Unlike car testing, where you compare three cars on the same roads and on the same day to see which fits your needs best, tire testing is a precise science involving one car and one driver, and mounting and balancing each set of tires to take all the variables out of the test. If the weather doesn’t change, the only differences will be those characteristics of each brand of tire.

But when you have a couple dozen journalists of various driving abilities, representing various media covering various industries and interests, you don’t have time to cycle different tires through one vehicle.

Luckily, we’re testing winter tires on surfaces that change practically minute to minute (ice gets stickier in sunlight, and compact snow changes consistency with a fresh dusting), so you just want everybody to notice a difference in the way identical cars perform under similar conditions.

And so we found ourselves on the wintery, undulating motorsport landscape known as Mecaglisse, in Quebec’s recreational playground of the Laurentians, trying out the third generation of the Michelin X-Ice against competitors like the Nokian Hakkapeliitta, Bridgestone Blizzak, Goodyear Ultra Grip, Toyo Observe and several others.

Driving on a track is fun. Driving on a track in winter is a blast. First up for our group of nine is a near quarter mile oval with elevation changes. The test involves three laps followed by a quick change into a near identical Mazda3 on a different set of tires; repeat four times for each driver. Skies were overcast, parts of the course were icy, others were loose or compacted snow. Our group mutually agreed the X-Ice was the class of the group, but of interest was the car we picked as worse of the group was actually rated second best by a group the day before, when skies were clear and temperatures were 10 degrees lower.

A walk down a path took us to sheer ice acceleration, followed by a speed-steadying zone and then a braking chute, again in identical cars. Differences were measured in deviation from a straight line under full throttle launch, and braking distance in car lengths. The cars were more closely matched than we imagined but the drive back to the launch line was a series of icy switchbacks that highlighted lateral grip (or lack thereof).

Then we were off to a “road” course of compacted snow, again in identical cars and tires shaved down to 4/32 of an inch (to simulate a tire at the end of its useful life). We got to experiment with our car control and found the X-Ice was probably second best in the group. The difference, though, is that the Michelin was likely representative of a six year old tire, whereas all the others would have been in year three.

After a marketing presentation on the new X-Ice, we ended up with a couple fun exercises – driving different vehicles on different Michelin winter tires, so we could get a sense of how tough winter driving is not just for a full-sized pickup with an empty bed, but also for a four-wheel drive compact sport utility, front wheel drive hatchback and all-wheel drive luxury sedan; and finishing off on an icy skid pad with two rear wheel drive representatives (a pickup and a sedan), so we could try our drifting skills.

We came away with an appreciation of not just the excellence of the Michelin X-Ice in comparison to other tires people are buying, but also for the necessities in footing and judgement required for winter driving.

Not scientific by any means, but a learning experience just the same.

 

Tags: tire testing, witner tires