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General Altimax Arctic 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. Based on 0 + 13 road tests and 32 + 11 owner reviews. How we score

X-Ice North 4 is ahead, 70–59

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Michelin X-Ice North 4
Tire BMichelin

X-Ice North 4

Winter

Tests 74 · 13 tests Owners 66 · 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.

  1. 57

    Dry

    X-Ice North 4 +14
    71
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticX-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 61 (est.)81
    Reviews found online5156

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.5 = 57

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 80.5 + 40% × 55.6 = 71

    No road tests of dry for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 62

    Wet

    Altimax Arctic +1
    61
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticX-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 12 tests≈ 64 (est.)59
    Reviews found online6063

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 58.6 + 40% × 63.4 = 61

    No road tests of wet for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 59

    Snow

    X-Ice North 4 +23
    82
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticX-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 11 tests≈ 64 (est.)86
    Reviews found online5275

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 51.6 = 59

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 86.4 + 40% × 74.8 = 82

    No road tests of snow for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 60

    Comfort

    X-Ice North 4 +12
    72
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticX-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 66 (est.)76
    Reviews found online5167

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 50.8 = 60

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 66.8 = 72

    No road tests of comfort for Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 62

    Noise

    Altimax Arctic +2
    60
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticX-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 67 (est.)55
    Reviews found online54≈ 67 (est.)

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 62

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 55.4 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 60

    No road tests of noise for Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

    No owner ratings of noise for X-Ice North 4. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 57

    Treadwear

    X-Ice North 4 +11
    68
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticX-Ice North 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online5069

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.1 = 57

    X-Ice North 4: 60% × 66.7 (est.) + 40% × 69 = 68

    No road tests of treadwear for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

    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 0.31).

  7. 49

    Handling (owners)

    X-Ice North 4 +14
    63
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticX-Ice North 4
    Reviews found online4963
Scores at a glance
CategoryGeneral Altimax ArcticMichelin X-Ice North 4
Relative Score 59 70
Dry 57 71
Wet 62 61
Snow 59 82
Comfort 60 72
Noise 62 60
Treadwear 57 68
Handling (owners) 49 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 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.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Altimax Arctic

X-Ice North 4

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Altimax Arctic

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and ice
  • High value and affordable price point compared to premium competitors
  • Reliable wet and dry handling during cold weather months

Cons

  • Handling and responsiveness drop off compared to dedicated summer or all-season tires
  • Some users report accelerated wear once the tire reaches 50% tread life
  • Minor tendencies toward understeer during hard cornering
All owner themes in the Altimax Arctic 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 · General Altimax Arctic B · Michelin X-Ice North 4
CategoryWinter Touring tiresWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

General Altimax Arctic

Michelin X-Ice North 4

Winner: Michelin X-Ice North 4 — better snow, dry and handling. Where the General Altimax Arctic is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 82 vs 59 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 71 vs 57 on dry.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 63 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 72 vs 60 on comfort.

Tire A · General Altimax Arctic
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Tire B · Michelin X-Ice North 4
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Altimax Arctic or X-Ice North 4?

Which is better in the wet, Altimax Arctic or X-Ice North 4?

Neither, by our numbers: 62 vs 61 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Altimax Arctic or X-Ice North 4?

Michelin X-Ice North 4, 71 vs 57 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Altimax Arctic or X-Ice North 4?

Michelin X-Ice North 4, 82 vs 59 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Altimax Arctic or X-Ice North 4?

Neither, by our numbers: 62 vs 60 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Altimax Arctic or X-Ice North 4?

Michelin X-Ice North 4, 72 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Altimax Arctic or X-Ice North 4?

Michelin X-Ice North 4, 68 vs 57 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