Tests 68 · 2 tests Owners 76 · 4 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test (snow traction)
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV vs Pirelli Ice Friction — 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 2 + 3 road tests and 4 + 4 owner reviews. How we score
Ice Friction is ahead, 79–72
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Tests 76 · 3 tests Owners 85 · 4 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test (snow handling (tester's mark))
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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72
Dry
Ice Friction +1183Why this score
Source X-Ice Snow SUV Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 1 tests 70 81 Reviews found online 74 85 Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 93% 100% Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 60% 100% X-Ice Snow SUV: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 73.7 = 72
Ice Friction: 60% × 81 + 40% × 85 = 83
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67
Wet
Ice Friction +976Why this score
Source X-Ice Snow SUV Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 3 tests 57 70 Reviews found online 80 86 Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 92% 100% Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 88% 95% Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 96% 99% X-Ice Snow SUV: 60% × 57.4 + 40% × 80.3 = 67
Ice Friction: 60% × 69.8 + 40% × 86.3 = 76
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76
Snow
Ice Friction +581Why this score
Source X-Ice Snow SUV Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 2 tests 73 80 Reviews found online 81 82 Ice Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 96% 96% Ice Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 99% 96% Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 99% 100% Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 100% 100% X-Ice Snow SUV: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 80.7 = 76
Ice Friction: 60% × 79.5 + 40% × 82.3 = 81
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74
Comfort
Ice Friction +1084Why this score
Source X-Ice Snow SUV Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests ≈ 70 (est.) 86 Reviews found online 77 83 X-Ice Snow SUV: 40% × 70.3 (est.) + 60% × 76.9 = 74
Ice Friction: 40% × 86.1 + 60% × 82.5 = 84
No road tests of comfort for X-Ice Snow SUV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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73
Noise
X-Ice Snow SUV +1261Why this score
Source X-Ice Snow SUV Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 1 tests 77 57 Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 100% 98% X-Ice Snow SUV: 60% × 76.9 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 73
Ice Friction: 60% × 57.3 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 61
No owner ratings of noise for X-Ice Snow SUV or Ice Friction. 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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70
Treadwear
Ice Friction +878Why this score
Source X-Ice Snow SUV Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 73 (est.) Reviews found online 72 85 X-Ice Snow SUV: 60% × 68.6 (est.) + 40% × 72.2 = 70
Ice Friction: 60% × 73.1 (est.) + 40% × 84.8 = 78
No road tests of treadwear for X-Ice Snow SUV. 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 Ice Friction. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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73
Handling (owners)
Ice Friction +1487Why this score
Source X-Ice Snow SUV Ice Friction Reviews found online 73 87 -
73
Efficiency
X-Ice Snow SUV +1063Why this score
Source X-Ice Snow SUV Ice Friction Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 2 tests 73 63 Fuel Consumption (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 98% 98%
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV | Pirelli Ice Friction |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 79 |
| Dry | 72 | 83 |
| Wet | 67 | 76 |
| Snow | 76 | 81 |
| Comfort | 74 | 84 |
| Noise | 73 | 61 |
| Treadwear | 70 | 78 |
| Handling (owners) | 73 | 87 |
| Efficiency | 73 | 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.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
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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
72
/ 100
X-Ice Snow SUV
79
/ 100
Ice Friction
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 X-Ice Snow SUV finished ahead 0 times and Pirelli Ice Friction 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | X-Ice Snow SUV | Ice Friction | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 93% | 100% | −7.2 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 60% | 100% | −40.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 92% | 100% | −7.8 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 88% | 95% | −7.1 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 96% | 99% | −3.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Ice Handling | Snow | 96% | 96% | −0.1 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Ice Traction | Snow | 99% | 96% | +3.1 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 99% | 100% | −1.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 100% | 100% | −0.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Noise | Noise | 100% | 98% | +2.3 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Fuel Consumption | Efficiency | 98% | 98% | +0.7 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #5/8 | #2/8 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 Friction Winter Tyre Test · 235/60 R18 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A X-Ice Snow SUV
Pros
- Outstanding traction on snow and ice
- Remarkably low road noise for a winter tire
- Excellent ride comfort
Cons
- Unsuitable for year-round use due to soft compound in warm temperatures
- Reduced handling precision compared to dedicated summer tires
Tire B Ice Friction
Pros
- Exceptional traction and predictable handling on snow and ice
- High level of steering feedback and control during slides
- Impressively quiet and smooth ride quality
Cons
- Ice grip, while excellent for a studless tire, does not fully match the absolute performance of dedicated studded tires
- Limited long-term data available regarding tread wear rates
- Higher price point compared to budget-tier winter tire options
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV | B · Pirelli Ice Friction |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 90 | 51 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 22″ | 15″ – 20″ |
| Sizes in common | 26 | 26 |
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV
79
/ 100
Pirelli Ice Friction
Winner: Pirelli Ice Friction — better handling, dry and comfort. Pick the Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV if noise and efficiency matter most to you.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Pirelli Ice Friction scores 87 vs 73 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV scores 73 vs 61 on noise.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Pirelli Ice Friction scores 83 vs 72 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want lower fuel or energy use
Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV scores 73 vs 63 on efficiency.
Tire A · Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV
Tire B · Pirelli Ice Friction
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X-Ice Snow SUV or Ice Friction?
Which is better in the wet, X-Ice Snow SUV or Ice Friction?
Pirelli Ice Friction, 76 vs 67 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, X-Ice Snow SUV or Ice Friction?
Pirelli Ice Friction, 83 vs 72 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, X-Ice Snow SUV or Ice Friction?
Pirelli Ice Friction, 81 vs 76 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, X-Ice Snow SUV or Ice Friction?
Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV, 73 vs 61 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, X-Ice Snow SUV or Ice Friction?
Pirelli Ice Friction, 84 vs 74 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, X-Ice Snow SUV or Ice Friction?
Pirelli Ice Friction, 78 vs 70 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, X-Ice Snow SUV or Ice Friction?
Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV, 73 vs 63 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