I see a few comments regarding Ashley's undertaking of the lorry on the slip road. I would have likely done the same thing with similar acceleration to get myself out of that situation. Namely a slow HGV that is now pretty steady in the right hand lane of the slip road and will otherwise slow my merge onto the motorway, plus a "space closer" immediately behind the HGV. Just put your foot down and get out of that situation. Notice also that as soon as Ash did that, the space closer followed.
Sometimes acceleration can be the best solution. I probably would have done the same given that the wagon was not looking to move left and the Nissan was setting him up for a conflict. Space-closers are a significant issue when driving. I've just come through a queue for a merge-in-turn (one with massive signs telling people to do that), yet every time I found a space to sit next to ready for the merge point, the person behind filled it and sat alongside me. I have no problem come the time to merge, but I've no idea why people feel the need to drive door handle to door handle.
as an occasional lorry driver, i agree with what Ashley did - sat in my mirrors long enough for me to notice the car was there, displaying an understanding of lorries, then got out the way quickly before the chevrons when i'll be unable to give as much attention the my left because i'm merging onto motorway. would be nice if some truckers could see and comment on this video.
I had them on a RWD BMW years ago and in the snow they were great. Never lost traction and the lateral grip was very good, I think you will be pleased with them.
I swapped my 2014 civic over to croosclimate 2's and the difference was night and day for me. Started to feel a bit more hydroplaning on my old tires and these just cut through surface water with no issue. I've got Continental Allseasoncontact on my MK3.75 MX5 and they work quite well too but are noticeably louder
Will watch this with great interest, as I had Cross Climate 2's fitted to my car about 2 years ago. This was after checking several tyre reviews on YT. One channel in particular that is dedicated 100% to doing tyre reviews found that the latest Cross Climates (which are year round tyres) actually outperformed some winter tyres in winter.
@@15bit62 Yes...and often wearing a short sleeved shirt whilst he's driving in Nordic conditions. Ok so he's inside a test car and no doubt with the heating cranked up but it does amuse me when I see all that snow outside. Either way, he's a good reviewer.
@@ibs5080 I drive around in a shirt in the winter too if i'm going long distance. It's just more comfortable. I keep the jacket on for short trips though
Regarding the 7C temperature thing, that's more of an issue for true winter tyres. The Cross Climates are all season so are left on all year round to perform well in all conditions. Granted, their A game will be colder and wetter conditions as the tyres carry the snowflake and mountain symbol on the sidewall but I have found they perform well all round.
@@gravemind6536 jack of all trades, master of none. I have the goodyear vector 4 season gen 3, which were the cross climates main rival but conti & pirelli have leaped ahead of both in that sector
So as a comment to the P-Zero vs CC2's - To get the snow and lower temperature performance they have to use a softer rubber compound and put more water channels in. So they will probably drop off in performance above 25C as the compound gets soft. And on warm dry days the P-Zero's should significantly outperform them. All that said, given the british weather and the actual requirements of 90% of drivers, compromising absolute some dry grip to get better wet grip and cold weather performance makes a lot of sense to me.
I used to swap between Michelin Pilot Sport 4's and a set of winter tyres. Don't have spare wheels for my current car so will be going with CrossClimates soon.
Just had a full set fitted to my Audi A4 Ash. Very impressed with the ride quality, noise and performance in the wet. We also had some decent snow recently and they were excellent.
The CC2 is just beginning to show its age now. In the latest Tyre Reviews all season testing, the new Pirelli SF3 took the top spot from the CC2. The Michelin was slightly better in the snow but the Pirelli was significantly better in the wet. When my tyres need changing next year, I'll be fitting the SF3. I'd personally always prioritise wet weather performance over snow. Mind you I do live in the Midlands!
I'm in Glasgow, so very wet, and I ski in Glencoe so I'm up and down the twisty loch lomond road a lot. I've had full winters and crossclimate, and crossclimate2 on my cars for years. Volvo S70, Honda accord, Focus so used to them on different cars. I found full winters the best in winter and a bit unresponsive in the dry in summer. When I bought the Focus used it had a cheap tyre on the back and you could feel it loosing a bit at slow speed on an increasing tight corner. So I immediately swapped to CC1 then later on to CC2. The summer grip is excellent, about 90% of a good summer tyre but when it gets below about 14 C it is similar and below 8 C you really notice a difference but at near 0 C it is a large difference. Especially when on a hill with -ve camber etc. The one area I think it is let down is if you hit water on a corner there is a bit of aquaplaning. This is why I put on Goodyear all season Gen 3 on my wife's Zoe last week. I feel these (personal experience on the Honda) and the new bridgesones, (from a good review) are better in the wet. However, I do go into the mountains and the CC2 are the best in snow that I've ever driven. About 80% of a full winter tyre (comparing to Continental Winter contact) but better than the Goodyear and also CC1. This is why I will probably put them on my Kia eNero. Strangely I find the EVs good in the light snow/slush, probably because of the extra weight. Love the Channel Ashley.
"The one area I think it is let down is if you hit water on a corner there is a bit of aquaplaning. This is why I put on Goodyear all season Gen 3 on my wife's Zoe last week. I feel these (personal experience on the Honda) and the new bridgesones, (from a good review) are better in the wet." I live in the West of Scotland as well. I've noticed in corners the exact same thing with the Cross Climate 2s. There can be a bit of slippage, so I know in the corners just to take it easier. Other than that they are a brilliant tyre. Once these tyres are done, I'll move onto an all season tyre that has better wet performance as that's what really matters up here in Scotland.
@@blagradadwhat size wheel and tire combo are you running? I’m on 17”, my supposed size is 205/55 17. I’m running 225/50 17 so I have more tire in contact with the road, personally I haven’t come across the the scenario where the car wants to come out of a turn at higher speeds. -2018 VW Golf Alltrack
@@cheezyllamba I have 16" 195/50 on my 2014 ford fiesta. When my car did slide slightly, it was recently when the temperature was very low just going into the minus, so possibly mix of wet road with inkling of black ice. I have noticed it at other times, but that's generally when I've been cornering near the limit. I feel the slight slippage, but I know the tyre will do their job. Most of the time the car is fine. It was just a wake up call for me at the time that, yes these are all season tyres, but that does not mean they can handle ice any better and to pay more attention to road conditions.
Can confirm the Goodyear Vector 4S G3 is absolutely unbelievable re. aqua resistance. No shame for the CC2 not being quite as good in that regard. Test results show the Goodyear is slightly better in the wet but the Michelin is significantly better in dry and snow. For me this makes the Goodyear an excellent mild-climate winter tyre for East Anglia, for the 5 months a year where my Pilot Sport 3s can't grip in the wet. The Michelin is the absolute best all-rounder though, with freakish snow performance as a bonus.
I put a set of Goodyear Vector all season tyres on my BMW 320d touring last year. Totally transformed the car in all types of weather and road conditions. Far less road noise than the previous “normal” weather tyres too.
I did 30,000 miles with CC2 on my ancient Audi A3 (now sold with plenty of life left in the tyres). I was gobsmacked how well they drove in the snow (similar to a full winter tyre) yet seemed unphased when we had that near-40C heatwave a year or two ago
I have considered getting CC2's as summer tyres up here in Norway. They do well in the snow and wet, and are snowflake-symbolled, and thus make the transition between summer's and winter's a little more flexible.
