Bridgestone Vs Michelin: Which Is The Winner?

For a long time, car owners and drivers are incredibly in love with Michelin and Bridgestone tires.

Around the world, these two time-tested and reputable tire brands have been around for decades. They have a lot of points to prove to their veteran and new customers and auto enthusiasts.

Tires from these brands boast great noise cancellation, short stopping distance, as well as all-season and all-weather features.

With Michelin and Bridgestone tires on your vehicle, there’s absolute traction, grip, quality handling, and driveability. But what each brand brings to the table differs.

It might be difficult to choose the better out of the tire brands, given their rating.

Whereas Bridgestone offers quiet and comfortable driving; Michelin is popular for its eco-friendly property. Plus, it has longer tread life. That’s not all. Get along with me for a deeper insight.

Incidentally, I have practical experience using tires from both manufacturers. In this article, I will take you through all you need to learn about Bridgestone vs Michelin. Let’s find out.

Bridgestone Tires

Bridgestone Tires is a Japanese-based brand established in 1931 as a worldwide reputable and quality-driven tire-producing company. The brand has become popular and renowned for its excellence in tire production.

Also, they produce different kinds of automobiles to suit various driving needs. Meanwhile, they deliver quality despite the expensive prices and ensure that customer service is top-notch.

The brand uses great Nanopro Technology to increase the lifespan of its tires. Hence, they are reliable for giving their customers a safe driving experience.

Michelin Tires

Michelin Tires has been in existence for over 125 years and yet they’re still maintaining quality in production and customer service. This France-based brand manufactures high-end excellent tires and has continued to improve over the years.

They use an Evertread silica compound which increases the drive span of their tires while making them strong and long-lasting. Also, their main goal is to ensure premium safety all season long for their customers while maintaining their reputation.

Category Of Bridgestone And Michelin Tires

These two excellent companies manufacture various types of tires to suit different car types and driving purposes. Hence, this is the reason they’re fully and widely accepted in the marketplace. The list of categories of tires that Bridgestone and Michelin produce includes:

• All Season Tires
• Summer Tires
• Winter Tires
• Performance Tires
• Run Flat Tires
• Light Truck Tires.

The special tire categories from Michelin are:

• Passenger Tires
• Summer Tires
• Winter Tires

Bridgestone Vs Michelin: A Comprehensive Guide

It is difficult to agree which of these two reputable and quality-oriented companies is great. But, I’ll try to compare based on several quality features of the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 and Michelin Defender LTX M/S. Let’s take a look.

Braking Ability

This solely depends on the symmetric tread pattern merging the indecent center notch blocks of the Ecopia 422. Also, these elements combine to make it easy to drive and to achieve smooth and stable light braking driving.

Whereas, braking ability is almost the same in Michelin Defender LTX M/S and the Bridgestone Ecopia. But, hey, the Defender has a better braking capacity than the Ecopia 422.

Dry Weather Handling

A notch outboard shoulder tire is what you need to achieve a stable and smooth drive on the waterless ground.

This implies that the blocks assist you in staying balanced while driving using minimal effort while taking quick corners driving.

Thus, the Bridgestone Ecopia 422 plus possesses a great notch shoulder to make driving stable and smooth for you.

Meanwhile, the Michelin Defender LTX M/S uses an IntelliSipe Compound which ensures that all forms of driving on arid surfaces are exceptionally good.

However, the Michelin Defender’s performance outweighs that of the Bridgestone Ecopia in this characteristic feature comparison.

This is due to the high-end IntelliSipe compound that it possesses. Also, this silica compound in Michelin ensures that it’s soft while simultaneously strong and fast for driving.

Winter Performance

This Bridgestone Ecopia 422 plus tire type is created with an all-weather condition compound using a specialized NanoPro Technology.

Thus, this helps to increase the tire’s road grip in the winter and minimizes rolling resistance. Also, the Michelin Defender possesses this feature too but has slightly low performance in the winter and snowy weather conditions.

Wet Road Driving

Bridgestone Ecopia 422 Plus is suitable for wet driving as it contains hydroplaning resistance and has more accurate road-gripping capabilities.

But, Bridgestone Ecopia driving is not very enjoyable during heavy rainfall. Michelin Defender LTX M/S also has hydroplaning resistance that is exceptionally excellent and beats Bridgestone to an extent.

This is to say that the grip is great even after 20k miles. Also, defender driving is great both in light and heavy rain, unlike Bridgestone.

Tread Life

Bridgestone Ecopia 422 plus is manufactured using eco-friendly accentuates making them more long-lasting and excellent than ordinary tires. Also, they consume less fuel with high driving quality.

Meanwhile, Michelin defender LTX M/S uses Ever tread silica compound that minimizes fuel consumption nicely and lasts efficiently for a longer period. Also, their designs make them strong and thus elongate their life span.

