Unbelievable! Michelin CrossClimate 2 better than winter tires? 

Reporting from the Pacific Northwest. Ex-mechanic, Lived in Alaska for 10 years. I purchased a full set of these tires (From Discount Tire as well) in the fall during our typical rainy season. The first thing I noticed was they are a bit noisier than our previous tires but not so much that it was a real concern. The next thing I noticed was that the water-pumping ability is second-to-none. Normally, when our 2021 Subaru Ascent hit deep water (1/2" to 2") with only one side of the vehicle, the vehicle would pull pretty hard to the side hitting the water, as result of rolling resistance from the water piling up in front of the tires on that side. Not with these tires--The pull is almost completely absent, being barely noticeable. The directional, diagonal deep grooves in the tires act as a constant pump, ejecting water from under the tires keeping the tire surface in full contact with the road. If you look out the side windows as you drive through deeper water, you can actually see the pattern of the pump grooves in the spray of the water being ejected to the sides of the vehicle. Very impressed. As Winter kicked in, the vehicle was driven over a mountain pass through the Cascades just after a blizzard. On the hard pack left behind by the plow trucks, it felt like driving on dry pavement, during turns, acceleration and braking. In fresh, un-plowed snow, it was more obvious that you were in snow but was far superior to tires I used up in Alaska that were both siped AND had studs. Yes, that is what I said, they out-performed STUDDED tires. Honestly, I did not think that possible, but the proof is in the pudding. I have long been a subscriber to the idea of buying products based on warranty, not cost, the reasoning being that if the manufacture stands behind the product and shows that by including a decent warranty, I am less likely to have to replace the product sooner, in the long run saving me money. This has worked well for me in almost every consumer-product category. That being said, a 60k mile warranty on not just winter tires, but multi-season tires is almost unheard of. With winter tires I have tried in the past, including in Alaska, the tire compound is too soft to survive summer conditions for long and thus the manufacturer usually gave warranties in the 30k-40k range, at best. Michelin puts their money where their mouth is by including a warranty usually only seen on standard, single season tires. TOTALLY impressed with the entire package, but expect to pay more--They are NOT cheap tires. But, as I said, if they last longer than other tires, and don't require mounting/balancing of a second set of winter tires, you will actually SAVE money in the long run. Way to go Michelin!

I've had these on my car for the last 2 years and won't fit anything else . They are AWESOME. Great grip in the snow , great water displacement in very wet conditions and great grip in summer weather . I've actually had cross climates on for the last 5 years but the first 3 years were cross climate 1s and the last 2 years cross climate 2s . Really can't overstate just how awesome they really are especially getting you out of tricky situations when it's snowed 👍👍 5 *****

Michelin out did themselves with the Cross Climate 2, excellent tires!

Troy, Ohio here. I didn't want to comment on your review until I had a chance to do my own personal "research." I long since made the decision to install these on all of my vehicles. I am enough of a tire nerd that I replaced the factory tires on our 2021 Toyota Sienna 2wd with these after 5000 miles of torture that is the factory junk. My father in law's 2wd Ford Edge was in desperate need of a set of tires and this is what I installed as well. So we had over the course of 12 hours rain, then ice, then snow. Ended up with over 5 inches on the ground, wind, drifting, and a layer of ice under it. I went out and about with my father in law's 2wd Ford Edge. Note that in the past I have had Michelin X-Ice3's. These were every bit the equal of those winter tires. Incredibly confident in the bad stuff. Furthermore, Costco seems to be throwing $150 off of a set of 4 Michelins at least 4 times a year. So yes, this tire is quiet and capable enough to replace the Michelin Premiere series that was my "goto" tire for all seasons and yet eliminates the need for a dedicated winter tire. Outstanding review that you posted and I am here to say it's 100% true.

THANK YOU! Was totally on the fence on what to buy - you've convinced me!

