Tests 73 · 2 tests Owners 68 · 2 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test (snow braking)
Continental IceContact 2 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental IceContact 2 vs Michelin X Ice Snow — 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 2 + 13 road tests and 2 + 20 owner reviews. How we score
X Ice Snow leads, 73–70 Narrow edge
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 70 · 13 tests Owners 78 · 20 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test (comfort (tester's mark))
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
69
Dry
IceContact 2 +267Why this score
Source IceContact 2 X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 11 tests 71 65 Reviews found online 66 71 IceContact 2: 60% × 71.5 + 40% × 65.8 = 69
X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 70.7 = 67
-
71
Wet
Level71Why this score
Source IceContact 2 X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 12 tests 70 65 Reviews found online 72 79 IceContact 2: 60% × 70.4 + 40% × 71.6 = 71
X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 79.2 = 71
-
76
Snow
Level76Why this score
Source IceContact 2 X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 12 tests 78 73 Reviews found online 73 81 IceContact 2: 60% × 77.9 + 40% × 72.7 = 76
X Ice Snow: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 81.2 = 76
-
64
Comfort
X Ice Snow +1680Why this score
Source IceContact 2 X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 81 Reviews found online 62 79 IceContact 2: 40% × 67.3 (est.) + 60% × 61.9 = 64
X Ice Snow: 40% × 80.8 + 60% × 78.7 = 80
No road tests of comfort for IceContact 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
-
–
Noise
No comparison75Why this score
Source IceContact 2 X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests – 80 Reviews found online – ≈ 66 (est.) X Ice Snow: 60% × 80.2 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 75
No owner ratings of noise for X Ice Snow. 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.
-
65
Treadwear
X Ice Snow +1176Why this score
Source IceContact 2 X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 65 81 IceContact 2: 60% × 65.8 (est.) + 40% × 64.5 = 65
X Ice Snow: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 81.4 = 76
No road tests of treadwear for IceContact 2. 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 Snow. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
69
Handling (owners)
X Ice Snow +574Why this score
Source IceContact 2 X Ice Snow Reviews found online 69 74 -
63
Efficiency
X Ice Snow +1477Why this score
Source IceContact 2 X Ice Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 6 tests 63 77
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental IceContact 2 | Michelin X Ice Snow |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 70 | 73 |
| Dry | 69 | 67 |
| Wet | 71 | 71 |
| Snow | 76 | 76 |
| Comfort | 64 | 80 |
| Noise | – | 75 |
| Treadwear | 65 | 76 |
| Handling (owners) | 69 | 74 |
| Efficiency | 63 | 77 |
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
Recomputed
Headline score
70
/ 100
IceContact 2
73
/ 100
X Ice Snow
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.
| Discipline | Category | IceContact 2 | X Ice Snow | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 100% #1/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 81% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 99% #2/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 72% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Ice Braking | Snow | 100% #1/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 98% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Ice Handling | Snow | 99% #2/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 95% #5/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Ice Traction | Snow | 100% #2/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 99% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 97% #5/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 69% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 100% #1/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 86% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 95% #4/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 96% #6/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 90% #8/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 97% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #5/5 2021 Test World Winter Studded Tire Test R17 | #7/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A IceContact 2
Pros
- Excellent traction on snow and ice-covered surfaces
- Surprisingly comfortable and quiet ride for a studded tire
- Reliable handling and stability in severe winter conditions
Cons
- Increased road noise when driving on dry or clean pavement
- Noticeable degradation in ice grip performance after two seasons of use
- Requires precise tire pressure maintenance to ensure optimal wet-weather handling
Tire B X Ice Snow
Pros
- Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, packed snow, and slush
- High confidence and predictable handling on icy and freezing roads
- Impressive tread wear longevity and minimal wear over multiple seasons
Cons
- Average performance on dry and wet pavement compared to dedicated non-winter tires
- Slightly noisier on dry pavement as the tread wears down
- Can feel slightly twitchy at the limit or less comfortable than older X-Ice generations
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental IceContact 2 | B · Michelin X Ice Snow |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 100 |
| Rim diameters | — | 13″ – 21″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
70
/ 100
Continental IceContact 2
73
/ 100
Michelin X Ice Snow
Narrow edge: Michelin X Ice Snow — better comfort, efficiency and treadwear. Where the Continental IceContact 2 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 80 vs 64 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want lower fuel or energy use
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 77 vs 63 on efficiency.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 76 vs 65 on treadwear.
Tire A · Continental IceContact 2
Tire B · Michelin X Ice Snow
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
IceContact 2 or X Ice Snow?
Which is better in the wet, IceContact 2 or X Ice Snow?
Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 71 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Which grips better on dry roads, IceContact 2 or X Ice Snow?
Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 67 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is better in snow, IceContact 2 or X Ice Snow?
Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 76 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, IceContact 2 or X Ice Snow?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 80 vs 64 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, IceContact 2 or X Ice Snow?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 76 vs 65 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, IceContact 2 or X Ice Snow?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 77 vs 63 on our efficiency 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