Warranty

Bridgestone provides its customers with awesome warranty policies. Therefore, they give you a 5-year or 70k mile limited drive life warranty.

And they provide a 30-day Free trial for almost all the products they manufacture. However, Michelin Defender provides a 6-year or 70k mile limited warranty.

Also, they give you the choice of 3 years of changing service and a 30-day product return guarantee if you’re not happy with your purchase.

Pricing

Both tires are expensive because top-notch quality materials were put in to bring them to existence. Also, you’ll enjoy the value of your purchase compared to when you obtain other cheap tires.

Thus, the cost of obtaining the Bridgestone Ecopia 422 Plus ranges from $150-$200 depending on where you make your purchase.

Having said that, the cost of Michelin Defender LTX M/S ranges from $150-$225 based on where you purchase it from. Therefore, Michelin tires are relatively more expensive than Bridgestone.

Sales Output Per Year

Perhaps, sales ranking should relatively put paid to the argument for those who care about statistics. In 2019, Bridgestone had higher sales than its counterpart Michelin.

While the Japanese tire manufacturer sold tires worth $24.05 billion, Michelin relatively lower sold-out tires worth $22.13 billion.

Target Customer

This sounds weird, right? It doesn’t and shouldn’t, trust me. Michelin and Bridgestone have their target markets and customer types that they focus on.

While Michelin services its immediate French market, Bridgestone has its largest market sale in Japan. Yet, both have massive acceptance in the global auto market.

Comparison Chart Summary

Except for the year of establishment, other items on this comparison table aren’t cast in stone.

There are occasions when the odds against one brand can favor it at other times, depending on the products it produces. As a result, a product-based comparison will be better than a blanket brand-based contrast.

	Bridgestone	Michelin
Year established	1931	1889
Presence	Over 24 countries	Over 18 countries
Number of production facilities	181	69
Ranking	Ranks highest	Ranks second to Bridgestone
Surface Application	The solid guy on track, highways, and street, highway	Perfect for on/off-road applications
Fuel economy	Products are not fuel-economical	Increases fuel efficiency
Price	Relatively pricey	Highly pricey
Activity under pressure	Works fairly with puncture	Works excellently when  punctured
Traction and handling	Perfect traction	Excellent traction and control
Top speed	Most products are designed to handle  top speed	Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires are not designed to handle top speed
Sale starts	Higher sales in 2019	Sold less number in 2019

 

Similarities Between Bridgestone And Michelin Tires

Bridgestone and Michelin tires do have a lot of things in common despite the fact Michelin tires are slightly the more expensive of the two. Also, they’re both of the best, unbeatable, and safest tire-producing companies worldwide.

Size Range

Michelin and Bridgestone tires come in a wide range of sizes. A few all-size-fits-all tires can surface sometimes.

The demand for vehicle-targeted tires makes it possible for tire manufacturers to come up with a wide range of tire sizes.

Hence, regardless of the size of your vehicle, you will always have something that will meet your needs from either Michelin or Bridgestone.

Investment In R&D

Both tire brands go into deep research to better the quality of their products and to also enhance their customer experience. They invest a lot of funds in Research and Development.

This is why some of their current generations of products are sought-after and popular among auto enthusiasts. They seek to retain the conventional technology and extrusion models.

Yet, both Michelin and Bridgestone focus on modern, state-of-the-art run-flat tire innovations that give their tires an edge in the industry.

Durability And Longevity

The truth is that both Michelin and Bridgestone can hold out against any weather or terrain. Keep in mind that the durability level of tires from these brands may differ.

The difference depends on the product type and what it’s intended for. They both produce all-season, all-weather, all-terrain, all-size, and car-specific tires. Your preference will also matter.

Overall, the two tire producers also ensure they give reliable and long-lasting tires to their teeming customers. They focus on tires that won’t chicken out in the face of difficult terrain or harsh weather conditions.

Run-Flat Capacity

The capacity to withstand puncture is a defining feature of tires from Michelin and Bridgestone. The run-flat technology allows drivers to continue driving safely even when their tires have suffered punctures.

Only top-quality tire brands integrate this innovation into their tires. Drivers on Michelin tires can drive for as long as 50 miles after suffering tire air loss or puncture.

Bridgestone can go more, even up to 60miles at 60 miles per hour. This is not what you can get in many of the brands out there.

Grip And Traction

Bridgestone and Michelin manufacture tires that are strong and reliable, last longer, and grip the road very well while giving comfort.

You quality handling when driving and without a set of solid tires, this may not be possible. Michelin and Bridgestone tires come in handy to experience that short stopping distance when you step on your brake pad.

Fuel Consumption

As you’ll come to learn when you install Michelin or Bridgestone, your fuel efficiency increases significantly. Tires from these brands help to save fuel consumption in the vehicle and minimize air and noise pollution.

Bridgestone Vs Michelin: Which Is Better?

Perhaps, I should make it clear from the outset. You won’t get any definite answer if you’re looking for whether Michelin is better than Bridgestone or vice versa.

