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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Alpin 6 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 19 + 32 road tests and 35 + 21,600 owner reviews. How we score

CrossClimate 2 is ahead, 87–81

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Michelin Alpin 6
Tire AMichelin

Alpin 6

Winter

± 4

Tests 81 · 19 tests Owners 81 · 35 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (wear)

Michelin CrossClimate 2
Tire BMichelin

CrossClimate 2

All Season

± 4

Tests 87 · 32 tests Owners 87 · 21,600 reviews

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

“Michelin CrossClimate 2 after 31.000 kilometers I have those Michelin CrossClimate 2 (EU version, made in Spain) for 26 months now and 31.000 kilometers on a heavy Mercedes EQE, the rears are still good but the front tyres are starting to give up on the shoulders. Usual tyre pressure is 2.8 bars, there is still some good tread left on the middle of the tyre. Steering feeling on the snow is also not as good as it used to be. Overall very happy with those tyres, I’ll have to decide between the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 or the CrossClimate 3 Sport (sadly the 3 isn’t available in 255/45 R19) to replace them this year. We have the Pirelli Scorpion SF3 on our second car. Given the car and my usage, I give priority to snow braking, rolling resistance, silence and longevity. I lost a bit of range, comfort and steering engagement when I swapped the factory Bridgestone Turanza T005 for the CrossClimate 2, but in general nothing to call-out.”

Category by category

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

  1. 77

    Dry

    CrossClimate 2 +18
    95
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6CrossClimate 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 15 / 30 tests7499
    Reviews found online8289

    Alpin 6: 60% × 74.2 + 40% × 82 = 77

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 99.1 + 40% × 88.5 = 95

  2. 89

    Wet

    Alpin 6 +2
    87
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6CrossClimate 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / 30 tests9083
    Reviews found online8792

    Alpin 6: 60% × 90.4 + 40% × 87 = 89

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 83.4 + 40% × 91.8 = 87

  3. 75

    Snow

    CrossClimate 2 +16
    91
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6CrossClimate 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / 26 tests7799
    Reviews found online7478

    Alpin 6: 60% × 76.7 + 40% × 73.6 = 75

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 98.9 + 40% × 78.4 = 91

  4. 84

    Comfort

    Alpin 6 +6
    78
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6CrossClimate 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 3 tests8665
    Reviews found online8287

    Alpin 6: 40% × 86.4 + 60% × 82 = 84

    CrossClimate 2: 40% × 65.1 + 60% × 86.5 = 78

  5. 60

    Noise

    CrossClimate 2 +20
    80
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6CrossClimate 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / 19 tests5679
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)83

    Alpin 6: 60% × 56 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 60

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 78.6 + 40% × 82.7 = 80

    No owner ratings of noise for Alpin 6. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 85

    Treadwear

    Alpin 6 +2
    83
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6CrossClimate 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / 7 tests8981
    Reviews found online8087

    Alpin 6: 60% × 88.6 + 40% × 80.1 = 85

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 81.1 + 40% × 87 = 83

  7. 82

    Handling (owners)

    Level
    82
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6CrossClimate 2
    Reviews found online8282
  8. 63

    Efficiency

    CrossClimate 2 +27
    90
    Why this score
    SourceAlpin 6CrossClimate 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 15 / 22 tests6390
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Alpin 6Michelin CrossClimate 2
Relative Score 81 87
Dry 77 95
Wet 89 87
Snow 75 91
Comfort 84 78
Noise 60 80
Treadwear 85 83
Handling (owners) 82 82
Efficiency 63 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 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
± 4

Alpin 6

± 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.

In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Michelin Alpin 6 finished ahead 1 times and Michelin CrossClimate 2 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryAlpin 6CrossClimate 2ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #7/10 #11/10 – 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2021 Autonavigator Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Alpin 6

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry road grip in cold temperatures
  • High levels of ride comfort and low cabin noise
  • Impressive tread life and long-term durability

Cons

  • Inconsistent performance in deep snow and on ice
  • Some reports of sluggish steering feedback or 'soft' sidewall feel
  • Higher price point compared to some performance-oriented winter alternatives
All owner themes in the Alpin 6 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

Michelin Alpin 6

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/ecoboostmustang ·2 upvotes ·2025-07-28

“On a 2015 Highlander Hybrid, the CC2 is excellent anti-hydroplaning, wonderful snow and ice handling, both moving and stopping. I am a rideshare driver averaging 200 or so miles per day. The tires are only just now a bit noisier at 78,000 miles. Wear is down to 3/32 and went through a wild, heavy rain storm today with no lack of confidence whatsoever. Only downside is that >80 degrees F and gas mileage goes down by 2 mpg. Love the tires so much that I feel the slight loss during summer is still worth it.”
r/Subaru_Outback ·14 upvotes ·2024-01-17

“My Official review of the Cross Climate 2 tires. I put some new shoes on the Outback after reading some threads on here and decided with my weather here in Missouri the Cross Climate 2s were the best fit. In rain, they are great so no more sliding or hydroplaning what so ever. In snow, they are even more amazing. They grip extremely well. The one downside to them that concerns me, and I didn't think about this when I purchased them, is that fact you can't do a full tire rotation to them like conventional tires as they are directional so you can only do front to back and vise versa. For this reason I am concerned if I will get 60K out of them and avoid the inner/outer wear. Sure you can dismount the tire from the wheel and remount them but I had heard that's bad for them. Overall, they are excellent. If you are concerned about the tire rotation thing, I would say the Michelin Defenders or the Falkan Wildpeaks are probably a better bet. I plan on getting the Falkans next but hopefully that wont be for at least 50K more miles. Read more”
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!”
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 · Michelin Alpin 6 B · Michelin CrossClimate 2
CategoryWinterAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4292
Rim diameters15″ – 20″15″ – 21″
Tread depth—9 - 10/32″
UTQG—640 B A
Treadwear warranty—60,000 mi
Sidewall—Black Side Wall
Max pressure—50 - 51 psi
Sizes in common3838

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Alpin 6

Michelin CrossClimate 2

Winner: Michelin CrossClimate 2 — better efficiency, noise and dry. Pick the Michelin Alpin 6 if comfort matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 90 vs 63 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 80 vs 60 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 95 vs 77 on dry.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 91 vs 75 on snow.

Tire A · Michelin Alpin 6
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Tire B · Michelin CrossClimate 2
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Alpin 6 or CrossClimate 2?

Which is better in the wet, Alpin 6 or CrossClimate 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 89 vs 87 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Alpin 6 or CrossClimate 2?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 95 vs 77 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Alpin 6 or CrossClimate 2?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 91 vs 75 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Alpin 6 or CrossClimate 2?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 80 vs 60 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Alpin 6 or CrossClimate 2?

Michelin Alpin 6, 84 vs 78 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Alpin 6 or CrossClimate 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 85 vs 83 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

Which rolls more easily, Alpin 6 or CrossClimate 2?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 90 vs 63 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