Michelin CrossClimate 2 vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 — Compared

“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”

“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.”

“New CrossClimate 2 tires almost stranded my family. Massive efficiency drop on Model Y. Just a heads-up for anyone swapping to Michelin CrossClimate 2s. Put a set on my Model Y about 3 weeks ago from Discount Tire and just did a road trip from Denver to Taos, NM with my wife and two toddlers. We charged up to 90% at the Pueblo Supercharger, and the Tesla app estimated we would arrive in Taos with 15% battery remaining. Well, the new tire efficiency hit is incredibly real. The range dropped so fast that we were tracking to hit 0% and had to make an emergency Type 2 charging stop on the way just to make sure we didn't get stranded with the kids in the car. I’m now seriously thinking about taking advantage of Discount Tire's return policy and going back to the OEM Continental ProContact RX. Has anyone else faced similar problems or massive efficiency drops when switching to the CC2s? Does the range eventually get better after a break-in period, or should I just cut my losses and swap back to the Continentals? I need something reliable for road trips with the family, so I'd love to hear your suggestions and experiences!”

“Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 I just replaced the Ironman RB-SUV tires that came new on my used 2021 Grand Cherokee when I bought it. The Michelins are every bit as good as I’ve read. No snow yet- I’m in Indiana and got them after Sunday’s snowfall. But they are so quiet and smooth that I have zero regrets. Read more”

“The Michelin Defender LTX m/s2 is available in 255/60/20 and is a fantastic tire. Not severe snow rated but it has a great reputation for being great in the snow. Lasts forever too.”

“Tires 24 overtrail+ I'm at 20,000 miles now and need to change the stock tires that come with the overtrail +. I'm just looking for some recommendations, was thinking of getting the Michelin defender ltx m/s2 but wanted to see what other people were using. I do not off-road too much and do a lot of city and highway driving and when reading seems like the Michelin defender kind of fulfills what I need. Also, has anybody gone up a size and tires? I know the stock size is 265/70R18, but I was curious if anybody used a larger tire with the OEM wheels that come with it. I know the 24 is 1 inch shorter than the 25 and 26 so outcomes can be a little different. Appreciate anybody's experience they have dealt with. Thank you”