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Michelin CrossClimate 2 vs Michelin X Ice Snow — 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 32 + 13 road tests and 21,600 + 19 owner reviews. How we score

CrossClimate 2 is ahead, 88–73

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Michelin CrossClimate 2
Tire AMichelin

CrossClimate 2

All Season

± 4

Tests 87 · 32 tests Owners 87 · 21,600 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 35 in 2023 All Season Tyre 35 Set Shootout (dry braking)

“Michelin CrossClimate 2 after 31.000 kilometers I have those Michelin CrossClimate 2 (EU version, made in Spain) for 26 months now and 31.000 kilometers on a heavy Mercedes EQE, the rears are still good but the front tyres are starting to give up on the shoulders. Usual tyre pressure is 2.8 bars, there is still some good tread left on the middle of the tyre. Steering feeling on the snow is also not as good as it used to be. Overall very happy with those tyres, I’ll have to decide between the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 or the CrossClimate 3 Sport (sadly the 3 isn’t available in 255/45 R19) to replace them this year. We have the Pirelli Scorpion SF3 on our second car. Given the car and my usage, I give priority to snow braking, rolling resistance, silence and longevity. I lost a bit of range, comfort and steering engagement when I swapped the factory Bridgestone Turanza T005 for the CrossClimate 2, but in general nothing to call-out.”

Michelin X Ice Snow
Tire BMichelin

X Ice Snow

Winter

± 5

Tests 70 · 13 tests Owners 79 · 19 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test (comfort (tester's mark))

Category by category

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

  1. 95

    Dry

    CrossClimate 2 +27
    68
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 30 / 11 tests9965
    Reviews found online8972
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%70%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%92%
    Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%80%

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 99.1 + 40% × 88.5 = 95

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 65.3 + 40% × 72.2 = 68

  2. 87

    Wet

    CrossClimate 2 +16
    71
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 30 / 12 tests8364
    Reviews found online9281
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–0100%75%
    Wet Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%80%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%82%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%92%

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 83.4 + 40% × 91.8 = 87

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 64.2 + 40% × 80.6 = 71

  3. 91

    Snow

    CrossClimate 2 +14
    77
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 12 tests9973
    Reviews found online7882
    Ice Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–158%100%
    Ice Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–289%95%
    Ice Traction (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–258%100%
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–194%99%
    Snow Handling (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–294%98%
    Snow Traction (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–096%96%

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 98.9 + 40% × 78.4 = 91

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 73.3 + 40% × 81.8 = 77

  4. 78

    Comfort

    X Ice Snow +3
    81
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 3 tests6582
    Reviews found online8780

    CrossClimate 2: 40% × 65.1 + 60% × 86.5 = 78

    X Ice Snow: 40% × 82.3 + 60% × 80 = 81

  5. 80

    Noise

    CrossClimate 2 +5
    75
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / 8 tests7981
    Reviews found online83≈ 67 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–198%99%
    Exterior Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%99%

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 78.6 + 40% × 82.7 = 80

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 81.2 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 75

    No owner ratings of noise for X Ice Snow. 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. 83

    Treadwear

    CrossClimate 2 +6
    77
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests81≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online8783

    CrossClimate 2: 60% × 81.1 + 40% × 87 = 83

    X Ice Snow: 60% × 72.1 (est.) + 40% × 83.2 = 77

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

  7. 82

    Handling (owners)

    CrossClimate 2 +6
    76
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2X Ice Snow
    Reviews found online8276
  8. 90

    Efficiency

    CrossClimate 2 +13
    77
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2X Ice Snow
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 22 / 6 tests9077
    Fuel Consumption (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–096%96%
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–097%97%
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin CrossClimate 2Michelin X Ice Snow
Relative Score 88 73
Dry 95 68
Wet 87 71
Snow 91 77
Comfort 78 81
Noise 80 75
Treadwear 83 77
Handling (owners) 82 76
Efficiency 90 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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 4

CrossClimate 2

± 5

X Ice Snow

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.