There are variables out there to consider. But what is true is that there is no doubt that you’ll win if you pick either of these two reputable tire brands.

What it implies is that by history and everything that encompasses both companies, you’ll get value for your money. Left to me, I’d rather you asked, ‘what best OEM tires are suitable for my vehicle?

Nonetheless, there are areas I can say, without prejudice, that one brand has an edge over another. For instance, Bridgestone tires are more suitable for everyday driving, unlike Michelin.

But to make it easier for you to decide on the one to go for, choose Bridgestone tire if you want a tire that minimizes fuel consumption. Also, opt for it if you prefer quality over designs.

However, choose the Michelin tires if you want a top-notch quality tire that boasts great energy. Other features that endear Michelin tires to my car include longevity and durability.

The tires will work well on wet grounds while flaunting amazing capacity to hold out against the shenanigans of wintry terrain.

What Is The Best Bridgestone Tire?

Bridgestone 205/60RF16

The 205/60RF16 model comes as a top-quality tire set from Bridgestone for several reasons. Known for its quality performance, this tire uses NanoPro Technology to reinforce a smooth driving experience.

The Bridgestone 205/60RF16 is an all-season tire that has a symmetrical pattern. This allows fast driving and good physical construction that elongates its lifespan.

Plus, the tire supports you to drive up to 50 miles at 50 miles per hour even after its air pressure has escaped. With a punctured Bridgestone 205/60RF16, you will get to your destination safely.

Yet, you won’t experience serious damage to any component in your car’s wheel compartment.

Specifications

• Size: 205/60RF16
• Rim width: 6 inches
• Section with: 205 mm
• Load Capacity: 3062.2 pounds
• Tread depth: 12 32ndi
• Item dimensions L×W×H: 25.7×8.2×25.7 inches
• Item weight: 29.8 pounds

Pros

• Low pressure
• Has NanoPro Tech for better tread life
• Quiet and comfortable
• Suitable for all-season driving

Cons

• Noise increases after a while
• Can become rigid with time

What Is The Best Michelin Tire?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S 245/65R17 107T

The LTX M/S 245/65R17 107T tire ticks all the boxes to come ahead of all other Michelin tires. This near all-season tire is suitable for all your driving needs.

It boasts incredible asymmetrical pattern construction that makes it perfect for sport quality fast driving.

What’s more, this tire is an all-season, all-weather tire that focuses on providing safety for a long time.

Whether you drive in snow, ice, winter, or summer, you can rest assured of safe driving and arrival Also, it comes with an Evertread silica compound that reinforces its long-lasting tread life.

Specification

• Size: 245/65R17 107T
• Rim width: 8.5 inches
• Section width: 245 mm
• Load capacity: 2150 pounds
• Tread depth: 12 32nds
• Item dimension: 29.5×9.65×29.5 inches
• Item weight: 33.8 pounds

Pros

• Best for wet ground driving
• Eco friendly and saves fuel
• Long-lasting
• 70k miles limited warranty

Cons

• Can be slightly noisy
• Not eligible for winter and snowy weather conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bridgestone And Michelin Tires

Is Michelin Brand Bigger Than Bridgestone?

The truth is that the two brands are the world’s most gigantic tire-producing companies. Thus, there is no conclusion as to which is the bigger of the two.

Nevertheless, if you’re choosing a specific product from the manufacturers, you can make a judgment based on your experience.

Why Are Michelin Tires More Expensive Than Bridgestone?

Michelin offers relatively pricey tires because it uses recent technology to develop its tire products. Besides, the tires from Michelin offer exceptional quality.

They are long-lasting and have a high ranking in the industry. In addition, Michelin tires are generally considered luxurious tire brands.

Who Owns Bridgestone And Michelin Tires?

Bridge Stone Tires is owned by a Japanese named Shojiro Ishibashi and was founded in 1931. On the other side of the coin, Michelin is owned by a French investor and it’s headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

The subsidiaries of Michelin include ViaMichelin, TCi Tire Centers, BFGoodrich, and ATS Euromaster.

Final Verdict

Choosing the best between Bridgestone and Michelin is a daunting task. This is because both brands have a similar focus, goals, objectives, and top-notch quality.

Don’t take my word for it. Even if you don’t have money, you can test run a friend’s car that’s installed with Bridgestone or Michelin tires. From there, you can make your judgment.

In the end, you need a tire that offers quality traction, grip, handling, and great control. Michelin vs Bridgestone is the right pick on the market. Like I always advise, never compromise your safety.

Other road users deserve the same protection. When everyone is on the side of caution and responsible, we can all collectively reduce auto crashes.

I’m sure you can make a pick depending on your own choice from the above information. Thus, I believe you fully understand everything that is in this article.

If you have any questions regarding Bridgestone and Michelin Tires, then do leave them in the comments section below. Drive safely!