We have them on both our Outback and our Forester. We get 5-6 feet of snow every winter and they’re awesome tires. They’re also great in the slush, wet and dry roads. We no longer have to have snow rated tires in the winter since changing to the Cross Climate 2 tires

Thank you for making this video and sharing! I shared this video with my son. One set of tires -vs- two, seems like an obvious choice.

Thank you for the review. I drove my wife's 2021 F-Pace about 50 miles on snow and ice covered highways in Minnesota this morning with the factory "all season" tires and didn't feel safe at all. I had a set of these put on 3 hours ago and WOW! The Jag now handles medium snow and ice as well as my 2020 Defender on Wrangler Adventures. Granted it won't go through 18" like the Defender will, but I just want my wife to be safe on the highway. Great tire recommendation. Thank you so much!!!

I have a friend who have made it from Italy to Norway . He is so impressed by those tyres. Leaving a country at + 25celsius and then arriving home at -12celsius is something incredible. I am stubborn.

I just want to say thank you. I live in Los Angeles but go up to Mammoth/Tahoe to ski almost every other week during the winter season, so definitely needed winter tires during that time. Was looking for a set of new tires to replace my factory M+S and was debating between dedicated winter tires (that I would have to switch out during the summer) or another set of M+S and have subpar winter performance and might even need chains. Well...your video was the first time i've heard of these CrossClimate2, did a lot more research on them and just made an appointment to get them next week. So thanks very much for introducing these awesome tires, now I can just keep one set for the whole year on my Pilot AWD!

Thanks for showing this. No more changing tires between seasons for me.

I had these on my front wheel drive work vehicle . Just amazing. I live in Minnesota and on snow and ice you need to try to get the traction control light to flash. Stopped on hills and no problem. Smooth riding over bumps and extremely quiet. Can’t wait for the tires on my own car to wear out so I can get these on.

Lots of people love these tires. Different formulations for Europe vs. US/NA, but consensus seems to be they are the real deal and worth the money. Just got mine yesterday and notice improvements in every category, from tracking to road noise, to handling (yes, a tad of understeer which more reviewers document), to urban MPG. Can't wait to see how they wear.

Good that I found this video. I did have Continental all season contact on a Toyota auris touring sport hybrid which no was the the station wagon version of the Corolla in Europe. They did quite well in summer and winter driving. But now I got a 2021 Rav4 Black Edition 4x4 hybrid and was looking for something with a bit more grip off-road so I got these Michelin cross climate. Haven’t been in the snow yet but noticed on a really muddy extremely slippery track they’re absolutely marvelous, the profile pics up an enormous amount of mud and with a bit of wheelspin also gets rid of it again so traction is very good and I hope this will be on snow about the same and usually all seasons are very good in icy conditions too. It actually picks up so much mud that a couple of hundred yards on a tarmac Road I have bits and chunks flying off the tires bouncing up about as highe a the Rav4 so following traffic keeps of my back😃

The cross climate 2s are seriously great! I've had mine for almost a year now. Had no issues on northern Michigan roads with my car what so ever.

Bought these in January of this year right before we had our first major (ove 11 inches) snow storm. They were fantastic. I'm really glad I bought these tires.

Just bought these for My Highlander as well. Glad to hear you love them!! I live in the Mountain West so I’m looking forward to the snow!! Good enthusiastic review!!👍👍

I haven't been able to use mine in the snow yet but very impressed with wet and dry handling.

3:22 2/32nds is the discard tread level in the US. What your talking about is the tread features like sipes going down to 2/32nds, it just means the cuts are deeper so when your tread wears down you'll retain the handing characteristics longer. Other tires the tread features may stop at a higher depth and you'll lose performance sooner.

This will be my next set of tires...thanks for the video. M.

Just bought these tires two months ago back in August. Looking forward to testing these in the winter on my 2013 Highlander Limited full time 4wd similar to yours

Thanks for the review. I also have Crossclimate plus tires on my car for 2 years now and they work great in all weather conditions. I will definitely switch to crossclimate 2 next time I need to change my tires.

just what I was lookin for. New Sub!