In the overall rankings of 2 tests that ran both, Michelin CrossClimate 2 finished ahead 0 times and Michelin X Ice Snow 2 times.

DisciplineCategoryCrossClimate 2X Ice SnowΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 100% 70% +29.7 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
Dry Handling Dry 100% 92% +7.9 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 100% 80% +20.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 100% 75% +24.8 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
Wet Braking Wet 100% 82% +18.1 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
Wet Handling Wet 100% 92% +7.9 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Wet Handling (tester's mark) Wet 100% 80% +20.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
Ice Braking Snow 58% 100% −41.9 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
Ice Handling Snow 89% 95% −6.6 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
Ice Traction Snow 58% 100% −42.1 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
Snow Braking Snow 94% 99% −5.8 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
Snow Handling Snow 94% 98% −4.3 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
Snow Traction Snow 96% 96% +0.5 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
Exterior Noise Noise 100% 99% +1.1 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
Noise Noise 98% 99% −1.1 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Fuel Consumption Efficiency 96% 96% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Nordic Friction Winter Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 97% 97% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #6/7 #4/7 – 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 NAF Motor Studless Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17

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 X Ice Snow

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and lateral grip in deep snow and slush
  • High level of confidence and stability on icy surfaces
  • Excellent tread life and durability over multiple seasons

Cons

  • Average performance and handling on dry or wet pavement
  • Increased road noise as the tires wear over time
  • Can feel slightly 'twitchy' or less stable at the absolute limit of handling
All owner themes in the X Ice Snow 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/ecoboostmustang ·2 upvotes ·2025-07-28

“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.”
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”
r/tires ·14 upvotes ·2024-01-14

“Michelin Cross climate 2 in winter snowstorm 1/2024 review I had these installed on my 2021 Honda CR-V hybrid AWD back in August from the OEM Hancook tires. The road noise went away after driving about 500 miles. These tires are freaking amazing! Large puddle on the road? No hydroplaning. My MPG didn’t suffer that much (about 0.3-0.5 mpg decrease). Recently got hit by the snowstorm in Michigan and it’s nice having the confidence driving in the bad road conditions. On my way home from work, there were so many accidents with cars in ditches and unable to go up a hill. I had to take backroads and I had no problem traversing through the back dirt roads. There was a hill that a lot of cars weren’t able to get up but I just squeezed past them without any issues. I was amazed how great these tires are. So glad I spent the extra money for these - I hope they last a while before I get another set!”
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 X Ice Snow

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin CrossClimate 2 B · Michelin X Ice Snow
CategoryAll SeasonWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available92100
Rim diameters15″ – 21″13″ – 21″
Tread depth9 - 10/32″—
UTQG640 B A—
Treadwear warranty60,000 mi—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure50 - 51 psi—
Sizes in common6666

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin CrossClimate 2

Michelin X Ice Snow

Winner: Michelin CrossClimate 2 — better dry, wet and snow. Pick the Michelin X Ice Snow if comfort matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 95 vs 68 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 87 vs 71 on wet.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 91 vs 77 on snow.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 90 vs 77 on efficiency.

Pick tire B Your priority is ice handling

Michelin X Ice Snow won 2 of 2 shared ice handling tests.

Tire A · Michelin CrossClimate 2
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Tire B · Michelin X Ice Snow
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CrossClimate 2 or X Ice Snow?

Which is better in the wet, CrossClimate 2 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 87 vs 71 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, CrossClimate 2 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 95 vs 68 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, CrossClimate 2 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 91 vs 77 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, CrossClimate 2 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 80 vs 75 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, CrossClimate 2 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin X Ice Snow, 81 vs 78 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, CrossClimate 2 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 83 vs 77 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, CrossClimate 2 or X Ice Snow?

Michelin CrossClimate 2, 90 vs 77 on our efficiency 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