Head-to-head Updated

Michelin CrossClimate 2 vs Sumitomo Encounter AT2 — Compared

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

CrossClimate 2 is ahead, 85–70

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Tire AMichelin

CrossClimate 2

All Season

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

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ All-Season Tire Test R17 (subj. dry handling)

“I have the 235 that is a little higher load rating (105 vs 103 stock and 99 for 225). I'm probably getting about a 10% range reduction, but worth it to me for the improved handling and lower braking distance. I work from home and I charge to 90% about once a week unless taking a longer drive. If I did a lot of longer trips it might be an issue, but I am very happy with these tires.”

Tire BSumitomo

Encounter AT2

All Season

Tests 70 · 1 test Owners – · none yet

Best test result: #2 of 9 in 2025 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Test (dry braking)

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 +22
    70
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2Encounter AT2
    Professional tests (TWG score)9671
    Reviews found online84–
    Dry Braking (% of best)97%98%
  2. 84

    Wet

    CrossClimate 2 +13
    71
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2Encounter AT2
    Professional tests (TWG score)8271
    Reviews found online87–
    Wet Braking (% of best)96%97%
    Wet Handling (% of best)99%99%
  3. 89

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2Encounter AT2
    Professional tests (TWG score)97–
    Reviews found online76–
  4. 72

    Comfort

    CrossClimate 2 +5
    67
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2Encounter AT2
    Professional tests (TWG score)6566
    Reviews found online83–
  5. 78

    Noise

    CrossClimate 2 +13
    65
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2Encounter AT2
    Professional tests (TWG score)7664
    Reviews found online80–
  6. 80

    Treadwear

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2Encounter AT2
    Professional tests (TWG score)79–
    Reviews found online81–
  7. 80

    Handling

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate 2Encounter AT2
    Reviews found online80–
Scores at a glance
Michelin CrossClimate 2 vs Sumitomo Encounter AT2: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryMichelin CrossClimate 2Sumitomo Encounter AT2
Relative Score 85 70
Dry 92 70
Wet 84 71
Snow 89 –
Comfort 72 67
Noise 78 65
Treadwear 80 –
Handling 80 –

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
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

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

Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

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

Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

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

Recomputed
Headline score

CrossClimate 2

Encounter AT2

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 2Encounter AT2ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 97% #2/3 · 2025 Autobild EV All Season Mini-Test 98% #2/9 · 2025 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Test −1.0 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 25% #4/16 · 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test 20% #5/9 · 2025 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Test +5.0 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 77% #8/10 · 2025 Auto Bild Sports Car All Season Tyre Test 83% #3/9 · 2025 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Test −6.4 Different tests
Subj. Dry Handling Subj 100% #1/8 · 2022 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ All-Season Tire Test R17 97% #4/9 · 2025 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Test +3.0 Different tests
Subj. Wet Handling Subj 75% #4/8 · 2022 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ All-Season Tire Test R17 89% #5/9 · 2025 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Test −13.8 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 96% #5/16 · 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test 97% #2/9 · 2025 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Test −1.8 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #3/4 · 2024 Auto Express Crossover All-Season Tire Test R18 99% #3/9 · 2025 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Test −0.8 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 Encounter AT2

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

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/KiaEV9 ·2 upvotes ·2026-06-25

“We downsized from 21” stock on GTline to 20” rims and put on the CC2s—can’t stand the ugly stock rims and plastic covers. It got so much quieter that we noticed we could turn the radio down from 6 to 4 on the secondary roads, and down from 8 to 5 on the highway. Efficiency improved slightly, possibly due to lighter weight wheels.”

r/volt ·8 upvotes ·2026-09-18

“Michelin CrossClimate2 efficiency surprisingly good! Just put in a new set of Michelin CrossClimate2s to go along with a move from LA to New England. I was a bit worried about the mileage/range hit but figured the safety in the winter outweighed it. I'm pleasantly surprised! On an all-highway trip from Boston to New Jersey, gas MPG was a steady 42 mpgs and I got about 45 miles on the battery, although I drive like a grandma at the posted speed limits so I think I was close to 44 mpg/45 EV miles on the old OEM tires. Around town in suburbia in good weather I'm still running between 4.0-5.0 miles/kWh. I estimate, at worst, a 5% drop in efficiency. Pretty good considering the Michelins feel so much stickier!”

r/ModelY ·4 upvotes ·2026-06-01

“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!”

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

Sumitomo Encounter AT2

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin CrossClimate 2 B · Sumitomo Encounter AT2
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available9230
Rim diameters15″ – 21″16″ – 22″
Tread depth9 - 10/32″12/32″
UTQG640 B A660 B B
Treadwear warranty60,000 mi65,000 mi
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure50 - 51 psi50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin CrossClimate 2

Sumitomo Encounter AT2

Winner: Michelin CrossClimate 2 — better dry, wet and noise. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 92 vs 70 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 84 vs 71 on wet.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 78 vs 65 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 72 vs 67 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin CrossClimate 2
Tire B · Sumitomo Encounter AT2

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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.

85

Leads

CrossClimate 2

Amazon