Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 7 vs Michelin CrossClimate 2 — 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 8 + 33 road tests and 33 + 21,728 owner reviews. How we score

CrossClimate 2 is ahead, 88–68

Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Continental VikingContact 7
± 5

Tests 75 · 8 tests Owners 62 · 33 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (snow braking)

Michelin CrossClimate 2
Tire BMichelin

CrossClimate 2

All Season

± 4

Tests 87 · 33 tests Owners 87 · 21,728 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 35 in 2023 All Season Tyre 35 Set Shootout (dry braking)

“Installed CrossClimate2 Switched out the OEM tires with a set of CrossClimate on my '23 Grand Cherokee. Loving the increased grip and slightly more aggressive look of these tires. Noise levels did increase a bit for the first few hundred miles but has now improved. There was about a 2 - 3mpg drop after installation. Not sure if it's really the tires or use of Winter gas and drop of temperature right around the same time I got these tires. Overall fully satisfied and would definitely purchase again!”

Category by category

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

  1. 66

    Dry

    CrossClimate 2 +29
    95
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossClimate 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 31 tests7799
    Reviews found online5188

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 76.6 + 40% × 50.7 = 66

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 99.2 + 40% × 88.3 = 95

  2. 67

    Wet

    CrossClimate 2 +20
    87
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossClimate 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 31 tests6983
    Reviews found online6692

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 68.7 + 40% × 65.7 = 67

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 83.1 + 40% × 91.7 = 87

  3. 76

    Snow

    CrossClimate 2 +15
    91
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossClimate 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 27 tests7999
    Reviews found online7279

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 79 + 40% × 72.2 = 76

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 98.6 + 40% × 78.7 = 91

  4. 70

    Comfort

    CrossClimate 2 +8
    78
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossClimate 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 4 tests7067
    Reviews found online7186

    VikingContact 7: 40% × 70.1 + 60% × 70.5 = 70

    CrossClimate 2: 40% × 67.1 + 60% × 86 = 78

  5. 80

    Noise

    VikingContact 7 +1
    79
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossClimate 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 20 tests8777
    Reviews found online6883

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 87 + 40% × 68.3 = 80

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 76.9 + 40% × 82.6 = 79

  6. 60

    Treadwear

    CrossClimate 2 +24
    84
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossClimate 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests≈ 63 (est.)81
    Reviews found online5688

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 62.6 (est.) + 40% × 55.8 = 60

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 81.2 + 40% × 88 = 84

    No road tests of treadwear for VikingContact 7. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 64

    Handling (owners)

    CrossClimate 2 +18
    82
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossClimate 2
    Reviews found online6482
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    CrossClimate 2 +13
    90
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7CrossClimate 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 23 tests7790
Scores at a glance
Continental VikingContact 7 vs Michelin CrossClimate 2: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryContinental VikingContact 7Michelin CrossClimate 2
Relative Score 68 88
Dry 66 95
Wet 67 87
Snow 76 91
Comfort 70 78
Noise 80 79
Treadwear 60 84
Handling (owners) 64 82
Efficiency 77 90

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

VikingContact 7

± 4

CrossClimate 2

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.

DisciplineCategoryVikingContact 7CrossClimate 2ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 100% #2/16 · 2026 ADAC All Season Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 70% #9/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 100% #1/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester All Season Tyre Test - 195/55 R16 – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 80% #2/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 93% #9/16 · 2026 ADAC All Season Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 80% #2/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 92% #9/16 · 2026 ADAC All Season Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 80% #3/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 93% #5/5 · 2026 TUV Test Report Goodyear Vector All Season 4 – Different tests
Wet Handling (tester's mark) Wet 70% #5/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 83% #8/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester All Season Tyre Test - 195/55 R16 – Different tests
Ice Braking Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 93% #10/16 · 2026 ADAC All Season Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Ice Handling Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 89% #8/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Ice Traction Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 58% #7/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 97% #3/16 · 2026 ADAC All Season Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 90% #3/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 100% #1/5 · 2026 TUV Test Report Goodyear Vector All Season 4 – Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 96% #5/16 · 2026 ADAC All Season Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 100% #1/5 · 2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 95% #4/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester All Season Tyre Test - 195/55 R16 – Different tests
Exterior Noise Noise 100% #1/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 100% #1/7 · 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Noise Noise 100% #3/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test 98% #9/16 · 2026 ADAC All Season Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Noise (tester's mark) Noise 100% #1/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test 95% #4/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester All Season Tyre Test - 195/55 R16 – Different tests
Fuel Consumption Efficiency 96% #4/8 · 2023 Studless Friction Winter Tyre Test 98% #2/16 · 2026 ADAC All Season Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 100% #1/5 · 2026 TUV Test Report Goodyear Vector All Season 4 – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 69% #5/8 · 2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter Tyre Test 55% #12/12 · 2024 Minivan / SUV All Season Tyre Test – Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall #2/15 2025 Teknikens Värld Winter Tire Test R17 #2/6 2026 Wybór Kierowców Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A VikingContact 7

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Strong performance in slush and deep snow
  • Stable and predictable handling at highway speeds

Cons

  • Mixed reports regarding tread life and longevity
  • Noticeable decline in ice-braking performance compared to top-tier ice specialists
  • Compound may harden or performance may degrade after multiple seasons
All owner themes in the VikingContact 7 review

Tire B CrossClimate 2

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in snow, slush, and winter weather conditions
  • Strong braking and handling performance on dry and wet pavement
  • Long-lasting tread wear and durability

Cons

  • Higher initial purchase price
  • Slight negative impact on fuel economy / EV range for some drivers
  • Potential for increased road noise or harshness as the tires wear down
All owner themes in the CrossClimate 2 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Continental VikingContact 7

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Michelin CrossClimate 2

Positive

The community overwhelmingly praises the Michelin CrossClimate 2 for its exceptional snow, ice, and wet-weather traction, often describing it as an ideal all-weather tire. While many drivers report a quiet, comfortable ride and solid durability, some users note potential downsides including reduced fuel or battery efficiency, road noise on certain surfaces, and premium pricing. A few commenters also point out that the tire may be overkill for regions without significant winter weather.

r/VWiD4Owners ·2 upvotes ·2026-09-11

“CC2 is a super safe way to go, I’d just keep on with them if you’re happy so far. Other options probably won’t last as long or have as good traction in the occasional snow/ice. I have a set of 18” wheels so I use 235/60R18 tires and rotate them, live in the northeast, lots of snow in winter. I’ve used Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive, they were great, lasted a bit over 40k miles until they got down to just over 2/16th. I’m on Bridgestone UltraWeather now, feel fantastic so far, slightly better efficiency than WeatherActives, slightly quieter too. They’re basically a next gen version of WeatherPeak but in an XL load rating which the ID.4 specifies.”

r/tires ·14 upvotes ·2024-01-14

“Michelin Cross climate 2 in winter snowstorm 1/2024 review I had these installed on my 2021 Honda CR-V hybrid AWD back in August from the OEM Hancook tires. The road noise went away after driving about 500 miles. These tires are freaking amazing! Large puddle on the road? No hydroplaning. My MPG didn’t suffer that much (about 0.3-0.5 mpg decrease). Recently got hit by the snowstorm in Michigan and it’s nice having the confidence driving in the bad road conditions. On my way home from work, there were so many accidents with cars in ditches and unable to go up a hill. I had to take backroads and I had no problem traversing through the back dirt roads. There was a hill that a lot of cars weren’t able to get up but I just squeezed past them without any issues. I was amazed how great these tires are. So glad I spent the extra money for these - I hope they last a while before I get another set!”

r/volt ·8 upvotes ·2026-09-18

“Michelin CrossClimate2 efficiency surprisingly good! Just put in a new set of Michelin CrossClimate2s to go along with a move from LA to New England. I was a bit worried about the mileage/range hit but figured the safety in the winter outweighed it. I'm pleasantly surprised! On an all-highway trip from Boston to New Jersey, gas MPG was a steady 42 mpgs and I got about 45 miles on the battery, although I drive like a grandma at the posted speed limits so I think I was close to 44 mpg/45 EV miles on the old OEM tires. Around town in suburbia in good weather I'm still running between 4.0-5.0 miles/kWh. I estimate, at worst, a 5% drop in efficiency. Pretty good considering the Michelins feel so much stickier!”

Top themes
#Snow and ice traction#Wet handling and hydroplaning#Road noise and comfort#Fuel economy and range#Tread wear and longevity#Premium price point#Directional tread design

Based on 762 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental VikingContact 7 B · Michelin CrossClimate 2
CategoryWinterAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available13492
Rim diameters14″ – 22″15″ – 21″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″9 - 10/32″
UTQG—640 B A
Treadwear warranty—60,000 mi
SidewallBlack Side WallBlack Side Wall
Max pressure44 - 51 psi50 - 51 psi
Sizes in common6565

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental VikingContact 7

Michelin CrossClimate 2

Winner: Michelin CrossClimate 2 — better dry, treadwear and wet. Where the Continental VikingContact 7 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 95 vs 66 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 84 vs 60 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 87 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 82 vs 64 on handling.

Tire A · Continental VikingContact 7
Tire B · Michelin CrossClimate 2

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

VikingContact 7 or CrossClimate 2?

Which is better in the wet, VikingContact 7 or CrossClimate 2?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 87 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, VikingContact 7 or CrossClimate 2?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 95 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, VikingContact 7 or CrossClimate 2?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 91 vs 76 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, VikingContact 7 or CrossClimate 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 80 vs 79 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, VikingContact 7 or CrossClimate 2?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 78 vs 70 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, VikingContact 7 or CrossClimate 2?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 84 vs 60 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, VikingContact 7 or CrossClimate 2?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 90 vs 77 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