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Winter Tire Review: Michelin X-Ice Xi3


JF1GG29

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Hey guys, I recently got the chance to put a set of brand new Michelin X-Ice Xi3s in 215/55-17 through their paces on my 07 Legacy. This tire is rated quite highly on Tire Rack, which was a big factor in my decision. I'll try to provide as much info as I can in this review.

 

Tire pressure: 37psi front, 35 psi rear

Tire size: 215/55-17

Wheel size: 17x8

Temperatures: 25F - 50F

Weather: Rain, freezing rain, sleet, wet snow, sunny

Road type: Interstate highways (plowed & unplowed), state highways (plowed & unplowed), mountain passes, secondary roads, urban roads with potholes

Road conditions: Wet & clear, less than 3" slush, 4"+ heavy snow, plowed over hardpack, mixed

Geographical locations: New England, NYC

 

Pros

These tires feel very much like a standard 'comfort' tire. There was not much road noise in dry conditions. It doesn't feel as if it would tuck and fold the way some winter tires do when cornering at speeds higher than you would when driving with your boss/mother-in-law/grandma/local LEO. Additionally, at higher temps, the tread material feels quite stable while at cold temps, the tread remains soft and pliable. The tire appeared to balance easily on the wheel. Grip in dry conditions is good compared to other winter tires. Grip in wet conditions is impressively good. They respond very, very well to progressive braking in wet, cold conditions with minimal snow and ice. Performance on packed snow seems good, though I did not get a chance to push the limits in these conditions.

 

Cons

I can't quite put my finger on it, but these tires seem to have problems evacuating slushy water, slush, and wet snow. Firstly, they audibly complain when driving over standing slush puddles, through slush, etc. by emitting a whirring sound. Secondly, they tend to hydroplane/skate over heavy, wet snow and slush over an inch or two, which really destroys confidence. I suspect the tread design -- closely spaced tread blocks -- is responsible for both the excellent dry/wet performance and the poor tracking in messy conditions.

 

Other notes

They are kind of pricey compared to General Altimax Arctics, which I think is the king of winter performance-per-dollar. The pricing is nearly on par with Bridgestone Blizzaks, which I regard as the wintertime standard. That said, while their day-to-day performance is quite good, I am disappointed with their performance in mixed, messy conditions. If I had a choice of tire to be caught in a blizzard with, I doubt it would be these. And there's the problem. I don't buy a winter tire for day-to-day livability. I put up with the downsides of a winter tire so that in really terrible, sloppy conditions on some unplowed or marginally plowed backroad somewhere, they will give me confidence while on the road and keep me out of an accident. I don't feel that they are up to that task. I do feel that they make a great tire for someone who rarely sees more than a couple of inches of snow at a time, but frequently experiences cold and wet conditions.

 

I am expecting to run these tires through the season and I'll update this if my opinions change or if I have anything to add. I also welcome discussion, critique, tips, comments, etc.

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I suspect the tread design -- closely spaced tread blocks -- is responsible for both the excellent dry/wet performance and the poor tracking in messy conditions.

Based on those pictures, I would have to agree.

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………….I can't quite put my finger on it, but these tires seem to have problems evacuating slushy water, slush, and wet snow. Firstly, they audibly complain when driving over standing slush puddles, through slush, etc. by emitting a whirring sound. Secondly, they tend to hydroplane/skate over heavy, wet snow and slush over an inch or two, which really destroys confidence. I suspect the tread design -- closely spaced tread blocks -- is responsible for both the excellent dry/wet performance and the poor tracking in messy conditions………………….

 

The Michelin Xi3 consistently comes out last, or next to last, in the instrumented 2-tire slush planing tests that are seen in some Russian and Scandinavian winter tire tests.

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The Michelin Xi3 consistently comes out last, or next to last, in the instrumented 2-tire slush planing tests that are seen in some Russian and Scandinavian winter tire tests.

 

Wish I had seen that before. I would not have purchased these tires, had I known. Slush is probably the condition I am concerned with the most.

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Your description of the Xi3 reminds me of the WS60 I had on a previous (FWD) car. They were quieter and more livable in everything, but slush and deep snow where I needed them the most. Good thing it didn't snow a lot the winters I had them. Maybe that's why the WS70 was created, which I'd buy now if I bought snows.
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  • 4 weeks later...

I put these tires on my 2014 F30 335i M Sport RWD Sport Auto Transmission this season. Best decision ever. The car and tires performed worlds better than my 2008 LGT 5EAT with Continental DWS. I went with the X-Ice Xi-3 because it is one of the very few studless winter tires that is H speed rated along with Low Rolling Resistance. Fuel mileage is roughly the same as my factory summer tires.

