Tests 69 · 5 tests Owners 73 · 3 reviews
Best test result: #4 of 20 in 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test (snow traction)
Head-to-head
Updated
General Altimax Winter 3 vs Michelin X-Ice North 4 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Altimax Winter 3 leads, 71–69 Narrow edge
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Tests 73 · 13 tests Owners 65 · 11 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 5 in 2021 Test World Winter Studded Tire Test R17 (overall ranking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
64
Dry
X-Ice North 4 +670Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 59 80 Reviews found online 71 55 Dry Braking (% of best) 92% 92% -
71
Wet
Altimax Winter 3 +1160Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 69 58 Reviews found online 74 64 Wet Braking (% of best) 84% 70% Wet Handling (% of best) 94% 98% -
78
Snow
X-Ice North 4 +482Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 77 86 Reviews found online 80 75 Snow Braking (% of best) 95% 99% Snow Handling (% of best) 97% 99% Snow Traction (% of best) 97% 98% -
70
Comfort
X-Ice North 4 +272Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) – 76 Reviews found online 70 67 -
72
Noise
Altimax Winter 3 +1260Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 75 56 -
69
Treadwear
Altimax Winter 3 +168Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) 69 – Reviews found online 70 69 -
71
Handling
Altimax Winter 3 +863Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 X-Ice North 4 Reviews found online 71 63
Scores at a glance
| Category | General Altimax Winter 3 | Michelin X-Ice North 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 71 | 69 |
| Dry | 64 | 70 |
| Wet | 71 | 60 |
| Snow | 78 | 82 |
| Comfort | 70 | 72 |
| Noise | 72 | 60 |
| Treadwear | 69 | 68 |
| Handling | 71 | 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.
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Recomputed
Headline score
71
/ 100
Altimax Winter 3
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 | Altimax Winter 3 | X-Ice North 4 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 92% #17/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 92% #4/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test | −0.4 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 82% #14/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 96% #6/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 | −13.9 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 99% #5/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 96% #8/8 · 2021 Nordic Studded Winter Tyre Test | +2.6 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 3% #35/56 · 2022 Winter Tyre Market Overview | 100% #1/5 · 2021 Test World Winter Studded Tire Test R17 | −97.1 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 95% #14/35 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview | 99% #5/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | −3.8 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 97% #16/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 99% #2/8 · 2026 Vi Bilagare Studded Tyre Test | −2.4 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 97% #4/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 98% #8/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test | −1.3 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 90% #20/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 92% #8/8 · 2020 Studded Winter Tyre Test | −2.2 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 84% #22/48 · 2020 Winter Tyre Market Overview - 52 Tyre Braking Test | 70% #9/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | +14.2 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 94% #18/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 98% #6/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test | −4.1 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Altimax Winter 3
Pros
- Strong performance in snow and slush conditions
- Effective resistance to aquaplaning
- Competitive price-to-quality ratio
Cons
- Increased road noise at highway speeds
- Soft sidewalls resulting in vague handling and road feedback
- Mediocre emergency wet braking performance
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 · General Altimax Winter 3 | B · Michelin X-Ice North 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 38 | — |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 19″ | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
71
/ 100
General Altimax Winter 3
69
/ 100
Michelin X-Ice North 4
Winner: General Altimax Winter 3 — better noise, wet and handling. Pick the Michelin X-Ice North 4 if dry and snow matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
General Altimax Winter 3 scores 72 vs 60 on noise.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
General Altimax Winter 3 scores 71 vs 60 on wet.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
General Altimax Winter 3 scores 71 vs 63 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 70 vs 64 on dry.
Tire A · General Altimax Winter 3
Tire B · Michelin X-Ice North 4
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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.