Crossclimate version 1 and now 2 have been fitted to bother my cars since they first came out ie years. As you say in summer, wet conditions they offer very good performance equal to many other top end tires and much better than middle or lower budget tires. When it comes to the cold conditions ie below 0C and with Ice and Snow no contest -- basically they work and out proform any summer tire by a large margin. In Snow and sluch they are equal to many winter tires if not better. You will nice on your first outing in the snow ie you will be abe to pull away, stop nd drive up hills with ease whilst all around will sliding all over the place-- in these conditins you will jst hope the car behind you is on the same !
I use Cross Climates in the Pennines - we live up a big hill - they seem almost as good in snow as a winter tyre and much less trouble than having a second set of rims and 2 sets of tyres!
I just got a new set of pilot sport 4s for my fiesta st-line edition 140 a week before it snowed. Was expecting it to be bad for the snow and ice but honestly was very good. Only lost traction a few times when I had my foot down , but that also happens when it’s very wet.
The biggest advantage I see with the Pirelli's is a MASSIVE overhang protecting the rim. I've got a long car (over 5.3 metres) with 21" wheels so every time I turn I need to be aware of exactly where the kerb is, but occasionally it does catch me out and I'm grateful for the protection.
I was wondering if the profile of the sidewall made a difference in the self steering habits. I would think the rounded profile of the CCs would do better at not catching in ruts, but of course, we didn't have a comparison photo of the pirellis.
I have 4 of those on my second car, they do perform great in wet weather and especially braking distances - grip for days though I never ever tried to push them hard around corners, so I cannot comment on more spirited driving - zero drama or wheelspin on sharp acceleration at roundabout or traffic lights. Tested on the Autobahn last summer shortly at 120mph, feels buttery smooth including road noise (German roads are a lot smoother than patches and potholes ridden UK). Driven steady it returns a consistent 70 MPG (Audi A3 1.4 TFSI). No doubt they will perform in snow and genuinely curious to see, as I had some Michelins Pilot Sport Alpines 2 on a previous car with even better grip in winter conditions, once went through a hail storm as if a road covered with ice marbles was nothing - while every other car was struggling to get uphill.
I had these fitted years ago on my smax (first gen, now the 2's) from continentals summer tyres, and they're great all year round. The conti's were noisy anyway so didn't notice an increase in noise at all. The grip is decent (though on steep hill starts, the 240bhp smax will spin them at times). In winter when its snowy, these come into their own and keep control miles better than summer tyres when the summer tyre squad are sliding all over the road, this heavy car stays true.
I switched over to my Pirelli Sottozeros a couple of weeks ago just before it got icy. They're "squishier" and not quite as responsive as the summers, but they grip so much better in cold conditions. Also surprisingly quiet for a winter tyre. Together with my car's AWD system they're absolutely indomitable in heavy snow and ice.
Always keep in mind that the actual performance also depends on the tire size and while the cross climate 2 may be better on one size than competitors, they may be worse on other sizes. I recently fitted 225/45 r17 (non-xl) cross climate 2 on my car and I have to say, they feel great in terms of grip, noise and roll resistance even compared to my previous michelin summer tires. Their only downside is their price, so if you consider buying them, check the reviews for your actual size and Goodyears or others might be a better choice.
The crossclimates essentially swap 5% summer performance for 80% better winter performance. The Goodyear Vector4Seasons is very similar, a bit more biased to wet and cold and a bit quieter, if you prefer that.
They come with a 60,000 mile warranty too. I think a warranty like that just goes to show the type of engineering and confidence Michelin puts into these tires!
This tires are phenomenal! It’s almost like they were designed to keep you safe no matter the situation. 2018 VW Alltrack (AWD) with the 17” wheels. Stock tire size is 205/55 17, I opted for 225/50 17 for a wider tread pattern on the road. A more narrow tread pattern will naturally cut through water and snow better, which is why the Alltrack (an off-road modeled wagon) was outfitted with that size. The tires already have great performance in wet and snow, so to benefit in the summertime with spirited driving; I wanted to reduce the sidewall to gain stiffness in corners, and road grip with a wider tread pattern. 1.5 years in, maybe 20k miles, I went down 1/32nd tread depth and did 1 rotation. Road noise isn’t bad at all. They do suffer a bit on mpg due to having a more dynamic tread pattern (the more straight forward the grooves, and less grooves the better the mpg), coupled with a fatter tire size, I went from maybe 31mpg to 26-28 highway. I don’t mind though, I love driving and it’s hard to not want to go fast when you can. My first experience in wet was on a highway cruising 85mph, straights, turns, and hills the hole way. It was an insane storm and tons of rain, I was not even worried or anxious one bit driving on these tires. I was honestly in disbelief with the performance, they drove through all that and didn’t hydroplane, or lose a bit of traction. In the snow, same deal. When it’s slush out it’s easier to slide, these things throw the slush out of the way. When it’s powdery, they grip hard and pull the car forward.
I've had my set of cross climate 2 on my 2014 Mariva for 18 months and done around 30k mile. I would tend to agree with all the main points that you've made, no major compromises, and overall, I would recommend them. As my dad told me when I passed my test many moons ago, you can scrimp on most things but never your tyres. Buy the best you can afford, and it will keep you grounded as long as you're sensible.
Ah so glad you’re trying these as I remember you mentioning last you in the snow you always run summer tyre. I have the original Mich Cross Climate, one of the best investments I’ve made, they are the best tool for the job for the weather in the UK. Transform the car in the snow and even just waterlogged roads, definitely less skids in my undies and on the tarmac since. Great mileage and economy out of them too.
We have had a set of these on our '18 XC-90 for a couple of years. They've been really good as a quiet, smooth, and fuel efficient all season option. I'd definitely get them again.
I had a full set on my 2020 Dacia Logan and they were amazing in the snow. I was doing pizza deliveries during COVID and they were the best tyres I have ever used. I have a 2021 Honda civic 1.5 turbo sport now and I am running Toyo Proxes tyres on the Civic. The michelins are quite expensive but they are perfect for all season driving
Had them on my van for a few years and they are good. Work in the snowbut more importantly greasy, damp and mucky roads it carrys on working well unlike summer tyres.
Great video. We’ve recently fitted 4 to our old Alfa. No comments other than they are noisy but a million times better than the 4 no brands we had on previously. A side comment is a friend had 2 fitted to the front of his Kia Nero and complained the mpg has suffered as a result. He does a lot of miles slowly therefore that is his priority. We haven’t noticed any difference with ours.
Admittedly, I don't do as much driving as I used to, but I've never felt the need to swap tyres. I was taught to drive in the winter, in a Triumph Dolomite, so not exactly the best for wintery driving, but it gave me a grounding for anticipation and correct gear selection for the conditions. I did have all-terrain tyres on my Defender, which were used in the snow, rain, mud, and desert, but I don't feel the need for cross climates on the Yaris, even in the snow of a week or so ago.
We just has snow last week, the crossclimates are good in the snow. I've had them on my last two cars, this is the second set on this car..... got me up the hills and up to the main road where the roads were ploughed.
I had CC's on an Octavia vRS all year round, and we had them on our ambulances (the SUV version) and ambulance cars - great tyre all around and they'll be replaced with the same!
Our CrossClimate tyres have proven to be excellent in the snow. One small thing I don't like about them is that the sidewalls aren't very "rounded", meaning they don't protect the alloy as well as other tyres. This probably isn't as noticeable with low profiles though.
