GET YOUR DEDICATED SNOW TIRES NOW !!!

@m8547 has new Xice-Snow which is different from older Xice-Xi3. Xi3 is discontinued for the 195/65/15 size, I think. The tread pattern is quite more aggressive than Xi3. I have Xi3 that I used on my 2017 PP, and did not see any decrease in mpg or EV range compared to OEM Dunlap Enasave. Xi3 is also more comfortable and quieter than Enasave, but was a bit squishy ride on highway when the temp get above 50F.

 

X-Ice "Snow" is what they are calling the new version this year, replacing the xi3. The tread pattern is significantly different. I keep putting the name "snow" in quotes because I think it's stupid and hides the fact that it's a new product.

 

I think the new tire, with "snow" suffix, is on the right:



Info from Michelin:

MICHELIN® X-Ice® Family | Michelin Winter Tires | Ice & Snow Tires | Michelin Canada

 

Man, it's hard to keep up. The U.S. Michelin site shows that the Xi3 no longer comes in a size to fit the 15" Prius. X-Ice Snow is the latest & greatest.

A good rule of thumb when buying any tires is to look for the newest line of tires from all the top manufacturers. They leap frog each other bringing new technologies to market. I'll buy the best tires for my needs regardless of whether it's Michelin or Continental or Goodyear or Bridgestone or....

 

This year, I have not changed my 2020 PP's brand new Ecopia 422Plus with Xice3 yet. Well, the storm has passed now. After I clean up our driveway, it should be fine to drive it on a plowed and salted road.

 

Funny the topical ads you get:

 

Above are Continental Contact 7 in OEM 195/65-15 size and OEM wheels I picked up. I have Michelin, Nokian, Blizzaks. General Altimax and Continentals on my cars but I really like the Continentals. They are smooth riding, instill confidence driving and are value priced. The latest Blizzaks and new Michelin are probably great but they were much more expensive. Right now the Continentals might be the best tires for the money..

 

Yeah, Micheline has raised their price substantially in recent years. The last two sets of Xice Xi3 I purchased for Prius (both 195/65 15) were less than $50/tire installed after discount and rebates. Now their beloved Xice-Xi3 is replaced with more chunky block tread Xice-Snow and the price remains premium, I will be looking for a different brand/model for my next set. But that won't be at least two more years.

 

If they really last significantly longer than other brands, they might be worth a premium. They are the only winter tire with a mileage warranty (even though it's probably impossible to collect on the warranty).

I've had the new X-Ice "Snow" for a few months now, and I'm still not sure about them. I still get squirmy handling on the highway.

So far winter grip is fine, but nothing amazing. I haven't really tried to find the limits yet, but it doesn't feel a whole lot different than what I would expect from good all season tires. I thought the same thing about my Blizzak WS80s, and these are both supposed to be very good snow tires, so maybe my standards are just too high. My comparison is to my all wheel drive SUV with all seasons, so obviously a much different vehicle. I haven't driven the Prius with all seasons in any winter conditions.

And I'm not sure about durability. One day I accidentally spun one of the front wheels a bit, and for some time after that the same wheel would break free unexpected, even under medium acceleration on mostly dry pavement. I think I rounded over the corners of the biting edges which made the tire much more likely to lose traction. And I think the same thing (repeatedly) might have caused the early demise of my Blizzaks. But overall dry grip is much better than the Blizzaks.

They also seem to lose air pressure more quickly than other tires, and more than can be explained by changing temperature. I need to top them up more frequently (maybe once a month) to maintain the pressure I want (targeting around 40 PSI).

 

This aggregator site points to lots of studies and comparisons on snow tires. There is no one best tire or brand.

Tire Search & Aggregator Engine with Ratings, Reviews and Tests - TiresVote.com

My view is having fresh snow tires are the key.thing and I would rather buy a top 5 tire and change them more often than the top rated tire and keep them too long. So I look for top value tires and change them more often. Probably a wash or just slightly more expensive but I love the feel of fresh tires on a car.

