Author Topic: X3 Winters?  (Read 12115 times)

Online sailor723

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X3 Winters?
« on: September 11, 2021, 07:07:59 am »
My daughter was asking me yesterday about what winters she should get for her new X3.

She does a lot of highway driving between SJ and Moncton. Given our recent winters that type of driving is mostly bare/slushy/wet pavement with occasional glazed hard pack or icy patches (not so much deep snow). I've always been a fan of the Blizzaks for myself given our long driveway and very secondary street but I'm starting to wonder if Michelin Xi's might be a better choice for her driving.

Thoughts?
« Last Edit: September 11, 2021, 07:21:05 am by sailor723 »
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Offline me_2

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2021, 07:14:26 am »
I like my Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 (none studs) for the same road conditions you described. I suggested my son to put as well on his shopping list the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 for his 2015 Volt since his 2013 has been took away by his insurance last June. No recent experience with Michelin X-ice but they last ones I had few years ago, they were silent & competent as long its was not deep snow condition. MICHELIN Latitude X-Ice Xi2 seem to have good critic but as I said, no experience to share.
« Last Edit: September 11, 2021, 07:25:02 am by me_2 »
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Offline dirtyjeffer

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2021, 09:37:02 am »
on my Rio5, i found the Blizzaks to be better than the X-Ice3 tires...that's not to say the X-Ice3 tires weren't good, i just found the Blizzaks seem to bite and stop better in the non-ice conditions...i found both to be decent on ice (we don't get ice that often here as they usually salt the roads so it doesn't last long).
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Offline bridgecity

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2021, 09:44:13 am »
^ Which tires did you have first?
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Offline EV Dan

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2021, 10:33:48 am »
Xi3 were low rolling resistance. I loved them and never got stuck in ANY snow, even driving a RWD car. Was actually ready to "add to cart" again but they ran out of stock. The tire that replaced them is Xice SNOW, I think it's called and Michelin describes it as "Michelin Total Performance", meaning the LRR part will likely remain. According to the company they are better in snow and many other ways, although I'd like to see CR test them. Oh, and they are now made in Canada.
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Offline dirtyjeffer

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2021, 12:17:38 pm »
^ Which tires did you have first?
started off with Blizzaks (WS60s i think at the time), then replaced them with the X-Ice3...don't get me wrong, they are still good tires, i just found the Blizzaks to be a bit better.

Offline dirtyjeffer

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2021, 12:18:39 pm »
Xi3 were low rolling resistance. I loved them and never got stuck in ANY snow, even driving a RWD car. Was actually ready to "add to cart" again but they ran out of stock. The tire that replaced them is Xice SNOW, I think it's called and Michelin describes it as "Michelin Total Performance", meaning the LRR part will likely remain. According to the company they are better in snow and many other ways, although I'd like to see CR test them. Oh, and they are now made in Canada.
it's quite possible they may have improved the bite in the snow that i found the previous iterations lacked a bit.

Offline Allen

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2021, 02:37:27 pm »
I just bought Continental Viking Contact 7 for the Q5,  had them on the A4 and loved them. For the wife's new Sportage bought Gislaved Nord Frost 200 (made by Continental)  they were recommended by my tire guy.  I asked him why he didn't recommend the same ones for the Q and said he would but they don't make the size I needed.

Offline Noto

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2021, 02:42:22 pm »
My vote will always be:
1) hakkapeliita R3
2) blizzak
3) X-Ice

The R3s have blown me away with their performance.

Offline JohnnyMac

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2021, 04:02:04 pm »
Is this her new travel route, Saint John to Moncton and back (or is it just cause the Bimmer gets a lot of warranty work done, kidding)?  Did she drive this route a lot in the past with her X1?  What did she have for winters on that one?  I don't think you could go wrong with Blizzacks or Xice, both are highly rated.  The Blizz used to be better in deep snow and the Xice better on ice, but since they are the two top winter tires they keep improving and are more similar than ever before.  If she has experience with one in the past and liked them then I'd say go that way, or do what I do when making a close decision, pick the cheaper of the two.

Offline rrocket

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2021, 07:58:06 pm »
I'm a big Xi fan.

It's what we've run on our last several cars.
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Offline bridgecity

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #11 on: September 12, 2021, 12:07:24 pm »
^ Which tires did you have first?
started off with Blizzaks (WS60s i think at the time), then replaced them with the X-Ice3...don't get me wrong, they are still good tires, i just found the Blizzaks to be a bit better.

Ok, thought your perception may have been skewed if it had been the other way around, ie the second set felt better because the first set was worn out.

Offline rrocket

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #12 on: September 12, 2021, 12:18:50 pm »
^ Which tires did you have first?
started off with Blizzaks (WS60s i think at the time), then replaced them with the X-Ice3...don't get me wrong, they are still good tires, i just found the Blizzaks to be a bit better.

Ok, thought your perception may have been skewed if it had been the other way around, ie the second set felt better because the first set was worn out.
I've found that opposite.

Xi were better

Offline tortoise

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #13 on: September 12, 2021, 12:37:50 pm »
Compared to which Blizzaks?
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Offline rrocket

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #14 on: September 12, 2021, 12:39:19 pm »
Compared to which Blizzaks?
The second version?

It's been awhile if I'm being fair.

Have been a Xi user since

Online sailor723

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #15 on: September 12, 2021, 01:16:35 pm »
From everything I read the three that are consistently rated top in most reviews (Blizzaks, Xi's and Hakka's) are close enough that you can't really go wrong with any of them. I'll probably advise her to buy whatever is the better deal in her size. Certainly going to go -1 and maybe even -2 from the 19" summers if -2 will clear the brakes .......1010 Tires shows a 17" option in wheel and tire packages so I'm wondering if -2 will fit. (Tirerack only shows 18 and 19" options.)
« Last Edit: September 12, 2021, 01:22:17 pm by sailor723 »

Offline rrocket

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #16 on: September 12, 2021, 01:19:52 pm »


From everything I read the three that are consistently rated top in most reviews (Blizzaks, Xi's and Hakka's) are close enough that you can't really go wrong with any of them.

I'd agree with that.

Becomes a preference thing


Offline tortoise

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #17 on: September 12, 2021, 01:25:20 pm »
The second version?

It's been awhile if I'm being fair.

Have been a Xi user since

Fair enough.

WS-60 to WS-70 to WS-80 were all pretty big leaps.

The WS-90 seems to be a bit more evolutionary.

It does look like it'll be good in the snow though.

In my size the Blizzaks are cheaper than the X-Ices, so that's the route I took.



Offline dkaz

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #18 on: September 22, 2021, 10:52:07 am »
I've never had a bad snow tire unless the snow was deep enough to high centre my vehicle, in which case I had no weight on the tires and no winter tire is going to get you out of that. I've had bad ice tires.

Offline Great_Big_Abyss

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Re: X3 Winters?
« Reply #19 on: September 22, 2021, 10:57:08 am »
I've never had a bad snow tire unless the snow was deep enough to high centre my vehicle, in which case I had no weight on the tires and no winter tire is going to get you out of that. I've had bad ice tires.

The Hankook i-Pike's that came with the Civic, were pretty bad.  Almost as bad as just running an all season.  I'm looking forward to the new WS90's I'm getting on the Mazda.