In your opening sequence, you've confirmed my virtual identical use at these large roundabouts, both in terms of signalling as well as that final slide across to the left. I sometimes feel a bit "silly" indicating "right" for a long distance as I traverse these large roundabouts but you confirmed what I also normally do. I know you've also covered this topic before and there's been some debate amongst us regarding signalling on these large roundabouts, especially spiral ones.
Hi Ashley, I found the cross climate were better on a snow covered road (my council have reduced the roads they salt to only the "main roads" now). However, I found the sidewalls to be too flexible which caused a delayed response from the tyre on turn in. You turn the wheel, wait, then it turns into the corner! Try parking the car, push against the roofline sideways and watch how it takes a fraction longer for the car to stop wobbling! In the end I decided we don't really get enough bad weather here to justify the cross climate, so I've just gone back to driving very slowly on slippery roads as I've always done.
I've always done that but the cross climates definitely have more flex in the sidewall compared to other Michelins but if you're happy with that they do perform better in the cold @@robertgoodrich8953
We have a set in 195/65/15 on my other half's car. Changed wheel size from 16" to 15" at the same time as fitting, so not the only factor. But compared to the 16" summer tyres previously fitted, they are quieter, more comfortable, and slightly worse on fuel.
I used to think about these but may well look again when the RS3 needs new 'boots' at some point. I know what you mean about road undulations and tracking as well. My fronts are now 265's so that will follow a bit when the road is rubbish. Appreciate the info Ash, thx 😄👍🏻 "Tyre Reviews" channel is awesome for the shear amount of detail and effort he puts into tyre reviews. Fantastic to watch.
At around 6:20 with the lady in the Nissan SUV who was good to start off with but shortly thereafter was "A bit of a pusher" as Ashley might say. That's the thing: Quite often a driver who you might initially rate as "friend" ends up being a "foe". In fact it's unusual to observe a driver who is consistently "good" over a distance.
I read years ago that if you find a good 'gate-keeper' on the motorway, try to keep them. By 'gate-keeper' the writer said it was someone who shadowed you but from a decent distance, thus making it less likely that some eejit will come along and sit half a second behind you. Sounds weird, but they do exist and you can work with them.
@PedroConejo1939 Yes! I actually do that to a degree. Sometimes it happens naturally and I'm thinking of a specific situation. It's when I overtake a slower vehicle and that vehicle then pulls out into the same lane as myself in order to overtake another vehicle. I'm always happy to see this in my rear view mirror, as it "buys" me extra time to complete any further overtakes without someone else storming up behind me. Ironically I'm somewhat pleased if they lane hog after their overtake, as their lane hogging continues to protect me through my further overtakes. Though I'm not condoning lane hogging of course.
I mean to be fair I can see why people do it, if someone doesn't mind breaking the speed limit then it'd probably feel the same: You treat someone as a "friend" and let them in, then they end up being a "foe" by going 40mph in the empty roadworks area. Not saying I feel the same, but it's very good to be able to put yourself in the shoes of others, especially on the road.
I put the CC2 on my 2017 Ford Mondeo (235/40/19). Absolutely brilliant tyre, always having good grip, certainly during cold weather and good snow/rain traction. I had them on for 37,000 miles before they were at 2mm - 3mm and changed them over for GoodYear Vector 4 Seasons gen 3. Amazing tyres, the only reason I went for Goodyears was because they were about £60 a corner cheaper (on sale) and still a good tyre.
where I live, Michelins are hard to get. I have to special order goodyears for my daily, because anything less just doesn't hold up. I had a set of lesser brand tires last me less than a year.
Been using CC's since they came out about a decade ago, so far 120k miles of happy driving, whatever the weather. They have limitations, but for driving within limits and road conditions they are fine. On other car we have Falkens AS210 and they feel good too.
Slip road scenario - that was properly assessed and dealt with accordingly. The Nissan quickly followed your path - obviously "tyred" of getting stuck behind the Lorry 😂. Sorry; couldn't resist that.
The tracking difference could be that the Cross Climate tyres have a flatter profile with the road contact. I'm thinking pure physics here and how train wheels are actually conical in shape to make them go round bends correctly. The same effect in a partial manner could be applied to a car through the tyres.
Always used cross climate plus - used it on my 2017 honda civic and now on my 22 Audi Q5 - no issues both times. And I always got them during a good discount on black circles.
I switched over to these on my EV last year. They are definitely louder, and did affect range a little. The major difference I noticed was grip in the rain, especially when accelerating quickly, it's great. Having said that, grip in the dry is a fair bit worse.
@ashley_neal - the reason they don't track cambers so much is because they have much less stiff sidewalls and softer compound rubber. The tyres basically flex more.
Got Pirelli summer tyres and continental winter tyres and both are great never tried all seasons but from what I hear cross climate 2s are the best and least of a compromise
You didn’t specify which cross climates? I know with sizes for my vehicle there was 91 V, 94 V or 91 H, I was just wondering if would have any bearing on the tracking of the grooves in the road I’m not sure if the different side wall property’s would affect this?
Used to have Cross Climate 2s on previous vehicle, and I did notice the increase in road noise at high speed. In snow though, they are another level when it comes to traction and braking. They give you confidence when driving in the snow, that you are in control of the vehicle instead of being on tenderhooks everytime you lightly brake in the snow like on normal tyres. In fact the biggest worry when driving with these tyres on in the snow is other vehicles/drivers. These type of tyres (all season/weather) should be standard on all cars in UK, to increase safety. Have since changed vehicle and have performance summer tyres on and am considering changing tyres to cross climate 2s or Pirelli Cinturato all season sf3 tyres.
When I bought my car a year ago the wonderful salesperson told me how fortunate I was because they replaced all four tyres for me for free! It had Conti's on the forecourt so I was quite happy. They neglected to mention they replaced them with the cheapest tyres you could possibly get. The finest Chinesium. When one of them got a puncture on the motorway I decided to replace all 4 with CrossClimate 2's. This was in May of this year. Despite the high cost it's a decision that I've never regretted, and we haven't even got to winter yet. My only issue is that I suspect that although I'll have no issues in the snow with AWD and CC 2's I'll still get stuck behind idiots running summer tyres all year round. Oh well.
Your comment about tracking was a lightbulb moment for me. My partner thought that our car was doing active lane assist and she felt uncomfortable with it. The settings in the car contradicted this. I swapped out the OEM Continentals which were wearing unevely with Michelin Cross Climate 2's a year ago and I have just realised whilst watching this that she has not mentioned this problem now for an entire year. Coincidence?
We have the Michelin Cross climate tyres on 2 of are cars. One has the new Cross Climate 2 XL and we are very happy. They tend to do very good in tyre testing reviews. I haven’t noticed much increase in motorway noise. But are cars are small hatchbacks so not that refined to start with. The other car had Goodyear all season tyres only because Michelin don’t make the size required and the Goodyears are much more noisy above 50 than the previous summer tyres. I’ve been so far impressed by the low wear rate and the braking grip is definitely better than my old Previous Firestone summer tyres. We went for them after a Canadian friend said how good they are and now no longer bothers with winter tyres. They use the Michelin Cross climate 2 all the time. They always have snow ❄️ where they live from November to February.
