TJ & Michelin Talk X-IceSNOW/SNOW SUV | Tire Rack

[@Zeek800]

Put the XIce Snow tires on my wife’s Buick Encore AWD two winters ago. The snow, slush and ice performance was amazing.. Before last winter we had just put on a competitor’s All Weather tire and being a primarily city vehicle I decided to run those instead. The X Ice Snow tires are back as of last week because winter weather is near and my son will be driving the vehicle 143 kilometres ( 90? Miles Z) each way 4 times a month along one of the worst winter roads around. One non-winter thing I noticed was on the street in front of our house the road is made of 20x12 foot concrete slabs. Between those is a gap partially filled with rubber. This produces a “ thumpthump, thumpthump, thumpthump very noticeable noise and vibration with the previous original Continental Allseasons.The X Ice produces a just barely audible noise over those expansion joints. I thought the X Ice3 tires that I had on my 2017 Highlander were the best winter tires I’ve had in over 45 years. I have Michelin CrossClimate 2s on that ( they were great last winter) and will be on again this winter as they have since late May 2022. If I go back to All Season tires and winters from the end of October until late April, these X Ice Snows are going on this vehicle too.

[@tyrereviews]

Great video! The X-Ice Snow is a really strong winter tire :)

[@ragweedmakesmesneeze]

Interesting that the conversation started with a discussion of consumer reaction/decision-making regarding the appearance of a tire. I think the rest of the convo did a good job explaining that this is also a tire that actually performs well in snow and ice, but you do have to wonder if any sacrifices were made in performance due to aesthetic concerns. I mean for example, chunky off-road tires, I think we all know look really capable, and tough but actually perform TERRIBLY in snow and on ice. I look forward to your Tyre Reviews test of it!

[@nate7906]

@@ragweedmakesmesneeze I agree. I wonder the compromises in performance for the more aggressive look. I don't care how the tire contact patch looks. I just want the best possible snow and ice traction. Leave the looks department for the sidewall of the tire. The sidewall on the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S looks amazing. Some versions of the Pilot Sport 4S (like the ones that come OEM on the F95 generation X5 M have even cooler looks than the normal Pilot Sport 4S.

[@ddbear8786]

@@ragweedmakesmesneeze The competition among different brands is fierce. I doubt that any compromises were made, and still lead the competition in grip. That is the true test. Probably what they did is to decide between aesthetic factors that are neutral in performance.

[@jatindersinghwinnipegcanada]

I live in manitoba where it's bitterly cold and snows like crazy. I am buying these this week and picking these over Blizzak and Continental tru contact. Am I making the right choice? Thanks

[@brandtharen]

I've been very happy with my X-Ice XI3s that I have on a couple of cars. By the time I replace those I'll be looking at X-Ice Snow or a future tire in that line based on how things are progressing positively.

[@marksullivan3424]

Great video guys! After driving on the stock Dueller AT Tires that came with my Sierra Denali pickup last winter, I just ordered a set of X-Ice snow. Looking forward to this winter driving up here in Northern Ontario Canada

[@lfsracer79]

I have 2 year old (9/32 left) X-Ice Xi3s on one car and X-Ice Snows on another. The Snows are quite impressive.

[@smokesgtp]

Almost identical situation here. I loved the Xi3's and I like these even more. Slightly quieter and better deep snow traction.

[@93ChayZ]

I have been running X Ice Xi3’s for 5 years now this winter I live in the PNW of Western WA, the first 3 years i slapped those babies on around December and id take them off around March, the 2020 winter i put them on and left them on through sunmer!!! till present time now! The reason why i did that was i will be trading my 16’ WRX in soon for an Audi so i will be getting new snow tires for that car, I drive about 500 miles total over 7 days to work and then my off week, i still have tread left today. 👁👄👁 they are almost to the wear bars now, even with my hard abuse of accelerating and driving my car hard, they have really lasted!!! Well worth the 600$ i spent on them, i will most likely be buying the new X Ice Snow’s for my Audi when the time comes as they look like a FANTASTIC tire. ❤️

[@KingdomAuto]

Very interesting that a factor in tire design is the visual layout and shape of the tread pattern in the eye of the consumer. Never would have guessed that although it does make sense. Thanks for the in depth explanation of these tires. Just purchased a set for our family van!

