Bridgestone DriveGuard Review - Impressive Run-Flat Tires

Testing of Bridgestone DriveGuard Tires

To understand the performance and durability of the Bridgestone DriveGuard Run-Flat All Season Tires, I tested these tires on my BMW 535i xDrive for a period of 30,000 miles. During this testing period, I included driving on these tires in different seasons, including summer, fall, and winter. Throughout this period, I was thoroughly impressed with the performance of these tires, which offered excellent traction and stability in all driving conditions.

One thing to note when looking at the images of my car is the license plate bracket on the front of the car. In the image above, you'll notice that the bracket is still present, whereas, in other images, the bracket is no longer there. This is because, during the testing period, I made some changes to the appearance of my car, including removing the front license plate bracket. If anything, this just tells you how long I actually had them on the car.

Purchasing Process - Where to Buy Bridgestone DriveGuard Tires

When purchasing Bridgestone DriveGuard tires, it's important to know that not all tire retailers carry them in stock. This is because these tires are run-flat, specialized types that not all retailers may carry in their inventory. As a result, it's often best to order these tires online at retailers such as TireRack.com or DiscountTire.com, which tend to have a wider selection of run-flat tires.

Ordering Bridgestone DriveGuard tires online is a straightforward process. First, you'll need to visit a reputable tire retailer's website, such as TireRack.com or DiscountTire.com, and select the make and model of your vehicle. Once you've entered this information, the retailer's website will display a list of compatible tires, including the Bridgestone DriveGuard Run-Flat All Season Tires. Next, select the tires you want to purchase and proceed to checkout.

When purchasing Bridgestone DriveGuard tires online, choosing a reputable retailer with a good reputation is important. This will ensure you receive high-quality, authentic tires backed by a warranty. It's also important to carefully review the retailer's shipping and return policies and any additional fees or charges associated with your purchase.

Overall, purchasing Bridgestone DriveGuard tires online is convenient and hassle-free, saving you time and money. By ordering your tires from a reputable online retailer, you can ensure that you receive high-quality tires that are designed to provide reliable and safe performance on the road.

Dry Grip and Traction

Bridgestone used a silica-enhanced tire material on the DriveGuard. This compound has better road-sticking characteristics than non-silica rubber. The tire also features a Cooling Fin Design along the sidewall. This reduces the overall weight and improves handling.

How does this translate into real-world situations? It works very well. The tire's grip and traction are very good, comparable to conventional tires. The DriveGuard is safe and has very little understeer if you push it too hard. Even on powerful engines and front-wheel-drive vehicles, you'll have plenty of traction to accelerate. You will be surprised by the short braking distances.

The DriveGuard should not be your first choice for a performance vehicle. While the DriveGuard is fine for everyday driving, it's insufficient for corners at high speeds. Wheel-slip may occur during very strong acceleration.

Wet grip, Traction, and Braking

The DriveGuard, like most grand-touring all-season tires, has circumferential grooves that enhance hydroplaning resistance. In addition, Bridgestone used sipes and cross grooves to evacuate water further. This design, in combination with the silica-enhanced tread material, should provide excellent wet traction. We tested it, and it did. Even in a puddle, the hydroplaning resistance of this tread compound is outstanding. As a result, you will retain traction if it rains heavily.

The DriveGuard is also very predictable on wet pavement. The cornering grip and traction are excellent. The tire drives well to the limit with smooth responses and easy control. The DriveGuard is extremely safe in wet conditions. It offers excellent traction and doesn't surprise drivers in any way. It is a premium wet tire.

Like other all-season tires, the DriveGuard promises increased traction on snowy surfaces. However, we have yet to test an all-season tire that can be confident in snowy conditions. The Driveguard does not change this. Bridgestone's run-flat touring tire is adequate for light snow, but only if you drive carefully. The tire may lose traction if it is pushed harder. Also, you can only stop slowly because of the long braking distances.



The DriveGuard is a better summer tire than any other, but it's not a winter tire that can be used to drive on snowy roads. This is especially true when there is ice on roads. In addition, it can greatly impact the tire's ability to provide enough grip.

Bridgestone DriveGuard in Snow

Like other all-season tires, the DriveGuard promises increased traction on snowy surfaces. However, I have yet to test a run-flat all-season tire that can be confident in snowy conditions. While the Driveguard tires were fairly ok, they did not compare well to the Michelin CrossClimate2 non-run-flat tires.

