Bridgestone's New Blizzak 6 Winter Tires Are Like Summer Tires for the Snow

• The Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, teaches the fundamentals of winter driving.
• Learning to drive on snow and ice is difficult but rewarding.
• Bridgestone's new Blizzak 6 winter tires offer better performance for cars like the Toyota GR Corolla.

Call me naïve, but I assumed the road and track driving skills I've honed for years would apply to any situation. But that all went out the window when I attended the Bridgestone Winter Driving School last month. I'm a California native, so while I've driven on snow, it's always been while using tire chains and at slow speeds in heavy traffic. And while my standard set of car control knowledge might be fine for those situations, when the speeds increase, it's a different story.

So, how do you push a car to its limits without spinning out like you're playing real-life Mario Kart? It's not rocket science, but it definitely takes practice. Thankfully, the Bridgestone Winter Driving School has a number of modules designed to teach you the do's and don'ts of spirited winter driving. The fact that you get to do some of it behind the wheel of a Toyota GR Corolla is only icing on the cake.

Learning the basics

I understand why some people might be apprehensive about driving on snow (I know I was), but if you pay attention and listen to the school's instructions, you'll end up having loads of fun. You'll start off with a classroom section before heading to Bridgestone's private track in beautiful Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The school uses a variety of Toyota vehicles, and each one is equipped with winter tires — Bridgestone Blizzaks. These Toyotas are otherwise bone stock, except for a nifty toggle switch that can deactivate the antilock braking system.

My first runs were cool laps — no pun intended — in a Toyota Highlander, mostly to just acclimate to driving on a snowy road. Nothing was particularly difficult at this point, with speeds kept below 20 mph. Even so, I could feel the lack of grip when making turns — a good reminder that you don't have to be driving fast to slip and slide on snow and ice.

From there, I learned how to accurately stop and modulate a vehicle's brakes in these conditions. I sped up to 25 mph while going uphill and then slammed on the brakes on the downhill section. This didn't just show me how Blizzaks help with sure-footedness on ice and snow; it made me realize that you have to add a lot time and distance to your braking inputs. Eventually, I completed the same exercises at speeds up to 38 mph. It was wild how just an extra 3 or 5 mph could require a significantly longer braking distance than the previous run. Deactivating the ABS via the toggle switch made things even more difficult; it's incredibly hard to stop and control a car if your wheels lock up on the snow.

After this, I hopped into a Toyota 4Runner and ran some rounds on Bridgestone's icy skidpad. This module made me feel even more like I was learning how to drive all over again; I had to abandon my usual habits of steering, braking and throttle inputs. Everything I'd typically do on dry surfaces wasn't effective here. Throttle, steering and braking action all had to be done separately or else I'd run the risk of losing control. Trust me: You will lose control if you panic and hit the brakes while steering and skidding.

Putting it all together and having some fun

The Toyota GR Corolla is a phenomenal car. I’ve driven it on the road and on Edmunds' test track, but never on snow. And now, I could combine what I'd learned earlier in the day to make the most of the Corolla's turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive. It was time to have some fun.

The GR Corolla rode on Bridgestone’s new Blizzak 6 tires, which are tailor-made for sporty cars so they feel nimble and agile in the snow without sacrificing grip. I drove both manual and automatic GR Corollas, and I'll admit that having to operate a clutch while managing throttle and braking inputs made things tricky. But even then, the Corolla was exceptional. Regardless of transmission, it was effective in changing directions on a dime, largely thanks to the helpful Blizzak 6 rubber. The GR was responsive and actually quite composed considering the lack of traction. It’s almost like it was made for this environment. Here, I could finally sync some of my throttle and steering inputs for maximum sideways action. I still had to be careful, but the GR Corolla and Blizzak 6 tires allowed me to easily hang the hatchback's rear end out through every single corner.

In the end, I learned that controlling a car on snow and ice isn't totally different from doing it on dry roads, but you have to be more decisive and plan your inputs a whole lot earlier. Learning to do all of this made me more confident in my winter driving abilities — whether I'm commuting on an icy surface or hanging the tail out and having some fun.