Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 vs Continental WinterContact TS 870 P

The Blizzak LM005 and WinterContact TS 870 P are two winter tyres manufactured by Bridgestone and Continental respectively.

With both these tyre manufacturers being at the forefront of tyre innovation for decades now, there is no surprise that both Bridgestone and Continental have developed their marquee winter tyres to be two of the most reliable winter tyre models on the market.

So how do these two tyre models compare to each other? Let’s explore that here today.

Blizzak LM005 Overview

The Blizzak LM005 is a premium tyre model, produced by Japanese tyre manufacturers Bridgestone since 2019.

The Bridgestone winter tyre features zigzag tread pattern grooves, boosting the tyre’s traction in snowy conditions. It also provides top levels in braking during winter conditions due to the blend of 2D and 3D sipes in both the centre and shoulder areas of the tread pattern.

This tyre model is well designed for various types of vehicles, such as 4x4s, hatchbacks, saloons, and more.

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 replaced the Blizzak LM001 EVO.

WinterContact TS 870 P Overview

The Continental WinterContact TS 870 P is a premium tyre manufactured by German tyre brand Continental.

Continental’s winter tyre is paired with the Continental CoolChili compound, containing new sustainable ingredients giving the tyre model enhanced performance in wet conditions.

The WinterContact model has less rolling resistance than its predecessor, resulting in low fuel consumption. As the tyre having less abrasion, mileage is increased also.

When launched by Continental in 2021, the WinterContact TS 870 P replaced the WinterContact TS 850 P.

Tyre Label Ratings

Tyre label ratings represent the official rankings of tyre performance factors per EU labelling. It is important to note that each tyre model’s label ratings will vary between tyre sizes.

Three key rankings are outline in these ratings, those being:

Fuel Efficiency – Ranked A to G

Wet Grip – Ranked A to G

Tyre Noise – Ranked A to C and Decibels

Blizzak LM005 Label Ratings

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM005’s fuel efficiency ratings consist of either B or C across different sizes, with the majority of size’s ratings consisting of a C.

The Blizzak model’s wet grip rating is excellent, with an A rating across all tyre sizes.

Tyre noise levels of the Blizzak LM005 ranges from 70B to 73B.

WinterContact TS 870 P Label Ratings

The WinterContact TS 870 P has fuel efficiency ratings of B, C, or D, with an average rating of a C.

Wet grip ratings for the WinterContact TS 870 P is B across the board.

The Continental model has tyre noise levels of mostly 71B, with noise levels of 74B for a few of the larger tyre sizes.

Blizzak LM005 Awards

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 has received various awards and accolades since its release in 2019.

In 2021, the Blizzak LM005 was named ‘best-in-class’ at the Auto Motor Sport winter tyre tests. Auto Motor Sport described the Bridgestone model as “very safe all-rounder in winter, with the best performance on cold and wet roads”.

The Auto Motor Sport tyre test is not the only winter tyre test that seen the Blizzak gain accolades in the category – in also in 2021, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 was awarded with 1^st in the Auto Express winter tyre test, along with Auto-Zeitung’s 10-brand winter test.

These tyre test awards has highlighted the top performance that the Blizzak holds, particularly amongst its piers in the winter tyre category.

WinterContact TS 870 P Awards

The Continental WinterContact TS 870 P has also seen successes in receiving accolades over the last couple of years.

The WinterContact TS 870 P was honoured with a “very good” rating in the SportAuto winter tyre test in late 2023. The winter tyre test concluded that the WinterContact model as a “very balanced” tyre, scoring top marks for braking and handling in snowy and dry conditions, along with its low rolling resistance.

In 2022, the Continental winter tyre received the “exemplary” rating in the Auto Bild winter tyre test category. The features that helped this rating were similar to the SportAuto reasonings highlighted previously, particularly its energy-saving rolling resistance.

For a relatively new model, the WinterContact TS 870 P has seen great success in its short tenure as a leading winter tyre.

Customer Reviews

Our customer review system is powered by DriverReviews, giving customers 4 categories to review their previously purchased tyre model from:

• Overall Rating
• Would the customer buy the tyres again
• Does the car feel better to drive
• Were the tyres value for money

Blizzak LM005 Customer Reviews

• Overall rating of my tyres – 4.5/5
• I would buy the same tyres again – 4.6/5
• The car feels better to drive – 4.2/5
• The tyres were value for money – 4.2/5

WinterContact TS 870 P Customer Reviews

• Overall rating of my tyres – 4.6/5
• I would buy the same tyres again – 4.6/5
• The car feels better to drive – 4/5
• The tyres were value for money – 4.1/5

Blizzak LM005 Common Tyre Sizes

• 205/55 R16
• 205/60 R16
• 225/40 R18

WinterContact TS 870 P Common Tyre Sizes

• 225/40 R18
• 235/55 R19
• 255/40 R21

Blizzak LM005 Common Car Models

• Volkswagen Golf
• BMW 3 Series
• Skoda Octavia

WinterContact TS 870 P Common Car Models

• Volkswagen Golf R
• Volvo XC60
• Audi A6

Price Ranges

Prices for the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 varies between tyre sizes, with prices starting from £86.56 to £322.06.*

The Continental WinterContact TS 870 P has prices ranging from £130.66 to £390.79.*

*Please note, prices may fluctuate in time, with prices listed being of today’s date (updated: 16/10/24).