What a coincidence! Moved up to Scotland a couple of months ago, just had my Focus in the garage this morning swapping out summers for these cross climates. Great minds think alike! 😅
One thing I’ve noticed about the Michelin pilot sport 5 I use is they are rather temperature dependent, no the days are getting colder I do notice a slight reduction in grip at the beginning of my drive or when iv been in slow moving traffic. They’re still more grippy than tyres of a lower price, but I wonder if the cross climates mate be an option for the colder months, I’ve never used them so I don’t know.
I just had them fitted to my van, for me I found they offered better grip than the Continentals. Being a van, I needed to fit slightly more expensive extra load variants. Where I live, the roads are very muddy and full of debris that really shouldn't be there. I said to a friend a few days ago, we should try and partner up with a tyre manufacturer and design 'UK Endurance' tyres that can cope with everything a poor road surface throws at them.
Funny what you say about tyre noise, they are known to be quiet tyres and I find them particularly quiet on my Skoda Karoq, perhaps it's the differencein vehicle which is coming into play! Cheers.
I have been thinking about putting the Michelin CrossClimate 2 tires on my 2014 Nissan 370Z. It was between these or the Continental DWS06+. I am leaning towards these although the Continental's have gotten great reviews also. I live in Colorado, USA and the weather here is a bit tricky due to the alpine environment. The elevation changes here are dramatic and can span several thousand feet up and down mountain passes. All season tires are a MUST here unless you are switching them back and forth between winter and summer tires like some people do. I rarely drive my 370Z in the snow, wet, sleet, or hail if I can avoid it at all. Unfortunately I do get caught in pop up storms from time to time when I am out enjoying my sports car. It's not my daily driver so I always check the weather before leaving home. That being said, it doesn't matter because last year I got caught twice out with my 370Z when an unexpected snow storm hit. One time I was half way up a steep mountain pass on a very narrow and snow and ice covered road. My 370Z got about half way up the mountain and it wouldn't go any further. It just wouldn't go up anymore. It was spinning and spinning and nothing happening. Right at that moment, I said I needed to get good all season tires, even if I only drive the car in very limited amounts of bad weather. I'd rather have a tire like these that can handle it all. How are these on road noise? What about tread wear?
On my previous cars for many years I had crossclimates fitted, probably going back well over 10 years. Only when I changed my car two years ago did it come with factory fitted tyres. I recently had the fronts changed and went for high quality summer tyres instead of crossclimates given the lack of snow and relatively mid winters over recent years. My experience of cross climates was generally good - fine when new but dry grip did decline a little with wear - and I found they do wear quicker than summer tyres (probably due to a softer compound). Also they do produce a bit more road noise at higher speed but also quite noticably on poor road surfaces (the concrete motoroway surfaces especially). Hopefully we do not get much snow this winter so I regret breaking with my previous tradition of using crossclimates. 🙂
These Crossclimates are geared more towards dry & snow performance (and are even better than many dedicated winter tyres in the snow), and so are better suited to drier European climates that have harsher winters. They fall short against some of the competition in the wet though, which is where the Goodyear Vector 4Seasons excel. For me that makes them a better (and slightly cheaper) alternative in our drizzly, milder British climate. Jonathan Benson has some really thorough tests on this stuff on his tyre reviews channel-really recommend it.
I think I'll go for Continentals next time for this reason - they're more well-rounded than the Crossclimate. The new Pirelli Cinturato all-season tyre seems to get excellent scores too.
@04smallmj Yep heard good things about the new Pirellis too. Hopefully the next iteration of the Crossclimates give a bit more wet performance, because they're compromised in precisely the wrong place for the UK & Ireland.
Literally had CrossClimate 2 tyres fitted today. I had Chinese made Bridgestones as original equipment on the car (MG4). They were terrible. As it is an EV they were ultra low rolling resistance. I'll take a slight dop in range in trade off for some more grip. Will see how the new rubber is when I do my commute to work on Tuesday.
I think the raised amount of road noise is common with most all season tyres! I had continental all season contacts on before the crossclimate 2's & they were about the same ceratinly noisier than the summer tires it came fitted with but no noiser that the crossclimate 2's Maybe due to them being directional tyres instead of accemetrical tyres that most seem to be these days! Infact I remember the directional summer tyres of years ago generating more road noise than none directional tyres!
I have the Pirelli SF3 all seasons, why I choose these over CC2, because they are A rated on wet, verses B for CC2. These are also a bit noisier at 70mph. But the tyres fell the same all year round. Much better once the temps get closer to 0c vs summer tyre steering and braking have much more confidence. Waiting for CC3 as the CC2 is now being out performed by Pirelli, Bridgestone. Still a good tyre.
On my first car (2003 Honda CRV) I decided to go for a set of Yokohama all season (just two days before we had snow) having had a newer (2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross) car this year they had Landsail on the front and Yokohama Geolander all season and only fitted last December on the rear. I did think about having a full set of the Geolander but I wanted a bit more grip on the front so I went for the Goodyear 4season and when we had all that rain the other week I missed running water and stone across the road (sharp uphill bend) until my rear end swung out for a split second. I was wondering was it the type of tyre I have on the rear as I wasn’t going that fast (less that 30 in a 50) fairly sure the onboard SAWD and coming off the gas and turning steering wheel into the skid helped a lot, but can’t help feeling if I had a full set of Goodyear it might not have happened. I was on the A623 leaving the village of Peak Forrest towards Eyam, as you leave Peak Forrest there’s an incline and two bends, incident happened on the second bend. I will treat the bend with a little more caution next time 😂
Interesting you talk about the behaviour of the Pirelli's like that. I have Pirelli's on a solid Luxury vehicle and having the same issue. I thought it was alignment but after talking to an alignment, tyre and racing modifications specialist they told me this is typical for Pirelli's as they are a harder tyre for longevity. Driving has been a part of my life and working life for some 30yrs now so have a bit of a feel about these things. Apparently lots of folks have been having the same issue with Pirelli's and it can be very unsettling on some surfaces. Now looking to change them out. Something I didn't expect from a premium branded tyre. Tyre noise on the Michi's x climate I suppose there is something in the pattern to allow for better grip in cold, like pure winter tyres this can make them noisy. Tyre labels are useful to find out how noisy a tyre may be. Sub 70dB and they are usually a quiet tyre.
My Outback had a mixture of OEM Bridgestone Turanza and a different Bridgestone (thanks to punctures) and I've just replaced all four for Yokohama Geolander All Season which I had on a Forester. The Bridgestones were getting low and cracked and recent MOT stated there were a couple of small nails in a couple of the tyres. We also had snow last week and I opted to take out a Yaris with all season tyres rather than my Outback as the summer tyres were terrible in snow. The Bridgestones also used to tramline on rougher surfaces at low speeds and they were very camber sensitive. My X type had similar issues when I once fitted Goodyear tyres. The Yokohamas are 104, rather than 100 rated so have stiffer sidewalls and what a difference to the drive experience. Tramlining has gone completely, no camber sensitivity at all. Its like a brand new car again and I know if we get more snow I won't be getting stuck in it.
I was one of those mentioning the road noise and that isn't a fault of the cross climate tires, it's just a fact of tires with a more aggressive tread pattern.
Do these tyres actually handle ALL climates though as claimed? I have PILOT sport 4 on the rear and 5 on the front on my Mk7 Fiesta ST, but I would fit a set of these for all year round if they work well as in the extreme rain, floods and any snow the cars rubbish with the tyres.
On the subject of tyres, I replace mine when they are down to 3mm rather than the legal minimum of 1.6mm. And I have a digital tyre depth gauge to accurately measure the tread depth, rather than using the "coin" test.
