The Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus is a run-flat all-season tire tailored for coupes, sedans, CUVs, and SUVs, prioritizing comfort, quiet rides, and reliable 3-season traction with light snow capability. Launched alongside the Bridgestone WeatherPeak, it answers a key question: Why two all-season tires? Bridgestone splits customer needs—DriveGuard Plus focuses on smooth, run-flat convenience for daily drivers, while WeatherPeak targets harsh winters with aggressive 4-season grip. Ideal for urban commuters and light-adventure seekers, the DriveGuard Plus shines with its refined handling and puncture-resistant design, letting drivers bypass roadside emergencies. However, if deep snow or icy roads dominate your climate, opt for WeatherPeak’s winter prowess. For those valuing plush rides and run-flat security over extreme cold-weather performance, the DriveGuard Plus delivers. Discover if this balance of comfort, safety, and versatility suits your drive!
| Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus | |
|---|---|
| Best for | Warm & squishy regions, durability-focused drivers, smooth driving |
| Pros | Jack of all trades, satisfying light-snow traction for a non-3PMSF tire, Repairable |
| Cons | Poor cold weather performance |
| Vehicle | SUV, CUV, Sedan, Coupe |
| Available Sizes | 16”, 17”, 18”, 19” |
| Test Report | vs ComfortDrive & P7 AS Plus3 (May 23, 2022) |
| Made In | US, Mexico, Japan |
| Labels | None |
| Warranty | 65,000 miles |
As a former Bridgestone engineer, from my standpoint, Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus is one of the best run-flat tires for mostly warm and squishy regions. This tire offers a smooth but a bit noisy driving experience. While it performs perfectly in wet and dry conditions, its winter performance is limited to light snow traction. Even though Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus lasts longer than most run-flat tires, it’s not the best option if fuel efficiency is your priority.
NOTE: DriveGuard Plus run-flat tires are only recommended for vehicles that are equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system.
In case of any puncture, you can still use Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus 50 miles at 50 mph.
If you can keep the 15 Psi after the puncture, Bridgestone run-flat tires are repairable.
I highly recommend checking the below pages out before making any purchase:
- TireRack Deals:
https://www.tirerack.com/specialoffers - SimpleTire Deals:
https://simpletire.com/tire-deals - Amazon Deals
- https://www.amazon.com/Tires-Discounts-Automotive-Wheels
All-Season Tires Cheat Sheet
My team & I have analyzed 100 different tires and generated this ‘Quick Answer Sheet‘ for those who don’t wanna spend too much time during tire selection.
Before we start, here are the incredibly helpful articles I highly recommend to take a look at;
- How to keep tire noise down:
https://www.tirerack.com/upgrade-garage/why-do-tire-tread-patterns-make-noise - Fuel-Efficiency:
https://www.tirerack.com/landing/fuel_efficiency - Traction/Stability control for AWD/4WD (All-Season tires specific)
https://www.tirerack.com/upgrade-garage/traction-stability-4ws-awd
Depending on your needs, the below article might help;
- https://tireterrain.com/best-all-weather-tires-for-snow/
- https://tireterrain.com/bridgestone-vs-michelin/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-michelin-tires-for-suv/
I highly recommend checking the below pages out before making any purchase:
- TireRack Deals:
https://www.tirerack.com/specialoffers - SimpleTire Deals:
https://simpletire.com/tire-deals - Amazon Deals
- https://www.amazon.com/Tires-Discounts-Automotive-Wheels
Table of Contents
Run-Flat Technology
I generally don’t talk about this kind of thing in my articles but this tire is special for me.
Bridgestone is the originator of run-flat tires. For this reason, as a former Bridgestone engineer, I can confidently say that they don’t want to stop being the best run-flat tire manufacturer.
I personally found run-flat tires a bit fragile because of their extra stiff sidewalls.