My research was Tire Rack tests and an on-line tire size calculator These tires perform as well as some dedicated winter snow tires in the test, except a bit longer stopping on ice But perform almost as well as dedicated High Performance winter tires on ice They are the number one Grand Touring tire in all tests They stop almost as short in wet and dry and pull almost as many G-forces as tires in the Ultra High Performance group I really wanted these for my 2019 Audi A8, as a one tire solution, as I drive it like it's a German Lincoln town car, more focused on quiet smooth Luxury ride, then trying to turn it into a Porsche 911 Unfortunately they only come in two 20 inch sizes 245/45r20 and 245/40r20 and my car takes 265/40 r20 I could not find a used A8 with 19”wheels, as the 20” wheel is only a $1,200.00 option that everybody chose, apparently I checked the sizes and the 245/45r20 will work as it is almost the same height as the 275/35r21 that is an option on the car 28.58” for the 275/35r21 vs 28.68” for the 245/45r20, this also gives me almost as much sidewall as the 19” 4.34 inches for the 245/45r20 vs 4.52 inches for 255/45r19 that was standard on the car for a better ride, and the tread width is the exact same 8.6 inches as the standard 255/45r19 that the car also came with I am extremely happy as I can have fun in the winter when the days are warm and roads are clear without destroying the tires And drive on snow and ice with no worries and have awesome wet and dry braking when the days are warm and roads are clear This is as close to a one tire solution as it gets, also a long 640 tread wear, and on par pricing with the rest of the high end Grand Touring tires Not to mention saving the cost of 4 winter tires, mount, balance, TPMS and 4 OEM Audi A8 rims and changing twice a year

I have them on my Crosstrek over a year now they are really good on snow and rain, no more hydroplane but on gravel road lots of small rock stuck in it I can fill it rattling on the road.

I've had the original CrossClimates on all my cars since around 2017. We live in SW France so conditions vary from 40+degC at the height of summer to well below freezing and lots of snow and ice in the Pyrenees. Before that, I had ContiWinterContacts for December to March because I was fed up with snow chains, particularly when one snapped half way up the mountain road at 2am at -10. Jacking up a car to remove a wheel in those conditions is not ideal. The CrossClimates are almost as good in the snow - packed and soft - as the Contis. They are superb. And I gather that these new versions are even better. As you said in your film, you don't know what they're like on 2WD vehicles. Well, all mine are FWD and they're excellent. Drove across the Massif Central last weekend on snow covered roads and they were great. Much much better than any 4WD drive on summer tyres.

I just put a set on my Camry. I can’t wait to see how well they do this winter.

Thanks for the review I'm getting them.

Best all weather tire hands down! I talked my father into a set of these for when his OEM Pirelli all season tires are worn.

Fitted a brand new pair of CrossClimate 2s on my car yesterday, coming from Bridgestone A005 Evo, can’t wait to get them on to snow to test them out!

I did a lot of research before I bought new Michelin Cross Climate tires for my 2010 Super Cab 4 x 4 Ford F-150 Heavy Duty pickup last fall before the snow hit. I am very satisfied with them. I only have 43k miles on this truck and the original weather checked tires needed to be changed out. The LT 245/75 17E truck tread is different than the car tire tread.

Were getting a set of these for our 2009 FWD RAV4. I'm retired and usually don't need to go anywhere when the weather is bad but still good to have in case you get unexpectedly caught in a winter storm, especially since our RAV4 is not AWD.

Thank you for your video... I'm getting these for my Honda Accord 2.0T Sport.

Thanks for your video. First of all, I live in Quebec, Canada which by itself is a really extreme test for any Tire, so I've just decided to go with a set of these. Winter is coming, we got lots of snows and Ice and crazy extreme cold weather (Temps go easily below 30F) as well. I hope they will handle well on these extreme conditions as it does for you down in US. Thanks again.

Coming from a bald tire to a brand new 1 is a heck of a change!

Yess sirr😃 i purchased 4 of these tires Oct 7th 2021, after looking in consumer report book, listed as number 1 in all season tires, 😃, also looking at michelin upload video showing the performace on road, Thank you for your video as well😃. Im in Ohio we get our share of snow. So far on dry ground i like that these tires are quiet, we haven't received rain yet, but viewing video's they did well on wet ground☺.

