Winter Testing Results
The main reason many tire shoppers will consider a 4-Season tire in place of an all-season is the added winter grip. In our own testing, the tires seemed nearly as good as dedicated winter tires in normal snowy commuting. The tread design features solid transverse ribs for better cornering ability, and wide lateral grooves and open shoulders for water evacuation. Furthermore, the bevel-edged tread blocks provide better traction on damp surfaces, while the 3D self-locking sipes create additional biting edges for snow and ice traction. Michelin are going through a process of simplifying their product range so they only have the highest load rating of the tyres. This is fine for insurance, and looking at the tyre tests, fine for comfort too.
michelin defender tiresIF you’re going to be driving in snow conditions outside of the test parameters then you need significantly better dedicated winter weather tires. Michelin managed to mix excellent dry handling with capable snow traction, which I thought was impossible before. Moreover, it feels very positive behind the wheel, which makes the driving experience better.
There are some decent levels of responsiveness, but the levels of feedback aren’t something to write home about. The weakest point is in wet conditions, where the tire feels a bit twitchy when pushed to the limit. Under normal driving, the tire is fine; only when you push it will you notice that it doesn’t like it.
Therefore, if you want the best possible dry handling, while also having a peace of mind in the winter, the CrossClimate+ is an excellent choice. There is no other tire in this category that can offer this level of driver engagement, grip, and traction in one package. Many drivers make the mistake of not judging the abilities of their tires properly. It’s widely considered that all-season tires can provide drivers with usable traction throughout the year, although that’s not true. In reality, these tires suffer in harsh wintry conditions, especially over snow and ice.
The biting edges help the tire over wet tarmac and help it dig into snow and deliver traction in both cases. For aquaplaning resistance, the angle of the grooves is what channels the water outward, which should make the tire very stable at higher speeds. A tire’s maximum load is the maximum amount of weight the tire is designed to hold. The tire’s load carrying capacity is directly related to the tire’s size and amount of inflation pressure that is actually used.
When you are looking for grand touring tires, the warranty can play a huge role in deciding which one to get. In this case, the CrossClimate 2, being a newer tire, is the winner. Noise levels also aren’t class-leading and are behind the competitors. There is a noticeable hum at lower speeds, which increases as you drive faster. To be fair, it’s not the loudest tire in this category, but it’s far from the quietest either. The CrossClimate Plus is a tire that I cannot categorize as the best in its class, mainly due to its handling characteristics.
Keep in mind that models with higher speed ratings have less warranty. The CrossClimate 2 seems to deal with deeper snow a bit better and offers slightly shorter braking distances. The area where a larger difference is noticeable is in terms of braking distances and aquaplaning resistance. Despite both tires being from the same manufacturer and class, there are a few years difference between them, so we should see some performance differences.
Now, to be fair, the tire should provide you with good traction on hardpacked surfaces. However, sharp objects might damage the tread, so it’s probably better to limit your off-road excursions. Also, don’t expect high levels of traction in mud or over large rocks. Despite the enhancements Michelin made, this is still not a winter tire. I’d be okay using it on light to medium snow, but very harsh wintry conditions are a no-go.
Sure, some have a preference and usually go with that, but people like me tend to change things up. The main reason is that the industry is moving forward, and new technologies bring new improvements. At turning corners, the CrossClimate 2 got a relatively fast lap and light steering. Their innovation in manufacturing tires goes beyond automotive, space shuttles, motorcycles, cycles fields.
Technically, they are considered all-weather tires, making them a better option for winter conditions. This became evident during testing, where both tires proved to be strong contenders. While I’m on the subject of corners, I have to note that both tires aren’t designed to be pushed hard. They can deliver exceptional levels of grip in a corner, but the primary goal of Michelin wasn’t to make them track-ready.