Tests 67 · 8 tests Owners 84 · 17 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 17 in 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 (rolling resistance)
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin X Ice Snow vs Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
X Ice Snow leads, 80–79 Narrow edge
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Tests 58 · 5 tests Owners 92 · 40 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 5 in 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 (dry braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
57
Dry
X Ice Snow +1641Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Hakkapeliitta R5 Professional tests (TWG score) 43 9 Tire Rack owners 88 – Tyre Reviews owners 78 81 SimpleTire owners – 94 Dry Braking (% of best) 80% 100% Dry Handling (% of best) 92% 92% -
74
Wet
Hakkapeliitta R5 +680Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Hakkapeliitta R5 Professional tests (TWG score) 69 75 Tire Rack owners 89 – Tyre Reviews owners 81 75 SimpleTire owners – 91 Longitudinal Aquaplaning (% of best) 75% 79% Wet Braking (% of best) 80% 80% Wet Circle (% of best) 100% 97% Wet Handling (% of best) 96% 70% -
85
Snow
Hakkapeliitta R5 +186Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Hakkapeliitta R5 Professional tests (TWG score) 79 82 Tire Rack owners 91 – Tyre Reviews owners 94 89 SimpleTire owners – 97 Snow Braking (% of best) 100% 100% Snow Handling (% of best) 86% 90% Snow Traction (% of best) 82% 80% -
91
Comfort
Hakkapeliitta R5 +192Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Hakkapeliitta R5 Professional tests (TWG score) 94 – Tire Rack owners 88 – Tyre Reviews owners 87 88 SimpleTire owners – 94 -
83
Noise
X Ice Snow +1271Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Hakkapeliitta R5 Professional tests (TWG score) 83 56 SimpleTire owners – 86 Exterior Noise (% of best) 99% 99% -
91
Treadwear
X Ice Snow +586Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Hakkapeliitta R5 Tire Rack owners 88 – Tyre Reviews owners 91 81 SimpleTire owners – 85 -
75
Handling
Hakkapeliitta R5 +1893Why this score
Source X Ice Snow Hakkapeliitta R5 Tyre Reviews owners 75 87
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin X Ice Snow | Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 80 | 79 |
| Dry | 57 | 41 |
| Wet | 74 | 80 |
| Snow | 85 | 86 |
| Comfort | 91 | 92 |
| Noise | 83 | 71 |
| Treadwear | 91 | 86 |
| Handling | 75 | 93 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
80
/ 100
X Ice Snow
79
/ 100
Hakkapeliitta R5
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | X Ice Snow | Hakkapeliitta R5 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 80% #5/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | −20.0 | Same test |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 92% #4/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 92% #4/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 0.0 | Same test |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 100% #1/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 100% #1/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 0.0 | Same test |
| Fuel Consumption | Fuel | 97% #5/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 95% #2/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | +2.7 | Same test |
| Ice Braking | Ice | 71% #1/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 67% #3/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | +3.4 | Same test |
| Ice Handling | Ice | 70% #8/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 100% #2/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 | −29.6 | Different tests |
| Ice Traction | Ice | 82% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 87% #5/8 · 2024 Moottori Winter Tire Test R16 | −5.1 | Different tests |
| Exterior Noise | Noise | 99% #2/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 99% #4/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | +0.3 | Same test |
| Noise | Other | 99% #7/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 98% #5/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test | +0.5 | Different tests |
| Deep Snow Traction | Other | 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 70% #4/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | +30.0 | Same test |
| Dry Subj. Comfort | Other | 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 40% #8/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 | +60.0 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 100% #1/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 100% #1/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 0.0 | Same test |
| Subj. Ice Handling | Other | 80% #5/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | −20.0 | Same test |
| Subj. Snow Handling | Other | 100% #1/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | 90% #2/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | +10.0 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 25% #4/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 100% #1/6 · Moottori: Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | −75.0 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 0.0 | Same test |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 86% #8/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 90% #7/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | −3.6 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 82% #5/8 · 2024 Moottori Winter Tire Test R16 | 80% #7/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | +2.2 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 89% #2/8 · 2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | 93% #4/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test | −3.9 | Different tests |
| Subj. Dry Handling | Subj | 78% #5/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 60% #6/8 · 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test | +17.8 | Different tests |
| Subj. Noise | Subj | 88% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 100% #2/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | −12.5 | Different tests |
| Subj. Wet Handling | Subj | 78% #5/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test | 60% #6/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | +17.8 | Different tests |
| Longitudinal Aquaplaning | Wet | 75% #3/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 | 79% #8/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 | −4.0 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 80% #2/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 80% #2/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 | 0.0 | Same test |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 100% #10/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 97% #5/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 | +2.9 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 96% #4/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test | 70% #7/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 | +25.9 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A X Ice Snow
Pros
- Exceptional traction and lateral grip in deep snow and slush
- High level of confidence and stability on icy surfaces
- Excellent tread life and durability over multiple seasons
Cons
- Average performance and handling on dry or wet pavement
- Increased road noise as the tires wear over time
- Can feel slightly 'twitchy' or less stable at the absolute limit of handling
Tire B Hakkapeliitta R5
Pros
- Outstanding grip and confidence on packed snow and ice
- Significantly lower road noise compared to studded alternatives
- High level of ride comfort and smoothness
Cons
- Reduced stability and 'wandering' sensation at high speeds on dry pavement
- Reports of sidewall vulnerability to pothole damage
- Inconsistent performance in deep or heavy slush for some users
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin X Ice Snow | B · Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Premium Touring tires | — |
| Sizes available | — | 51 |
| Rim diameters | — | 14″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10.5/32″ |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
80
/ 100
Michelin X Ice Snow
79
/ 100
Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
Too close to call: Michelin X Ice Snow and Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 are within 2 points overall. Michelin X Ice Snow is stronger on dry, noise and treadwear. Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 is stronger on handling and wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 scores 93 vs 75 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 57 vs 41 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Michelin X Ice Snow scores 83 vs 71 on noise.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 scores 80 vs 74 on wet.
Tire A · Michelin X Ice Snow
Tire B · Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
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How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.