@dannyboyy31 Very much so yes. Occasionally I have to press the button to "Zero" the reading, even with the depth gauge fully retracted but yes, they are very useful.
Tyre shape and compound affect handling in a surprising way. As does how the tyre degrades over time. I currently have budgets on my car, I don’t do enough mileage to warrant paying for mid to high range…that is until the tyres got to around a third tread used. It feels like I have four broken suspension arms on some roads and the noise is like having failed bearings I will be heading back to mod range tyres for the next change as they seem to offer the best balance between durability, noise and performance…or at least they used to. I am hearing differing opinions over the last coulple of years on some brands and it sounds like they have been fiddling with the tyres making them perform poorly after a few thousand miles It will be interesting to see how the Michelin tyres perform as they bed in and the tread dissipates
I just have a normal hatchback and use these tyres, when it gets hot in the summer the handling does suffer. And I'm not a boy racer, you just notice it on the corners on A/B roads
I've not used Michelins but I have used all season tyres by Hankook, Nexen and, recently, Falken. The Hankook ones were first generation all season. They had a winter tread on the inboard side of the tyre and summer tread outboard (I have never seen all season tyres that are not do not have a specified rotation). They were fine until they the tread got below about 3mm. Then they struggled with cornering in the wet a bit. I don't know about more recent Hankooks, though. On occasion I needed to put the Autosocks on. The Nexens were generally good. Like the Hankooks, I took them on ski trips. I had to buy new Autosocks (different size wheels in the new car). The front ones lasted 21,000 miles. One of the back ones got a puncture in the side wall and had to be replaced a couple of years ago. The other is still looking good after 43,000 miles. I have just put the Falkens on the front so I do not know what they are like in the snow. I would be interested to see how you get on with Autosocks (other brands are available) compared to the all season tyres when it does actually snow, Ashley. I find them good but, as always, they cannot stop somebody else sliding into you!
Ive neen running these on my c class for 12 months and find rhem to be a good all year tyre. I live on the hills and nothing can prevent you sliding down an icy hill!
Had these on in the recent snow, have had them for years actually but just as an FYI for all… breezed through the snow with such control and traction, living in a hilly area and it was a peace of came… every other car stuck and there’s me just driving past the fake SUVs and Land Rover’s with the wrong tyres on.
I've just had some goodyear vector 4 season tyres fitted as they were the best within my current budget when i needed to upgrade from the old tyres that were on already. Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with these? They seemed to get decent reviews but this is my first car and first experience buying new tyres.
I've had a set of them on Skoda Yeti, although I didn't keep the car long. They were very good and are very well reviewed and are usually in the top 5 tyres on all-season tyre tests. If it snows, I imagine that they'll be amazing compared to summer tyres - my Crossclimates certainly are!
i run Goodyear All Seasons on my Skoda Superb all year and i live in Fordingbridge down in Hampshire. find them just as good as normal summer tyres in the summer and they are much grippier when the temperature drops towards frozen. never got to test them in the snow tho…
I have cross climate tyres on four cars from a Jaguar XF sportbrake to a Skoda Fabia. They are very good all round tyres. I live in Buckinghamshire where the roads surfaces are appalling. I find theses tyres far more effective on the poor road surfaces I face in my daily drives. I believe we have to start considering the poor quality of our roads as a major factor when choosing tyres the roads are unlikely to improve in the foreseeable future.
I’ve got the same car as you, In the first 3 minutes you mentioned about the car seeming to be moved around by the road, I feel like I’m in a constant battle to drive in a straight line with this car & was considering booking it in as I thought there was a fault with my steering, but from what you’re saying I may benefit from different tyres?
Because it was filtering it may not have been classed as that. Probably was, but either way, it was the safest option which is the most important thing.
If you think cutting up the Nissan and being bucnhed up with traffic, or having nowhere to go when the slip road merges to one lane were better options then I'd hate to be a passenger in your car.
Little question on that on-ramp situation. If we don't have a car that can quite accelerate as hard as your Ford, what would be the best course of action? Lift off and let the cars pass and then change lanes?
I think 99% or road cars would out accelerate that HGV. So you'll be fine, just drop a gear, foot down and use the revs, its all about minimising 'time exposed to danger'. If you do have a car that takes 15 secs to get to 60 i would get rid of it, a slow car is also a dangerous place to be as you cannot get out of the 'dangerzone' quickly. Obviously you would try not be be in the 'dangerzone' when driving but there are too many variables that you cannot control which will put you in these situations occasionally and being able to accelerate out of there is paramount.
I'm going to go against the grain a bit, but I have a hot hatch (I20N), and I've used CrossClimates for winter. While they're great in the extreme cold, I get globs of torque steer under heavy acceleration and they seem to overheat quite quickly in summer. I have Pilot Sports on for summer and they're noticeably better in the wet, while peak grip is massively better in the dry. I've elected not to put the Cross Climates for this winter, but I also never have a need to drive in snow/ice
I see a few comments regarding Ashley's undertaking of the lorry on the slip road. I would have likely done the same thing with similar acceleration to get myself out of that situation. Namely a slow HGV that is now pretty steady in the right hand lane of the slip road and will otherwise slow my merge onto the motorway, plus a "space closer" immediately behind the HGV. Just put your foot down and get out of that situation. Notice also that as soon as Ash did that, the space closer followed.
Sometimes acceleration can be the best solution. I probably would have done the same given that the wagon was not looking to move left and the Nissan was setting him up for a conflict. Space-closers are a significant issue when driving. I've just come through a queue for a merge-in-turn (one with massive signs telling people to do that), yet every time I found a space to sit next to ready for the merge point, the person behind filled it and sat alongside me. I have no problem come the time to merge, but I've no idea why people feel the need to drive door handle to door handle.
Spot on to have done that. I would have done exactly the same.
as an occasional lorry driver, i agree with what Ashley did - sat in my mirrors long enough for me to notice the car was there, displaying an understanding of lorries, then got out the way quickly before the chevrons when i'll be unable to give as much attention the my left because i'm merging onto motorway.
would be nice if some truckers could see and comment on this video.
@vannustube Good to hear this from a lorry driver's perspective.
That lorry is hogging lane 2 while struggling to accelerate uphill, I have done exactly the same yesterday with one squatting on lane 2 for miles.
I had them on a RWD BMW years ago and in the snow they were great. Never lost traction and the lateral grip was very good, I think you will be pleased with them.
just had a full set fitted to my c-class estate and they seem great ,even with recent snow they handled it very well
Wait till you get out in a bunch of rain, they perform insanely well. They throw out the water and grip the road like it’s dry out!
I swapped my 2014 civic over to croosclimate 2's and the difference was night and day for me.
Started to feel a bit more hydroplaning on my old tires and these just cut through surface water with no issue.
I've got Continental Allseasoncontact on my MK3.75 MX5 and they work quite well too but are noticeably louder
Will watch this with great interest, as I had Cross Climate 2's fitted to my car about 2 years ago. This was after checking several tyre reviews on YT. One channel in particular that is dedicated 100% to doing tyre reviews found that the latest Cross Climates (which are year round tyres) actually outperformed some winter tyres in winter.
Your talking about 'tyre reviews' awesome channel
@Professor-Scientist Indeed yes. Watched many of his reviews.
@@ibs5080 I'm also a fan, and i appreciate that he tests even the nordic winters fairly frequently.
