Head-to-head Updated

Falken Ziez ZE950 AS vs Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV — Compared

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

CrossClimate 2 SUV is ahead, 80–75

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Tire AFalken

Ziez ZE950 AS

All Season High Performance tires

Tests – · none yet Owners 77 · 3 reviews

Tire BMichelin

CrossClimate 2 SUV

All Season

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

“We run CC2s on our ‘20 Ascent in central Minnesota and they’ve been excellent in all weather conditions over 40k miles. We occasionally drive gravel roads and they do not pick up noticeable amount in the tread. I ordered them for our Forester at Costco since they are on sale right now. The other tire I considered were the Nokian WRG4s (or now 5 is the new model). I had previously put the WRG3s on the Forester, but they were very loud the last 10k miles.”

Category by category

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

  1. 76

    Dry

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +9
    85
    Why this score
    SourceZiez ZE950 ASCrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)–87
    Reviews found online8182
  2. 76

    Wet

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +6
    82
    Why this score
    SourceZiez ZE950 ASCrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)–82
    Reviews found online7881
  3. 77

    Snow

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +10
    87
    Why this score
    SourceZiez ZE950 ASCrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)–95
    Reviews found online8177
  4. 75

    Comfort

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +8
    83
    Why this score
    SourceZiez ZE950 ASCrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)–82
    Reviews found online8183
  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    75
    Why this score
    SourceZiez ZE950 ASCrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)–81
  6. 67

    Treadwear

    Level
    67
    Why this score
    SourceZiez ZE950 ASCrossClimate 2 SUV
    Reviews found online6969
  7. 80

    Handling

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +2
    82
    Why this score
    SourceZiez ZE950 ASCrossClimate 2 SUV
    Reviews found online8082
Scores at a glance
Falken Ziez ZE950 AS vs Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryFalken Ziez ZE950 ASMichelin CrossClimate 2 SUV
Relative Score 75 80
Dry 76 85
Wet 76 82
Snow 77 87
Comfort 75 83
Noise – 75
Treadwear 67 67
Handling 80 82

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

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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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Ziez ZE950 AS

CrossClimate 2 SUV

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Ziez ZE950 AS

Pros

  • Excellent value for the price point
  • Smooth and comfortable ride quality
  • Low road noise levels

Cons

  • Limited tread life warranty compared to some competitors
  • Potential trade-off between handling performance and longevity
All owner themes in the Ziez ZE950 AS 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 Ziez ZE950 AS

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.

chrforums.uk ·2 upvotes ·2024-06-04

“I have the Michelin Cross Climate 2 SUV tyres . The many reviews I read approved of their performance in snowy conditions (if that is an issue where you live) and also their dry condition performance. They supposedly have a decent life span. They felt nicer to drive on than the Primacy tyres . They weren't cheap at about £170 each fitted but will give me some insurance about snowy conditions and will hopefully last until I swap the car in about 3 years.”

r/tires ·3 upvotes ·2026-02-12

“Look at all weather tires (3PMSF rated) instead of a basic all season. Michelin CrossClimate2 is hard to beat for safety and snow grip and they’re not that loud in my experience. I put them on my wife’s Highlander and they’ve been smooth and confident in slush and highway rain. If you want something a little quieter and softer riding, Bridgestone WeatherPeak or Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive are also solid. When I priced 245/50R20 CC2s recently, Costco was around $314 per tire installed $1,256 set before tax during a promo, Tire Rack was about $302 per tire $1,208 before install and Discounted Wheel Warehouse had them closer to $279 per tire $1,116 before install so roughly $140 difference on a set before mounting”

subaruoutback.org ·2 upvotes ·2017-07-20

“I've had great luck with various Michelin tires on my cars and motorcycles over the years. Currently running the CC2s on my Outback , and am extremely happy with the wet grip and quietness. As some have noted, there is a noticeable increase in rolling resistance (causing a 2-3 MPG drop in my case), but for me that's a trade-off I'm willing to make.”

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 Ziez ZE950 AS B · Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV
CategoryAll Season High Performance tiresAll Season
Vehicle type—SUV and 4x4
Sizes available—35
Rim diameters—17″ – 22″

Which one should you actually buy?

Falken Ziez ZE950 AS

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV

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

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 87 vs 77 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 85 vs 76 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 83 vs 75 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 82 vs 76 on wet.

Tire A · Falken Ziez ZE950 AS
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