[@EthanWainland]

seems like it is going to be neck and neck with the Blizzak WS90. Can't wait for the testing results

[@SCraig-Handsome]

It seems that Blizzak is the name for Winter Tires in North America, I’m not sure why, in Europe they have more extensive testing and the tests that have been performed Blizzak has been one of the worst. They also don’t last either, I noticed that Tire Rack tests on Ice at small hockey arenas whereas manufacturer and publications in Europe use race tracks. Test World in Finland even has an indoor track for each test category, Dry, Wet, Snow and Ice. I’ve found Continental and Pirelli to be among the leaders in every category and every Tire type. Michelin is right there with them. Nokian is solid especially with Winter and the Japanese/Korean companies are definitely better options than Bridgestone. It’s a competitive industry and it’s not local anymore, it’s Global. The best tires are not necessarily US-based companies either

[@internalharm]

Just got my x-ice snow, 40k warranty! Wow. I always love Michelin. Have a defender and loved it. My other suv have climate 2 which works really good but not as good as all winter tires.

[@triscuitbiscuit]

Just got my X-Ice Snows from you guys. It's excellent so far!

[@RobertLeBlancPhoto]

I love the Xi3 that are on my 2018 Audi S3 right now and I'm looking forward to trying the XiSnow in a few years. After 3 winters, there's still plenty of tread left on my Xi3.

[@marcusb754]

I had the same tires and they are literally only good on ice. If you live in an area that gets lots of snow buy yourself the BlizzakWs90 and you will thank me later.

[@jlousy1901]

I was turned off from my experience from the snow performance from the 1st gen X-Ice... gone through several different brands and my last was Bridgestone WS80's... which were great until the last season. These new Snows are leaps and bounds better then the 1st gens and if it does what they say over the long run... you might have me loyal to the Xi-Ice Snows for years to come! Great performance, quiet, smooth and priced very well

[@tirerack]

Thank you for sharing your experience with us!

[@smokesgtp]

When will we see some test data and comparisons?

[@johnfr2389]

So the new X-Ice is improved on *all* aspects compared to previous version : snow, ice, breaking, acceleration, handling, hydroplaning, slush, wear, fuel efficiency ? Looks (almost) too good to be true!

[@internalharm]

Plus the thread goes all the way down to the wear bar with 40k warranty. Just got mine today!!!

[@justthehedricks7445]

This is a good video but can tire rack actually test it cause it's un tested on the website as of now.

[@goofyfuhh]

Got these for my 2021 Tesla model 3 duel motor getting them installed next week I hope there as good as they say

[@tirerack]

We hope you enjoy them!

[@tigergreg8]

What was your experience with the tires on the Model 3?

[@johnfr2389]

But what if I'm interested to get the best (deep) snow tire for my compact SUV, even if noise, handling and ice traction is not the best in class. What tire should I get? -- I need to take the road every morning, snow storm or not. Non-studded tires only.

[@BC-sr3gg]

For deeper snow you want agressive tread winter tire such as firestone stud tire without stud it. However I don’t think it‘s a good trade for a hair more traction in deeper snow but massive decrease in packed snow and ice compare to a premium studless tire.

[@Kenny3332]

I live in Canada and love Michelin product. And I had set of summer tires " Defender " . This X-Ice Snow Tire. is good for minivan "Odyssey " . not just SUV.

[@ddbear8786]

Same here, I have the Defender LTX for summer and now the X-Ice Snow for winter.

[@tigergreg8]

You 2 bought some of the best tires on the market. Smart buys for sure.

[@traktion9]

Imagine a winter tire that works down to the wear bars, what a concept. Review was a little scripted at least in Farell's head but good info I had mine installed recently so far so good.

[@smokesgtp]

Yeah, it's amazing it's just now happening. I'm happy with them so far.

[@jessec8499]

So far. . . Rarely see any assessment of tires after a couple or more years. My 2016 x-ice dramatically deteriorated in performance by third year especially on ice. They had less than 20,000 km on them. Western Canada.

[@scarlettbutterfly8022]

Yup I heard that.

[@billyhw5492]

My Xi3's lasted longer than my summer all-seasons, and without the same degradation in performance.

[@jarvisjones9530]

Now that Spring has arrived, would this be a good time to take off the Michelin X-Ice Xi3 Winter Tires? Or should I Wait A Few More Weeks Before Taking Them off My Car? Because of the Special Compound, I was told it's not good to have these Tires On All Year Long. Is That Correct? Thanks in Advance For Your Response.

