Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 vs Michelin X-Ice Xi2

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This will be for my girlfriends new Chevy Cruze. She used studded tires in the past on her 03 Jetta. That was pre-dating me.
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You don't really need snow tires in Portland. We maybe get three days of snow a year. We occasionally get an ice snow in Portland also. She drives 75 miles all highway roundtrip to work. She feels more comfortable installing winter tires for Dec/Jan/Feb on her car. She is willing to pay. I told her I would help her pick out the best tire for her needs. I steered her away from studded tires right off the bat. The roads in Portland look and feel like a Disneyland ride. The ruts are very deep. You don't even need to put your hands on the steering wheel when you drive on the highway. People here throw studs on Novemeber 1st, and take them off April 1st.
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So, I'm looking at a winter tire that gets better wet traction. Seeing she will be driving in the rain most of those 3 months. I have read Tire Racks winter tire test. These two tires were pretty close in every category. The WS70 just came out last year. So the mileage reviews are less then the X-Ice ones. The WS70's are 12/32nd. The X-Ice's are 10.5/32nd if that matters.

Her tires are 215/55/17 H rated. Help me out guys.

WS70

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X-Ice

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Originally Posted By: Finklejag
...........We occasionally get an ice snow in Portland also. She drives 75 miles all highway roundtrip to work...........................So, I'm looking at a winter tire that gets better wet traction. Seeing she will be driving in the rain most of those 3 months.......................


Seems to me the most treacherous conditions she will face are the occasional "ice snow" (ice storm??), not the wet roads. Get the tire with the best ice traction, is my advice.
 
X-Ice2 has surpassed the WS70, check the Tire Rack tests.

You should run them once the temperature is consistently below 45 degrees.
 
I live in a mountain area, the ice is occasionally treacherous. Tried non studded winter tires once, NEVER AGAIN. Studded tires only.
 
If the bulk of her driving is on wet roads studded tires are very prone to sliding under hard braking, and under quick take off . Really only good on ice covered roads. I have the x-ice very good tires i also had blizzack z22 i think thats was the model anyways once they were down to less than have tread they lost a lot of traction. The michelin's did not loose as much as they wore down. In my case anyways.
 
Given a GTI, you might want to consider a performance winter. I have Blizzak LM-22s (current Gen is LM-60) on my Speed3 and nothing has stopped them in Indiana winters. We get snow of all depths. The lighter snows get salted away quickly and we get left with dry cold but clean roads where I greatly prefer the perf/winters. They are outstanding in the rain and adequate in any snow depth and ice. The full snow and ice tires make a significant sacrifice in handling as they will squirm on dry pavement adding a vagueness to the handling and steering that you won't get with the perf versions. Based on your description of Portland winters and the sporting nature of her car, I'd go with performance winters.
 
I will counter and say Altimax Arctic.
I had the WS-70 and hands down the better tire is the Altimax Arctic from General (OR Gislaved Nordfrost)
The WS-70's squirm all over the dry road and are not as good in deep snow as the Altimax.
 
I own a set of the I2's. They [censored] near defy the laws of physics. These tires need to be driven to be believed.

Wet traction is equally as impressive. The tires clean themselves so well, no vehicle dares to tailgate me during those late fall/early spring rains.

Nothing but the highest praise for the Michelin's.
 
I meant ice storm. Haha. Her car is the Chevy Cruze. I own the GTI. I have never installed winter tires on any of my cars. I lived in Denver also. It's her car and money.

Seeing that her car has H rated tires. I would like to stay T rated or above since she travels at highway speeds for that many miles. I think the Altimax Artic are Q rated? It looks like the Xi2's are also LRR. That's what comes on the Cruze ECO.
 
Originally Posted By: Indydriver
Given a GTI, you might want to consider a performance winter. I have Blizzak LM-22s (current Gen is LM-60) on my Speed3 and nothing has stopped them in Indiana winters. We get snow of all depths. The lighter snows get salted away quickly and we get left with dry cold but clean roads where I greatly prefer the perf/winters. They are outstanding in the rain and adequate in any snow depth and ice. The full snow and ice tires make a significant sacrifice in handling as they will squirm on dry pavement adding a vagueness to the handling and steering that you won't get with the perf versions. Based on your description of Portland winters and the sporting nature of her car, I'd go with performance winters.



Those tires are not rated for ice. The WS and XI series are.
 
I have been looking at snow tires for my GF's car and will end up getting the X-ICE2 for the sole reason that it comes with a tread life warranty of 6 years / 40K miles.
 
Consumer Reports rated the Michelin Xi2 only "fair" for hydroplaning resistance (and rated the Alpin PA3 as "excellent").
 
Watching with interest considering I'm very likely picking out a Cruze Eco in the near future. I have no problem spending the extra scratch for Michelins if they truly are better.

Too bad nobody offers a 15" wheel for the Cruze, since my current set of 205/70-15 Altimax Arctics could be swapped onto those wheels. The outside diameter is spot-on with the 215/55-17's that come standard on the Cruze Eco.
 
the xice2 are fairly amazing.. dont give up too much handling for being a snow tire.. and LRR.. cant go wrong.

That being said I really loved my continential extremewintercontacts.

I think of the 3 the ws70s are the "worst" but all 3 are excellent really.

I also prefer studless for highway driving. I had studded tires on my 94 thunderbird and it was very easy to lock them up at 40degrees and raining.
 
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