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Head-to-head Updated

General Altimax Winter 3 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 5 + 13 road tests and 3 + 20 owner reviews. How we score

X Ice Snow leads, 73–71 Narrow edge

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General Altimax Winter 3
Tire AGeneral

Altimax Winter 3

Winter

± 8

Tests 69 · 5 tests Owners 73 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #4 of 20 in 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test (snow traction)

Michelin X Ice Snow
Tire BMichelin

X Ice Snow

Winter

± 5

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.

  1. 64

    Dry

    X Ice Snow +3
    67
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Winter 3X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 11 tests5965
    Reviews found online7271

    Altimax Winter 3: 60% × 58.7 + 40% × 71.5 = 64

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 70.7 = 67

  2. 71

    Wet

    Level
    71
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Winter 3X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 12 tests6965
    Reviews found online7479

    Altimax Winter 3: 60% × 69.4 + 40% × 74.4 = 71

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 79.2 = 71

  3. 78

    Snow

    Altimax Winter 3 +2
    76
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Winter 3X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 12 tests7873
    Reviews found online7781

    Altimax Winter 3: 60% × 77.7 + 40% × 77.3 = 78

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 81.1 = 76

  4. 69

    Comfort

    X Ice Snow +11
    80
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Winter 3X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 69 (est.)81
    Reviews found online6979

    Altimax Winter 3: 40% × 68.6 (est.) + 60% × 68.6 = 69

    X Ice Snow: 40% × 81 + 60% × 78.8 = 80

    No road tests of comfort for Altimax Winter 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 72

    Noise

    X Ice Snow +3
    75
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Winter 3X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 8 tests7681
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    Altimax Winter 3: 60% × 75.7 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 72

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 80.5 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 75

    No owner ratings of noise for Altimax Winter 3 or 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.

  6. 70

    Treadwear

    X Ice Snow +6
    76
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Winter 3X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests69≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7181

    Altimax Winter 3: 60% × 68.9 + 40% × 70.6 = 70

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 81.4 = 76

    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).

  7. 72

    Handling (owners)

    X Ice Snow +3
    75
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Winter 3X Ice Snow
    Reviews found online7275
  8. 65

    Efficiency

    X Ice Snow +12
    77
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Winter 3X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 6 tests6577
Scores at a glance
CategoryGeneral Altimax Winter 3Michelin X Ice Snow
Relative Score 71 73
Dry 64 67
Wet 71 71
Snow 78 76
Comfort 69 80
Noise 72 75
Treadwear 70 76
Handling (owners) 72 75
Efficiency 65 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
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Important
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Less important
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Less important
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Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Not important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Altimax Winter 3

± 5

X Ice Snow

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.

DisciplineCategoryAltimax Winter 3X Ice SnowΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 92% #17/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 81% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 97% #17/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 92% #4/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 90% #20/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 75% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 86% #36/56 · 2022 Winter Tyre Market Overview 72% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 94% #18/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 95% #6/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 95% #14/35 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview 69% #6/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 97% #16/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 86% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 97% #4/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 96% #6/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Noise Noise 99% #5/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 99% #7/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 82% #14/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance 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 #35/56 2022 Winter Tyre Market Overview #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 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
All owner themes in the Altimax Winter 3 review

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
All owner themes in the X Ice Snow review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · General Altimax Winter 3 B · Michelin X Ice Snow
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available38100
Rim diameters13″ – 19″13″ – 21″
Sizes in common2929

Which one should you actually buy?

General Altimax Winter 3

Michelin X Ice Snow

Narrow edge: Michelin X Ice Snow — better efficiency, comfort and treadwear. Where the General Altimax Winter 3 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Michelin X Ice Snow scores 77 vs 65 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin X Ice Snow scores 80 vs 69 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin X Ice Snow scores 76 vs 70 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin X Ice Snow scores 67 vs 64 on dry.

Tire A · General Altimax Winter 3
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Tire B · Michelin X Ice Snow
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Altimax Winter 3 or X Ice Snow?

Which is better in the wet, Altimax Winter 3 or X Ice Snow?

Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 71 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Altimax Winter 3 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin X Ice Snow, 67 vs 64 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Altimax Winter 3 or X Ice Snow?

Neither, by our numbers: 78 vs 76 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Altimax Winter 3 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin X Ice Snow, 75 vs 72 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Altimax Winter 3 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin X Ice Snow, 80 vs 69 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Altimax Winter 3 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin X Ice Snow, 76 vs 70 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Altimax Winter 3 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin X Ice Snow, 77 vs 65 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