[@tirerack]

Great questions! You are correct winter tires do have special compounds and are not meant to be worn as all-seasons. If the temperatures are warming up to be above 45 degrees Fahrenheit (consistently), it's time to switch to summer tires. If the temperatures are dropping below 45 degrees, it's time to switch to winter tires. Please let us know if you have any additional questions.

[@jarvisjones9530]

@@tirerack Thanks for the Kind Response. Have a great Day!!!☺

[@alex99398]

Interesting they lead in with 'Appearance as the X-Ice Snow now does "look" like a winter tire (closer to the Hakka R3 tires on my SUV) whereas the X-Ice 2 that I had looked more like an all-season. I'm sure these new X-ice Snow tires perform a LOT better than the X-Ice snow tires I had that were surprisingly AWFUL (I'm a big Michelin fan, but these were sub-par in all respects)

[@aljawalaljawal2]

What is the name and type of tire that absorbs most road shocks in the world, regardless of its price

[@mookiew3051]

Maybe I missed it, but is this a replacement for the Xi3 or will they be sold in parallel, with the Xi3 having an edge in dry road handling and the "snow" focused on ice/snow?

[@BC-sr3gg]

nope they are both ice tires very soft compound. For handling om dry road you can choose performance winter/snow category

[@mookiew3051]

@@BC-sr3gg so it's a replacement for the Xi3?

[@MTKClassy]

@@mookiew3051 yes, it the replacement. X-Ice 3 are not made anymore

[@ethanshenk2058]

Is there no difference between snow and snow suv or is there a difference

[@g60corrado91]

Taking an educated guess, the differences are probably speed ratings, sizes offered, and load ratings. Especially for SUV’s made to tow.

[@alex99398]

I'm a fan of Michelin AS and summer tires. So I bought the Michelin X-Ice 2 winters brand new and they were staight up TRASH...slipping and sliding in 1 inch of snow. Completely shocked. Sold them a couple of months later at a huge loss. Ended up buying the Nokian Hakkapelitta R3 SUV and 1,000x better than the Michies. Sure, the Xice3 might have been a bit better and the Xice Snow FINALLY look better, but I'm sticking with Nokians for now. The new Hakka R5 are actually not as good as the R3s from what I'm hearing anecdotally...

[@yodo6414]

Need to test these tires on a older suv without traction control, abs and AWD. The newer cars can do well in snow with the cheapest of tires, sue to the advancements of technology

[@JoeWebb-zb2tu]

😊 that's a good

[@marcusb754]

Thank the Lord finally you have decided to start making a tire that is good on snow. Sorry but Bridgestone is hands down the best winter tire. Sorry but you are way to late to the party. Blizzaks for life!!!!

[@tirerack]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.

[@alex99398]

Enjoy your Blizzaks and sure they're great. But many have commented that they are really loud in the dry, don't have great rolling resistance and lack durability. I'd take my Nokian Hakkas against your Blizzaks for all-around performance all day, any day..

[@tigergreg8]

It would be interested to have either one of you run a set of X ice snow's and do a comparison. I had Blizzaks and they were ok, and they were on a 4Runner. I'm going to try the X ice Snow's and see what they'll do on my CRV this year.

[@Gwilfawe]

Michelin doesn't source stearic acid from animals, and they have even better longevity than tires that do. Relatively ethical. Definitely effective. I'll probably never buy another tire brand unless they stop using animal products and start making quality like Michelin.

[@DomiNate_1]

Useless buzzwords...

[@thewirah1]

Don't buy this tire. The Xi3s are much better. One of my new X-ice tires barely kissed a curb at slow speed and it left surprisingly deep slashes into the side wall. The X-ice are just way too soft. The older Xi3s that I have on my other car have hit plenty of curbs over the years and there is barely a mark on them.

[@tirerack]

We're so sorry to hear you're not a fan of these! Next time you're in need of a new set, please reach out. We'd be happy to help you find another option that may better suit your needs.

[@nate7906]

Why would you hit so many curbs. Learn how to drive.

[@davidcampbell1899]

@@nate7906 yea, he was driving to fast!

[@tigergreg8]

Your comment made me literally LOL. @@nate7906 I can't stop laughing.