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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin X-Ice Xi3 vs Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S — 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 0 + 1 road tests and 14 + 10 owner reviews. How we score

Wintrac xtreme S leads, 70–66 Narrow edge

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Michelin X-Ice Xi3
Tire AMichelin

X-Ice Xi3

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 65 · 14 reviews

Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S
Tire BVredestein

Wintrac xtreme S

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests 69 · 1 test Owners 70 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 10 in 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test (wet braking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 64

    Dry

    Wintrac xtreme S +5
    69
    Why this score
    SourceX-Ice Xi3Wintrac xtreme S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)68
    Reviews found online6270

    X-Ice Xi3: 60% × 65.6 (est.) + 40% × 62.2 = 64

    Wintrac xtreme S: 60% × 68.3 + 40% × 69.7 = 69

    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 0.42).

  2. 67

    Wet

    Wintrac xtreme S +8
    75
    Why this score
    SourceX-Ice Xi3Wintrac xtreme S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 68 (est.)75
    Reviews found online6675

    X-Ice Xi3: 60% × 68.2 (est.) + 40% × 66.1 = 67

    Wintrac xtreme S: 60% × 74.7 + 40% × 74.8 = 75

    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).

  3. 69

    Snow

    X-Ice Xi3 +2
    67
    Why this score
    SourceX-Ice Xi3Wintrac xtreme S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)64
    Reviews found online6771

    X-Ice Xi3: 60% × 69.5 (est.) + 40% × 67.3 = 69

    Wintrac xtreme S: 60% × 63.9 + 40% × 71 = 67

    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).

  4. 65

    Comfort

    Wintrac xtreme S +5
    70
    Why this score
    SourceX-Ice Xi3Wintrac xtreme S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6471

    X-Ice Xi3: 40% × 67.7 (est.) + 60% × 63.8 = 65

    Wintrac xtreme S: 40% × 69.2 (est.) + 60% × 70.9 = 70

    No road tests of comfort for X-Ice Xi3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

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

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    69
    Why this score
    SourceX-Ice Xi3Wintrac xtreme S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–72
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

    Wintrac xtreme S: 60% × 71.6 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 69

    No owner ratings of noise for Wintrac xtreme S. 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. 66

    Treadwear

    X-Ice Xi3 +2
    64
    Why this score
    SourceX-Ice Xi3Wintrac xtreme S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online6662

    X-Ice Xi3: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 65.6 = 66

    Wintrac xtreme S: 60% × 64.8 (est.) + 40% × 61.8 = 64

    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).

    No road tests of treadwear for Wintrac xtreme S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 56

    Handling (owners)

    Wintrac xtreme S +17
    73
    Why this score
    SourceX-Ice Xi3Wintrac xtreme S
    Reviews found online5673
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    65
    Why this score
    SourceX-Ice Xi3Wintrac xtreme S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–65
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin X-Ice Xi3Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S
Relative Score 66 70
Dry 64 69
Wet 67 75
Snow 69 67
Comfort 65 70
Noise – 69
Treadwear 66 64
Handling (owners) 56 73
Efficiency – 65

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
± 8

X-Ice Xi3

± 8

Wintrac xtreme S

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.

DisciplineCategoryX-Ice Xi3Wintrac xtreme SΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #5/17 2020 Consumer Reports North America Winter Tyre Test #27/45 2017 50 Winter Tyre Shoot Out – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A 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
All owner themes in the X-Ice Xi3 review

Tire B Wintrac xtreme S

Pros

  • Astonishing grip and traction on snow, ice, and extreme winter surfaces
  • Excellent high-speed stability and highway performance in winter conditions
  • Reliable and safe handling characteristics in wet and dry cold weather for high-performance SUVs

Cons

  • Slightly vague or loose feeling during spirited dry cornering
  • Isolated manufacturing defect reported involving a chunk of rubber coming off a brand new tire
  • May not match dedicated summer tires in warm wet/dry conditions
All owner themes in the Wintrac xtreme S review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin X-Ice Xi3 B · Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available3713
Rim diameters14″ – 20″16″ – 22″
Sizes in common22

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin X-Ice Xi3

Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S

Narrow edge: Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S — better handling, wet and dry. Where the Michelin X-Ice Xi3 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Michelin X-Ice Xi3 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S scores 73 vs 56 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S scores 75 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S scores 69 vs 64 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S scores 70 vs 65 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin X-Ice Xi3
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Tire B · Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S
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X-Ice Xi3 or Wintrac xtreme S?

Which is better in the wet, X-Ice Xi3 or Wintrac xtreme S?

Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S, 75 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, X-Ice Xi3 or Wintrac xtreme S?

Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S, 69 vs 64 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, X-Ice Xi3 or Wintrac xtreme S?

Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 67 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, X-Ice Xi3 or Wintrac xtreme S?

Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S, 70 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, X-Ice Xi3 or Wintrac xtreme S?

Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 64 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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