Thanks K1…I’ll be ordering a set tomorrow.

Just got some for my accord. Hoping it can give some improvement over sporty all season tires I had. Plows do a pretty great job anyway here in MN but I cant wait to test them out!

Thanks for sharing, I’ll definitely check them out.

I just ordered a set today and get to have them put on this coming week on my AWD Volvo XC70!

I live in Alberta, and the thought of not having to change tires for winter and summer is amazing! I can't wait to get myself a set.

494 and snow, must be a fellow MNer I learned of these tires from Engineering Explained and I bought a set for my wifes forester and my fusion cant wait to get them installed

This is what I got for my 4cyl, 375hp GLA45AMG, and I'm super satisfied with its performance. No road noise and excellent traction. Cornering is lacking a little in dry conditions, but I'm willing to give up some cornering Gs as a trade off to not change tires every winter and spring. Besides, for cornering satisfaction, I got my M4Cx :)

I just ordered a set of V-rated Michelin CC 2 tires for my 2021 Hyundai Sonata Limited 1.6 T from Tire Rack. Just waiting for them to get to my shop for mounting and 4-wheel alignment. I'm pumped.

Thinking about getting these for a 2013 Lexus sedan. Thanks for the review

Nice, I got some vredstein 2 years ago. They blew my mind. I always had winter tires before. I drove those up in Breck without issues. Looks like the new rubber compounds are making it across all brands.

I totally agree we drove in Jackson hole and they performed awesome!

There is Nothing like real Winter Tires. Nothing will beat the Nokian and Bridgestone in any winter conditions. I love up in the North with 6 months of snow per year.

I had ecopias, almost took my life in winter and rainy conditions. Just bought crossclimate 2s cant wait to see what these puppies can do.

you MN man! I know those roads... I just bought a full set of those crossclimate 2s... i hope i enjoy them

Love my CrossClimate+ tires on my 2018 Tesla Model 3, looking forward to getting CrossClimate 2 when replacement is needed around 35,000 miles!

I have a 2016 MX-5 Club that I drive in Northern Illinois. I have a dedicated set of winter tires for those cold months. I switch out the tires & rotate them myself because it also gives a chance to inspect the brakes / brake lines / plastic inner liners. I clean off those parts each seasonal change so while I like the idea of never changing tires for seasons the personal inspection of the brakes & the other parts would never happen. My winter tires are Michelin X-Ice 3 BTW. The Miata is really good in the snow with this setup under 6". Over 6" & I'll wait for the plows.

I have them on my 2012. Awd Lexus and this winter have been super

I live in the UK and I just bought a set of these tires. Here its generally 3 - 8 degrees C and rainy most of the time during winter with the odd time where its dry and icy cold and the odd time when it snows. I felt that this was an ideal tire for these kinds of conditions :) we got our first snow this weekend and I decided to bite the bullet and get some. My summer tires are absolutely dreadful in the snow and ice and I had 2 close calls last year because of them.

They are brilliant tyres had a few sets on Mazda CX-5 and now kodiaq, top notch, last forever brilliant in the snow

I just purchased the CrossClimate 2’s for my 2016 Honda Civic and am very pleased with them. Prior to this I swapped out my summer tires in the Fall for my Michelin X-Ice winter tires then back to summer tires again in the Spring. I still plan to use the dedicated winter tires next winter. Also, my Discount Tire dealership in Elgin IL (And I agree they are very good to work with) swaps my tires for FREE in the Spring and Fall. I have all eight tires on their own dedicated wheels.

Great review - I’m buying them at Costco - thanks!

