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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 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 1 + 13 road tests and 21 + 12 owner reviews. How we score

X-Ice North 4 is ahead, 74–68

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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
    SourceBlizzak WS90X-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 10 tests8581
    Reviews found online5470

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 84.9 + 40% × 54.1 = 73

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

  2. 67

    Wet

    Blizzak WS90 +2
    65
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90X-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 12 tests6660
    Reviews found online6974

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 65.6 + 40% × 68.5 = 67

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

  3. 73

    Snow

    X-Ice North 4 +10
    83
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90X-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 11 tests6987
    Reviews found online7977

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 68.9 + 40% × 78.5 = 73

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

  4. 61

    Comfort

    X-Ice North 4 +14
    75
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90X-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 4 tests6976
    Reviews found online5574

    Blizzak WS90: 40% × 68.8 + 60% × 55.2 = 61

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

  5. 63

    Noise

    Blizzak WS90 +3
    60
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90X-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 10 tests7055
    Reviews found online51≈ 66 (est.)

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 70.4 + 40% × 51.1 = 63

    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. 61

    Treadwear

    X-Ice North 4 +13
    74
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90X-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online5879

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 63.4 (est.) + 40% × 57.8 = 61

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

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak WS90. 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. 62

    Handling (owners)

    X-Ice North 4 +15
    77
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90X-Ice North 4
    Reviews found online6277
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    60
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90X-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests–60
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak WS90Michelin X-Ice North 4
Relative Score 68 74
Dry 73 76
Wet 67 65
Snow 73 83
Comfort 61 75
Noise 63 60
Treadwear 61 74
Handling (owners) 62 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
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
± 7

Blizzak WS90

± 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.

DisciplineCategoryBlizzak WS90X-Ice North 4ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 90% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 95% #6/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 79% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 92% #7/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 81% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 97% #8/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Ice Braking Snow 100% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 82% #4/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Ice Traction Snow 100% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 80% #3/8 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 70% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 85% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 99% #2/8 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling (tester's mark) Snow 55% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 90% #17/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 94% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 50% #13/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise (tester's mark) Noise 91% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 60% #5/8 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Studded Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Road Rating (tester's mark) Other 79% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 60% #13/18 · 2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #8/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test #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 Blizzak WS90

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and acceleration on ice and hard-packed snow
  • Excellent braking performance in hazardous winter conditions
  • Strong capability in slush and deep snow

Cons

  • Increased road noise during highway driving
  • Less responsive or 'softer' handling feel on dry pavement
  • Potential for minor rubbing depending on vehicle fitment
All owner themes in the Blizzak WS90 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 · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 B · Michelin X-Ice North 4
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available45—
Rim diameters15″ – 19″—
Tread depth11/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Michelin X-Ice North 4

Winner: Michelin X-Ice North 4 — better handling, comfort and treadwear. Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 77 vs 62 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 75 vs 61 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 74 vs 61 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 83 vs 73 on snow.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
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Tire B · Michelin X-Ice North 4
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Blizzak WS90 or X-Ice North 4?

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak WS90 or X-Ice North 4?

Neither, by our numbers: 67 vs 65 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak WS90 or X-Ice North 4?

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

Which is better in snow, Blizzak WS90 or X-Ice North 4?

Michelin X-Ice North 4, 83 vs 73 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Blizzak WS90 or X-Ice North 4?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 63 vs 60 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak WS90 or X-Ice North 4?

Michelin X-Ice North 4, 75 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Blizzak WS90 or X-Ice North 4?

Michelin X-Ice North 4, 74 vs 61 on our treadwear score.

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