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 Riken 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 13 + 4 road tests and 20 + 9 owner reviews. How we score
X Ice Snow is ahead, 73–68
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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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67
Dry
X Ice Snow +166Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / – tests 65 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 71 65 X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 70.7 = 67
Snow: 60% × 66.9 (est.) + 40% × 65.4 = 66
No road tests of dry for Snow. 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 +467Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 4 tests 65 64 Reviews found online 79 71 X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.9 + 40% × 79.2 = 71
Snow: 60% × 64.4 + 40% × 70.6 = 67
-
76
Snow
X Ice Snow +571Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / – tests 73 ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 81 71 X Ice Snow: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 81.1 = 76
Snow: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 70.5 = 71
No road tests of snow for Snow. 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 +1664Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 81 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 79 63 X Ice Snow: 40% × 81 + 60% × 78.8 = 80
Snow: 40% × 67.4 (est.) + 60% × 62.5 = 64
No road tests of comfort for Snow. 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 Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests 81 – Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) – X Ice Snow: 60% × 80.5 + 40% × 66.4 (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.
-
76
Treadwear
X Ice Snow +868Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Snow Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 72 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 81 69 X Ice Snow: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 81.4 = 76
Snow: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.7 = 68
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 Snow. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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75
Handling (owners)
X Ice Snow +966Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Snow Reviews found online 75 66 -
77
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Snow Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests 77 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin X Ice Snow | Riken Snow |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 73 | 68 |
| Dry | 67 | 66 |
| Wet | 71 | 67 |
| Snow | 76 | 71 |
| Comfort | 80 | 64 |
| Noise | 75 | – |
| Treadwear | 76 | 68 |
| Handling (owners) | 75 | 66 |
| 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
68
/ 100
Snow
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 | Snow | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | Wet | 72% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 85% #36/55 · 2024 Winter 55 Tyre Braking Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #7/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | #36/55 2024 Winter 55 Tyre Braking Test | – | 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 Snow
Pros
- Exceptional snow, ice, and winter traction
- High value for the money in the budget tire category
- Low road noise compared to standard winter tires
Cons
- Reduced wet-weather braking performance during spirited driving
- Lower-tier classification compared to premium flagship winter tires
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin X Ice Snow | B · Riken Snow |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 100 | 41 |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 21″ | 15″ – 18″ |
| Sizes in common | 33 | 33 |
Which one should you actually buy?
73
/ 100
Michelin X Ice Snow
68
/ 100
Riken Snow
Winner: Michelin X Ice Snow — better comfort, handling and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 80 vs 64 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 75 vs 66 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 76 vs 68 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 76 vs 71 on snow.
Tire A · Michelin X Ice Snow
Tire B · Riken Snow
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X Ice Snow or Snow?
Which is better in the wet, X Ice Snow or Snow?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 71 vs 67 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, X Ice Snow or Snow?
Neither, by our numbers: 67 vs 66 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is better in snow, X Ice Snow or Snow?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 76 vs 71 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, X Ice Snow or Snow?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 80 vs 64 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, X Ice Snow or Snow?
Michelin X Ice Snow, 76 vs 68 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