I'm interested in these but it's a bummer that they don't come in my size so I went with my go to UHP all weather tire, the Conti DWS 06 Plus

EXCELLENT CHOICE 👍 Just bought a set for my daughters Subaru Impreza all wheel drive. Its been raining hard here in California and worried about her driving on worn summer tires. Out the door with a road hazard policy they cost around $1300.00 at our local Big O tire shop. Great service by the way 👍👍👍👍 Small price to pay for her safety and my peace of mind ✌

I got a set of CrossClimate 2's for a Ford Focus and they are fantastic on snow.

nice review - i'm getting some for my Subaru - ty

62 down Eden Prairie, hilarious. Near the area I used to live in. Just got these tires myself today. First time i'll have some proper tires in the Winter.

The snow looks pretty fresh and sounds very dry (at about 2:30 into the video) when you're walking about. I'd like to hear how they perform on some compact snow, ice, and in slush. Many tires work well in dry snow as they'll trap the dry snow within the tread, and like a snowball adhere to the snow on the ground. Thanks for your initial impressions.

Very expensive but going to get a set this coming October Thank you

I've ordered them from discount tires and will have them installed this Friday.

Good review

Generally all weather tires are great all year around. But I bet around 70% they are going to be no better than an all season, vs blizzaks and xice are almost fully effective until the bitter end. I'd love to try these tires, they are likely way better than the other brands of all weather's. The other thing to consider is you don't want to chew up your nice alloys with the winter salt depending where you live.

Have a set that are going on my son's car soon. 1 winter on them and they were great. Quiet, smoother than the Continrntal All season that yhe car came with and better in deeper snow than the old X Ice that I had on my vehicle (Highlander.) and those were really good winters.

Ha what a trip! I drive that area all the time 😂. Im gonna go grab a set from the Costco right behind ya.

I have a 2019 Highlander Hybrid and I had a set of these put on 1,000- miles ago. My one reservation had been what I'd read about fuel economy. To date, I'm getting incrementally better MPG than with my OEM Bridgestone Dueler Ecopia tires. The Michelin Defender is rated at 80K rather than the 60K for the CrossClimate 2 but the winter handling should more than make up for that in peace of mind.

Definitely sounds great, as advertised, they are definitely an all-weather tire. I’ve only done a bit of research on this but the Pilot AS4 has done really well too, even in the snow. The 2 competitors I like are Hankook Kinergy and Continental AllSeasonContact, Michelin is great for longevity too, they’re the only one offering a mileage warranty on a winter tire (X-Ice Snow). If you are only getting a few inches of snow and it is gone in a day or 2 all-weather tires are fine. I just read that in Finland 80% of people have studded tires. They get a lot of snow and they are so close to the North Pole that they only get 4-5 hours of sunlight in the winter (in the south near Helsinki) and they get no sunlight at all in the north for about 6 weeks of the winter. So you can imagine, the weather is more extreme there. Winter tires are likely mandatory there. If you have a SUV though in most places you just need AS tires. Cars definitely need winter tires in extreme weather conditions. Michelin, Continental and Pirelli tend to be really expensive, but brands like Hankook, Toyo, Kumho and Yokohama also very good and come at a better price point.

Here in Southern Oregon I was 'on the fence' after talking to discount tire, seeing a bunch of reviews.. after watching your video I'M SOLD. Thanks DudE..!❄️🌲🏔️ 😎 🤙

Yes I agree I've been doing a lot of research/homework on these particular tires. The company states it was a long thought out project. We have a automotive/tire store on base hopefully the people can special order me a set the prices are the best always it's a military base keep prices low for military families.

only thing that stops 2 wheel drive on these is snow blocking radiator and getting undeneath engine above undertray due to ride height..... good on ice,y compacted frozen snow, eliminates aquaplaning, and dry weather with stiffer more precise feel all adds up to double the price and i d still buy them

My cross climates just demolished the recent storm we had in SE MN,I was out the entire time driving for Uber and doordash, I can count the amount of times ABS kicked in on one hand. Truly remarkable. I had to stop myself from driving too fast cause these tires will give you confidence and you may get into some trouble 😂😂

Glad to hear that cause i recently bought those

I've out agilis Crossclimate on mine and I'm happy 😊

I just bought these and put them on my Bolt EV. Impressive tires.

