Car winter tires Ice Cruiser 7000 Bridgestone: reviews, disadvantages and advantages

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

Quality tires are the key to trouble-free driving. They allow the driver to feel confident on any road, at any time of the day or year. But good tires are especially important in winter. Such as the Ice Cruiser 7000 Bridgestone. Reviews about it make it clear that this product belongs to the highest class. The manufacturer is the legendary company Bridgestone, whose products have proven themselves all over the world.

Basic information

Rubber belongs to the category of studded. Such tires have excellent grip even on packed snow, and practically do not slip on ice. Practice has shown that they have proven themselves especially well in urban conditions, at difficult intersections.

Note that the dispute between connoisseurs of Velcro and studded tires does not stop for a minute. motorists from each"factions" constantly argue in their favor, but the truth, as usual, lies somewhere in between. Drivers who spend most of their time driving their car in the city are in favor of Velcro. This is understandable, since in constant traffic jams and at starts from traffic lights, non-studded tires really behave much better.

Rubber compound features

Country roads are a different matter, where maintaining maximum vehicle stability becomes vital. In these conditions, it is strongly recommended to use studded tires. It shows itself much better in the difficult conditions of domestic roads or complete off-road, slightly covered with pressed snow and ice.

Rubber Ice Cruiser 7000 Bridgestone (reviews confirm this) in comparison with the previous model has improved its performance several times. Experienced drivers note that the steering precision and grip quality remain the same as the tires wear. So, what is so special about the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 rubber, the manufacturer of which is known all over the world?

Crystal Structure

The secret lies in specially shaped synthetic crystals, which are added to the rubber compound during tire production. Their specially designed configuration ensures that the tread literally “cuts” into the road surface, providing maximum traction. The know-how of the developers lies in the fact that even with a minimum residual tread height, the tirestill retains all of its properties. So Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 tires are the key to your safety on the roads.

Specially positioned central "empennage" ensures driving stability at all speeds and in all road/weather conditions. In addition, the well-thought-out central location of the main tread elements gives the tires high wear resistance.

This provides an extended service life, which in the current economic conditions is an important circumstance. All this suggests that the Japanese manufacturer managed to create a truly unique automotive rubber. Reviews of ordinary domestic motorists fully confirm this, since the Ice Cruiser 7000 Bridgestone brand. Feedback from sellers shows that the brand shows a trend of increasing sales annually.

A huge range of sizes allows you to choose the necessary tires for owners of almost all imported and domestic cars. More precisely, the Japanese produce rubber with a diameter of 13 to 20 inches. The speed index, which is indicated by the manufacturer, suggests the ability to reach speeds of up to 170 km / h. Of course, driving like this on our winter roads is strongly not recommended, since the consequences can be very unpleasant …

Other Features

So, the main advantages of winter tires Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 are the following features:

• High stabilityvehicle even when driving on packed ice.
• Stud resistance to departures, their durability, reliable fastening in any surface that may be encountered on a winter road.
• Excellent durability of this brand of automotive rubber.

To ensure the best possible performance of the Ice Cruiser 7000 Bridgestone (reviews from experienced car owners especially emphasize this point) when driving on packed snow and ice, Bridgestone engineers developed a special type of multi-faceted studs. Their key feature is the presence of a specially hardened "core", which can withstand enormous physical exertion and provides perfect grip on all types of road surfaces.

Unlike the previous model, here the studs are arranged in 16 lines at once, due to which the overall contact with the road is improved. Their total number, by the way, has remained almost unchanged, since the stringent requirements in the EU and other countries every year imply an increasing decrease in the number of spikes on tires for personal vehicles. To ensure they don't fly out, Japanese engineers have been working for a long time to get the right rubber compound for tire production.

It is very dense, provides a secure fit of the spike with a minimum chance of falling out. However, almost all tires manufactured by Bridgestone differ in this. The Ice Cruiser 7000 model has other features that distinguish it even from other products of the world famous company.

