Bridgestone vs Michelin Tires: Which is a Better Tire? (2024)

Bridgestone vs Michelin tires? Which tire is better? These tire industry giants have been going at each other for so long. Competition is fierce in business, and the Bridgestone vs. Michelin debate has been going on for some time now.

But, for us, Michelin is the winner and just edges Bridgestone a little bit because of its wider array of choices. Michelin even offers better tires for motorcycle enthusiasts, so they know anything that comes to a vehicle’s needs.

However, Bridgestone has its benefits too! Read on to find particular things these two do best as we compare Michelin and Bridgestone tires.

What to Know About Bridgestone Tires

History

Bridgestone is a Japanese company that specializes not only in tires but other automotive parts as well. They also provide various sporting goods such as golf clubs and tennis rackets.

Coincidentally, Bridgestone’s founder Shojiro Ishibashi’s surname means “stone bridge” in Japanese. The Bridgestone brand was founded in 1931 in f*ckuoka, Japan. However, Ishibashi wasn’t in the tire business but was in footwear.

The first Bridgestone tire ever built was on April 9th, 1930. Ishibashi didn’t have a name at the time, so he called the builders the Tabi socks tire division.

After constructing their first tire, Ishibashi founded The Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. the following year, focusing on manufacturing tires based on Japanese engineering and technology. Ishibashi was now sure that he’d flourish in the tire industry.

Fast forward to today, Bridgestone is one of the world’s largest tire companies, with a revenue of about $29.539 billion last 2021.

Are Bridgestone Tires Good?

Bridgestone tires have everything from sedans and SUVs to pick-up trucks, each with great features and top-quality parts to ensure your vehicle runs at optimal performance.

Bridgestone has a wide array of performance tires to choose from, each with its specialized use.

However, there’s still such thing as too wide of an array. Bridgestone product lines can get confusing at times and not that friendly to average tire consumers, who aren’t as well informed about various vehicle knowledge.

One product line can have more than 20 models and is rated based on performance. For an average vehicle user, this might overwhelm them, so they instead look elsewhere. These tires can be classified as all-seasons to high-performance.

Because of this, Bridgestone tires can get pretty expensive, and multiple reviews around the internet share this sentiment.

But make no mistake, even if these tires are costly, they’re not ripping any consumers off as their tires deliver absolute quality and performance.

Costco might be your best bet if you’re concerned with a Bridgestone tire’s cost but are still sure you want one. At Costco, if you’re a member, you’ll get lots of benefits for your Bridgestone tires, from free air pressure checks to even free maintenance.

Michelin

History

The development of Michelin tires has been a fascinating voyage of discovery. Before creating tires for automobiles, Andre and Edouard Michelin only produced tires for bicycles and horse-drawn carriages in the 1890s.

The Michelin brothers were certain that pneumatic tire technology could be enhanced and eventually employed in automobiles. This thought inspired the brothers to create new tech since tire and wheel technologies were only new at the time.

So, to popularize their invention and establish it as the industry standard for how tires should be created, they put their innovative detachable pneumatic tires to the test during the Paris-Bordeaux road race.

They came in last in the competition. However, their invention attracted curiosity and was a topic of discussion for many motor vehicle enthusiasts during the competition.

As they introduced a new era of wheel invention, the Michelin brothers honed their skills and finally saw their predictions come true.

Along with making tires, André Michelin also published the “Guide Michelin,” an annual travel guide that listed the top restaurants in each country and detailed how to get there.

Are Michelin Tires Good?

Michelin tires aren’t only good, but they’re excellent. They provide high-performance tires for every type of vehicle and every type of use. Coming in second from Bridgestone as the largest tire company in the world, Michelin tires are still one of the best tires out there.

However, similar to Bridgestone, Michelin tires can get expensive. Owing to their proprietary technology and top-performance tires. So it’s up to you if you think buying a Michelin tire is worth it.

If you’re good for it, Michelin tires can be an excellent investment as they can last longer and are more durable than regular tires.

Now, you may want to read how many kilometers Michelin tires last and where are they made.

Michelin vs Bridgestone: a Comprehensive Comparison

1. Performance

When it comes to performance, Bridgestone and Michelin are pretty identical, and it comes down to more nuanced features if you want to see the difference.

Bridgestone and Michelin tires are the best of the best, and both are at the top regarding performance.

The only noticeable difference between Michelin and Bridgestone cars is their performance on dry roads.

When it comes to performance on wet roads, both tires stick to road surfaces quite well, and traction is as excellent as the other. This ensures better handling and, of course, safer driving.

2. Durability

Durability is often an excellent determinant for a brand if their car tires are worth it. Aside from being cost-efficient, it can help a car owner avoid the hassle of constantly changing tires from various tire damage issues.

The two brands have a fantastic R&D department and invest in them heavily, which could somehow be attributed to their steep price points, to enhance the quality of their features further. So, durability can vary from the tire you use.

When compared, it’s hard to clash the two since their tires have many features that can give them a fantastic amount of mileage compared to other tire brands. So, it’s probably safe to say it’s a tie on this one.

3. Noise

For drivers who want a more serene and smoother driving experience without feeling like something is growling at you from below their car, Michelin takes the cake on this one.

4. Warranty

Both tire brands offer outstanding guarantees for their products.

When it comes to warranty, the Japanese brand is substantially better.

5. Price

When it comes to price, both brands are equally expensive for an average tire. These companies are number one and number two in the tire industry for quality and innovation.

So, you can’t pinpoint the better brand regarding price as both can dry your pockets quickly. However, if you have to choose, you must consider these qualities in both.

Bridgestone tires are cheaper, but Michelin tires have varying performance levels. Thus their product line can also vary with the price. It’s really up to you and what you want most out of these tires in terms of budget.

Tire Categories

Both Michelin and Bridgestone have different tire categories for every type of car owner. The two companies offer a wide array of products targeting specific demographics like passenger tires, motorcycle tires, and commercial tires from buses to airplanes.

1. Bridgestone Tire Categories

Passenger Tires

Bridgestone’s passenger tire catalog is amazingly diverse. It offers the consumer many choices that best suit their car tire needs, from comfort, performance, and durability.

Motorcycle Tires

Bridgestone offers motorcycle tires for any type of driving and surface. Bridgestone motorcycle tires perform well, especially in urban and street-level cruising.

Commercial Tires

Bridgestone’s catalog is usually targeted at large commercial vehicles like vans and buses. They even make tires for aircraft too.

2. Michelin Tire Categories

Passenger Tires

Michelin has a wide selection of passenger tires designed for every type of performance need. From every day driving down to high-performance driving like in racing competitions.

Motorcycle Tires

When it comes to motorcycles, Michelin is king. It’s the most popular tire brand for motorcycle enthusiasts and racers alike. It’s because Michelin motorcycle tires are more diverse and comprehensive. They even have tires made for E-bikes.

Commercial Tires

In the commercial sector, they practically offer the same tire services as Bridgestone, so you can’t say what’s the better commercial tire. And, like Bridgestone, they also provide tires for aircraft as well.

Conclusion

Regarding the question, “Bridgestone vs Michelin tires, which is better?” It’s tough to decide. Both tire brands offer top-of-the-line performance and durability. And each has its advantages and disadvantages, especially when it comes to features.

The best we can probably do is compare each tire both companies offer. Like comparing the Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra vs Michelin Defender, we can probably get a more accurate verdict.

Reddit is also a good source of information for people who use these tires daily.

However, if we must decide, Michelin is probably our best bet. Michelin cover’s all our general tire performance needs better than Bridgestone.