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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin CrossClimate vs Pirelli Scorpion — 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 2 + 4 road tests and 152 + 1,034 owner reviews. How we score

Scorpion leads, 79–75 Narrow edge

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Michelin CrossClimate
Tire AMichelin

CrossClimate

All Season

± 6

Tests 75 · 2 tests Owners 74 · 152 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 14 in 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test (noise)

Pirelli Scorpion
Tire BPirelli

Scorpion

Summer

± 6

Tests 86 · 4 tests Owners 75 · 1,034 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 11 in 2024 Summer SUV Tyre Test (noise)

“...are absolute garbage. I would advise anyone against them. I would in fact buy used tires first. They were loud, tread wore improperly, and only lasted for barely 30k miles. Just never felt safe with these. I just switched to Pirelli Scorpions and so far am very pleased.”

Category by category

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

  1. 76

    Dry

    Scorpion +5
    81
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimateScorpion
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 4 tests7885
    Reviews found online7475

    CrossClimate: 60% × 77.9 + 40% × 73.6 = 76

    Scorpion: 60% × 85.2 + 40% × 74.8 = 81

  2. 76

    Wet

    Scorpion +5
    81
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimateScorpion
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 4 tests7584
    Reviews found online7876

    CrossClimate: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 77.8 = 76

    Scorpion: 60% × 84 + 40% × 75.7 = 81

  3. 68

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimateScorpion
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests71–
    Reviews found online65–

    CrossClimate: 60% × 70.9 + 40% × 64.9 = 68

  4. 74

    Comfort

    Scorpion +3
    77
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimateScorpion
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 70 (est.)82
    Reviews found online7675

    CrossClimate: 40% × 70.4 (est.) + 60% × 76.2 = 74

    Scorpion: 40% × 81.7 + 60% × 74.5 = 77

    No road tests of comfort for CrossClimate. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 69

    Noise

    Scorpion +15
    84
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimateScorpion
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests7196
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)

    CrossClimate: 60% × 70.7 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 69

    Scorpion: 60% × 95.7 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 84

    No owner ratings of noise for CrossClimate or Scorpion. 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. 74

    Treadwear

    CrossClimate +2
    72
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimateScorpion
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests74≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7576

    CrossClimate: 60% × 73.8 + 40% × 75.2 = 74

    Scorpion: 60% × 69.7 (est.) + 40% × 75.5 = 72

    No road tests of treadwear for Scorpion. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 73

    Handling (owners)

    Level
    73
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimateScorpion
    Reviews found online7373
  8. 76

    Efficiency

    Scorpion +1
    77
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimateScorpion
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 3 tests7677
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin CrossClimatePirelli Scorpion
Relative Score 75 79
Dry 76 81
Wet 76 81
Snow 68 –
Comfort 74 77
Noise 69 84
Treadwear 74 72
Handling (owners) 73 73
Efficiency 76 77

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

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

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

CrossClimate

± 6

Scorpion

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.

DisciplineCategoryCrossClimateScorpionΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 99% #2/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/6 · 2025 Vi Bilagare Summer EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 90% #7/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test 99% #3/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 94% #4/11 · 2017 All Season VS Winter Tyre Test 94% #3/6 · 2025 Vi Bilagare Summer EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 87% #9/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test 97% #3/6 · 2025 Vi Bilagare Summer EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 96% #4/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test 98% #5/6 · 2025 Vi Bilagare Summer EV Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise Noise 100% #1/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test 100% #2/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 100% #1/8 · 2017 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test 86% #4/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #9/9 2018 ADAC All Season Tyre Test #3/6 2025 Vi Bilagare Summer EV Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A CrossClimate

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and durability
  • Strong wet-weather grip and hydroplaning resistance
  • Reliable traction in light snow and cold conditions

Cons

  • Tendency to pick up and retain small stones in the tread pattern
  • Noticeable drop in performance as tread depth decreases
  • Potential for reduced fuel economy compared to dedicated summer tires
All owner themes in the CrossClimate review

Tire B Scorpion

Pros

  • Excellent ride comfort and quietness
  • Confident grip in both wet and dry conditions
  • Impressive tread wear and longevity compared to stock alternatives

Cons

  • Average steering feedback and imprecise cornering when pushed
  • Potential for low-speed howling or tread noise
  • Loss of grip reported when starting uphill on wet surfaces
All owner themes in the Scorpion review

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

Pirelli Scorpion

Mixed

Community opinions on the Pirelli Scorpion tire line are divided. Many users praise aftermarket variants like the AS Plus 3 and WeatherActive for delivering a remarkably plush, quiet ride, excellent wet traction, and good snow performance compared to factory options. However, several users report drawbacks such as quicker-than-expected treadwear, potential rolling resistance impacts on EV range, and issues with factory-installed OEM versions, which some owners criticize as noisy or prone to premature wear.

r/HyundaiSantaFe ·1 upvote ·2026-05-23

“The Pirelli tires are crap. The Pirelli Scorpion tires sidewalls are very firm & stiff and not very elastic. They are not good handling potholes. I replace all my 20 inch Pirelli tires with Falken Pro G6 sport 20 inch tires. Consider getting a different brand on the tire replacement.”
bobistheoilguy.com ·2016-09-04

“I drive a Range Rover Sport for a few months (work vehicle) and it had Pirelli Scorpion tyres, they were summer tyre not M&S, I think they were 20" wheels. They were decent tyres, quiet, gripped well in the wet and dry. Also drove a full fat Range Rover (2015) which had All Season M&S Pirelli tyres fitted, they were equally good.”
vwvortex.com ·2008-12-19

“I have both Blizzaks and some new Pirelli Scorpions. We got @12" over the last 12 hours and had no trouble with my Sienna at all. Stable, good braking and great traction off the line. The Blizzaks are good in lighter snow/icier conditions, not so good in the deep stuff.”
Top themes
#Ride comfort and smoothness#Wet and winter weather traction#Road noise levels#Treadwear and longevity#OEM vs aftermarket differences#Rolling resistance and efficiency

Based on 89 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin CrossClimate B · Pirelli Scorpion
CategoryAll SeasonSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Sizes available—72
Rim diameters—16″ – 22″
Tread depth—10/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin CrossClimate

Pirelli Scorpion

Narrow edge: Pirelli Scorpion — better noise, dry and wet. Where the Michelin CrossClimate is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Pirelli Scorpion scores 84 vs 69 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Scorpion scores 81 vs 76 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Scorpion scores 81 vs 76 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Scorpion scores 77 vs 74 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin CrossClimate
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Tire B · Pirelli Scorpion
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CrossClimate or Scorpion?

Which is better in the wet, CrossClimate or Scorpion?

Pirelli Scorpion, 81 vs 76 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, CrossClimate or Scorpion?

Pirelli Scorpion, 81 vs 76 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, CrossClimate or Scorpion?

Pirelli Scorpion, 84 vs 69 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, CrossClimate or Scorpion?

Pirelli Scorpion, 77 vs 74 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, CrossClimate or Scorpion?

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 72 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

Which rolls more easily, CrossClimate or Scorpion?

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 77 on the efficiency score, within 3 points.

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