Head-to-head Updated

Michelin CrossClimate 2 vs Michelin Primacy 4 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

CrossClimate 2 is ahead, 83–78

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Tire AMichelin

CrossClimate 2

All Season

Tests 85 · 32 tests Owners 82 · 21,568 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2023 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test (dry braking)

“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.”

Tire BMichelin

Primacy 4

Summer

Tests 82 · 23 tests Owners 74 · 13,367 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2021 ViBilagare Summer Tyre Test (fuel consumption)

“Had a shop install two new Michelin Primacy 4 in the front of my W124 yesterday. On the way back home i checked the pressure and the right one was a little on the low side. Drove the car today and after a few kms of city driving i noticed it was steering itself to the right once i was out of the stop and go traffic. Got out of the car and the tire was almost flat. I put 2.7 bar in it at the first station but noticed the sidewall is now damaged and there's a buldge... How is this possible? It is wet and i can hear the sound of air coming out of the tire but can't identify where it comes from. If the rim is the problem, why did they install the tire without noticing me first? If they don't admit their fault and blame it on the rim, i'm going to have to buy a new tire...”

Category by category

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

  1. 92

    Dry

    CrossClimate 2 +12
    80
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2Primacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)9685
    Reviews found online8474
    Dry Braking (% of best)100%96%
    Dry Handling (% of best)98%98%
    Dry (% of best)96%99%
  2. 84

    Wet

    CrossClimate 2 +3
    81
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2Primacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)8285
    Reviews found online8776
    Longitudinal Aquaplaning (% of best)92%99%
    Transverse Aquaplaning (% of best)100%96%
    Wet (% of best)92%97%
    Wet Braking (% of best)92%92%
    Wet Circle (% of best)95%92%
    Wet Handling (% of best)96%97%
  3. 89

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2Primacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)97–
    Reviews found online76–
  4. 72

    Comfort

    Primacy 4 +4
    76
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2Primacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)6576
    Reviews found online8374
  5. 78

    Noise

    CrossClimate 2 +6
    72
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2Primacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)7676
    Reviews found online80–
    Exterior Noise (% of best)100%100%
  6. 80

    Treadwear

    CrossClimate 2 +3
    77
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2Primacy 4
    Professional tests (TWG score)7982
    Reviews found online8171
  7. 80

    Handling

    CrossClimate 2 +6
    74
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2Primacy 4
    Reviews found online8074
Scores at a glance
Michelin CrossClimate 2 vs Michelin Primacy 4: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryMichelin CrossClimate 2Michelin Primacy 4
Relative Score 83 78
Dry 92 80
Wet 84 81
Snow 89 –
Comfort 72 76
Noise 78 72
Treadwear 80 77
Handling 80 74

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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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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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

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Recomputed
Headline score

CrossClimate 2

Primacy 4

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.

