Tests 55 · 5 tests Owners 63 · 3 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 17 in 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 (exterior noise)
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Blizzak Ice vs Michelin X-Ice North 4 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
X-Ice North 4 is ahead, 69–60
Add your size for an exact match
/R
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Tests 74 · 13 tests Owners 65 · 11 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.
-
68
Dry
X-Ice North 4 +371Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 70 81 Reviews found online 64 55 Dry Braking (% of best) 96% 92% -
49
Wet
X-Ice North 4 +1160Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 36 58 Reviews found online 68 64 Longitudinal Aquaplaning (% of best) 80% 94% Wet Braking (% of best) 77% 77% Wet Handling (% of best) 60% 93% -
49
Snow
X-Ice North 4 +3382Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 46 86 Reviews found online 52 75 Snow Braking (% of best) 80% 99% Snow Handling (% of best) 99% 99% Snow Traction (% of best) 95% 98% -
68
Comfort
X-Ice North 4 +472Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 70 76 Reviews found online 64 67 -
77
Noise
Blizzak Ice +1760Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 84 56 Exterior Noise (% of best) 100% 96% -
65
Treadwear
X-Ice North 4 +368Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice X-Ice North 4 Reviews found online 65 69 -
63
Handling
Level63Why this score
Source Blizzak Ice X-Ice North 4 Reviews found online 63 63
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Blizzak Ice | Michelin X-Ice North 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 60 | 69 |
| Dry | 68 | 71 |
| Wet | 49 | 60 |
| Snow | 49 | 82 |
| Comfort | 68 | 72 |
| Noise | 77 | 60 |
| Treadwear | 65 | 68 |
| Handling | 63 | 63 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
60
/ 100
Blizzak Ice
69
/ 100
X-Ice North 4
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Blizzak Ice | X-Ice North 4 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 96% #11/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 92% #4/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test | +3.9 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 95% #8/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 96% #6/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 | −0.7 | Different tests |
| Fuel Consumption | Fuel | 92% #8/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test | 93% #15/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | −1.1 | Different tests |
| Ice Braking | Ice | 70% #8/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 94% #3/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | −23.8 | Different tests |
| Ice Handling | Ice | 94% #6/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 98% #4/8 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Studded Tyre Test | −4.9 | Different tests |
| Ice Traction | Ice | 50% #13/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 100% #1/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | −50.0 | Different tests |
| Exterior Noise | Noise | 100% #1/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 96% #3/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 | +4.2 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 100% #1/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test | 96% #8/8 · 2021 Nordic Studded Winter Tyre Test | +4.0 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 43% #7/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 46% #15/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | −3.1 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 0% #5/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 78% #5/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | −77.8 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 80% #8/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 99% #4/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | −19.2 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 99% #5/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test | 99% #5/8 · 2024 Studded Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 95% #17/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 98% #6/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | −3.1 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 84% #8/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 92% #8/8 · 2020 Studded Winter Tyre Test | −8.2 | Different tests |
| Subj. Comfort | Subj | 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 50% #13/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test | +50.0 | Different tests |
| Subj. Dry Handling | Subj | 40% #6/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/8 · 2024 Studded Tyre Test | −60.0 | Different tests |
| Subj. Noise | Subj | 60% #5/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/8 · 2020 Studded Winter Tyre Test | −40.0 | Different tests |
| Subj. Wet Handling | Subj | 60% #18/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 70% #5/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | −10.0 | Same test |
| Longitudinal Aquaplaning | Wet | 80% #2/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 94% #4/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 | −13.5 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 77% #17/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 77% #15/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | −0.7 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 60% #19/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 93% #15/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test | −32.5 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Blizzak Ice
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Blizzak Ice | B · Michelin X-Ice North 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 60 | — |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 19″ | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
60
/ 100
Bridgestone Blizzak Ice
69
/ 100
Michelin X-Ice North 4
Winner: Michelin X-Ice North 4 — better snow, wet and comfort. Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak Ice if noise matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 82 vs 49 on snow.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Bridgestone Blizzak Ice scores 77 vs 60 on noise.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 60 vs 49 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 72 vs 68 on comfort.
Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak Ice
Tire B · Michelin X-Ice North 4
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
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.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.