Michelin
Despite the good reputation of French manufacturer Michelin's products, many customers of Pneus Premier Choix in Laval have recently complained about the lack of grip of Michelin's famous X-Ice tires, whether they are first-, second- or even third-generation products. Although they were effective on ice, in the snow that they lacked grip. It must be said that the design and technology of the X-Ice were getting old.
So the brand's engineers went back to the drawing board, and last year they came up with the new X-Ice Snow generation. After trying them out with satisfaction on a test track when they were launched about a year and a half ago, I had a set installed on my own front-wheel drive 2011 Lincoln MKZ.
See also: Long-Term Review of the Michelin X-ICE Snow Tire: The Introduction
See also: Long-Term Review of the Michelin X-ICE Snow Tire: My Verdict
Again, it should be noted that this past winter was not as cold as previous winters and there was not as much ice on the roads in our area as usual.
However, my car is regularly parked under a winter shelter covering a sloped driveway where the snow has a nasty habit of melting during the day and then freezing at night, making it very slippery to drive off in the morning. Although it was a front wheel drive, the MKZ always managed to get out of that trap easily in reverse.
As for grip in the snow, Michelin has managed to solve the X-Ice's problem. The Snow version can now handle snow very well. Incidentally, you should know that this tire is also available in a studded North version. I didn't test that version (except when it was launched) but I'm convinced that it will be very efficient in mountainous regions.
Michelin also offers other outstanding winter tires for sportier cars, notably the Pilot Alpin 4 and 5, but these are mostly intended for high-performance cars (and SUVs).
For those on a budget, BFGoodrich and Uniroyal are part of the Michelin family. However, their winter tires may not perform as well, although they are satisfactory for short trips.
