Tire Recommendations: Pilot Alpin PA4 vs. X-Ice XI3

[rallm7]

Hi all...looking for feedback from anybody who has run either of these tires, Pilot Alpin PA4 or X-Ice XI3.

Live in CT and this is a dedicated winter set (PSS for summer). Looking at 245/40/18 for sizing.

How much of a trade off is there between the two? Looking for something that is a smooth, quiet, not squirrely ride on cold, dry roads but able to easily handle the somewhat occasional snow. Being in CT, temps can swing from 0 degrees to 60 degrees.

Any input from anybody who has run either would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[brainpan]

I've been running the pa series for awhile now and overall I'm happy with them. They have great feel under dry and slushy conditions. They're so so under icy conditions, and anything over a few inches of snow they're not that great. Unless you're bogging through deep snow I'd go with the pa4 tires.

[AmanG]

I have the x ice xi3 and have no complaints. There wasn't much snow here last year, but they felt great during the few times it did snow. They are a little soft so the steering is a bit unresponsive but that is to be expected with a studless winter tire.


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[eljay]

As said above, they are different tires.
Brainpan describes PA accurately.
Xi3 will be better in deep snow and on ice, but more squishy on dry roads.

So, pick what's more important to you based on conditiins you'll encounter most frequently.
PA4 = better handling winter tire with severe weather capabilities
Xi3 = severe weather tire with a bit less outright handling and feel.

Since you are going for 245 section tire, I think you are after the PA4 like feel.

[DeltaHawk60]

Last year, I basically narrowed my search down to these two tires as well for first winter in my S4. Ultimately, I went with the PA4s.

My decision was due to the fact that I only really need to drive in town, so even during bad weather, these are more than capable of getting me home safely. Since we don't typically deal with massive amounts of snow here in ND (as opposed to more, say, hard-packed / scraped snow or patchy areas) I didn't need a "stud-less snow & ice" and went with the "winter performance" to retain some of that sporty feel during the cold months.

As this was my first AWD car and first dedicated winter tire setup, I don't have a lot to compare it to, but I can say it dealt with average winter driving conditions MUCH better than my old 4wd TrailBlazer did (on all-seasons). I was very happy with the PA4s last year and coincidentally, just swapped to my 18" OEM / PA4 setup yesterday... bring on the snow!

On a side note, I put some Nokian WRG3s on the wife's van last year and been running them year-round... very happy with those as well for what they are as an "all weather" tire. Capable in the snow and handle as well as the touring A/S tires they replaced (of course, it's a van, but whatever!)

[MN Blue S4]

I have had 225 section x ice xi3s for the last two winters on my stock 18" wheels. They are incredible in snow and on ice. As AmanG correctly stated, they are a bit squishy on dry roads. For me it was an easy decision. I'm happy to give up the winter dry road performance in return for the best traction and stopping power I can get when the weather gets ugly.

[rallm7]

Thanks for the input...will add that this car is my DD and my commute is about 35 minutes and the business park I work in can get pretty tricky in the snow. I also have to be in the office or at sites during severe weather (electric utility company), so I'm definitely looking for something that performs well in the snow.

I have a set of Falken winter tires on now (came with the wheels I traded for), and they feel very rough and loud while driving, that's why I'm exploring other options.

Anybody who has had the X-Ice, can you comment on ride quality on dry, cold roads?

Thanks

[Teamnct4]

I was looking at the same tire options last month. I went with the Michelin x-ice from tirerack. I got a wheel and tire package, haven't installed them yet, but they had incredible reviews. I don't think you can go wrong either way.

[DeltaHawk60]

If I would have to contend with un-maintained, snowy roads on a regular basis, I would have probably gone with the X-Ice (or Nokian Hakka R2s) myself. I can't speak to the ride on either of those, but I can say I don't notice much of a difference at all when I go to the PA4s as far as road noise. Handling is just a bit softer and they absorb more of the bumps, though.

I did take the PA4s though several inches of snow several times and it never struggled. I realize they probably won't be as good in the worst of worst conditions, but would still feel confident with them knowing what I know now.

[Vogz]

Thanks for the input...will add that this car is my DD and my commute is about 35 minutes and the business park I work in can get pretty tricky in the snow. I also have to be in the office or at sites during severe weather (electric utility company), so I'm definitely looking for something that performs well in the snow.

I have a set of Falken winter tires on now (came with the wheels I traded for), and they feel very rough and loud while driving, that's why I'm exploring other options.

Anybody who has had the X-Ice, can you comment on ride quality on dry, cold roads?

Thanks

My wife has a set of x-ices on her Acura RDX and I have PA3s on my S4. I'll never buy a dedicated winter tire like the x-ice again since you need snow on the ground pretty much all the time to really take advantage of what they are designed for. The x-ices are really soft, make steering very numb and are loud on cold, dry roads. They also aren't great on wet roads that don't have snow or ice on them.

The PA3s (and even more so new PA4s) are quiet, have fantastic steering response, and handle really well on cold dry/wet roads. They are probably 8/10s as good as the x-ice tires in deep snow and on ice. I've had them in 10 inches of snow and they plow through it all. You'll run into a ground clearance problem in deep snow before you run into a traction problem with the PA3s.

[torinalth]

My wife has a set of x-ices on here Acura RDX and I have PA3s on my S4. I'll never buy a dedicated winter tire like the x-ice again since you need snow on the ground pretty much all the time to really take advantage of what they are designed for. The x-ices are really soft, make steering very numb and are loud on cold, dry roads. They also aren't great on wet roads that don't have snow or ice on them.