So, the fragile part is caused by the stiffness difference between the tire shoulders and sidewalls. When this difference is too much, this causes too much force at some specific locations and if anything hit that spot, you have a new flat tire. But, run-flat, lol.
In this case, manufacturers have to decide something. They can fix this issue by using stiff shoulder blocks and sacrificing some of the good on-road manners (road noise, smooth driving), or they can use fluffier shoulder blocks and make the tire open to any damage.
Of course, they choose the second option but this one is different.
It seems like Bridgestone is keeping up with the idea behind the run-flat tires. Safety. So, they use stiff shoulder blocks on this tire.
In my point of view, Bridgestone Drive Guard Plus is gonna be announced as the best run-flat tire soon. It’s not going to be the most smooth or quiet one, it’s gonna be the most durable and trustworthy one for sure.
Pro Tip: If you’d like to learn more about the difference between run-flat and regular tires, you can check this article out!
Handling
Since we’ve already talked about the stiff shoulder blocks, let’s move on with the handling.
Handling could be evaluated under two different dimensions. Steering response and cornering stability.
While the steering response is related to pattern design, regarding cornering stability, the stiff and durable shoulder blocks and sidewalls do most of the job.
Steering Response
Steering response generally is an issue of all-terrain or winter tires.
While winter tires offer slower steering response because of their fluffy compound, all-terrain tires have tons of void area on the tread, and this decrease the response time dramatically.
So, I think we all understand the crucial metrics out here. Stiff compound and compact tread.
The center rib on the tread plays a big role out here. Especially if the compound is soft. Luckily, Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus has 640UTQG which is a highly acceptable number for a decent steering response. In fact, the number is higher than most all-season tires in the market which means Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus has a stiff compound.
If I’ve to come back to the center rib, a continuous and relatively less siped center rib works best in this case. Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus has neither. Yet, its stiff compound and compact pattern do the work.
Since Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus is only available on V, W, and H speed rates, compound stiffness is way much more important than continuous center rib.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus provides a satisfying steering response.
Cornering Stability
I’ve never seen someone complaining about the cornering stability of the run-flat tires.
Cornering stability is related to strong and solid internal structures. In this case, stiff shoulders and thick sidewalls do the most work.
I’ve already talked about the stiff shoulder blocks, regarding thick sidewalls, run-flat tires have a thick sidewall because of their nature.
The robust shoulder section stays stable while cornering, besides that, its tread compound is also stiff enough.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus offers extremely stable cornering. I highly recommend this tire for aggressive drivers.
Wet Performance
The wet performance of all-season tires is generally good. But it is very important to divide the wet performance into two in this regard.
Hydroplaning resistance and wet traction.
While hydroplaning resistance is more important for aggressive drivers, wet traction is crucial if you have a bit softer driving habit.
Let’s analyze them one by one!
Wet Traction
Wet traction is mostly related to compound stiffness.
In this case, the best way to check this out is the UTQG rating.
UTQG rating has 3 digits numbers and two letters come after that. For instance, the UTQG rating of Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus is 640AA.
While 640 means that DriveGuard Plus lasts 6.4 times more than the test default tire, first A means it provides one of the best-wet traction. The second A means it resists heat perfectly. I’ll come back here in the longevity section.
So, according to my past experiences, if the tire has below 700 UTQG, it provides decent wet traction. But, this isn’t the only thing to take a look at.
When it comes to tread design, Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus is perfectly optimized. You can clearly see the full-depth sipes and notches. These notches and sipes increase the amount of biting edges and provide better traction on slippery ground.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus could be on your list if wet traction is your priority. It’s great in this case.
Hydroplaning Resistance
Hydroplaning resistance is the key to safe wet driving. It’s simply the water evacuation capability of the tires’ tread. If the tread holds the water inside, at one point, while wheeling, the tire loses connection to the surface and you feel this floating feeling. Especially, if you ever bread on puddles, you probably experience this.
