ws-80 and dm-v2 all of which I used for multiple winters.

yes the first 2 had worse straight line traction and braking but all around performance good and predictable in all conditions.

P.S. we get nasty weather here too, lake effect snow is no joke.
 
Originally Posted by SubLGT
Some more info and photos and graphs from Bridgestone in Japan:

https://www.bridgestone.co.jp/corporate/news/2019070901.html

No mention is made of improvements in lateral traction on ice. Improvements over the DM-V2 seem to be primarily in the areas of snow traction, wet braking, ice braking, and durability.

Bridgestone never acknowledge that. Numerous tests confirmed that though. I think they are just quietly switching models and everyone will forget about it.
 
Hi, I hope this doesn't feel like hijacking the original post. I'm trying to decide between the DM-V2 and the new WS90 for my 2016 Nissan Rogue AWD. According to Wikipedia, the weight of the vehicle is 3,529 lb (1,601 kg). I don't know if this qualifies as heavy or not. Should I go for the old DM-V2 or the new WS90? I've heard so many conflicting opinions from people who sell the tires and not actual users, that I don't know what to think. I even called Bridgestone to ask, the guy said "some people use DM-V2 and others use WS90 because at that tire size (225/65/17) the tires overlap". So he couldn't even guide me one way or another. If the manufacturer doesn't know, how am I supposed to know? Anyway, any tips will be appreciated.
 
Originally Posted by hp9000
Hi, I hope this doesn't feel like hijacking the original post. I'm trying to decide between the DM-V2 and the new WS90 for my 2016 Nissan Rogue AWD. According to Wikipedia, the weight of the vehicle is 3,529 lb (1,601 kg). I don't know if this qualifies as heavy or not. Should I go for the old DM-V2 or the new WS90? I've heard so many conflicting opinions from people who sell the tires and not actual users, that I don't know what to think. I even called Bridgestone to ask, the guy said "some people use DM-V2 and others use WS90 because at that tire size (225/65/17) the tires overlap". So he couldn't even guide me one way or another. If the manufacturer doesn't know, how am I supposed to know? Anyway, any tips will be appreciated.

Use WS90.
Though I would use Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2.
 
Originally Posted by hp9000
Hi, I hope this doesn't feel like hijacking the original post. I'm trying to decide between the DM-V2 and the new WS90 for my 2016 Nissan Rogue AWD. According to Wikipedia, the weight of the vehicle is 3,529 lb (1,601 kg). I don't know if this qualifies as heavy or not. Should I go for the old DM-V2 or the new WS90? I've heard so many conflicting opinions from people who sell the tires and not actual users, that I don't know what to think. I even called Bridgestone to ask, the guy said "some people use DM-V2 and others use WS90 because at that tire size (225/65/17) the tires overlap". So he couldn't even guide me one way or another. If the manufacturer doesn't know, how am I supposed to know? Anyway, any tips will be appreciated.


How can the bridgestone guy know that other people use the WS-90 as it is new for this season, and I doubt people have gone out about bought them and used them in the winter, unless it's already used in the Southern Hemisphere.

3500 lbs is pretty heavy on a small-ish car... but, both would have the same load rating.... but do you want to spend about $80 more per tire for the latest in Bridgestone Blizzak technology? Does the DM-series have more plies in its construction than the WS?
 
Originally Posted by UG_Passat
Originally Posted by hp9000
Hi, I hope this doesn't feel like hijacking the original post. I'm trying to decide between the DM-V2 and the new WS90 for my 2016 Nissan Rogue AWD. According to Wikipedia, the weight of the vehicle is 3,529 lb (1,601 kg). I don't know if this qualifies as heavy or not. Should I go for the old DM-V2 or the new WS90? I've heard so many conflicting opinions from people who sell the tires and not actual users, that I don't know what to think. I even called Bridgestone to ask, the guy said "some people use DM-V2 and others use WS90 because at that tire size (225/65/17) the tires overlap". So he couldn't even guide me one way or another. If the manufacturer doesn't know, how am I supposed to know? Anyway, any tips will be appreciated.


How can the bridgestone guy know that other people use the WS-90 as it is new for this season, and I doubt people have gone out about bought them and used them in the winter, unless it's already used in the Southern Hemisphere.

3500 lbs is pretty heavy on a small-ish car... but, both would have the same load rating.... but do you want to spend about $80 more per tire for the latest in Bridgestone Blizzak technology? Does the DM-series have more plies in its construction than the WS?

I would. DM-V2 IMO are borderline dangerous in lateral handling on ice.
 
They are both the exact same price. Both tires have the same load index (102) which translates to around 1800 lb per tire from what I read somewhere. That's almost the weight of the vehicle, and I don't know much about these things but I feel like the weight is distributed among the 4 tires, so there should be plenty of strength per tire. Anyway, that's beside the point. Bottom line, would you recommend the WS90 over the DM-V2 given that they cost the same? I guess what I'm asking is, what makes the DM-V2 different from the WSxx and better suited for a SUV like mine?
 
Originally Posted by hp9000
They are both the exact same price. Both tires have the same load index (102) which translates to around 1800 lb per tire from what I read somewhere. That's almost the weight of the vehicle, and I don't know much about these things but I feel like the weight is distributed among the 4 tires, so there should be plenty of strength per tire. Anyway, that's beside the point. Bottom line, would you recommend the WS90 over the DM-V2 given that they cost the same? I guess what I'm asking is, what makes the DM-V2 different from the WSxx and better suited for a SUV like mine?

WS90 is tire that is introduced as response to some issues WS80 and DM-V2 generation had around ice performance.
So it is not design per se, as completely new compound, which is most important factor.
 
Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by hp9000
They are both the exact same price. Both tires have the same load index (102) which translates to around 1800 lb per tire from what I read somewhere. That's almost the weight of the vehicle, and I don't know much about these things but I feel like the weight is distributed among the 4 tires, so there should be plenty of strength per tire. Anyway, that's beside the point. Bottom line, would you recommend the WS90 over the DM-V2 given that they cost the same? I guess what I'm asking is, what makes the DM-V2 different from the WSxx and better suited for a SUV like mine?

WS90 is tire that is introduced as response to some issues WS80 and DM-V2 generation had around ice performance.
So it is not design per se, as completely new compound, which is most important factor.


But can the WS90 be used on an SUV (Nissan Rogue) or is it only intended for cars? There's no DM-V3 available that I'm aware. And I know that people have used the WS80 on SUVs.
 
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