The PA3s (and even more so new PA4s) are quiet, have fantastic steering response, and handle really well on cold dry/wet roads. They are probably 8/10s as good as the x-ice tires in deep snow and on ice. I've had them in 10 inches of snow and they plow through it all. You'll run into a ground clearance problem in deep snow before you run into a traction problem with the PA3s.

This exactly. I got the PA4s for this exact reason and love it. Most of my days are just going to be super cold then have a chance to free or be frozen in the morning then just wet in the afternoon. Alternately it'll just be cold then snow in the afternoon, then melt the next day and refreeze into the next evening. Since I have to deal with just dry and cold, ice, snow, and changing between all 3, the PA4s were the best option. On REALLY thin and slick ice (slight mist on top) they will still slide a touch, but that's minor compared to doing well in the dry. So it really depends on how much dry vs snow vs ice you have.

[Antekaudi]

I had PA3 on my A4 and they were amazing.

As others stated, it is not great in deep snow but quattro will definitely help with that.

As far as handling, they handled much better than the DWS i had previously on the car.

I also live in CT.

Thanks

[adamkb26]

I have PA3s and have been in both Indiana and Wisconsin winters. Car is a tank in the snow with them. Ice performance is decent and deep snow I've done fine in.

[LYKUNO]

I have PA3s and have been in both Indiana and Wisconsin winters. Car is a tank in the snow with them. Ice performance is decent and deep snow I've done fine in.

I had the Pilot Alpin PA3's for the past 5 winters and they were great - quiet and long lasting. But they're no longer available in the 235/45-18 size I had, so opted to go with the newer PA4 design. These are 245/40-18) mounted on my 18x8 ET35 BBS RGR winter wheels. Drove on them for the 1st time today and they were very quiet. Still in the break-in period (had less than 50 miles on them) so did not push handling and braking too hard. The newer tread pattern should get me through just about anything the Lake Erie snow machine churns out in NE Ohio.

[SDV325]

Like most have said, PA4's are probably the way to go.

Unless you are in Saskatchewan where it never warms up in the winter, chances are its gonna be dry cold roads most of the time which PA4's would be better.

If there is snow and ice on the roads ~75% of the time that you are driving then Xice are probably your best bet.

[Works2shoot]

For me, a winter tire is about that "I'm at a customer site and all of a sudden an afternoon flurry is an all out storm - and I need to get home through 40 miles of DMV interstate and back roads." Snow removal around here is woefully inadequate. Being able to pass a stuck D.C. Driver on 495 who is riding on bald tires is quite important. I'll give up the performance for the knowledge that I can use the deep shoulder to get around. YMMV.

I wish I had my dash cam back when there was a van literally doing donuts due to not being able to find traction. It was me and a raptor heading back to northern Virginia. As we both rocketed to the cleared off Dulles toll road, he honked his horn and threw up an enthusiastic wave for keeping up. Then he blasted off. Dope.

[jzinckgra]

My vote is Nokian hakka r2.

[emnahum]

Yet another happy PA4 owner.

[AmanG]

Just an update. After driving on the x ice tires today when it was cold and dry, I'm going to have to say that I wish I bought the PA4 or another more performance oriented tire. The x ice appealed to me because of the tread wear guarantee, but they just don't suit the nature of the car and imo the benefit they provide of marginally better performance in the snow isn't worth the trade off for the majority of the days when there is no snow on the roads.


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[Crucible35]

I have the XICE and love them. I've had no issues, this being the second winter with them on....and frankly we haven't had huge amounts of snow these past couple of years. When I switched out from my summers (PSS) there was noticeable improvement in comfort and they're way more quiet than the Super Sports.....but obviously an unfair comparison. Based on the comments above, I may try the Alpins next time around...

[ea126405]

I've owned PA3s and driven on them for 3 winter seasons. They are quiet and performance is SOLID in all conditions. My previous car was a tank with these tires installed, deep snow and ice included. That's why I ordered and installed PA4's on my new S4.

[grovlet]

I opted for the other well respected option on this forum:
Pirelli Winter Sottozeros 3

I drove them all through last winter including highway driving during a blizzard - ZERO issues - they are the perfect tire for CT winter weather = Very Good Dry Performance/just a slight drop in handling & no worries in the white stuff at all

The other well liked tire is the PA4 - they flip flop for best winter performance tire on TireRack - so go with either of these options (IE NOT the X-Ice - you'll notice a performance drop)

[2012S4]

I opted for the other well respected option on this forum:
Pirelli Winter Sottozeros 3

I drove them all through last winter including highway driving during a blizzard - ZERO issues - they are the perfect tire for CT winter weather = Very Good Dry Performance/just a slight drop in handling & no worries in the white stuff at all

The other well liked tire is the PA4 - they flip flop for best winter performance tire on TireRack - so go with either of these options (IE NOT the X-Ice - you'll notice a performance drop)

Coming from Michelin PA3s. Also have them on 2016 SQ5

[DeltaHawk60]

Well, we're in the middle of our first winter storm here in ND. Had about an hour of rain, followed by freezing rain last night before it started snowing the heavy wet stuff. Picked up about 6" overnight.

Backed out of the driveway and went UP the hill from a stop; didn't even bother to use the couple of tracks already made from other vehicles. Drove through snow, slush, on ice and scraped pavement with no issues on the PA4s. Even passed several pickups / SUVs that were sitting there spinning tires trying to go up little hills or even make turns through some of the deeper stuff. Oh what a difference the proper tires make.

[rallm7]

Thanks everybody, sounds like I've got my answer...PA4's!

Now to see if I get them and put them on now, or go through this winter with my current snow tires that ride like shit but still have good tread left