DisciplineCategoryCrossClimate 2Primacy 4ΔBoth?
Curved Aquaplaning Curved 90% #9/16 · 2026 ADAC All Season Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 75% #8/8 · 2021 Camper Van / SUV Tyre Test +14.7 Different tests
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/16 · 2023 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test 96% #5/7 · 2019 NAF Summer Tyre Test +3.6 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 98% #4/5 · 2026 TUV Test Report Goodyear Vector All Season 4 98% #12/20 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test −0.2 Different tests
Dry Dry 96% #3/7 · 2024 Al Volante All-Season Tire Test R17 99% #2/8 · 2022 Al Volante Summer Tire Test R16 −3.1 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 89% #6/7 · 2024 Al Volante All-Season Tire Test R17 99% #3/10 · 2020 Teknikens 17 Inch Summer Tyre Test −9.8 Different tests
Fuel Consumption Fuel 96% #5/15 · 2024 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2021 ViBilagare Summer Tyre Test −3.8 Different tests
Exterior Noise Noise 100% #1/7 · 2024 Al Volante All-Season Tire Test R17 100% #1/8 · 2022 Motor Crossover Summer Tire Test R17 0.0 Different tests
Noise Other 99% #4/16 · 2023 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2021 Camper Van / SUV Tyre Test −0.8 Different tests
Price Other 51% #10/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV All Season Tyre Test 46% #7/8 · 2021 ViBilagare Summer Tyre Test +5.1 Different tests
Wet Lateral Stability Other 60% #7/8 · 2024 Promobil Commercial Winter Tire Test R17 98% #3/8 · 2022 Motor Crossover Summer Tire Test R17 −38.0 Different tests
Value Other 67% #7/15 · 2024 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test 79% #7/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test −11.9 Different tests
Wear Other 61% #13/15 · 2022 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test 97% #4/12 · 2020 ADAC SUV Summer Tyre Test −35.8 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 50% #2/10 · 2021 Auto Bild SUV All Season Tyre Test 25% #4/10 · 2022 AZ SUV Tyre Test +25.0 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 93% #9/16 · 2026 ADAC All Season Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 100% #1/10 · 2022 ViBilagare Eco vs Normal Tyre Test −6.5 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 80% #3/8 · 2025 Teknikens Varld Summer Tyre Test 75% #4/8 · 2021 ViBilagare Summer Tyre Test +5.0 Different tests
Subj. Dry Handling Subj 100% #1/8 · 2022 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ All-Season Tire Test R17 63% #12/20 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test +36.7 Different tests
Subj. Wet Handling Subj 70% #7/8 · 2024 Promobil Commercial Winter Tire Test R17 93% #2/20 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test −23.3 Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Total 0% #3/15 · 2024 AutoBild All Season Tyre Test 0% #3/20 · 2021 Auto Bild 16 Inch Summer Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Tyre Weight Tyre 95% #6/16 · 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test 100% #2/10 · 2020 Teknikens 17 Inch Summer Tyre Test −4.8 Different tests
Longitudinal Aquaplaning Wet 92% #3/8 · 2022 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ All-Season Tire Test R17 99% #2/8 · 2022 Motor Crossover Summer Tire Test R17 −6.2 Different tests
Transverse Aquaplaning Wet 100% #1/8 · 2022 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ All-Season Tire Test R17 96% #2/8 · 2022 Motor Crossover Summer Tire Test R17 +4.0 Different tests
Wet Wet 92% #4/8 · 2022 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ All-Season Tire Test R17 97% #2/8 · 2022 Al Volante Summer Tire Test R16 −4.8 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 92% #4/5 · 2025 TUV Test of Nokian SeasonProof 2 vs Rivals 92% #4/10 · 2021 All Road SUV Summer Tyre Test +0.8 Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 95% #5/5 · 2025 TUV Hankook iON FlexClimate EV Report 92% #13/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test +2.8 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 96% #8/10 · 2025 Auto Bild Sports Car All Season Tyre Test 97% #8/11 · 2019 AMS Summer SUV Tyre Test −0.7 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 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

Tire B Primacy 4

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and long-lasting durability
  • Low road noise and a very quiet, comfortable ride
  • Reliable and consistent wet and dry grip

Cons

  • Vague, numb, or floaty steering feel with soft sidewalls under hard cornering
  • High price point compared to competitors
  • Occasional reports of increased road noise or harsher ride as the tread wears down
All owner themes in the Primacy 4 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

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/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”

bobistheoilguy.com ·19 upvotes ·2023-03-10

“I have had the Cross Climate 2 tires on my VW All Track now for about a year and thought I would share some findings about them. 1. They are QUIET on the road. Looking at the tread, you might think they are noisy but they are not! Run as quiet as a normal tire. 2. They give excellent traction and handling on dry, wet and snowy roads. This past winter, I had two occasions to drive on roads covered with 6-10" of snow. Excellent traction. 3. They wear very well! After about 12,000 miles, they hardly show any wear. I expect to get about 50,000-60,000 miles out of these tires. 4. They do exact a mileage penalty. I lost about 2 mpg overall since putting on these tires. However, I do not mind that considering the excellent traction I get from them. 5. They tend to pick up stones in the tread, particularly after the great state of Pennsylvania in its wisdom covers the roads before, during and after a snowstorm with gravel. Overall, this tire is a winner. Handling is excellent as is wear and traction. I would recommend this tire to anyone who wants these features and wants to leave a set of tires on their car year around.”

