My Michelin X Ice 3 Review

The stock all season tires on my car were terrible in the snow. Our city doesn’t plow the streets enough, so we needed tires for deep snow. We chose Michelin tires because they are a well-known brand and I didn’t want cheap tires. The following is my Michelin X Ice 3 review after three winters of use.

I hate winter driving but I can’t avoid it. I can, however, make life easier for myself.  While getting ready for the snowy season I shopped for some new tires.

Michelin X Ice 3 Review and Real World Test

Vehicle and tire size used during test

The tires are used on a front wheel drive 2011 Mazda 2 hatchback at the recommended air pressure. The car has traction control and is always on. Tire size is 185/55R15 on both the front and back. I own the Michelin X-Ice 3 Xi3 tire model and used them during three winter seasons. Tread depth was 11/32nds of an inch new.

Driving conditions

We live in the great white north in western Canada in the province of Saskatchewan. We do get a lot of snow here at times with an average of 6 to 8 inches.¹ Most of our driving is done in the city with flat roads. I don’t have to drive on very many steep hills.

The city will occasionally put sand on the roads for traction. The majority of the ice we encounter is at intersections where tires are more likely to spin.

The real world test

I had the tires put on just in time for the first heavy snowfall. We had about 6 to 7 inches of snow the day of the first real test.

The side street beside work didn’t get plowed yet, so I took that road home. The year before I had the stock all season tires and it was a nightmare in deep snow.

My Michelin X Ice tires had no problem getting through deep snow. I did still get the occasional spinning from a standstill but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the all-season tires. Driving on steep intersections from a stop has been easier with some tire spin. I don’t think you can ever stop spin unless you have studded tires.

Road noise was good with the X Ice tires and I didn’t notice an increase. When I bought the tires road noise was a concern, but I am happy. Ride comfort is good and I hadn’t noticed a big change compared to my all season tires.

Did I ever get stuck?

Yes, I did get stuck once. I was parked in front of the house and the snow was about a foot deep. I did get the car out after shoveling and lots of forward and reverse driving. Now if I had the all-season tires on I would have been screwed.

Would I buy them again?

I plan on it when the time comes for replacements.