Well, this metric is crucial. Especially for aggressive drivers because the chance of hydroplaning correlates with velocity.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus has a trustworthy design in this case. It has 4 circumferential grooves that throw the water out. Better than that, it has an open shoulder block design that increases the water evacuation capability.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus offers reliable hydroplaning resistance.
Winter Performance
The winter performance of all-season tires should be well analyzed.
Unlike most people think, these tires aren’t built for winter performance. In fact, they perform best above 7 Celcius (44.6 Fahrenheit) degrees.
This doesn’t mean these tires can’t perform on the snow but their maximum performance on the snow is average.
Still, dividing winter performance by three is the best way to analyze it.
Light-Snow Traction
Light-snow traction is the only metric you should look at if you’re going to buy all-season tires. I isolate all-weather tires in this case because all-weather tires are marked with 3PMSF which means their compound is resistant to cold weather. If you’d like to learn the difference between these two, I briefly talked about it in this article.
So, Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus doesn’t have a 3PMSF marking. Hence, the maximum performance you should expect from this tire is average.
Well, luckily, it provides one of the best light snow traction among the competitors.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus’s divided ribs (looks like ribs but it contains lugs) and open shoulder blocks provide enough biting edges for light snow traction. Hence, Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus is a trustworthy tire on light snow.
Deep-Snow Traction
All-season tires sometimes can handle deep snow. In this case, a bit aggressive pattern (lugged-type like Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus) works better.
In my point of view, tread depth is highly important regarding deep snow traction. Since Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus has a shallow tread, it has limited deep snow traction.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus doesn’t suitable for a long-range trip on the above 3-4” of snow. However, its C and E-shaped rib lugs create a good amount of horizontal and vertical biting edges.
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus can take you out of occasional snow but this isn’t a winter-dedicated tire. Limiting winter time usage is best for your safety.
Ice Traction
Due to its stiff compound, I don’t recommend using this tire on ice.
If you need ice or slush traction, you need a dedicated winter tire, at least an all-weather tire.
Riding Comfort
After the radial tires entered the market, the comfort of the tires increased to a high level. Indeed, it’s really hard to find a rough-ride tire on the market.
So, while reading this section, please keep in mind that the worst tire in the market is average regarding riding comfort.
Internal structure does most of the work in this case.
Regarding internal structure, Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus contains one nylon cap over the two-ply polyester casing. Hence, it absorbs the road forces very well. Besides that, it has relatively lower tread depth which is a huge advantage for a smooth driving experience.
I’m not going to say it’s the best one but for a run-flat tire, Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus offers insane riding comfort.
Road Noise
So, the robust shoulders I love are the disadvantage in this case.
The noise reduction of the tires is related to the center section void area. For the all-season tires, less void area means rib type pattern.
Well, Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus has a rib-type pattern but these ribs are divided into lugs. Moreover, as you can see its shoulder blocks are also dived into smaller blocks.
Due to its blocky pattern and robust shoulder blocks, Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus is a noisy tire in cold weather. The noise level will be acceptable in warm weather but below 7 Celcius degrees (at or below 40º F), I’m pretty sure you’ll need to turn up the volume of the radio a bit.
Longevity
Long-lasting isn’t a common feature for run-flat tires due to their heavier internal structure. So, expecting a long-lasting tread life is a bit of dreaminess.
Well, it has advantages and disadvantages in this case.
First of all, the tire has a blocky pattern which means it tends to wear unevenly. Yet, the stiff compound is an advantage in this case.
So, it has a stiff compound but it has tons of biting edges which creates too much force and the tire wears quickly. Besides, those run-flat tires are heavy tires. They wear faster than normal all-season tires.
I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be the strong contester between the run-flat all-season tires. Yet, if you prefer long-lasting rubber to safety, you better don’t prefer RFT (run-flat tires).
Fuel Efficiency
Fuel efficiency is similar to longevity.
In this case, a stiff compound provides lower rolling resistance. However, as I’ve mentioned above, the notched pattern needs more power to roll, hence, this feature decreases the fuel efficiency a bit.
