Tests 79 · 13 tests Owners 75 · 119 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 10 in 2018 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test (dry handling)
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin CrossClimate+ vs Michelin Primacy 3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
CrossClimate+ is ahead, 79–70
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Tests 73 · 2 tests Owners 67 · 195 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 20 in 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (wear)
“By far the biggest determinant in road noise will be the road surface, as you found, and no tire will overcome that basic fact. That is so obvious in my area where there are new sections of highway interspersed with old sections. Having said that, I'm running the older Michelin Primacy 3 ST tires on 17 inch wheels on my 2021 ES300h and they are great, compared to the Turanza I was running on 19 inch wheels on the same car. The Michelin Primacy Tour A/S should be even better in this regard. Not sure, but perhaps the higher profile of the 17 inch tires (215/55R17 vs 235/40R19) also helps reduce road noise.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
86
Dry
CrossClimate+ +1472Why this score
Source CrossClimate+ Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 92 74 Reviews found online 76 69 Dry Braking (% of best) 92% 100% Dry Handling (% of best) 99% 98% -
80
Wet
CrossClimate+ +872Why this score
Source CrossClimate+ Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 80 72 Reviews found online 79 71 Wet Braking (% of best) 94% 95% Wet Handling (% of best) 99% 97% -
68
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source CrossClimate+ Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 65 – Reviews found online 72 – -
73
Comfort
CrossClimate+ +469Why this score
Source CrossClimate+ Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 71 – Reviews found online 76 68 -
67
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source CrossClimate+ Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 63 – Reviews found online 72 – -
78
Treadwear
CrossClimate+ +1167Why this score
Source CrossClimate+ Primacy 3 Professional tests (TWG score) 80 72 Reviews found online 75 59 -
73
Handling
CrossClimate+ +568Why this score
Source CrossClimate+ Primacy 3 Reviews found online 73 68
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin CrossClimate+ | Michelin Primacy 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 79 | 70 |
| Dry | 86 | 72 |
| Wet | 80 | 72 |
| Snow | 68 | – |
| Comfort | 73 | 69 |
| Noise | 67 | – |
| Treadwear | 78 | 67 |
| Handling | 73 | 68 |
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.
Important
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Important
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Neutral
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Less important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
79
/ 100
CrossClimate+
70
/ 100
Primacy 3
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | CrossClimate+ | Primacy 3 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 92% #12/13 · 2019 Swedish Summer Tyre Test | 100% #3/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test | −7.9 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% #2/10 · 2018 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test | 98% #16/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | +1.1 | Different tests |
| Wear | Other | 94% #3/14 · 2020 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test | 83% #3/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | +10.4 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 33% #3/7 · 2020 ADAC SUV All Season Tyre Test | 13% #8/15 · 2012 Auto Bild Max Performance Tyre Test | +20.8 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 94% #4/10 · 2018 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test | 95% #5/10 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer SUV Tyre Test | −0.7 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% #4/14 · 2020 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test | 97% #17/20 · 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | +1.5 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A CrossClimate+
Pros
- Excellent traction and confidence in light to moderate snow and ice.
- Strong wet and dry road handling that rivals dedicated summer tires.
- Impressive tread longevity and durability over high mileage.
Cons
- Performance in wet conditions can diminish significantly as the tire wears.
- Increased road noise reported by some users compared to dedicated summer tires.
- Occasional reports of a harsh or 'bouncy' ride on certain vehicle suspensions.
Tire B Primacy 3
Pros
- Exceptional ride comfort and low noise levels
- Strong dry grip and confident handling
- Smooth, refined high-speed stability and cruising capability
Cons
- Higher than average purchase price
- Faster-than-expected tread wear reported by many users
- Mixed feedback on wet weather performance, with some noting a lack of grip in standing water or snow
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Michelin CrossClimate+
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Mixed
Michelin Primacy 3
Community members generally view the Michelin Primacy 3 as a quiet, smooth, and capable grand touring tire, with several users highlighting the run-flat (ZP) version as superior in comfort to competing run-flats. However, some drivers report fast tread wear, a harsh ride compared to standard non-run-flat alternatives, and note that the model is older and increasingly replaced by newer generations like the Primacy 4.
bobistheoilguy.com
·2022-10-13
“Is your tire size 235/55-18? You might like the Michelin Primacy 3 which is actually a good price for an 18" Michelin. They are summer tires, but that's OK if you have separate winter tires. The Goodyear Assurance Maxlife sounds like something that will last a long time. The Cooper Enduramax is good if you drive over potholes and curbs because it's supposed to be tougher”
teslamotorsclub.com
·2018-12-11
“I have just put a new set of Michelin Primacy 3 T0 Acoustics on and they have been faultless. Lots of grip, very quiet etc. They were also good last year in the snow and were from blackcircles for about £240 a tyre.”
r/BMWi3
·7 upvotes ·2022-04-22
“So I have decided there is no way I am paying for the Bridgestone Ecopias at over £200 a tyre, and as such, I have come across the Michelin Primacy 3 on Costco, which I can get fitted for approx £93 a tyre (I only need two on the rear) They seem to have good reviews. My actual tyre size for my i3S should be 195/50 R20, but getting 195/55 R20 instead should only add up to another inch or so in height, so I'm reckoning I should be okay. What are people's thoughts?”
Top themes
#Run-flat ride quality#Tread wear and longevity#Touring comfort and low noise#Model obsolescence and replacements#OE fitment and regional availability#Price and size compatibility
Based on 23 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin CrossClimate+ | B · Michelin Primacy 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 63 | 42 |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 19″ | 15″ – 20″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
79
/ 100
Michelin CrossClimate+
70
/ 100
Michelin Primacy 3
Winner: Michelin CrossClimate+ — better dry, treadwear and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin CrossClimate+ scores 86 vs 72 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin CrossClimate+ scores 78 vs 67 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin CrossClimate+ scores 80 vs 72 on wet.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin CrossClimate+ scores 73 vs 68 on handling.
Tire A · Michelin CrossClimate+
Tire B · Michelin Primacy 3
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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.