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Pirelli P Zero vs Michelin CrossClimate — Compared

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

CrossClimate is ahead, 73–62

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Tire APirelli

P Zero

Summer

Tests 73 · 3 tests Owners 51 · 3,469 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling)

“I just put PZ5 on my vehicle! I live in Louisiana ! They are absolutely insanely sticky! Especially in the rain! My vehicle came with the P-zeros. I’ve had Pirelli’s on my car’s in the past and yes, Pirelli’s are soft. The trade off is sticking to the road! I am an aggressive driver & was aware the sacrifice. I have to change my tires every oil change. 9-12k miles. These PZ5’s grip in the rain. Crazy awesome! Pirelli knocked these suckers out!!! I love ‘em!!!”

Tire BMichelin

CrossClimate

All Season

Tests 74 · 2 tests Owners 72 · 152 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 11 in 2017 All Season VS Winter 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. 73

    Dry

    CrossClimate +2
    75
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroCrossClimate
    Professional tests (TWG score)7977
    Reviews found online6473
    Dry Braking (% of best)97%100%
    Dry Handling (% of best)100%100%
  2. 71

    Wet

    CrossClimate +4
    75
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroCrossClimate
    Professional tests (TWG score)8075
    Reviews found online5776
    Wet Braking (% of best)99%96%
    Wet Handling (% of best)99%99%
  3. 50

    Snow

    CrossClimate +18
    68
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroCrossClimate
    Professional tests (TWG score)–71
    Reviews found online3764
  4. 62

    Comfort

    CrossClimate +10
    72
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroCrossClimate
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online5175
  5. 59

    Noise

    CrossClimate +10
    69
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroCrossClimate
    Professional tests (TWG score)6171
    Reviews found online55–
  6. 53

    Treadwear

    CrossClimate +19
    72
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroCrossClimate
    Professional tests (TWG score)6573
    Reviews found online3471
  7. 58

    Handling

    CrossClimate +14
    72
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroCrossClimate
    Reviews found online5872
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli P ZeroMichelin CrossClimate
Relative Score 62 73
Dry 73 75
Wet 71 75
Snow 50 68
Comfort 62 72
Noise 59 69
Treadwear 53 72
Handling 58 72

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
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Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

P Zero

CrossClimate

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.

DisciplineCategoryP ZeroCrossClimateΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 97% #5/45 · 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout 100% #1/11 · 2017 All Season VS Winter Tyre Test −2.6 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #1/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2017 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 73% #16/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2017 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test −27.1 Different tests
Noise Other 97% #18/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/14 · 2018 New and Worn Summer Tyre Test −3.0 Different tests
Value Other 53% #20/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 65% #8/10 · 2017 All Season Tyre Test −11.9 Different tests
Wear Other 66% #15/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 91% #4/10 · 2017 All Season Tyre Test −25.2 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 20% #5/11 · 2015 Auto Express Tyre Test 50% #2/10 · 2017 All Season Tyre Test −30.0 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 93% #14/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 97% #3/10 · 2017 All Season Tyre Test −4.3 Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Total 0% #17/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 0% #4/10 · 2017 All Season Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 99% #3/45 · 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout 96% #2/8 · 2017 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test +3.5 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #3/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 99% #2/11 · 2017 All Season VS Winter Tyre Test +0.2 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A P Zero

Pros

  • Outstanding dry grip and handling performance
  • Precise steering feedback and high-speed stability
  • Good wet-weather braking and cornering when warm

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear, often requiring replacement much sooner than expected
  • Poor grip and unpredictable traction in cold temperatures (below 7°C/45°F)
  • Prone to tramlining and tracking road imperfections
All owner themes in the P Zero review

Tire B 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

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Pirelli P Zero

Mixed

Community opinions on the Pirelli P Zero lineup are heavily polarized depending on the specific sub-model and application (automotive vs. cycling). While performance summer variants and the newer AS Plus 3 or PZ5 tyres receive strong praise for dry grip, steering feel, and value compared to Michelin or Continental alternatives, older OEM specs and certain summer variants face heavy criticism for poor wet weather traction, fast wear rates, and difficult mounting.

r/GolfGTI ·3 upvotes ·2025-09-23

“Pirelli P Zero AS Plus 3 OR Continental DWS06+ title pretty much says it all. wheel size is 235/35 19. plan on running these year round. TIA pirelli $1004 + tax installed Conti $1233 + tax installed Read more”
r/CarTalkUK ·1 upvote ·2026-01-24

“So many people seem to hate the p zero but I’ve got along with them so well, but yes they can go rock hard when they’re cold but once they’ve got some heat in them especially in the wet they grip so well for me. I have noticed though that anything below 4-5°c is when they become hard to keep heat in but once you work the tyre properly they’re brilliant. I have run them all winter on my 300bhp fwd car and can’t complain, I don’t get why no one likes them🤷‍♂️”
r/mazda3 ·3 upvotes ·2026-04-07

“I put a set of Pirelli P Zero AS3's on my 2019 Mazda 3. After driving about 1,500 miles, I can say that I love them. The steering has a very direct feel - it turns in almost immediately. Needless to say the grip is fantastic. ... and that is only with outside air temps in the 50's. I can't wait to see how they perform when it gets to be in the 70's and they can get some heat in them. One of the reasons I was attracted to this tire is that Pirelli claims to have incorporated technology that helps the tires maintain the same level of performance as they wear over time. I have been frustrated in the past to see how tires loose their grip long before the treadwear gets low. Also, it didn't hurt that Pirelli had a $100 instant rebate!”
Top themes
#Wet weather grip performance#Treadwear and mileage longevity#Ride comfort and low noise#Difficult tire mounting process#Comparison with Michelin and Continental

Based on 107 community posts

Tire B

Michelin CrossClimate

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli P Zero B · Michelin CrossClimate
CategorySummerAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available194—
Rim diameters17″ – 24″—
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG220 A A—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli P Zero

Michelin CrossClimate

Winner: Michelin CrossClimate — better treadwear, snow and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin CrossClimate scores 72 vs 53 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin CrossClimate scores 68 vs 50 on snow.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin CrossClimate scores 72 vs 58 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin CrossClimate scores 72 vs 62 on comfort.

Tire A · Pirelli P Zero
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Tire B · Michelin CrossClimate
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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.

73

Leads

CrossClimate

Amazon