mavericktruckclub.com ·9 upvotes ·2024-08-12

“I replaced the factory Continentals at 9,258 miles at the end of August 2023 with the stock size 225/65R17 Michelin CrossClimate 2's. I waited until the local tire shop had a sale and had these mounted/balanced for under $800. 348 days, 10,004 miles and 4 seasons have passed since then. I spend much of my time around "town" with speed limits under 55 while also having a handful of longer highway drives. These are the closest thing to a "no-compromise" all season tire that I can imagine. They are smooth, quiet and have incredible grip in all weather conditions. Snow, rain, etc. Admittedly, I have not taken my FWD Maverick through any meaningful amount of mud. Maybe there is a tire better suited to this. There are also certainly performance oriented tires that will outperform this tire when it is hot and dry. Last, and certainly not least - there does not seem to be any fuel economy change. I have tracked every tank before and after these tires. Both my best (48.5MPG) and worst (27MPG) full tanks have happened since these were installed. 38.8 overall.”

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

Tire B

Michelin Primacy 4

Positive

Community sentiment towards the Michelin Primacy 4 is generally positive, with drivers frequently praising its quiet ride, comfort, and dependable wet and dry braking performance. Several owners note impressive longevity reaching over 50,000 to 70,000 km, though some EV and SUV drivers report accelerated wear and fragile sidewalls over rough terrain. It is commonly viewed as a premium touring tire that commands high prices compared to competitors.

f30.bimmerpost.com

“I have Primacy 4s on my Volvo wagon. I've been very pleased. Plenty of grip, low road noise and longevity.”

vwvortex.com ·2026-09-12

“I might try to have a look at one today. There are two Uniroyal shops near me. Whether they have one in stock to look at though...? The trouble is they look really nice online but I'd like to see them in the flesh first. The old tyres (above photo) that were on these wheels were that nice square edged profile that I like, much the same as the Michelin Pilot Sports. These are going on my sons Golf EV so I'm also trying to consider if they are A rated for fuel, the best wet grip I can find and the lowest decibel level. The best choice I can find is the Michelin Primacy 4 which are A, A and 68. But on Black Circles it says they were designed for BMW. I'm sure they fit any wheel but do those properties still hold? I've always bought Pilots but B, B and 72, and its this 72 that really bugs me, is whats making me invest so much time into getting the right tyre for Toms EV. I'm getting a Tesla this Tuesday which does in fact come with the Pilots so they must be good on EV's anyway. Who knew buying tyres was so complicated.”

r/AutomobileRO ·2 upvotes ·2025-09-22

“Am avut primacy 4 pe o electrica. Destul de dezamagit de faptul ca dupa ~ 28.000 km s-au tocit rau de au ajuns cam la 3 mm. Placute la condus, silentioase, dar nu cele mai aderente. Pilot sport 4 pe aceiasi electrica cu primacy 4. Huruie de te doare capul. Aderenta nu o simt neaparat wow fata de primacy 4. Nu le mai suport si abia astept sa le trec pe iarna, oricum asta fiind ultima incaltare cu ele. Pe o termica am primacy 5, si sunt cele mai ok din experienta mea. Cele mai silentioase si aderente din cele 3. Dupa 20.000 km uzura a scazut cam cu 1 mm. Recomandarea mea e sa alegi primacy 5 fara ezitare.”

Top themes
#tread life and longevity#cabin noise and comfort#wet and dry grip#comparisons with Pilot Sport#EV tire performance#sidewall damage and punctures#premium pricing

Based on 44 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin CrossClimate 2 B · Michelin Primacy 4
CategoryAll SeasonSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available9257
Rim diameters15″ – 21″15″ – 20″
Tread depth9 - 10/32″—
UTQG640 B A—
Treadwear warranty60,000 mi—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin CrossClimate 2

Michelin Primacy 4

Winner: Michelin CrossClimate 2 — better dry, noise and handling. Pick the Michelin Primacy 4 if comfort matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 92 vs 80 on dry.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 78 vs 72 on noise.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 80 vs 74 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 76 vs 72 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin CrossClimate 2
Tire B · Michelin Primacy 4

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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.

83

Leads

CrossClimate 2

Amazon