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))
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin X Ice Snow vs Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 — 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 13 + 0 road tests and 20 + 10 owner reviews. How we score
X Ice Snow is ahead, 73–63
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Tests – · none yet Owners 60 · 10 reviews
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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67
Dry
X Ice Snow +562Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / – tests 65 ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 71 59 X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 70.7 = 67
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 64.3 (est.) + 40% × 59 = 62
No road tests of dry for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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71
Wet
X Ice Snow +269Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / – tests 65 ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 79 68 X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 79.2 = 71
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 69.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.1 = 69
No road tests of wet for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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76
Snow
X Ice Snow +1363Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / – tests 73 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 81 58 X Ice Snow: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 81.2 = 76
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 58 = 63
No road tests of snow for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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80
Comfort
X Ice Snow +2159Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 81 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 79 54 X Ice Snow: 40% × 80.8 + 60% × 78.7 = 80
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 40% × 65.8 (est.) + 60% × 54.2 = 59
No road tests of comfort for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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75
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests 80 – Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) – X Ice Snow: 60% × 80.2 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 75
No owner ratings of noise for 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.
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76
Treadwear
X Ice Snow +1561Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 72 (est.) ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 81 58 X Ice Snow: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 81.4 = 76
Winter Snow Control Series 3: 60% × 63.6 (est.) + 40% × 58.3 = 61
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).
No road tests of treadwear for Winter Snow Control Series 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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74
Handling (owners)
X Ice Snow +1460Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Snow Control Series 3 Reviews found online 74 60 -
77
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Winter Snow Control Series 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests 77 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin X Ice Snow | Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 73 | 63 |
| Dry | 67 | 62 |
| Wet | 71 | 69 |
| Snow | 76 | 63 |
| Comfort | 80 | 59 |
| Noise | 75 | – |
| Treadwear | 76 | 61 |
| Handling (owners) | 74 | 60 |
| Efficiency | 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
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
73
/ 100
X Ice Snow
63
/ 100
Winter Snow Control Series 3
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.
| Discipline | Category | X Ice Snow | Winter Snow Control Series 3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #7/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | #6/51 2015 Winter Tyre Market Overview | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A 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
Tire B Winter Snow Control Series 3
Pros
- Superb traction and handling on snow and packed snow
- Very good wet weather grip and hydroplaning resistance
- Precise steering feedback and a safe feel during sportive driving
Cons
- Slightly higher noise levels on dry roads compared to some competitors
- Faster or subpar treadwear reported by select users
- Isolated reports of inadequate performance on severe snow or ice
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin X Ice Snow | B · Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 100 | — |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 21″ | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
73
/ 100
Michelin X Ice Snow
63
/ 100
Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3
Winner: Michelin X Ice Snow — better comfort, treadwear and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 80 vs 59 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 76 vs 61 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 74 vs 60 on handling.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 76 vs 63 on snow.
Tire A · Michelin X Ice Snow
Tire B · Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3
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X Ice Snow or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Which is better in the wet, X Ice Snow or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 69 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Which grips better on dry roads, X Ice Snow or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 67 vs 62 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, X Ice Snow or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 76 vs 63 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, X Ice Snow or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 80 vs 59 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, X Ice Snow or Winter Snow Control Series 3?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 76 vs 61 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