Cooper Discoverer True North vs Bridgestone Blizzak WS90: Both Cooper Discoverer True North and the Bridestone Blizzak WS90 are winter touring tires, designed for the harsh winter season when the roads are snowy and icy. They provide great performance by dealing with unpredictable winter conditions.
Cooper Discoverer True North has a better dry and wet grip due to larger contact patch and high density siping respectively. It is also better in wet and ice road handling due to more siping within its shoulder blocks. It is more polite as it has a low void ratio and also contains noise dampening structures in its tread.
Examine the treads on these tires closely. They hold the key to knowing which to choose. In fact if you visit my "tread design" page, picking the right tire would never bother you.
Bridgestone Blizzak with multi-cell technology maintains the flexibility of rubber elements which enables the tire to perform well in harsh winter conditions. It resists hydroplaning quite well due to wider circumferential and lateral grooves. It is more efficient compared to its competitor in snow grip and handling. Blizzak having a lower contact patch has better rolling resistance with high fuel efficiency.
Compared to Cooper True North, the Bridgestone Blizzak performs better in hydroplaning resistivity, fuel efficiency, and snow grip & handling. But when it comes to superior dry/wet/ice grip & handling the Copper Discoverer becomes superior.
But same was not the case when we compare Blizzak with Michelin’s X Ice tires.
Table of Contents
Side By Side Comparison
Cooper Discoverer True North
Bridgestone Blizzak Ws90
Blizzak WS90 vs Cooper True North Overview:
The Cooper True North has an asymmetrical tread pattern with a design that allows the exterior tread to expel water so that the vehicle is stable on snow or ice.
It has high-density sipes in all the tread blocks in different amounts depending on the block’s size.
It only has one longitudinal groove while many wide lateral grooves are on the tire. The tire has three tread bock columns with uneven block sizes of different shapes.
The external blocks are relatively wider as compared to the central ones. It has more sharp biting edges and its internal construction consists of two-ply polyester. It also has comparatively large shoulder blocks which enhances its handling performance.
On the flip side, the Bridestone Blizzak has a directional tread design with comparatively wide circumferential grooves that makes its void ratio higher compared to its competitor.
It has four circumferential grooves with varied widths which suggest an uneven contact patch. It has only one central rib and two adjacent tread block columns.
It also has high-density zigzag siping on all blocks in the tire which improves the tires ice biting ability.
But the siping density is relatively lower than its competitor. The tire has comparatively small shoulder blocks. There are small notches on the central rib and adjacent tread block columns as well.
| Specifications | Cooper True North | Blizzak WS90 |
| Tire Type | Winter | Winter |
| Tread Type | Asymmetrical | Directional |
| Available Sizes | 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 | 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 |
| Application | SUV | Minivans |
| Warranty | 6 years | 5 years |
Road Grip
The Cooper True North due to less number of circumferential grooves will have a higher contact patch. This will make it more reliable than its opponent on the dry roads.
It has a high density siping on it, due to which it is superior to its competitor on wet and ice grip section.
It has a comparatively less void ratio due to which it will have an inferior snow grip than its competitor, as it will not resist hydroplaning as effectively as Bridestone Blizzak.
As Bridestone Blizzak has a high void ratio, it will have better hydroplaning resistivity due to which it will have a superior snow grip than its competitor.
As this tire has a smaller contact patch than its competitor, it will be less reliable in terms of dry grip.
It has a decent density of siping but that is not enough to compete with its competitor making its grip inferior on wet and icy roads.
| Parameter | Discoverer True North | Blizzak WS90 |
| Dry Grip | High | Moderate |
| Wet Grip | High | Moderate |
| Snow Grip | Moderate | High |
| Ice Grip | High | Moderate |
Road Handling
Having comparatively larger shoulder blocks gives Discoverer an advantage in dry road handling.
It has high density siping on its shoulder blocks making its handling superior to its competitor on wet and icy roads.
When talking about snow handling, it becomes difficult for Discoverer to compete with its competitor as it has comparatively narrower lateral grooves.
As Bridestone Blizzak has smaller shoulder blocks than Discoverer, its ability in dry road handling is inferior to its competitor.
It has a comparatively less density of siping on its shoulder blocks making its handling ability on wet and icy roads inferior to its competitor.
This tire has relatively wider lateral grooves on its shoulder blocks due to which it will be better in snow handling.
| Bridgestone | Bridgestone | Bridgestone |
| Dry handling | High | Moderate |
| Wet handling | High | Moderate |
| Ice handling | High | Moderate |
| Snow handling | Moderate | High |
Hydroplaning Resistivity
Bridestone Blizzak has a high void ratio due to more circumferential grooves and wider siping within the blocks.
Due to this, It will have a better resistance against hydroplaning as compared to its competitor.
This occurs because there is more water holding capacity due to wider circumferential grooves. It also has wider lateral grooves on its shoulder blocks enhancing its ability in resisting hydroplaning.
Discoverer due to its narrower circumferential and lateral grooves has a low void ratio making it less resistive against hydroplaning as compared to its competitor.
Durability and Treadwear
Durability is directly linked with tread depth, the higher the tread depth more will be the durability of the tire. It simply means the thickness of the tread in a tire.
Bridestone Blizzak has a tread depth of 11/32 while Discoverer also has a tread depth of 11/32.
As the treadwear depth of both tires is the same, they will be equally durable and will last for almost the same amount of time.
Comfort and Noise
The tread depth plays a crucial role in deciding which tire is superior in terms of comfort.
In simple terms, the more the tread depth more will be the cushion between the road and passengers.
As both the tires in this scenario have equal tread depths, they will provide the same level of comfort.
As Blizzak has a higher void ratio it will be comparatively noisier than its competitor.
A higher void ratio provides more space for air particles to collide with the tread walls inside the grooves.
The more air particles strike inside the grooves, the more noise will be produced during high-speed driving.
Hence both of them would offer an equal level of comfort but Discoverer would be less noisy than its opponent.
Rolling resistance and Fuel Efficiency
As Cooper True North has a higher contact patch, it will have higher rolling resistance than its rival. It will therefore consume more energy while rolling due to which it will devour more fuel.
So, Bridestone Blizzak having a low rolling resistance becomes a better choice with higher fuel efficiency.
Load and Speed
After analyzing both the speed and load rating we can conclude that both tires do not have much difference in this category as the load index and speed rating are same.
This shows that both the tires will be able to endure the same amount of load during their maximum speeds.
In the end:
Although both tires are 3 peak mountain snowflake rated, the Cooper Discoverer True North provides you with a slightly better dry and wet grip at a very budget friendly price tag.
On the other side, the Bridestone Blizzak WS90 shows superior snow traction and better resistance to hydroplaning.
The tire is also more fuel efficient in comparison as well.