Distinctive features of the tread and its behavior onicy surface

Note that the hardness of the projector varies depending on the tread area. So, in the places where the spikes are installed, it is higher, the rest of the rubber is somewhat softer. This solution allows you to reduce the noise when driving the car, increasing ride comfort. What else makes Ice Cruiser 7000 tires different? Reviews indicate that they "go" for several seasons, the loss of spikes is the rarest case, rubber provides the highest reliability even when driving on a well-knurled, icy road. Always and in any conditions you will be confident on the road.

It has been established that on the tires we describe, the car stops on clean ice 8.7% faster than on any similar competitor rubber. Once again, it is worth recalling the high reliability of holding spikes in the thickness of the tire. This problem certainly worries every driver who has ever felt how his car on “naked” tires begins to be dragged along the road. Feelings are not pleasant. To protect drivers, Bridgestone engineers have been working for a long time to create a mechanical system that would allow the spikes to stay in the thickness of the tires for as long as possible. They succeeded to the fullest, and the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 XL is currently considered one of the most durable.

Spikes again

We have already said that the EU authorities have long launched a real "crusade" against tire spikes. In general, they can be understood: in those parts, cold winters are extremely rare, and studded roads are affectedextremely negative. Currently, the authorities of many countries that are members of the Eurozone, "experimentally" create regulations that strictly regulate the number of such elements in tires. Now the standard is 50 spikes per square meter. The Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000, a new generation studded tire, fits this rule.

Less is allowed, more is strictly prohibited. Not surprisingly, many tire companies immediately had serious problems, since it is extremely difficult to provide reliable grip under such requirements. Bridgestone engineers also had to solve these issues.

The solution turned out to be reliable and very practical. A special spike model was created, which, apparently, was created in collaboration with the Swedish "Gislaved". In any case, products of this type are still produced by the Finns for both Bridgestone and Gislaved. Configuration differences are minimal.

Stud sizes and structure

The body of the spike is 12 mm in height, its diameter is 7 mm. By the way, it is precisely because of the European location of the production of these components that the cost of finished tires is quite high (even if the rubber itself is produced in Russia). Until recently, there was hope for the transfer of licensed production to the territory of our country or to Eastern Europe, but so far the project has been frozen for an indefinite period. It is for this reason that each Bridgestone Ice Cruiser tire, 7000 spike of which is distinguished by the highest reliability, in our countryhas a value greater than that of our neighbors in the states of Eastern Europe.

However, buyers are not interested in this. They are interested in the highest reliability of spikes that can withstand several seasons of intensive use. The rubber of the brand we are describing in two to three years should retain at least 83% of the studs. This is its main advantage, which is especially fond of domestic motorists. They, accustomed over the past five or six years to the dominance of "disposable" rubber on the shelves, were happy to get really durable and high-quality tires. Especially if they are made by a world famous and respected Japanese company.

The secret to the longevity that the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 winter studded tires boast lies at the very base of the stud. It is made in the form of an asterisk with a complex surface geometry. In principle, this is a kind of "copy", the prototype of which was "peeped" by the company's engineers at the thistle thorns. The base clings to the rubber surface with every millimeter of its area, which is why the loss of the spike is an extremely rare event.

In addition, due to the combination of a special cord and design features of the stud, the latter is able to "go" into the thickness of the tire when driving on particularly uneven roads covered with potholes. Because of this, driving comfort is sharply increased and the stability of the car is maintained on unreliable surfaces. Thus, Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 tires are an excellent choice for young and inexperienced riders who are not yet confident in their skills.(driving on an icy road).

Other Features

But an even more remarkable characteristic of these rubbers is their cushioning ability: even when driving on a road that looks more like a washboard, they retain all their qualities. This became possible due to the special design of the cord, which is woven from a “mixture” of metal threads and special polymer fibers, which are characterized by increased strength and elasticity. In addition, it is for this reason that the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 tires reviewed in this article are enviably durable.