Michelin cuts the sipes all the way down. Others cut the sipes only halfway down so they don't keep the same performance when used

Thanks! Your review was very useful.

I just purchased these for Jeep Cherokee AWD. I live in Vermont and because of climate changes our winters are not as snowy as past years . So these seem to me to be a good compromise for all season . I wake up early on power days and drive on snow roads to the ski . I will report back here once that happens to tell about my experience

Put a set on my wife's FWD Pacifica. Absolutely fantastic!

I have a set on my rav 4 and I have to say they are great in the snow and rain definitely more grip than I have bravery. I do get about 1-2 mpg less but if it keeps me from paying a insurance deductible or body shop that reduce resale value than it’s worth it. Not to mention you get road side assistance with Michelin that’s at least as good as AAA mid grade option so that’s like a $100 value as well.

I had a set. Loved them, but no good on ice. Still need Blizzaks for that. It's a great 3-season tire that you don't have to worry about switching to winter tires at the first sign of snow. You can wait until winter really hits.

I swear by CrossClimate tyres! This year will try the CrossClimate 2.. They are quality!

I had these on my Chrysler 300c and loved them on snow but the cornering was mushy on warm dry pavement in the summer which caused me to constantly adjust my steering during cornering. I’ve recently bought a crossover (CUV) with all wheel drive and really want to give the CrossClimates a try again and hope the summer cornering is better with them on a CUV….

Cool. Just put a set of these on my 2006 Toyota Matrix 4WD. Had a set of Michelin Premier A/S which were also quite good in snow. I agree, they look way cool. Good tires are definitely worth the extra dough.

Thanx. Wife just got a 2021 Crosstrek Limited.. Getting rid of the garbage Falkins that came on it and getting these. Discount has a nice Black Friday deal especially if you their card. Michelin or Bridgestone, nothing else.

Michelin tires have been the best for years. For the longest they were the only tire true to size. You get what your pay for.

Great job nice video

Been running the Continental DWS-06 for about 3 yrs on a STI. They're great in all weather conditions with amazing tread wear !! They're sitting at 10/32 but 3yrs old so they're coming off before next winter. We don't get much snow but hella ICE in the mountains where we live. Additional siping will 100% help with the ICE grip being that's the only complaint I've ever seen from the Michelin CC2.

I have the CC suv on my minivan and just got stuck in my neighborhood making a turn on a plowed road while the suv in front of me had no issues. My minivan also struggled up a slight hill around the corner. I never had any issues w my prior blizzak in much worse conditions.

Xice is just as its name! No Ice! I may have to try these out!

Because they have the 3 peaks rating like winter tires, I wonder if insurance companies will regard them as winter tires and still give you the discount.

I wanted a set of these SO bad on our 2016 Equinox but they were impossible to get at the time. 😭

We liked the Michelin Cross Climate 2 tires on our Forester so much that we put a set on my wife’s Outback as well. We get 5-7 feet of snow every winter and these tires are Awesome on dry, wet, slushy, snowy, logging and forest roads. When they wear out, we’ll replace them with another set.

We have the CrossClimate+ on our 328hp Infiniti Q50, they are truly amazing. People might be turned off by the premium price, but they are well worth it. We had them on our G37 but the car was sold after just one year with the tires. The amazing thing is that the handling wasn’t sacrificed at all with these, very little road noise for such an aggressive tread as well. Michelin struck gold with these.

Curious how they will perform in Summer time with heat on? Likely louder than All season and wearing off faster - just guessing.

I just got these tires...lve in the northeast. They are a little louder than the tires i replaced, kind of a low hum that you hear when coming to a stop. I will also say that on my previous michelin primacy tour A/S tires Costco sold me the wrong speed rating (V instead of H) which are stiffer and wrecked the snow handling. So going from those to CrossClimate 2 H rated tires made my car normal again and improved my snow handling by 50%

Nice review! Are these All-Season or All-Weather tires? Kal-Tire lists them as All-Weather but Costco lists them as All-Season.