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Head-to-head Updated

Nordman North 9 vs Toyo Observe G3-Ice — 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 1 + 0 road tests and 1 + 5 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: North 9 68, Observe G3-Ice 69.

Check price on Amazon · North 9 Check price on Amazon · Observe G3-Ice
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Nordman North 9
Tire ANordman

North 9

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests 66 · 1 test Owners 68 · 1 review

Best test result: #3 of 8 in 2024 Studded Tyre Test (ice traction)

Toyo Observe G3-Ice
Tire BToyo

Observe G3-Ice

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 69 · 5 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 65

    Dry

    Observe G3-Ice +4
    69
    Why this score
    SourceNorth 9Observe G3-Ice
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests64≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6770

    North 9: 60% × 63.7 + 40% × 66.5 = 65

    Observe G3-Ice: 60% × 68.9 (est.) + 40% × 69.9 = 69

    No road tests of dry for Observe G3-Ice. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 69

    Wet

    Observe G3-Ice +3
    72
    Why this score
    SourceNorth 9Observe G3-Ice
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests66≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7272

    North 9: 60% × 66.3 + 40% × 71.9 = 69

    Observe G3-Ice: 60% × 71.5 (est.) + 40% × 72.1 = 72

    No road tests of wet for Observe G3-Ice. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 72

    Snow

    North 9 +4
    68
    Why this score
    SourceNorth 9Observe G3-Ice
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7166

    North 9: 60% × 71.8 + 40% × 71.3 = 72

    Observe G3-Ice: 60% × 68.9 (est.) + 40% × 65.8 = 68

    No road tests of snow for Observe G3-Ice. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 65

    Comfort

    North 9 +2
    63
    Why this score
    SourceNorth 9Observe G3-Ice
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6360

    North 9: 40% × 68 (est.) + 60% × 63.1 = 65

    Observe G3-Ice: 40% × 67.5 (est.) + 60% × 60.1 = 63

    No road tests of comfort for North 9 or Observe G3-Ice. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 61

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceNorth 9Observe G3-Ice
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests57–
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)–

    North 9: 60% × 56.6 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 61

    No owner ratings of noise for North 9. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 64

    Treadwear

    Observe G3-Ice +5
    69
    Why this score
    SourceNorth 9Observe G3-Ice
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6370

    North 9: 60% × 64.9 (est.) + 40% × 62.6 = 64

    Observe G3-Ice: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 70.2 = 69

    No road tests of treadwear for North 9. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for Observe G3-Ice. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    Observe G3-Ice +1
    68
    Why this score
    SourceNorth 9Observe G3-Ice
    Reviews found online6768
  8. 75

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceNorth 9Observe G3-Ice
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests75–
Scores at a glance
CategoryNordman North 9Toyo Observe G3-Ice
Relative Score 68 69
Dry 65 69
Wet 69 72
Snow 72 68
Comfort 65 63
Noise 61 –
Treadwear 64 69
Handling (owners) 67 68
Efficiency 75 –

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

North 9

± 8

Observe G3-Ice

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.

DisciplineCategoryNorth 9Observe G3-IceΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #6/8 2024 Studded Tyre Test #11/17 2020 Consumer Reports North America Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A North 9

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Tire B Observe G3-Ice

Pros

  • Impressive noise suppression compared to other studded winter tires
  • Strong performance in snow and mixed winter conditions
  • High durability and stud retention over multiple winter seasons

Cons

  • Inconsistent traction performance reported by some users in severe ice/snow
  • Slightly slippery handling characteristics on dry asphalt
  • Higher price point than some budget-tier alternatives
All owner themes in the Observe G3-Ice review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Nordman North 9 B · Toyo Observe G3-Ice
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle type—SUV and 4x4
Sizes available1120
Rim diameters18″13″ – 22″
Tread depth12 - 13/32″12 - 15/32″
SidewallBlack Side WallBlack Side Wall
Max pressure51 psi44 - 80 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Nordman North 9

Toyo Observe G3-Ice

Too close to call: Nordman North 9 and Toyo Observe G3-Ice are within 2 points overall. Nordman North 9 is stronger on snow. Toyo Observe G3-Ice is stronger on treadwear, dry and wet. Nordman North 9 rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional. Toyo Observe G3-Ice rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 5 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Toyo Observe G3-Ice scores 69 vs 64 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Nordman North 9 scores 72 vs 68 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Toyo Observe G3-Ice scores 69 vs 65 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Toyo Observe G3-Ice scores 72 vs 69 on wet.

Tire A · Nordman North 9
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Tire B · Toyo Observe G3-Ice
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North 9 or Observe G3-Ice?

Which is better in the wet, North 9 or Observe G3-Ice?

Toyo Observe G3-Ice, 72 vs 69 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, North 9 or Observe G3-Ice?

Toyo Observe G3-Ice, 69 vs 65 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, North 9 or Observe G3-Ice?

Nordman North 9, 72 vs 68 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, North 9 or Observe G3-Ice?

Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 63 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, North 9 or Observe G3-Ice?

Toyo Observe G3-Ice, 69 vs 64 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