@@15bit62 Yes...and often wearing a short sleeved shirt whilst he's driving in Nordic conditions. Ok so he's inside a test car and no doubt with the heating cranked up but it does amuse me when I see all that snow outside. Either way, he's a good reviewer.
@@ibs5080 I drive around in a shirt in the winter too if i'm going long distance. It's just more comfortable. I keep the jacket on for short trips though
Regarding the 7C temperature thing, that's more of an issue for true winter tyres. The Cross Climates are all season so are left on all year round to perform well in all conditions.
Granted, their A game will be colder and wetter conditions as the tyres carry the snowflake and mountain symbol on the sidewall but I have found they perform well all round.
Cross climate 2s are good at everything but excel at nothing. Most all season tyres are okay at everything but good at nothing.
@@gravemind6536 jack of all trades, master of none. I have the goodyear vector 4 season gen 3, which were the cross climates main rival but conti & pirelli have leaped ahead of both in that sector
So as a comment to the P-Zero vs CC2's - To get the snow and lower temperature performance they have to use a softer rubber compound and put more water channels in. So they will probably drop off in performance above 25C as the compound gets soft. And on warm dry days the P-Zero's should significantly outperform them. All that said, given the british weather and the actual requirements of 90% of drivers, compromising absolute some dry grip to get better wet grip and cold weather performance makes a lot of sense to me.
I used to swap between Michelin Pilot Sport 4's and a set of winter tyres. Don't have spare wheels for my current car so will be going with CrossClimates soon.
Just had a full set fitted to my Audi A4 Ash. Very impressed with the ride quality, noise and performance in the wet. We also had some decent snow recently and they were excellent.
For a moment I thought "Audi A4 Ash" was a limited addition of the German marque!
@ibs5080 😂😂
@@thedoctor007dfw I'll get my coat...
The CC2 is just beginning to show its age now. In the latest Tyre Reviews all season testing, the new Pirelli SF3 took the top spot from the CC2. The Michelin was slightly better in the snow but the Pirelli was significantly better in the wet. When my tyres need changing next year, I'll be fitting the SF3. I'd personally always prioritise wet weather performance over snow. Mind you I do live in the Midlands!
I'm in Glasgow, so very wet, and I ski in Glencoe so I'm up and down the twisty loch lomond road a lot. I've had full winters and crossclimate, and crossclimate2 on my cars for years. Volvo S70, Honda accord, Focus so used to them on different cars. I found full winters the best in winter and a bit unresponsive in the dry in summer.
When I bought the Focus used it had a cheap tyre on the back and you could feel it loosing a bit at slow speed on an increasing tight corner. So I immediately swapped to CC1 then later on to CC2. The summer grip is excellent, about 90% of a good summer tyre but when it gets below about 14 C it is similar and below 8 C you really notice a difference but at near 0 C it is a large difference. Especially when on a hill with -ve camber etc.
The one area I think it is let down is if you hit water on a corner there is a bit of aquaplaning. This is why I put on Goodyear all season Gen 3 on my wife's Zoe last week. I feel these (personal experience on the Honda) and the new bridgesones, (from a good review) are better in the wet.
However, I do go into the mountains and the CC2 are the best in snow that I've ever driven. About 80% of a full winter tyre (comparing to Continental Winter contact) but better than the Goodyear and also CC1.
This is why I will probably put them on my Kia eNero. Strangely I find the EVs good in the light snow/slush, probably because of the extra weight.
Love the Channel Ashley.
"The one area I think it is let down is if you hit water on a corner there is a bit of aquaplaning. This is why I put on Goodyear all season Gen 3 on my wife's Zoe last week. I feel these (personal experience on the Honda) and the new bridgesones, (from a good review) are better in the wet."
I live in the West of Scotland as well. I've noticed in corners the exact same thing with the Cross Climate 2s. There can be a bit of slippage, so I know in the corners just to take it easier. Other than that they are a brilliant tyre. Once these tyres are done, I'll move onto an all season tyre that has better wet performance as that's what really matters up here in Scotland.
@@blagradadwhat size wheel and tire combo are you running? I’m on 17”, my supposed size is 205/55 17. I’m running 225/50 17 so I have more tire in contact with the road, personally I haven’t come across the the scenario where the car wants to come out of a turn at higher speeds.
-2018 VW Golf Alltrack
@@cheezyllamba I have 16" 195/50 on my 2014 ford fiesta. When my car did slide slightly, it was recently when the temperature was very low just going into the minus, so possibly mix of wet road with inkling of black ice.
I have noticed it at other times, but that's generally when I've been cornering near the limit. I feel the slight slippage, but I know the tyre will do their job.
Most of the time the car is fine. It was just a wake up call for me at the time that, yes these are all season tyres, but that does not mean they can handle ice any better and to pay more attention to road conditions.
Can confirm the Goodyear Vector 4S G3 is absolutely unbelievable re. aqua resistance. No shame for the CC2 not being quite as good in that regard. Test results show the Goodyear is slightly better in the wet but the Michelin is significantly better in dry and snow. For me this makes the Goodyear an excellent mild-climate winter tyre for East Anglia, for the 5 months a year where my Pilot Sport 3s can't grip in the wet. The Michelin is the absolute best all-rounder though, with freakish snow performance as a bonus.
I put a set of Goodyear Vector all season tyres on my BMW 320d touring last year. Totally transformed the car in all types of weather and road conditions. Far less road noise than the previous “normal” weather tyres too.
I did 30,000 miles with CC2 on my ancient Audi A3 (now sold with plenty of life left in the tyres). I was gobsmacked how well they drove in the snow (similar to a full winter tyre) yet seemed unphased when we had that near-40C heatwave a year or two ago
Well, we've all been a bit Cross with the Climate lately 🤣🤣
I see what you did there. 😏
@@susiejones3634 Ah yes but these tyres are for getting through that climate.
I have considered getting CC2's as summer tyres up here in Norway. They do well in the snow and wet, and are snowflake-symbolled, and thus make the transition between summer's and winter's a little more flexible.
Crossclimate version 1 and now 2 have been fitted to bother my cars since they first came out ie years. As you say in summer, wet conditions they offer very good performance equal to many other top end tires and much better than middle or lower budget tires. When it comes to the cold conditions ie below 0C and with Ice and Snow no contest -- basically they work and out proform any summer tire by a large margin. In Snow and sluch they are equal to many winter tires if not better. You will nice on your first outing in the snow ie you will be abe to pull away, stop nd drive up hills with ease whilst all around will sliding all over the place-- in these conditins you will jst hope the car behind you is on the same !
I use Cross Climates in the Pennines - we live up a big hill - they seem almost as good in snow as a winter tyre and much less trouble than having a second set of rims and 2 sets of tyres!
Been running Crossclimates since they were launched. Now using them on a RWD EV and they are great in all weathers.
I just got a new set of pilot sport 4s for my fiesta st-line edition 140 a week before it snowed. Was expecting it to be bad for the snow and ice but honestly was very good. Only lost traction a few times when I had my foot down , but that also happens when it’s very wet.
The biggest advantage I see with the Pirelli's is a MASSIVE overhang protecting the rim. I've got a long car (over 5.3 metres) with 21" wheels so every time I turn I need to be aware of exactly where the kerb is, but occasionally it does catch me out and I'm grateful for the protection.
wow, that is a long car - hope you have a long garage!
@ unfortunately not, just a driveway.
