Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 74 · 13 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 10 in 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test (wet braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Cooper WeatherMaster WSC 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 13 + 12 owner reviews. How we score
X-Ice North 4 leads, 75–72 Narrow edge
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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.
-
70
Dry
X-Ice North 4 +676Why this score
Source WeatherMaster WSC X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 10 tests 69 81 Reviews found online 71 70 WeatherMaster WSC: 60% × 69.4 + 40% × 70.9 = 70
X-Ice North 4: 60% × 80.8 + 40% × 69.8 = 76
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78
Wet
WeatherMaster WSC +1365Why this score
Source WeatherMaster WSC X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 12 tests 77 60 Reviews found online 78 74 WeatherMaster WSC: 60% × 77.2 + 40% × 78.4 = 78
X-Ice North 4: 60% × 59.6 + 40% × 74 = 65
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70
Snow
X-Ice North 4 +1383Why this score
Source WeatherMaster WSC X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 11 tests 67 87 Reviews found online 75 77 WeatherMaster WSC: 60% × 67 + 40% × 75.1 = 70
X-Ice North 4: 60% × 87.1 + 40% × 77.4 = 83
-
67
Comfort
X-Ice North 4 +875Why this score
Source WeatherMaster WSC X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests ≈ 68 (est.) 76 Reviews found online 66 74 WeatherMaster WSC: 40% × 68.2 (est.) + 60% × 66.4 = 67
X-Ice North 4: 40% × 76 + 60% × 74 = 75
No road tests of comfort for WeatherMaster WSC. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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–
Noise
No comparison60Why this score
Source WeatherMaster WSC X-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.
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71
Treadwear
X-Ice North 4 +374Why this score
Source WeatherMaster WSC X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 74 79 WeatherMaster WSC: 60% × 69.2 (est.) + 40% × 74 = 71
X-Ice North 4: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 78.8 = 74
No road tests of treadwear for WeatherMaster WSC. 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).
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71
Handling (owners)
X-Ice North 4 +677Why this score
Source WeatherMaster WSC X-Ice North 4 Reviews found online 71 77 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison60Why this score
Source WeatherMaster WSC X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests – 60
Scores at a glance
| Category | Cooper WeatherMaster WSC | Michelin X-Ice North 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 75 |
| Dry | 70 | 76 |
| Wet | 78 | 65 |
| Snow | 70 | 83 |
| Comfort | 67 | 75 |
| Noise | – | 60 |
| Treadwear | 71 | 74 |
| Handling (owners) | 71 | 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
72
/ 100
WeatherMaster WSC
75
/ 100
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.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Cooper WeatherMaster WSC finished ahead 0 times and Michelin X-Ice North 4 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | WeatherMaster WSC | X-Ice North 4 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 97% #6/10 · 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test | 95% #6/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 96% #2/10 · 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test | 92% #7/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Ice Braking | Snow | 69% #9/10 · 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test | 82% #4/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 98% #5/10 · 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test | 99% #5/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #11/9 | #1/9 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Autofil Studdable Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A WeatherMaster WSC
Pros
- Exceptional traction and grip in deep snow, packed snow, and slush
- Strong performance on ice, especially when studded
- Great value and reasonable price point compared to competing brands
Cons
- Increased road noise, particularly as temperatures rise
- Stiffer ride quality that can transmit more road bumps into the cabin
- Reduced performance, increased squirm, and accelerated wear when driven in warm summer or dry conditions
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 · Cooper WeatherMaster WSC | B · Michelin X-Ice North 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Cooper WeatherMaster WSC
75
/ 100
Michelin X-Ice North 4
Narrow edge: Michelin X-Ice North 4 — better snow, comfort and dry. Pick the Cooper WeatherMaster WSC if wet matters most to you. Cooper WeatherMaster WSC rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 13 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Cooper WeatherMaster WSC scores 78 vs 65 on wet.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 83 vs 70 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 75 vs 67 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 76 vs 70 on dry.
Tire A · Cooper WeatherMaster WSC
Tire B · Michelin X-Ice North 4
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WeatherMaster WSC or X-Ice North 4?
Which is better in the wet, WeatherMaster WSC or X-Ice North 4?
Cooper WeatherMaster WSC, 78 vs 65 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, WeatherMaster WSC or X-Ice North 4?
Michelin X-Ice North 4, 76 vs 70 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, WeatherMaster WSC or X-Ice North 4?
Michelin X-Ice North 4, 83 vs 70 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, WeatherMaster WSC or X-Ice North 4?
Michelin X-Ice North 4, 75 vs 67 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, WeatherMaster WSC or X-Ice North 4?
Michelin X-Ice North 4, 74 vs 71 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