Michelin X Ice Snow - Test Results

Test Statistics

13

Tests Completed

4^th

Average Position

1^st

Best Result

8^th

Worst Result

Performance Analysis

Michelin X-Ice Snow delivers a strong Nordic-winter focus with consistently excellent ice performance and competitive snow results, balanced by class-leading comfort and very good rolling resistance/fuel economy. Across 13 tests it averages a top-4 placing, including two test wins/firsts (2022/23, 2021 AS comparison), and frequent top results on ice (multiple 1st places) and strong snow braking/handling placings. Subjective comfort/noise is repeatedly praised.
However, wet and dry asphalt performance is the recurring weakness: several tests show bottom-tier wet braking/handling and mediocre dry braking, which suppresses overall scores in mixed-condition comparisons. Aquaplaning is usually mid-pack to good, but outright wet grip deficits and some handling abruptness are noted.

Performance Strengths

Ice Performance Strong Details
• 1st place ice braking and ice traction in 2024 Vi Bilägare (Ice Braking 10.69 m, Ice Traction 7.53 s)
• 1st place ice braking and ice traction in 2023 Vi Bilägare (Ice Braking 12.09 m, Ice Traction 7.32 s)
• Top tier ice handling/subjective in 2022/23 Tire Reviews (Ice Handling 2nd, Subj. Ice Handling 1st)
• 2nd place ice braking in 2025 Tire Reviews (+14.3% from best)
Snow Performance Moderate Details
• Snow braking/handling near the leaders in 2020 Test World (Snow Braking 2/20, Snow Handling 3/20)
• Top-4 cluster in 2025 Tire Reviews (Snow Braking 3/7, Snow Handling 4/7, all within ~2%)
• 1st across all snow tests in 2021 AS vs PS4S vs A/S4 (1/3)
Comfort and NVH Strong Details
• Maximum 10/10 comfort/noise in 2025 Teknikens Värld (1/20)
• High subjective comfort in 2022/23 Tire Reviews (Subj. Comfort 95 pts, 4/8)
Efficiency (Rolling Resistance/Fuel) Strong Details
• Lowest rolling resistance in 2020 Vi Bilägare (1/8, 5.89 kg/t)
• Rolling resistance 1/9 in 2022/23 Tire Reviews (7.25 kg/t)
• Fuel consumption 1/20 in 2025 Teknikens Värld
Aquaplaning Resistance Moderate Details
• Straight aquaplaning 2/8 (65 km/h) in 2023 Vi Bilägare
• Straight and curved aquaplaning 2/8 and 2/8 in 2022/23 Tire Reviews
Overall Competitiveness/Awards Moderate Details
• Overall 1/9 in 2022/23 Tire Reviews
• Overall 1/3 in 2021 AS comparison
• Average overall position 3.9 across 13 tests

Performance Weaknesses

Wet Braking and Wet Handling Strong Details
• Last place wet braking 14/14 in 2025 Tekniikan Maailma (+19.8%)
• Wet braking/handling 6/6 in 2025 Tire Reviews (Braking +38.3%, Handling +13.6%)
• Wet braking 15/20 (+30%) in 2020 Test World; 14/16 (+24.9%) in 2021 Tire Reviews
Dry Braking and Dry Handling Moderate Details
• Dry braking 6/6 (+12%) and subjective dry handling 6/6 (+22.9%) in 2025 Tire Reviews
• Dry braking 10/14 (+4.5%) and subjective dry 11/14 in 2025 Tekniikan Maailma
• Dry braking 16/20 (+7.6%) in 2020 Test World
Ice/Snow Consistency vs. Leaders Minor Details
• Snow traction 14/14 in 2025 Tekniikan Maailma (+5.2%) despite good snow braking (5/14)
• Ice handling mid-pack: 5/8 in 2024 Vi Bilägare and 6/8 in 2023 Vi Bilägare despite 1st in ice braking/traction
Noise Variability Minor Details
• Noise 7/8 in 2024 Vi Bilägare (+0.8 dB) vs. 10/10 comfort/noise in 2025 Teknikens Värld
• Noise 7/8 in 2023 Vi Bilägare (+1.1 dB)

Performance Over Time

Test History

of 20

2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tire Test

2025
Winner: Continental VikingContact 8

The Michelin X-Ice Snow continues to deliver mediocre ice performance, which simply isn't good enough for a tire in this category. While the tire made improvements this year compared to last year's...

Strong:
Subj. Comfort, Fuel Consumption

View Test

of 7

The Best Snow Tires for 2025/26 Satisfactory

2025
Winner: Continental VikingContact 8

The Michelin X-Ice Snow finishing fourth by a small margin was not on my bingo card at the start of this test, but data is data. It was strong overall in ice and not too far off the top 3 in the sn...

Strong:
Ice Braking, Ice Traction

Weak:
Dry Braking, Dry Handling, Subj. Dry Handling, Subj. Wet Handling, Wet Braking, Wet Circle, Wet Handling

View Test

of 14

2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tire Test

2025
Winner: Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10

The Michelin X-Ice Snow offers top-notch braking grip on ice, but its drivability is hindered by weaker lateral grip, causing the front tires to lose traction quickly during fast maneuvers. It reac...

Strong:
Subj. Noise

Weak:
Snow Traction, Wet Braking

View Test

of 8

2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tire Test

2024
Winner: Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3

The Michelin X-Ice Snow finished fourth, standing out with excellent braking performance across all conditions despite being one of the harder tires in the test and the only Nordic winter tire rate...

Strong:
Ice Braking, Ice Traction

Weak:
Noise

View Test

of 17

The Best Studded / Friction Winter Tires for 2024

2024
Winner: Pirelli Ice Zero 2

The Michelin X-Ice Snow, a Nordic non-studded tire, disappointed in this test. Its ice grip was significantly lower than expected for its category, and it showed the worst wet braking performance i...

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of 8

2023 Studless Friction Winter Tire Test

2023
Winner: Continental VikingContact 7

The French friction tire has impressive longitudinal winter grip – that is, acceleration and braking. It has the best stopping distance on ice in the test, and the braking performance on snow als...

Strong:
Ice Braking, Ice Traction, Snow Braking, Straight Aqua, Wet Braking

Weak:
Noise, Dry Braking, Fuel Consumption

View Test

of 8

2023 Studless vs Studded Snow Tire Test

2023
Winner: Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3

Ice and Snow: Safe driving behavior on snow, very good steering on snow, general grip level on ice is good; Wet Conditions: Excellent extreme situation behavior, good steering on dry surfaces, und...

Weak:
Ice Traction, Wet Braking, Wet Handling

View Test

of 9

2022/23 Tire Reviews Studless Winter Tire Test Winner

2022

The Michelin couldn't quite match the Continental in the dry, but was essentially the same in the wet and had the best hydroplaning resistance of all the tires on test. It was a few percent behind ...

Strong:
Ice Braking, Ice Handling, Subj. Ice Handling, Subj. Snow Handling, Rolling Resistance, Curved Aquaplaning, Straight Aqua, Subj. Wet Handling

View Test

of 3

Michelin Pilot Sport 4S vs Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 vs Michelin X-Ice Snow

2021

Unsurprisingly, the Michelin X-Ice Snow extreme winter tire dominated the snow testing. The most impressive quality of the tire was just how rounded the performance was on snow, with a near flawles...

Strong:
Snow Braking, Snow Handling, Snow Traction

View Test

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