Today the company has several plants at once, each of which is able to amaze the imagination with its size and degree of technical equipment. It should be noted that there are enterprises both in the Old and New Worlds, there are production facilities in our country as well. All opponents of the "domestic assembly" can be reminded that branches in Russia have been repeatedly recognized as one of the best. The quality of their products does not cause any complaints even among sophisticated motorists.

Production processes at any Bridgestone plant are fully automated, the influence of the "human factor" is minimized. In short, the production of the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 is in good hands. If you do not buy a fake, you will definitely not be disappointed with the quality of tires.

Tread sipes

A lot of work has been done in the most accurate selection of shape and configurationeach tread element of the Ice Cruiser 7000 tires. This is very important, since the stability of the tire behavior on the road surface largely depends on the size and other characteristics of these tread components. Such a positive effect was achieved not so much by engineers as by programmers who managed to create a program for automatically drawing an “ideal tread” pattern.

The developers achieved what they wanted: they were able to improve the pattern of the previous model in such a way that the degree of adhesion to the road increased by 1.7 times. Many consider it strange that the engineers have reduced the number of toe sipes. In fact, there is nothing strange in this: their number has indeed decreased, but at the same time the shape of the remaining ones has become more complicated. The slats have become multifaceted, which led to an increase in their grip qualities. The sides of the slats are multidirectional, which is why even at high speeds the car perfectly maintains stability. This is the main merit of the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000, the test of which (if you decide to conduct it) confirms the exceptional “braking” qualities of tires every time.

Thus, tests were repeatedly carried out on the "road", which was ideally smooth, polished ice. Even in such conditions, tires from Bridgestone showed themselves only on the positive side. Of course, in any case, it is not worth arranging a race track from an icy surface, but the number of skids when using this rubber is reduced by a factor of three! It should be noted here that not everything is so simple.

Such an outstanding reduction in skid frequency is still achievable when the machine is driven by an experienced driver. If a novice leaves the ice, then even with good tires, the result of such a trip can be sad. Better not risk it! However, reviews of motorists indicate that this is still not a marketing ploy. Drivers note that on Bridgestone tires their car actually became more stable on the road. This is especially noticeable in relation to models of cars with rear-wheel drive. Motorists testify that the latter begins to "wind" noticeably less.

Some rubber imperfections

It's time to talk about some of the shortcomings that we describe, Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 tires. The price is quite high and much higher than if compared with domestically produced tires. But this disadvantage is relative. Given that these tires last at least three seasons, retaining almost all the spikes, their cost does not look too high. In any case, almost all experienced motorists agree that it is better to buy good tires once than spend money every season buying something cheap, but not of very high quality.

By the way, how much does a Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 tire cost? Their price varies depending on the supplier and market conditions, but on average it is about five thousand rubles per tire. Of course, this is a very average value, since in different cities and with different sellers the price can dramaticallydiffer. But you should focus on this cost.

Another drawback that many motorists talk about is the behavior of the Bridgestone tires of this model on snow is not the most "sane". If a lot of it fell out during the night, then problems may arise with leaving the yard. However, the tires of the Ice Cruiser 7000 model were not created for rallying through snowy wastelands. In the case when there is little snow on the road, the rubber behaves quite “decently”, and is in no hurry to roll into a skid.

Finally, some drivers feel that these tires are not very noisy…but that depends a lot on the car itself. First, studded tires cannot be silent by definition. Secondly, if the degree of sound insulation of the car meets modern requirements, even at high speeds it will be quiet in the cabin: this confirms the highest quality of the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000. A tire test conducted last year by almost all domestic car reviewers really confirmed their quality.

Summing up…

What conclusion can be drawn? Having considered the totality of all the advantages and disadvantages that characterize this rubber, we can summarize. When buying this model from Bridgestone, you can be sure of its quality, durability and stability of the car on the road with any degree of surface icing. Car enthusiasts, according to their reviews, would not mind if the cost of tires of this brand decreased. At the same time, the same peopletestify that it is better to buy car tires, albeit more expensive, but at the same time they will be completely sure of its long service life.