Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus Tire Review and Ratings
Dry Conditions – 90%
Wet Conditions – 80%
Snow – 60%
Comfort – 80%
Noise Reduction – 80%
Durability – 80%
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The tire industry relies on following car trends and releasing new models as the technology progresses and the need for a better tire arises. We often see tweaked versions of certain popular models, something similar to a facelift on a vehicle.
These small upgrades ensure the tire’s performance is on par with its rivals. It’s not a new tire from the ground up but a refreshed model with enough tweaks to help it perform better.
In the long list of refreshed models in today’s market, the one for today comes from Bridgestone. The DriveGuard Plus is an upgrade over the regular DriveGuard model, which was already a very good touring option. Has Bridgestone made it any better?
Pros
- Deals with smaller bums very well
- Excellent aquaplaning resistance
- Dry performance is excellent
- Handles well, offering slid responsiveness with a good amount of weight
Cons
- Winter performance is behind some of its rivals
- Not the ideal tie for aggressive driving in non-dry conditions
The Features of the Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus
The DriveGuard Plus is a grand touring all-season tire, and it transfers many of the features from its predecessor, meaning that we should see its excellence. As a bonus, it’s a run-flat tire.
Considering the category, there shouldn’t be any doubt that it’s made from Bridgestone’s all-season compound for performance in winter conditions. The rubber is molded into an asymmetric pattern, which should help it with handling while keeping the noise levels lower.
As part of the tread design, the tire features 3D full-depth sipes aimed at helping the tire with traction on snow. Plus, being full-depth means the performance drop won’t be too great as the tire wears down. Speaking of tire wear, the sipes also help the tire with the wear, improving its longevity.
Wet performance is backed by several features. The sipes help with traction on damp surfaces, but the tire’s grooves and open shoulder slots help with heavy rain. They’re designed to channel water, allowing the tire to offer excellent aquaplaning resistance, even when it’s worn down.
Apart from the wet performance, the grooves and block designs should help with performance in winter. To be specific, they’re aimed at improving traction on unpacked snow.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus in Dry Conditions
As a premium grand touring model, the DriveGuard Plus does an excellent job in dry conditions.
The performance for daily driving situations is excellent. You can rely on the performance when driving around town or on the highway, and the tire won’t have any issues complying with everything you ask of it. The braking distances are also very short, meaning it’s pretty safe.
Despite not being a performance tire, there is some performance to push it if you’re into that. You can get the tire to slip on acceleration or understeer in the corners if you push it hard. In many ways, it reminds me of the Assurance ComfortDrive – solid performance for a grand touring tire for people who are a bit aggressive.
The handling is pretty good but not perfect. There is some weight to it, which will sit well with enthusiast drivers, backed by decent responsiveness. With that said, if you plan on pushing it hard, you’ll notice that it takes some effort to get it turned in.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus on Wet or Slippery Roads
Wet performance is something that the DriveGuard Plus does well, but it trails behind some of its rivals.
Under normal circumstances, the tire does an excellent job in these conditions. Damp roads aren’t an issue, and you can drive it without noticing it slipping when accelerating or cornering. The braking distances aren’t category-leading but are still well within the safe zone. An area where the tire struggles slightly is when you start to push it. It holds well up to a point, but it won’t be as good as some of its rivals. You can push it past its limits, and it will start to slip. The good news is that it’s not abrupt, so you can catch it and react.
Driving in harsh rain is something that his tire won’t struggle with. Thanks to the grooves, the tire’s water evacuation properties are excellent, meaning that the stability in these conditions won’t be compromised.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus in Snow
Driving in winter conditions won’t be an issue for the DriveGuard Plus as long as you’re aware of its limitations.
The tire’s performance is solid, and I’d categorize it as safe. There’s a good amount of grip and traction on unpacked snow, and the performance on packed is acceptably decent. As a result, the tire will be fine as long as you’re a bit careful. Once you get even a bit carried away, the tire will let go and start slipping. Like in wet conditions, it’s progressive when it lets go, meaning you’ll know what’s going on before you completely lose control.
