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The X-Ice Xi3 is Michelin’s third-generation Studless Ice & Snow winter tire developed for the drivers of coupes, sedans, family vans and small crossover vehicles that are looking for ice and snow traction along with predictable handling in cold, dry and wet wintry conditions. Meeting Michelin’s Green X standard* for low rolling resistance confirms the X-Ice Xi3’s contribution to reducing vehicle fuel consumption and emissions of CO2 gases. The X-Ice Xi3 is designed to take on ice and snow while it provides lasting winter performance.
Michelin’s FleX-Ice silica-based winter tread rubber compound (offers firmness at higher temperatures for wet and dry road stability while it remains flexible at lower temperatures to enhance packed snow and ice traction) is molded into a directional tread design that helps evacuate water and slush to improve hydroplaning resistance. Independent shoulder and intermediate tread blocks feature a combination of multiple micro-pumps and variable angle Cross Z Sipes to deliver traction on ice- and snow-covered roads. Additionally, the Cross Z Sipes increase tread and shoulder block stability to provide the lateral and longitudinal stiffness that enhances treadwear and driving precision on dry and wet roads. The tire’s internal structure includes twin steel belts reinforced by a spirally wound nylon to optimize the tire profile while enhancing high-speed capability. Michelin X-Ice Xi3 winter / snow tires meet the industry’s severe snow service requirements and are branded with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol.
Note: Snow platform indicators (the equivalent of “snow wear bars”) are molded into the X-Ice Xi3’s tread grooves to inform the driver when ice and snow traction will be reduced as the tire’s tread reaches the point where the remaining tread depth becomes less effective in deep snow.
Install X-Ice Xi3 tires in sets of four only.
Due to the traction capabilities of the X-Ice Xi3, Michelin recommends using X-Ice Xi3 tires in sets of four to provide the best handling characteristics and tire performance.
Due to differences in performance, X-Ice Xi3 tires cannot be mixed on the same vehicle with earlier X-Ice tires.
*Specific sizes featuring Green X technology are identified as such on the Sizes tab, as well as on the tire’s Specs tab.
Founder at Tiresout. Used to be working as an engineer at Bridgestone Tires Akron Technical Center. The responsibilities included but were not limited to technical computing, indoor & outdoor testing of new tires.
I’ve had these tires on my Prius for 1-year. They have great traction in snow and ice. In winter, I regularly drive to the mountains from home in Denver, CO to go skiing. I’ve never once thought these tires would leave me stranded going over mountain passes, many of which are over 11,000 ft in elevation. When other vehicles, many of them 4WD, are sliding off the road in snowy conditions, these tires easily and confidently get me home safe. Before owning X-Ice, I had Blizzaks (these did leave me stranded once), the X-Ice are far superior in traction and durability. Blizzaks were replaced after 30,000 miles. The X-Ice already have 25,000 miles and I was told they’ll last at least another season or two. I decided to leave these tires on during the summer because I was getting better mpg than the low-rolling resistance tires I had on previously. I highly recommend these tires.
These are the first winter tires ive ever had and ill never go back to all seasons. They are not the most sporty tires, but im not looking for sporty in winter driving. I got these tirest becaise of how long they last ive had mine for 5 seasons and could probably get a 6th season out of them.
Excellent option for a studless winter set, I have gotten great performance out of these and they have definitely improved my safety and confidence during harsh upstate NY winters. I wouldn’t say that performance is perfect, it’s still possible to spin these tires, but if you want foolproof performance you would need to go for studs. Still the difference between these tires and my OE all-seasons is night and day, and where traction control was once an intrusive sledgehammer now it’s gentle and unconcerned.I’ve been through three seasons so far and have not noticed any significant treadwear. Fuel economy has suffered somewhat, but I think that is almost entirely coming from the fact that I chose to mount these to steel wheels instead of my usual alloys. There is definitely some noise associated with running these tires, and I have had friends comment that my car “sounds like a tank,” but I think that is expected for any aggressive winter tire and that these are probably quieter than most of the competition. It’s also worth noting that my vehicle has very little sound insulation and is just loud all the time.I made a compromise when choosing which car I would buy that I would forgo AWD and run winter tires as a substitute. I haven’t regretted that decision, and I would recommend these to anyone looking for a good set of winter tires.
I live in the Colorado Rockies and have a 45 mile commute on a US highway (not an interstate). As you can imagine, winter driving gets intense so I wanted a quality snow tire. These tires are amazing! I’ve driven on miles of black ice, slush, 8 inches of snow, and pretty much any other winter condition. These tires provide confidence and stability in even the worst conditions.The tires were originally bought for winter only, but have been on my Subaru since last May. Even with a trip to Canada, they have worn much better than I expected given that they are snow tires. I’ve also ran Bridgestone Blizzak tires on the same car, same conditions. They lasted me about a season and a half with storage in the summer. I highly recommend these and am already planning to re-purchase them this fall.
I live in Western NY state so winter driving can be difficult at times. Two or more times per week we drive to ski areas south of Buffalo. I find these tires not adequate for deep snow on roads that have not been recently plowed. They don’t feel like they are getting a good bite into the snow, thus the ride feels unstable. They also have difficulty providing stable traction in deep salty slush that occurs on roads when the road crews apply salt but don’t plow first and its snowing 2 inches or more per hour. The tread grooves are just not wide enough to bite into enough snow/slush in these kind of conditions. Stopping and starting performance on icy roads as you might find approaching and departing an intersection is good. These tires are probably good for areas that get occasional light snow, but I wouldn’t recommend them for areas where you get serious winter weather.
After spending 38,000+ miles with my Michelin Xice Xi3 tires, I have a different perspective on Ice/snow tires used year round. The first season of snow when the tires were new was fabulous. The second season after driving on them year round (wet/dry/snow/mixed) bordered on scary, though still manageable. Since I drove the tires year round, there was about half tread left for the second season. BIG difference. The good stuff for snow and ice is in the top 25% or so of the tread. After that they get iffy. The tires are wearing well, though I have one that inexplicably is losing more center tread than outside, though carrying the same 30 pounds of pressure. I am impressed with the treadwear considering they are soft winter tires (initially anyway). They are performing admirably in dry conditions, though sketchy at best in the wet, where a noticeable reduction in traction, stopping and hydroplane resistance was noticed even at half tread life. Final review (replacing at 40,000 miles) is that these tires can certainly be used year round with good results, but suffer in the wet and snow once you lose the top 50% tread life, and are best left to the first snow and wet season only, then relegated to dry duty until replacement time. If you can afford to, go with dedicated winter/summer tires, with this as your winter tire.
I’ve used Michelin Xi3’s for years and on multiple vehicles. I will never use a different tire again. These Xi3’s ride, grip, and handle amazing in severe snow/ice weather. These are the only severe winter rated tires that will also actually go 25-35K miles of winter driving. Blizzaks work well, but are only effective for around the first 10-12,000 miles. They wear quickly. So if you’re going to be putting more than 3K miles on Blizzaks per winter season, I would highly recommend choosing the Michelin Xi3’s instead.