 

Here's my dash cam footage:

 

http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1076288

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hEWyG7ivPs

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We have used the General Altimax Artic for several years - we have already had slush, rain, and heavy snow - with great traction - in slush it is just good - our back roads have hard packed snow with slush in spots - on our budget they are the best for the price
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We have used the General Altimax Artic for several years - we have already had slush, rain, and heavy snow - with great traction - in slush it is just good - our back roads have hard packed snow with slush in spots - on our budget they are the best for the price

 

I'm actually a huge fan of the General Altimax Arctic. Very respectable performance in bad weather, deep snow, slush, etc. at a very reasonable price. If anyone asks me for a suggestion on winter tires, for my money, it's probably going to be the General Altimax Arctics. I had them on many different cars and they always do well.

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Not familiar with the 07 Spec. B but are those tire pressures a little high?

 

I've had the Blizzak ws80 on my nissan sentra and they were great! That car was garbage in the snow with all seasons.

 

I just recently picked up a set of Blizzak LM32 and they are not nearly as soft feeling as the ws80 and they don't seem to be as good in dry snow as the ws80. However, they feel better driving on dry roads and are great in the slush.

 

How much were the michelins?

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Yes, tire pressures are a bit high, I think it calls for 33psi F/R on the stock tires. In the winter, I tend to up the pressure a bit as I'm usually carrying more stuff and more people.

 

I haven't tried 33psi on these tires, but maybe I'll do that on my next trip. The Michelins were almost $700 shipped from Tire Rack for a set of four.

 

I really love the Blizzak WS-series. For me, they're what a classic winter tire is all about: really great deep snow performance, but they feel very 'floaty' on dry pavement.

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Marshmallow handling?

Describes General Altimax Arctic.

I've gotten used to them but was shocked at first. I haven't tried any others to compare them to.

I'm not disappointed with them. They're snow tires with deep tread and a "Q" speed rating. Expectations must be kept in check.

RIP 96 Legacy 2.2 4EAT lost reverse @ 374,000 miles
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I would trade dry handling for grip and evacuation in a winter tire in a heartbeat. It's easy to predict how a soft, floaty tire is going to behave in the dry and how to adjust your driving accordingly.

 

But, different people with different needs are going to prefer different tires! I think the Michelin X-Ice is probably best for people who see cold temps but infrequent snow, or in rural areas with consistently hard-packed, icy roads. But then again, if you live in an area with those conditions, you'll probably have studs or chains.

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Just to clarify my "marshmallow handling" comment. I was coming from Michelin Pilot Sport A/S+. Any snow/winter tire would have felt that way.

I was considering Nokian tires. That company specializes in winter tires. I settled on the General Altimax Arctic because of the price.

RIP 96 Legacy 2.2 4EAT lost reverse @ 374,000 miles
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Yeah, for the money, it's really tough to beat to the General Altimax Arctic.

 

I understand that they are an old Gislaved Nordfrost design. Gislaved is a Swedish tire manufacturer, so there's a Scandinavian feather for your cap!

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I put Nokian R2s on our van this winter. Total overkill for this area, but no matter what tire we put on there, it's likely that they will wear out from age before mileage, so I figured go big or go home. That and I wanted to give them a shot.

 

They've been great so far. Feel the same really (come on, it's a van), they're quiet, and in a bit of recent nasty snow where everyone was slipping backwards trying to get out of our neighborhood my wife was able to simply navigate past the fools and carry on. That's a good feeling when you have two kiddos in the car. That said, around here you need to worry more about the other drivers than yourself.

"Bullet-proof" your OEM TMIC! <<Buy your kit here>>

 

Not currently in stock :(

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I haven't had the chance to try the Nokian R2s or the Hakk 7/8s, but I hear only amazing things about them. They are spendy, though!……………….

 

This year I have read multiple reports of people getting great deals on Nokians from Discount Tire, at their stores and online. Prices are in line with Michelin and Blizzak.

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I haven't had the chance to try the Nokian R2s or the Hakk 7/8s, but I hear only amazing things about them. They are spendy, though! How do they hold up in warmer temps?

 

I've had RSi Nokians on my 05 LGT wagon from November-April for the last 10 years. Figure 50 months at 1200 miles/month and this is probably the last season. Only a few winters were really severe, but the good news is they survived potholes and never has a puncture. Great tires but like most people say Altimax Arctic are hard to beat. Next year I'll be looking at the Continentals too. Had a set of TS740s when Continental first introduced "thermogummi" and they were great as well.

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  • 1 month later...

http://youtu.be/KwXeRuY1g_4

 

Here's a video of my 2014 F30 335i M Sport RWD with Michelin X-Ice Xi3 winter tires going up 4-6" of unplowed/untreated heavy wet snow. This snow was originally 8-12" of powder but rain started coming down in the morning and it became very heavy snow.

 

You can see how the tracks coming up the incline never touched the pavement and yet there was no wheel spin.

 

Looks like RWD + snow tires is sufficient. They say that videos/pictures are worth a thousand words.

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