Bridgestone's run-flat touring tire is adequate for light snow, but only if you drive carefully. The tire may lose traction if it is pushed harder. It broke traction on quite a few occasions when accelerating fast, it was a truly big difference between these tires and CrossClimate2.

The DriveGuard is a better summer tire than any other, but it's not a winter tire that can be used to drive on snowy roads. This is especially true when there is ice on roads. In addition, it can greatly impact the tire's ability to provide enough grip. If you get a considerable amount of snow in your area or plan to drive through a lot of snow, I would advise you to stick to the tires specifically made for winter driving.

Handling and steering feel

Because of the stiffer sidewall design, run-flat tires can be very responsive. Bridgestone decided to make the DriveGuard less responsive to make it more comfortable for spirited drivers. It's not the tire's responsiveness that bothers us, but it doesn't communicate well with the driver. It reacts very fluidly to steering inputs, but it lacks directness.



The truth is that we are still discussing a grand-touring all-season tire. Most models in this category feel the same behind the wheel and don't feel responsive or communicative. This tire is designed for the average driver, and most people won't notice it.

Comfort and Road Noise

This is the most problematic category for run-flat tires. Bridgestone focuses its efforts on comfort. It uses lighter-weight rubber side inserts and the Cooling Fin Design to improve ride quality. The technology is working, and it's a good thing.

Although you will still get better service with a regular grand touring tire, the Ride Quality is unbeatable. Although the DriveGuard can make a little hum when you bump into larger bumps, it is not serious. It also effectively reduces vibrations from small imperfections you may encounter while driving.



Noise is not an issue either - their excellent sound insulation can slow down most modern vehicles.

How Far Can You Travel with a Flat?

Bridgestone DriveGuard can travel 50 miles at 50 mph without pressure loss. This should be sufficient to allow you to reach the nearest tire shop to have it repaired or replaced. However, these tires are not that easy to get flat either. I have ran a pothole over in Michigan that would have most likely broken a wheel and cut through a regular tire. However, Bridgestone DriveGuard only popped a bubble on the side of the tire and I was able to continue driving.

As a matter of the fact, I drove another 700 miles without even noticing that the bump was there. The only thing that made me realize that I have a bulge in the sidewall was this annoying noise that started happening when driving at lower speeds. As you can see from the image above, the tire did not blow out due to the thick sidewall and a great technology by Bridgestone.

We recommend always having a spare tire repair kit with you, especially when traveling long distances. These small and lightweight kits can save your life even with flat tires. However, the kit can only be used if you are stranded and drive more than 50 miles to reach a tire repair shop.

Bridgestone DriveGuard is a great safety feature, especially for higher speeds. The tire offers stability without pressure, so your vehicle doesn't lose grip when it has a flat. Similarly, regular models are more susceptible to accidents due to sudden pressure drops or poor stability.

What are the Maintenance Indicators and Specifications?

DriveGuard is the most widely available run-flat tire. It comes in the most common sizes and can fit all vehicles currently on public roads. Bridgestone moved to make run-flat technology accessible for all vehicles, not just those with such tires.

The DriveGuard is available in sizes from 15-inch to twenty-inch wheels. This covers the most common vehicle types, such as sedans, crossovers, minivans, and coupes. The DriveGuard is not a performance-oriented all-season tire. Bridgestone's Potenza family tires might be a good choice if you have a performance car.

The DriveGuard has the standard TWIs (tread wear indicators) as maintenance indicators. These rubber bars are recessed into the tread grooves and can be used to measure the tread depth. TWIs become visible as the tread wears, which could indicate that it is time to replace your tires. The indicators will flush with the tire when the tread reaches 2/3 inches in depth.

It would help to replace your tires immediately, as wet traction and grip are severely affected. Driving with tires less than 2/32 inches deep is illegal and could get you into trouble. The run-flat technology will not save you in this instance.

DriveGuard is the most durable run-flat tire available, so you won't have to replace it anytime soon. In addition, Bridgestone offers a treadwear warranty of 60,000 miles (H-V-, T-Speed Rated models) or 50,000 (W-Speed Rated models), which are both great for a run-flat.