If you’re buying a run-flat tire, I suppose you don’t care too much about MPG.
For those who care, I strongly believe that this tire is one of the most fuel-efficient run-flat tires on the market. Its compound is far away stiff compared to competitors.
Sizes
| 16” | 17” | 18” | 19” |
|---|---|---|---|
| 205/55R16 91V SL BSW 640 A A | 205/45R17 88W XL BSW 640 A A | 225/40R18 92W XL BSW 640 A A | 245/40R19 98W XL BSW 640 A A |
| 205/50R17 93V XL BSW 640 A A | 235/40R18 95W XL BSW 640 A A | 245/55R19 103H SL BSW 640 A A | |
| 205/55R17 91V SL BSW 640 A A | 235/55R18 100V SL BSW 500 A A | ||
| 215/45R17 91V XL BSW 640 A A | 245/45R18 96W SL BSW 640 A A | ||
| 215/50R17 95V XL BSW 640 A A | 255/35R18 94W XL BSW 640 A A | ||
| 215/55R17 94V SL BSW 640 A A | |||
| 225/45R17 91W SL BSW 640 A A | |||
| 225/55R17 97V SL BSW 640 A A | |||
| 225/65R17 102H SL BSW 640 A A | |||
| 235/65R17 104H SL BSW 640 A A | |||
| 255/40R17 94V SL BSW 640 A A |
Spec
| Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus Spec | |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | SUV, CUV, Sedan, Coupe |
| Available Sizes | 16”, 17”, 18”, 19” |
| Test Report | vs ComfortDrive & P7 AS Plus3 (May 23, 2022) |
| Made In | US, Mexico, Japan |
| Labels | None |
| Warranty | 65,000 miles |
| Prices | Check Price Section to See Possible Best Prices |
Conclusion
Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus is a jack of all trades but a master of wet driving and smooth riding.
This is rare because run-flat tires generally fail on one feature. Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus isn’t one of them.
| Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus | |
|---|---|
| Best for | Warm & squishy regions, durability-focused drivers, smooth driving |
| Pros | Jack of all trades, satisfying light-snow traction for a non-3PMSF tire, Repairable |
| Cons | Poor cold weather performance |
| Vehicle | SUV, CUV, Sedan, Coupe |
| Available Sizes | 16”, 17”, 18”, 19” |
| Test Report | vs ComfortDrive & P7 AS Plus3 (May 23, 2022) |
| Made In | US, Mexico, Japan |
| Labels | None |
| Warranty | 65,000 miles |
A quick check list,
- XL sizes tend to carry more load and offer better handling. Hence, they might be a better pick for bigger vehicles( XL vs SL tires)
- Please pay attention to the load index and speed index. These metrics are essential if you expect decent tread life
- There isn’t a bad tire in the market right now, you should just know what to expect from tires
I hope the article was helpful. If you need any further support, please leave a comment below section.
For those who prefer to see whole market analyze:
- https://tireterrain.com/best-all-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-all-terrain-tires-for-snow/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-1-2-ton-truck-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-3-4-ton-truck-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-rt-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-tires-for-snow-plowing/
- https://tireterrain.com/on-road-all-terrain-tires-highway/
A couple of popular size analyses:
- https://tireterrain.com/best-35x12-50r20-all-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-285-70r17-all-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-275-55r20-all-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-275-65r18-all-terrain-tires/
Want to learn more about all-terrain tires:
- https://tireterrain.com/highway-tires-vs-all-terrain-vs-mud-terrain/
- https://tireterrain.com/all-season-vs-all-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/tire-load-index-and-load-range/
- https://tireterrain.com/lt-tires-vs-passenger-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-good-for-daily-driving/
- https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-good-in-snow/
- https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-loud/
- https://tireterrain.com/how-long-do-all-terrain-tires-last/
- https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-good-in-rain/
- https://tireterrain.com/off-road-tire-pressure-load-range-for-every-rig/
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