 

Yeah, I can't say I have had enough sampling of snow tires (or any tires) to say which one is the best or worst. My first ever snow tires were no-name brand studded snow, I think it was Arctic Claw by MultiMile but not sure, on Civic (gaser), then another studded snow I believe General Altimax Arctic on HCH. Both of the tires compared to the all-season tires I had before are excellent on ice and packed snow. The problem was that they were so noisy and uncomfortable, not so good on fresh snow, maybe even worse than all-season tires on slush and rain. After a few years of them, I just could not stand the studded tires anymore. I drove my Gen3 and PP without snow tires for a couple of seasons when the OEM all-season LRR tires were new but changed to X-ice3 after two winters. The difference was substantial. There was no comparison on the secure feeling of having Xice3 when driving on the snow-covered roads. The other thing Xice3 shined was the quiet, comfortable, and no loss of mpg when used on dry pavement. Even though we get an average of over 100 inches of snow every winter, I don't go to the snowy mountains for skiing. Our roads get plowed very quickly and salted heavily. My chance of driving on snow-covered roads are maybe ~10 days out of a season. That means 170 days out of winter tire season (Nov to April), the Xice3 is excellent for my Gen3 and PP. Unfortunately, the car with the first set of Xice3 was totaled after only 9kmiles on them, and the second set with similar miles on them after two seasons which still have 9/32 treads left on them, are not being used this winter, so I don't know anything about the warrantied longevity of the Xice3. If I can find Xice3 at a bargain price two years from now, I may go for it, but I am not likely to pay the premium price on Xice-snow or even leftover Xice3.

 

I guess they’re phasing out x-ice, snow is replacement?? I’ll need new snows next fall, hope it’s all good...

 

Xice-Xi3 is no longer available in 195/65/15 size but other sizes are still being sold at the US Micheline site. I don't know if this means Xice-Xi3 is phasing out, but it is possible that Xice-snow is the replacement.

 

I looked at the site. I wonder where they are getting this tire... Michelin X-Ice North 4 Tire: rating, overview, videos, reviews, available sizes and specifications
I have not heard or seen studded Michelline snow tires anywhere. Are they sold outside of the US?

Edit: Doing a search I got this site. It seems to be for the Canadian market only?
Michelin Debuts X-Ice North 4, a Studed Tire for the Canadian Market

 

I had Michelin Xice-Xi3 size 195/65/15 in 2018 on my 2015 Prius and they were great. The New Continental Viking 7 for $89 with a $70 coupon is every bit as good in my opinion. The latest Michelin X-ice tires are going to be good but not at $130 or whatever they are going for they are not worth the premium..

 

Here's a Canadian review:

Testing the New Michelin X-Ice Snow at Circuit Mécaglisse – WHEELS.ca

I'd be interested in a bare road comparison; getting the sense that the snow version is a little looser in that condition? I know with our 195/65R15 X-Ice2 I barely notice a difference, swapping over from all-seasons (Michelin Primacy mxm4 215/45R17.

 

Yeah, I usually look for buy 3 and get 1 free offer from a local tire shop plus rebates. I was looking at Continental Viking earlier, but I did not need to buy a new set this year for sure. I have been interested in all-weather tires like Goodyear WeatherReady, Michelin CrossClimate, or Noki WG4 to wear all year round. No swapping tires, no TPMS to worry about, no new wheels to buy... even if they don't last as long as long life All-season, for my new car it may be cheaper in a long run.

 

"Consumer Reports" tested all-weather tires and found that while they have good snow traction, their ice traction isn't as good as real winter tires.

 

The tire selection is always a compromise. There is no best tire for all driving conditions. If I have to drive on ice and packed snow often enough, I will use studded tires. But I would regret having studded tires on 170 days out of our winter tire season. Studless snow tire is a compromise, but it still requires tire swap, TPMS worry, wheel purchase. Just keeping all-season year-round is also a compromise. I have taken that pass for many years. All-Weather tires are another level of compromise. The choice I have not picked yet.