Ice is something that all-season tires don’t excel at, so don’t expect that from this one. The traction is acceptable, and the braking distances are safe-ish. Even though you can drive it in these conditions carefully, I wouldn’t really rely on it.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus Off-Roading
Off-road performance is reserved for all-terrain or mud-terrain tires. In other words, the DriveGuard Plus is a tire that won’t do well in these conditions. It’s missing all the crucial features to deliver usable performance, so I’d advise you against using it for off-roading. You may drive on a dirt road a bit if you’re careful not to damage it.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus for Sporty Driving
The DriveGuard Plus is a grand touring tire, meaning you shouldn’t expect it to be particularly sporty. With that said, it’s not the most boring tire in this category. There’s enough performance in dry conditions to push it, which, combined with the decently dynamic handling, makes this an acceptably fun tire. If you have a RWD vehicle, you’ll find it especially tail-happy in damp conditions.
Does the Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus Ride Comfortably?
One of the biggest surprises with the DriveGuard Plus is the refinement, especially regarding comfort levels.
Run-flat tires have a slightly different construction than regular tires, meaning the ride quality suffers a bit, which isn’t the case with this one. As long as we’re talking about smaller bumps and road imperfections, the tire does a very good job of smoothing out. It struggles with the larger ones, which still isn’t terrible.
The noise levels are also pretty good. It’s not a Turanza QuietTrack, so it will be a step or two louder in some situations but not obnoxious. Most drivers will be perfectly happy with the noise levels and may notice the difference when driven back-to-back with some quieter competitors.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus Warranty
The DriveGuard Plus comes with a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty, putting it somewhere in the middle of the premium segment. It’s better than the CrossClimate2 but behind the P7 AS Plus 3.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus Pricing: Is It Worth the Price?
As far as the price is concerned, the DriveGuard Plus is more expensive than most of its rivals, which is to be expected. We are talking about an RFT model priced similarly to the Cinturato P7 All Season Run Flat.
Should I Buy the Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus?
The DriveGuard Plus is a tire that does a lot of things right. It offers plenty of performance for average driving, so it’s a tire that most people will be happy with.
Dry performance is pretty good, and combined with handling, it makes for a pretty solid option. Wet performance is a bit behind some of its rivals, but it’s far from unsafe. Driving in winter conditions shows that it’s an all-season model, meaning that you shouldn’t expect it to perform as a dedicated winter tire.
As a run flat model, the refinement is solid. The tire combined pretty decent comfort with relatively low noise levels, something that not all competitors do well. Looking at the price – it’s not the most affordable tire in its class, but as a run-flat model, you shouldn’t expect it to be.
The DriveGuard Plus is one of those tires that won’t excel in every possible metric but still remains a solid option. Despite some of its shortcomings, it’s a tire I’d recommend, especially if you’re looking for a set of RFTs.
What Vehicles Will the Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus Fit?
Here’s a sample list of cars that the Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus will fit:
- BMW 3 Series
- Cadilac CTS
- Honda Civic
- Infinity QX50
- Lexus UX
- Mazda MX-5
- Mercedes C300
- Mini Clubman
- Toyota Rav4
Tire Sizes of the Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus
16″
- 205/55R16 91V
17″
- 205/45R17 88W XL
- 205/50R17 93V XL
- 205/55R17 91V
- 215/45R17 91V XL
- 215/50R17 95V XL
- 215/55R17 94V
- 225/45R17 91W
- 225/50R17 94V
- 225/55R17 97V
- 225/60R17 99H
- 225/65R17 102H
- 235/65R1 104H
- 245/45R17 99W XL
- 255/40R17 94V
18″
- 225/40R18 92W XL
- 225/45R18 95W XL
- 225/50R18 95V
- 225/60R18 104H XL
- 235/40R18 95W XL
- 235/45R18 98V XL
- 235/50R18 97V
- 235/55R18 100V
- 245/40R18 97W XL
- 245/45R18 96W
- 245/60R18 105H
- 255/35R18 94W XL
- 255/40R18 99W XL
- 255/55R18 109W XL
- 265/60R18 110V
19″
- 235/55R19 105V XL
- 245/40R19 98W XL
- 245/45R19 102W XL
- 245/55R19 103H
- 255/50R19 107W XL
20″
- P 275/55R20 111H