Tests 81 · 19 tests Owners 81 · 35 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (wear)
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Alpin 6 vs Michelin X-Ice Xi3 — 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 19 + 0 road tests and 35 + 14 owner reviews. How we score
Alpin 6 is ahead, 81–66
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Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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77
Dry
Alpin 6 +1364Why this score
Source Alpin 6 X-Ice Xi3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 15 / – tests 74 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 82 62 Alpin 6: 60% × 74.1 + 40% × 81.5 = 77
X-Ice Xi3: 60% × 65.5 (est.) + 40% × 62.1 = 64
No road tests of dry for X-Ice Xi3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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89
Wet
Alpin 6 +2267Why this score
Source Alpin 6 X-Ice Xi3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / – tests 90 ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 87 66 Alpin 6: 60% × 90.1 + 40% × 86.8 = 89
X-Ice Xi3: 60% × 68.2 (est.) + 40% × 66.1 = 67
No road tests of wet for X-Ice Xi3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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75
Snow
Alpin 6 +669Why this score
Source Alpin 6 X-Ice Xi3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / – tests 76 ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 73 67 Alpin 6: 60% × 76.4 + 40% × 73.4 = 75
X-Ice Xi3: 60% × 69.4 (est.) + 40% × 67.2 = 69
No road tests of snow for X-Ice Xi3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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82
Comfort
Alpin 6 +1765Why this score
Source Alpin 6 X-Ice Xi3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests 84 ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 81 64 Alpin 6: 40% × 84.1 + 60% × 81.4 = 82
X-Ice Xi3: 40% × 67.7 (est.) + 60% × 63.8 = 65
No road tests of comfort for X-Ice Xi3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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60
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Alpin 6 X-Ice Xi3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / – tests 56 – Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) – Alpin 6: 60% × 55.6 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 60
No owner ratings of noise for Alpin 6. 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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85
Treadwear
Alpin 6 +1966Why this score
Source Alpin 6 X-Ice Xi3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests 89 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 80 66 Alpin 6: 60% × 88.9 + 40% × 80.2 = 85
X-Ice Xi3: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 65.6 = 66
No road tests of treadwear for X-Ice Xi3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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81
Handling (owners)
Alpin 6 +2556Why this score
Source Alpin 6 X-Ice Xi3 Reviews found online 81 56 -
64
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Alpin 6 X-Ice Xi3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 15 / – tests 64 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Alpin 6 | Michelin X-Ice Xi3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 81 | 66 |
| Dry | 77 | 64 |
| Wet | 89 | 67 |
| Snow | 75 | 69 |
| Comfort | 82 | 65 |
| Noise | 60 | – |
| Treadwear | 85 | 66 |
| Handling (owners) | 81 | 56 |
| Efficiency | 64 | – |
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
81
/ 100
Alpin 6
66
/ 100
X-Ice Xi3
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, Michelin Alpin 6 finished ahead 1 times and Michelin X-Ice Xi3 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | Alpin 6 | X-Ice Xi3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #7/16 | #11/16 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Teknikens Värld Large Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/50R17 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Alpin 6
Pros
- Exceptional wet and dry road grip in cold temperatures
- High levels of ride comfort and low cabin noise
- Impressive tread life and long-term durability
Cons
- Inconsistent performance in deep snow and on ice
- Some reports of sluggish steering feedback or 'soft' sidewall feel
- Higher price point compared to some performance-oriented winter alternatives
Tire B X-Ice Xi3
Pros
- Exceptionally quiet and comfortable ride quality
- Long-lasting treadwear and durability over multiple seasons
- Good stability and grip on dry pavement and cold winter roads
Cons
- Squirmy feel and delayed, sluggish steering response on dry and wet roads
- Lacks cornering grip and confidence during sharp turns
- Performs poorly in heavy mountain snow, wet ice, and milder above-freezing temperatures
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Alpin 6 | B · Michelin X-Ice Xi3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 42 | 37 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 20″ | 14″ – 20″ |
| Sizes in common | 9 | 9 |
Which one should you actually buy?
81
/ 100
Michelin Alpin 6
66
/ 100
Michelin X-Ice Xi3
Winner: Michelin Alpin 6 — better handling, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin X-Ice Xi3 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Alpin 6 scores 81 vs 56 on handling.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Alpin 6 scores 89 vs 67 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Alpin 6 scores 85 vs 66 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Alpin 6 scores 82 vs 65 on comfort.
Tire A · Michelin Alpin 6
Tire B · Michelin X-Ice Xi3
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Alpin 6 or X-Ice Xi3?
Which is better in the wet, Alpin 6 or X-Ice Xi3?
Michelin Alpin 6, 89 vs 67 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Alpin 6 or X-Ice Xi3?
Michelin Alpin 6, 77 vs 64 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Alpin 6 or X-Ice Xi3?
Michelin Alpin 6, 75 vs 69 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Alpin 6 or X-Ice Xi3?
Michelin Alpin 6, 82 vs 65 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Alpin 6 or X-Ice Xi3?
Michelin Alpin 6, 85 vs 66 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