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Head-to-head Updated

Continental IceContact 3 vs Michelin CrossClimate — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 13 + 2 road tests and 3 + 152 owner reviews. How we score

CrossClimate leads, 74–71 Narrow edge

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Continental IceContact 3
Tire AContinental

IceContact 3

Winter

± 5

Tests 79 · 13 tests Owners 65 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 19 in 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 (ice handling)

Michelin CrossClimate
Tire BMichelin

CrossClimate

All Season

± 6

Tests 75 · 2 tests Owners 74 · 152 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 14 in 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test (noise)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 73

    Dry

    CrossClimate +3
    76
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 2 tests7678
    Reviews found online6774

    IceContact 3: 60% × 76 + 40% × 67.4 = 73

    CrossClimate: 60% × 77.9 + 40% × 73.5 = 76

  2. 73

    Wet

    CrossClimate +3
    76
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 2 tests7475
    Reviews found online7078

    IceContact 3: 60% × 74.5 + 40% × 69.6 = 73

    CrossClimate: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 77.9 = 76

  3. 79

    Snow

    IceContact 3 +10
    69
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 2 tests8471
    Reviews found online7165

    IceContact 3: 60% × 83.9 + 40% × 70.5 = 79

    CrossClimate: 60% × 70.9 + 40% × 65.4 = 69

  4. 75

    Comfort

    IceContact 3 +2
    73
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests94≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6176

    IceContact 3: 40% × 94.4 + 60% × 61.4 = 75

    CrossClimate: 40% × 70.1 (est.) + 60% × 75.7 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for CrossClimate. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 70

    Noise

    IceContact 3 +1
    69
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 1 tests7271
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    IceContact 3: 60% × 71.8 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 70

    CrossClimate: 60% × 70.7 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 69

    No owner ratings of noise for IceContact 3 or CrossClimate. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 57

    Treadwear

    CrossClimate +17
    74
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 61 (est.)74
    Reviews found online5175

    IceContact 3: 60% × 61 (est.) + 40% × 51.2 = 57

    CrossClimate: 60% × 73.8 + 40% × 75 = 74

    No road tests of treadwear for IceContact 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    CrossClimate +6
    73
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate
    Reviews found online6773
  8. 67

    Efficiency

    CrossClimate +9
    76
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 2 tests6776
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental IceContact 3Michelin CrossClimate
Relative Score 71 74
Dry 73 76
Wet 73 76
Snow 79 69
Comfort 75 73
Noise 70 69
Treadwear 57 74
Handling (owners) 67 73
Efficiency 67 76

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

IceContact 3

± 6

CrossClimate

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryIceContact 3CrossClimateΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 97% #3/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 99% #2/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 92% #5/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 94% #4/11 · 2017 All Season VS Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 99% #2/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 87% #9/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #3/8 · The BEST Studded Tyres for 2025 96% #4/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 100% #2/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 91% #5/8 · 2017 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 100% #2/8 · The BEST Studded Tyres for 2025 99% #2/8 · 2017 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 99% #2/8 · The BEST Studded Tyres for 2025 100% #1/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 100% #1/8 · 2017 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #5/10 2025 UTAC Ivalo Studded Winter Tire Test R16 #9/9 2018 ADAC All Season Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A IceContact 3

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and braking performance on packed snow and ice
  • Predictable handling in severe winter conditions
  • Strong performance on lake ice tracks

Cons

  • Premature stud wear or loss reported after moderate mileage
  • Potential for reduced stability in deeper snow (4-5 cm) depending on tire width
  • Unpredictable handling characteristics when paired with certain electronic stability control systems
All owner themes in the IceContact 3 review

Tire B CrossClimate

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and durability
  • Strong wet-weather grip and hydroplaning resistance
  • Reliable traction in light snow and cold conditions

Cons

  • Tendency to pick up and retain small stones in the tread pattern
  • Noticeable drop in performance as tread depth decreases
  • Potential for reduced fuel economy compared to dedicated summer tires
All owner themes in the CrossClimate review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental IceContact 3 B · Michelin CrossClimate
CategoryWinterAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental IceContact 3

Michelin CrossClimate

Narrow edge: Michelin CrossClimate — better treadwear, efficiency and handling. Pick the Continental IceContact 3 if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin CrossClimate scores 74 vs 57 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental IceContact 3 scores 79 vs 69 on snow.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Michelin CrossClimate scores 76 vs 67 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin CrossClimate scores 73 vs 67 on handling.

Tire A · Continental IceContact 3
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Tire B · Michelin CrossClimate
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IceContact 3 or CrossClimate?

Which is better in the wet, IceContact 3 or CrossClimate?

Michelin CrossClimate, 76 vs 73 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, IceContact 3 or CrossClimate?

Michelin CrossClimate, 76 vs 73 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, IceContact 3 or CrossClimate?

Continental IceContact 3, 79 vs 69 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, IceContact 3 or CrossClimate?

Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 69 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, IceContact 3 or CrossClimate?

Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 73 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, IceContact 3 or CrossClimate?

Michelin CrossClimate, 74 vs 57 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, IceContact 3 or CrossClimate?

Michelin CrossClimate, 76 vs 67 on our efficiency score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology