Product Reviews, Winter Driving, Winter Tires

Winter Tire Test: Michelin X-Ice Xi2

November 16, 2009

We had a set of Michelin X-ice Xi2 tires, size 215/50-R17, installed on our front-drive 2004 Mazda6 wagon at the beginning of the 2008-09 winter season. It was an interesting season to say the least: plenty of snow and below normal temperatures particularly through February and March. We also had a higher-than-normal number of icy days throughout the season that might normally be associated with winter conditions in eastern Canada.

In other words, I was able to test the Michelins through about as wide a range of winter conditions as one could expect to endure in one season, anywhere in the country.

Michelin X-Ice Xi2. Click image to enlarge

The Michelins reinforce my belief that winter tires are an indispensable piece of safety equipment no matter what you drive. Particularly on those icy days, it’s easy to tell from watching spinning wheels who has winter rubber and who doesn’t. And while last winter was free of any significant overnight snowfall accumulations in Winnipeg, we were never intimidated by deep snow on the road.

On dry pavement, I’ve noticed that with every new winter tire introduced, the squirmy steering response and overwhelming road noise that were once the hallmarks of winter tires are much less of an issue than they used to be. With the Xi2, the biggest giveaway is the higher-pitched hum that’s heard at higher speeds (above about 80 km/h) on wet pavement.

Given the Xi2’s promise of conquering icy surfaces, though, I did find myself a little underwhelmed. First, during an icy day in late December, the normally well-planted wagon felt surprisingly disconnected from the road, and in particular on a curved bridge the car felt like it wanted to swap ends a few times. And later in the season, we had a fairly good snowfall that came down over an icy surface. The combination of loose snow and a lack of grip down at the bottom proved challenging for our relatively low wagon, and my wife found herself needing a push from friendly motorists on three separate occasions in one day.

It has been a few years since I drove on Nokian’s Hakkapeliitta RSi tires, but of the ones I’ve tried, those remain the benchmark for me in overall winter performance. But compared to the so-called all-season tires that most cars, vans, and crossovers wear when the roll off the showroom floor, we’re splitting hairs here.

Dedicated winter tires, like Michelin’s new X-Ice Xi2, should be installed on every passenger vehicle that ventures on to our roads during a Canadian winter.

My winter tires of choice for the 2009-2010 winter season: the new-for-2009 Continental ExtremeWinterContact. We just had them installed on our wagon at the end of October and the new rubber has yet to encounter a snowflake. Stay tuned to find out how these promising new tires stand up to the inevitable Winnipeg winter.

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