I was wondering if the profile of the sidewall made a difference in the self steering habits. I would think the rounded profile of the CCs would do better at not catching in ruts, but of course, we didn't have a comparison photo of the pirellis.
We have them on our car in Canada year round, they are great and save having to switch wheels twice a year. We can have -20C and deep snow in winter.
I have 4 of those on my second car, they do perform great in wet weather and especially braking distances - grip for days though I never ever tried to push them hard around corners, so I cannot comment on more spirited driving - zero drama or wheelspin on sharp acceleration at roundabout or traffic lights. Tested on the Autobahn last summer shortly at 120mph, feels buttery smooth including road noise (German roads are a lot smoother than patches and potholes ridden UK). Driven steady it returns a consistent 70 MPG (Audi A3 1.4 TFSI).
No doubt they will perform in snow and genuinely curious to see, as I had some Michelins Pilot Sport Alpines 2 on a previous car with even better grip in winter conditions, once went through a hail storm as if a road covered with ice marbles was nothing - while every other car was struggling to get uphill.
I had these fitted years ago on my smax (first gen, now the 2's) from continentals summer tyres, and they're great all year round. The conti's were noisy anyway so didn't notice an increase in noise at all. The grip is decent (though on steep hill starts, the 240bhp smax will spin them at times). In winter when its snowy, these come into their own and keep control miles better than summer tyres when the summer tyre squad are sliding all over the road, this heavy car stays true.
I switched over to my Pirelli Sottozeros a couple of weeks ago just before it got icy. They're "squishier" and not quite as responsive as the summers, but they grip so much better in cold conditions. Also surprisingly quiet for a winter tyre. Together with my car's AWD system they're absolutely indomitable in heavy snow and ice.
Always keep in mind that the actual performance also depends on the tire size and while the cross climate 2 may be better on one size than competitors, they may be worse on other sizes. I recently fitted 225/45 r17 (non-xl) cross climate 2 on my car and I have to say, they feel great in terms of grip, noise and roll resistance even compared to my previous michelin summer tires.
Their only downside is their price, so if you consider buying them, check the reviews for your actual size and Goodyears or others might be a better choice.
The crossclimates essentially swap 5% summer performance for 80% better winter performance.
The Goodyear Vector4Seasons is very similar, a bit more biased to wet and cold and a bit quieter, if you prefer that.
Note: CrossClimate tires are designed to work in temperatures as low as -10°C and as high as +30°C. 7c applies to winter only tyres
Has beeen my choice of tyre lately really good grip in the wet and long life time upwards to 50,000 miles if treated well.
They come with a 60,000 mile warranty too. I think a warranty like that just goes to show the type of engineering and confidence Michelin puts into these tires!
I use CC2’s and I live in rural Aberdeenshire. They’re perfect all year round on a fwd Touran
This tires are phenomenal! It’s almost like they were designed to keep you safe no matter the situation. 2018 VW Alltrack (AWD) with the 17” wheels. Stock tire size is 205/55 17, I opted for 225/50 17 for a wider tread pattern on the road. A more narrow tread pattern will naturally cut through water and snow better, which is why the Alltrack (an off-road modeled wagon) was outfitted with that size. The tires already have great performance in wet and snow, so to benefit in the summertime with spirited driving; I wanted to reduce the sidewall to gain stiffness in corners, and road grip with a wider tread pattern. 1.5 years in, maybe 20k miles, I went down 1/32nd tread depth and did 1 rotation. Road noise isn’t bad at all. They do suffer a bit on mpg due to having a more dynamic tread pattern (the more straight forward the grooves, and less grooves the better the mpg), coupled with a fatter tire size, I went from maybe 31mpg to 26-28 highway. I don’t mind though, I love driving and it’s hard to not want to go fast when you can.
My first experience in wet was on a highway cruising 85mph, straights, turns, and hills the hole way. It was an insane storm and tons of rain, I was not even worried or anxious one bit driving on these tires. I was honestly in disbelief with the performance, they drove through all that and didn’t hydroplane, or lose a bit of traction.
In the snow, same deal. When it’s slush out it’s easier to slide, these things throw the slush out of the way. When it’s powdery, they grip hard and pull the car forward.
I've had my set of cross climate 2 on my 2014 Mariva for 18 months and done around 30k mile. I would tend to agree with all the main points that you've made, no major compromises, and overall, I would recommend them. As my dad told me when I passed my test many moons ago, you can scrimp on most things but never your tyres. Buy the best you can afford, and it will keep you grounded as long as you're sensible.
never cheap out on things that connect you to ground:
Tyres, Shoes, Bed, Sofa
Ah so glad you’re trying these as I remember you mentioning last you in the snow you always run summer tyre. I have the original Mich Cross Climate, one of the best investments I’ve made, they are the best tool for the job for the weather in the UK. Transform the car in the snow and even just waterlogged roads, definitely less skids in my undies and on the tarmac since. Great mileage and economy out of them too.
We have had a set of these on our '18 XC-90 for a couple of years. They've been really good as a quiet, smooth, and fuel efficient all season option. I'd definitely get them again.
I had a full set on my 2020 Dacia Logan and they were amazing in the snow. I was doing pizza deliveries during COVID and they were the best tyres I have ever used. I have a 2021 Honda civic 1.5 turbo sport now and I am running Toyo Proxes tyres on the Civic. The michelins are quite expensive but they are perfect for all season driving
Had them on my van for a few years and they are good. Work in the snowbut more importantly greasy, damp and mucky roads it carrys on working well unlike summer tyres.
I’ve got same Michelin cross climate on my 5 gear van, so I don’t go above 60 to save fuel, so no worries about extra noise !
Great video. We’ve recently fitted 4 to our old Alfa. No comments other than they are noisy but a million times better than the 4 no brands we had on previously.
A side comment is a friend had 2 fitted to the front of his Kia Nero and complained the mpg has suffered as a result. He does a lot of miles slowly therefore that is his priority. We haven’t noticed any difference with ours.
Admittedly, I don't do as much driving as I used to, but I've never felt the need to swap tyres. I was taught to drive in the winter, in a Triumph Dolomite, so not exactly the best for wintery driving, but it gave me a grounding for anticipation and correct gear selection for the conditions. I did have all-terrain tyres on my Defender, which were used in the snow, rain, mud, and desert, but I don't feel the need for cross climates on the Yaris, even in the snow of a week or so ago.
We just has snow last week, the crossclimates are good in the snow. I've had them on my last two cars, this is the second set on this car..... got me up the hills and up to the main road where the roads were ploughed.
I had CC's on an Octavia vRS all year round, and we had them on our ambulances (the SUV version) and ambulance cars - great tyre all around and they'll be replaced with the same!
Our CrossClimate tyres have proven to be excellent in the snow. One small thing I don't like about them is that the sidewalls aren't very "rounded", meaning they don't protect the alloy as well as other tyres. This probably isn't as noticeable with low profiles though.
Just had 4 Cross Climate 2’s fitted to my Ford Transit Custom MSRT - so let’s see how they get on as I do a lot of rural work, network rail etc.
In your opening sequence, you've confirmed my virtual identical use at these large roundabouts, both in terms of signalling as well as that final slide across to the left. I sometimes feel a bit "silly" indicating "right" for a long distance as I traverse these large roundabouts but you confirmed what I also normally do. I know you've also covered this topic before and there's been some debate amongst us regarding signalling on these large roundabouts, especially spiral ones.
