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Head-to-head Updated

BFGoodrich gForce Winter vs Michelin X-Ice North 4 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 13 road tests and 20 + 12 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: gForce Winter and X-Ice North 4 are level at 75.

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Michelin X-Ice North 4
Tire BMichelin

X-Ice North 4

Winter

± 5

Tests 74 · 13 tests Owners 75 · 12 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (ice traction)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 73

    Dry

    X-Ice North 4 +3
    76
    Why this score
    SourcegForce WinterX-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 71 (est.)81
    Reviews found online7670

    gForce Winter: 60% × 71.3 (est.) + 40% × 76.2 = 73

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 80.8 + 40% × 69.8 = 76

    No road tests of dry for gForce Winter. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 77

    Wet

    gForce Winter +12
    65
    Why this score
    SourcegForce WinterX-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 12 tests≈ 75 (est.)60
    Reviews found online7974

    gForce Winter: 60% × 75.3 (est.) + 40% × 79.1 = 77

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 59.6 + 40% × 74 = 65

    No road tests of wet for gForce Winter. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 77

    Snow

    X-Ice North 4 +6
    83
    Why this score
    SourcegForce WinterX-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 11 tests≈ 74 (est.)87
    Reviews found online8277

    gForce Winter: 60% × 74.3 (est.) + 40% × 82.3 = 77

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 87.1 + 40% × 77.4 = 83

    No road tests of snow for gForce Winter. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 74

    Comfort

    X-Ice North 4 +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourcegForce WinterX-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 70 (est.)76
    Reviews found online7674

    gForce Winter: 40% × 70.1 (est.) + 60% × 75.8 = 74

    X-Ice North 4: 40% × 76 + 60% × 74 = 75

    No road tests of comfort for gForce Winter. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    60
    Why this score
    SourcegForce WinterX-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests–55
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 55.4 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 60

    No owner ratings of noise for X-Ice North 4. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 72

    Treadwear

    X-Ice North 4 +2
    74
    Why this score
    SourcegForce WinterX-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7579

    gForce Winter: 60% × 69.6 (est.) + 40% × 75.1 = 72

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 78.8 = 74

    No road tests of treadwear for gForce Winter. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for X-Ice North 4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 76

    Handling (owners)

    X-Ice North 4 +1
    77
    Why this score
    SourcegForce WinterX-Ice North 4
    Reviews found online7677
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    60
    Why this score
    SourcegForce WinterX-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–60
Scores at a glance
CategoryBFGoodrich gForce WinterMichelin X-Ice North 4
Relative Score 75 75
Dry 73 76
Wet 77 65
Snow 77 83
Comfort 74 75
Noise – 60
Treadwear 72 74
Handling (owners) 76 77
Efficiency – 60

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

gForce Winter

± 5

X-Ice North 4

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategorygForce WinterX-Ice North 4ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #13/13 2016 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 225/45 R17 #3/6 2027 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A gForce Winter

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in snow and icy conditions
  • High value-for-money ratio compared to premium competitors
  • Strong performance in cold, wet, and slushy environments

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can lead to vague steering feedback and a 'wobbly' feel on dry pavement
  • Increased noise levels reported by some users
  • Inconsistent long-term durability, with reports of premature deformation or wear
All owner themes in the gForce Winter review

Tire B X-Ice North 4

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and traction on ice and snow
  • Significantly lower road noise compared to competing studded tires
  • Comfortable ride quality

Cons

  • Premature stud loss reported by some users over multiple seasons
  • Slightly slippery feel on rain and dry concrete
  • Light studs can struggle to penetrate loose snow sitting on top of hard ice
All owner themes in the X-Ice North 4 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · BFGoodrich gForce Winter B · Michelin X-Ice North 4
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4—
Rim diameters13″ – 16″—

Which one should you actually buy?

BFGoodrich gForce Winter

Michelin X-Ice North 4

Too close to call: BFGoodrich gForce Winter and Michelin X-Ice North 4 are within 2 points overall. BFGoodrich gForce Winter is stronger on wet. Michelin X-Ice North 4 is stronger on snow and dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

BFGoodrich gForce Winter scores 77 vs 65 on wet.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 83 vs 77 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 76 vs 73 on dry.

Tire A · BFGoodrich gForce Winter
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Tire B · Michelin X-Ice North 4
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gForce Winter or X-Ice North 4?

Which is better in the wet, gForce Winter or X-Ice North 4?

BFGoodrich gForce Winter, 77 vs 65 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, gForce Winter or X-Ice North 4?

Michelin X-Ice North 4, 76 vs 73 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, gForce Winter or X-Ice North 4?

Michelin X-Ice North 4, 83 vs 77 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, gForce Winter or X-Ice North 4?

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 75 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, gForce Winter or X-Ice North 4?

Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 74 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology