Head-to-head Updated

Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S vs Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

CrossClimate 2 SUV is ahead, 80–54

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Tire BMichelin

CrossClimate 2 SUV

All Season

Tests 86 · 4 tests Owners 78 · 2,551 reviews

“We visited VT for Christmas and got quite a lot of freezing rain. My parents live on dirt roads and they weren't sanded. Crossclimate 2s on the XC90 took it all in stride. It wasn't my first choice of tire. But I didn't feel "caught with my pants down" either. In NJ we have lots of "winter" days that range from the teens to the 40's. Right now the CC2s are my summer tire and I run Blizzaks for winter. If I were to run CC2s year round, I would buy new tires in Nov, keep them for 2 years, then sell them as barely used and buy a new set. Just like with the older all-season tires, winter performance is definitely better when the tire is newer.”

Category by category

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

  1. 58

    Dry

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +27
    85
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE001 A/SCrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)–87
    Reviews found online5382
  2. 58

    Wet

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +24
    82
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE001 A/SCrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)–82
    Reviews found online5381
  3. 59

    Snow

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +28
    87
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE001 A/SCrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)–95
    Reviews found online5277
  4. 61

    Comfort

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +22
    83
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE001 A/SCrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)–82
    Reviews found online5383
  5. 63

    Noise

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +12
    75
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE001 A/SCrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)–81
    Reviews found online58–
  6. 43

    Treadwear

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +24
    67
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE001 A/SCrossClimate 2 SUV
    Reviews found online2769
  7. 48

    Handling

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +34
    82
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE001 A/SCrossClimate 2 SUV
    Reviews found online4882
Scores at a glance
Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S vs Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryFalken ZIEX ZE001 A/SMichelin CrossClimate 2 SUV
Relative Score 54 80
Dry 58 85
Wet 58 82
Snow 59 87
Comfort 61 83
Noise 63 75
Treadwear 43 67
Handling 48 82

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

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

ZIEX ZE001 A/S

CrossClimate 2 SUV

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A ZIEX ZE001 A/S

Pros

  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Reliable dry-road traction and handling
  • Satisfactory performance for daily commuting and highway driving

Cons

  • Rapid and premature tread wear
  • Poor traction and confidence in snow and icy conditions
  • Low hydroplaning resistance in heavy rain
All owner themes in the ZIEX ZE001 A/S review

Tire B CrossClimate 2 SUV

Pros

  • Exceptional wet, ice, and snow traction that inspires winter-weather driving confidence
  • Significantly improved ride comfort and impact absorption over road imperfections
  • Impressive tread life and durability yielding long-term value

Cons

  • Higher initial purchase price compared to competitors
  • Minor fuel economy or range drop reported by some users, especially on hybrids and EVs
  • Occasional low-pitched or increased road noise at highway speeds (between 50-70 MPH)
All owner themes in the CrossClimate 2 SUV review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S

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

Tire B

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV

Positive

Community sentiment for the Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV is largely positive, with drivers consistently praising its exceptional grip and safety in snow, slush, and heavy rain. The primary trade-offs frequently cited are reduced fuel/range efficiency—particularly noted by EV owners—along with a premium price tag, directional rotation limitations, and mixed opinions on road noise.

teslamotorsclub.com ·7 upvotes ·2021-12-09

“CC2s fitted yesterday. Initial subjective reaction are they deffinately seem both quieter and more comfortable than the stock PS4. I did a non scientific noise test using a app on my phone. On my way to have the tyres changed I drove a section of the A460 toward & from Cannock, approx half a mile in each direction. I did exactly the same run at the same speed with the CC2s a couple of hours later. This is a fairly rough surface well worn tarmac but I avoided all ruts & holes. PS4: 41psi 50mph, average noise level 67.4db. The average being registered by the app, not my calculation. CC2: 40 psi 50mph, average noise level 64.6db. In both cases the phone lay on the central console forward of the tray & armrest. The comfort feeling is the CC2s are softer, damping ridges & ruts better than the PS4, while driving a route of 14 miles each way I drive every Tuesday & Thursday & consists of a wide range of different surfaces including the newer super smooth quiete tarmac.”

subaruoutback.org ·2 upvotes ·2023-04-03

“I put the CC2s on my 2016 OB about 5K miles ago. There was an immediate ~2 MPG hit for both local and highway driving, but the amazing grip, smoothness, and reduction in road noise (even compared to the excellent Michelin tires I was running prior to the CC2s) makes it worthwhile to me. I like the increased rolling resistance in local and back road driving, almost like having more engine braking. Expensive rubber though.”

mbworld.org

“Quote: Originally Posted by Gitzer I think the advice on this thread is exactly right. In fact, don’t drive your new car if there is any snow or ice on the road. Get the CC2s or equivalent immediately. You are going to need them next winter anyway. Lots of people are recommending, the CCs but aren’t they all-seasons? It seems like if I’m already stuck owning Summer tires, I’m better off buying an winter set and alternating, vs owning a Summer a All Season, no? What’s killing me is no one has or can order winter tires this late in the season. it’s really frustrating that the brand new luxury car doesn’t come with all seasons, or some tires that are even safe to opperate where the vehicle was sold. Im literally going to have to rent a a car on cold days to keep my family safe ☹️”

Top themes
#Snow and winter traction#Wet grip and hydroplaning resistance#EV range and fuel efficiency impact#Road noise and ride comfort#High price and premium value#Directional tread rotation limits#Treadwear and longevity

Based on 97 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S B · Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available635
Rim diameters17″ – 20″17″ – 22″
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG360 A A—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV

Winner: Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV — better handling, snow and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 82 vs 48 on handling.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 87 vs 59 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 85 vs 58 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 82 vs 58 on wet.

Tire A · Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S
Tire B · Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV

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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.

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

80

Leads

CrossClimate 2 SUV

Amazon