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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin CrossClimate+ vs Firestone Winterhawk 2 EVO — 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 + 0 road tests and 120 + 10 owner reviews. How we score

CrossClimate+ is ahead, 80–59

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Michelin CrossClimate+
Tire AMichelin

CrossClimate+

All Season

± 5

Tests 81 · 13 tests Owners 78 · 120 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 15 in 2019 Summer and All Season Tyre Test (dry handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 87

    Dry

    CrossClimate+ +29
    58
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate+Winterhawk 2 EVO
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / – tests94≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online7752

    CrossClimate+: 60% × 93.9 + 40% × 77.4 = 87

    Winterhawk 2 EVO: 60% × 61.4 (est.) + 40% × 52.1 = 58

    No road tests of dry for Winterhawk 2 EVO. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 81

    Wet

    CrossClimate+ +21
    60
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate+Winterhawk 2 EVO
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / – tests81≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online8156

    CrossClimate+: 60% × 80.8 + 40% × 81.2 = 81

    Winterhawk 2 EVO: 60% × 62.6 (est.) + 40% × 55.8 = 60

    No road tests of wet for Winterhawk 2 EVO. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 68

    Snow

    CrossClimate+ +8
    60
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate+Winterhawk 2 EVO
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / – tests65≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online7353

    CrossClimate+: 60% × 65.1 + 40% × 72.8 = 68

    Winterhawk 2 EVO: 60% × 64.9 (est.) + 40% × 52.7 = 60

    No road tests of snow for Winterhawk 2 EVO. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 75

    Comfort

    CrossClimate+ +18
    57
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate+Winterhawk 2 EVO
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests71≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online7751

    CrossClimate+: 40% × 70.9 + 60% × 77.1 = 75

    Winterhawk 2 EVO: 40% × 65.1 (est.) + 60% × 51.1 = 57

    No road tests of comfort for Winterhawk 2 EVO. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 67

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate+Winterhawk 2 EVO
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 9 / – tests68–
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)–

    CrossClimate+: 60% × 67.6 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 67

    No owner ratings of noise for 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. 82

    Treadwear

    CrossClimate+ +19
    63
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate+Winterhawk 2 EVO
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests83≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online8060

    CrossClimate+: 60% × 83.2 + 40% × 79.7 = 82

    Winterhawk 2 EVO: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 60.2 = 63

    No road tests of treadwear for Winterhawk 2 EVO. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 72

    Handling (owners)

    CrossClimate+ +24
    48
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate+Winterhawk 2 EVO
    Reviews found online7248
  8. 74

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate+Winterhawk 2 EVO
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests74–
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin CrossClimate+Firestone Winterhawk 2 EVO
Relative Score 80 59
Dry 87 58
Wet 81 60
Snow 68 60
Comfort 75 57
Noise 67 –
Treadwear 82 63
Handling (owners) 72 48
Efficiency 74 –

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

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

CrossClimate+

± 8

Winterhawk 2 EVO

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

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.

DisciplineCategoryCrossClimate+Winterhawk 2 EVOΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/4 2022 AutoView All-Season Tire Test R18 #28/48 2014 50 Winter Tyre Braking Overview – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A CrossClimate+

Pros

  • Strong snow and cold-weather traction for an all-season tyre, with many owners reporting winter-tyre-like confidence on snow, slush and hills, including on front-wheel-drive cars.
  • Excellent dry handling and steering response with precise, summer-tyre-like feel, along with generally very good wet grip and braking.
  • Long tread life: many reports of 30,000–55,000+ km or miles with low wear, including taxi and van use and 4-year/50,000-mile ownership.

Cons

  • Performance degradation with age: several owners report grip (wet and snow), noise and ride deteriorating after about 1–2 years, with hardening or cracking of the rubber in some cases.
  • Limitations on ice, packed snow and deep or steep snow, where some owners found them inferior to dedicated winter tyres or to rivals such as the Goodyear Vector 4Seasons.
  • Wet-weather concerns for some, including aquaplaning, being pulled around by standing water, and scary steering feel as the tyres aged.
All owner themes in the CrossClimate+ review

Tire B Winterhawk 2 EVO

Pros

  • Excellent tread life and durability
  • Strong performance on snow and icy surfaces
  • High value for the price point

Cons

  • Unpredictable grip on wet and damp roads
  • Tendency for wheel spin during acceleration in wet conditions
  • Inconsistent reports regarding road noise levels
All owner themes in the Winterhawk 2 EVO review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin CrossClimate+ B · Firestone Winterhawk 2 EVO
CategoryAll SeasonWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available633
Rim diameters13″ – 19″13″ – 15″
Sizes in common22

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin CrossClimate+

Firestone Winterhawk 2 EVO

Winner: Michelin CrossClimate+ — better dry, handling and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Firestone Winterhawk 2 EVO rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin CrossClimate+ scores 87 vs 58 on dry.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin CrossClimate+ scores 72 vs 48 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin CrossClimate+ scores 81 vs 60 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin CrossClimate+ scores 82 vs 63 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin CrossClimate+
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Tire B · Firestone Winterhawk 2 EVO
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CrossClimate+ or Winterhawk 2 EVO?

Which is better in the wet, CrossClimate+ or Winterhawk 2 EVO?

Michelin CrossClimate+, 81 vs 60 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, CrossClimate+ or Winterhawk 2 EVO?

Michelin CrossClimate+, 87 vs 58 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, CrossClimate+ or Winterhawk 2 EVO?

Michelin CrossClimate+, 68 vs 60 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, CrossClimate+ or Winterhawk 2 EVO?

Michelin CrossClimate+, 75 vs 57 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, CrossClimate+ or Winterhawk 2 EVO?

Michelin CrossClimate+, 82 vs 63 on our treadwear 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