Hi Ashley, I found the cross climate were better on a snow covered road (my council have reduced the roads they salt to only the "main roads" now).
However, I found the sidewalls to be too flexible which caused a delayed response from the tyre on turn in. You turn the wheel, wait, then it turns into the corner!
Try parking the car, push against the roofline sideways and watch how it takes a fraction longer for the car to stop wobbling!
In the end I decided we don't really get enough bad weather here to justify the cross climate, so I've just gone back to driving very slowly on slippery roads as I've always done.
That is a characteristic of all Michelin tires. Put 5 more lbs of air in them and it will minimize this.
I've always done that but the cross climates definitely have more flex in the sidewall compared to other Michelins but if you're happy with that they do perform better in the cold @@robertgoodrich8953
We have a set in 195/65/15 on my other half's car. Changed wheel size from 16" to 15" at the same time as fitting, so not the only factor. But compared to the 16" summer tyres previously fitted, they are quieter, more comfortable, and slightly worse on fuel.
I used to think about these but may well look again when the RS3 needs new 'boots' at some point. I know what you mean about road undulations and tracking as well. My fronts are now 265's so that will follow a bit when the road is rubbish. Appreciate the info Ash, thx 😄👍🏻 "Tyre Reviews" channel is awesome for the shear amount of detail and effort he puts into tyre reviews. Fantastic to watch.
At around 6:20 with the lady in the Nissan SUV who was good to start off with but shortly thereafter was "A bit of a pusher" as Ashley might say. That's the thing: Quite often a driver who you might initially rate as "friend" ends up being a "foe". In fact it's unusual to observe a driver who is consistently "good" over a distance.
I read years ago that if you find a good 'gate-keeper' on the motorway, try to keep them. By 'gate-keeper' the writer said it was someone who shadowed you but from a decent distance, thus making it less likely that some eejit will come along and sit half a second behind you. Sounds weird, but they do exist and you can work with them.
@PedroConejo1939 Yes! I actually do that to a degree. Sometimes it happens naturally and I'm thinking of a specific situation. It's when I overtake a slower vehicle and that vehicle then pulls out into the same lane as myself in order to overtake another vehicle. I'm always happy to see this in my rear view mirror, as it "buys" me extra time to complete any further overtakes without someone else storming up behind me. Ironically I'm somewhat pleased if they lane hog after their overtake, as their lane hogging continues to protect me through my further overtakes. Though I'm not condoning lane hogging of course.
I mean to be fair I can see why people do it, if someone doesn't mind breaking the speed limit then it'd probably feel the same:
You treat someone as a "friend" and let them in, then they end up being a "foe" by going 40mph in the empty roadworks area.
Not saying I feel the same, but it's very good to be able to put yourself in the shoes of others, especially on the road.
X-Trail driver's are bad in general
I put the CC2 on my 2017 Ford Mondeo (235/40/19). Absolutely brilliant tyre, always having good grip, certainly during cold weather and good snow/rain traction. I had them on for 37,000 miles before they were at 2mm - 3mm and changed them over for GoodYear Vector 4 Seasons gen 3. Amazing tyres, the only reason I went for Goodyears was because they were about £60 a corner cheaper (on sale) and still a good tyre.
where I live, Michelins are hard to get. I have to special order goodyears for my daily, because anything less just doesn't hold up. I had a set of lesser brand tires last me less than a year.
Been using CC's since they came out about a decade ago, so far 120k miles of happy driving, whatever the weather. They have limitations, but for driving within limits and road conditions they are fine. On other car we have Falkens AS210 and they feel good too.
Slip road scenario - that was properly assessed and dealt with accordingly. The Nissan quickly followed your path - obviously "tyred" of getting stuck behind the Lorry 😂.
Sorry; couldn't resist that.
The tracking difference could be that the Cross Climate tyres have a flatter profile with the road contact.
I'm thinking pure physics here and how train wheels are actually conical in shape to make them go round bends correctly. The same effect in a partial manner could be applied to a car through the tyres.
Always used cross climate plus - used it on my 2017 honda civic and now on my 22 Audi Q5 - no issues both times. And I always got them during a good discount on black circles.
I switched over to these on my EV last year. They are definitely louder, and did affect range a little. The major difference I noticed was grip in the rain, especially when accelerating quickly, it's great. Having said that, grip in the dry is a fair bit worse.
@ashley_neal - the reason they don't track cambers so much is because they have much less stiff sidewalls and softer compound rubber. The tyres basically flex more.
When I had a Volvo V70, a good percentage of the owners forums called Pirelli's "ditch finders".
Got Pirelli summer tyres and continental winter tyres and both are great never tried all seasons but from what I hear cross climate 2s are the best and least of a compromise
You didn’t specify which cross climates? I know with sizes for my vehicle there was 91 V, 94 V or 91 H, I was just wondering if would have any bearing on the tracking of the grooves in the road I’m not sure if the different side wall property’s would affect this?
Used to have Cross Climate 2s on previous vehicle, and I did notice the increase in road noise at high speed. In snow though, they are another level when it comes to traction and braking. They give you confidence when driving in the snow, that you are in control of the vehicle instead of being on tenderhooks everytime you lightly brake in the snow like on normal tyres. In fact the biggest worry when driving with these tyres on in the snow is other vehicles/drivers. These type of tyres (all season/weather) should be standard on all cars in UK, to increase safety.
Have since changed vehicle and have performance summer tyres on and am considering changing tyres to cross climate 2s or Pirelli Cinturato all season sf3 tyres.
When I bought my car a year ago the wonderful salesperson told me how fortunate I was because they replaced all four tyres for me for free! It had Conti's on the forecourt so I was quite happy. They neglected to mention they replaced them with the cheapest tyres you could possibly get. The finest Chinesium.
When one of them got a puncture on the motorway I decided to replace all 4 with CrossClimate 2's. This was in May of this year. Despite the high cost it's a decision that I've never regretted, and we haven't even got to winter yet. My only issue is that I suspect that although I'll have no issues in the snow with AWD and CC 2's I'll still get stuck behind idiots running summer tyres all year round. Oh well.
You'll be pulling them out a ditch as long as you're feeling kind or charge for the service 😂
Your comment about tracking was a lightbulb moment for me. My partner thought that our car was doing active lane assist and she felt uncomfortable with it. The settings in the car contradicted this.
I swapped out the OEM Continentals which were wearing unevely with Michelin Cross Climate 2's a year ago and I have just realised whilst watching this that she has not mentioned this problem now for an entire year.
Coincidence?
We have the Michelin Cross climate tyres on 2 of are cars. One has the new Cross Climate 2 XL and we are very happy. They tend to do very good in tyre testing reviews. I haven’t noticed much increase in motorway noise. But are cars are small hatchbacks so not that refined to start with. The other car had Goodyear all season tyres only because Michelin don’t make the size required and the Goodyears are much more noisy above 50 than the previous summer tyres.
I’ve been so far impressed by the low wear rate and the braking grip is definitely better than my old Previous Firestone summer tyres.
We went for them after a Canadian friend said how good they are and now no longer bothers with winter tyres. They use the Michelin Cross climate 2 all the time. They always have snow ❄️ where they live from November to February.
Great allrounders. I do like the Goodyear allweather tyres too.
What a coincidence! Moved up to Scotland a couple of months ago, just had my Focus in the garage this morning swapping out summers for these cross climates. Great minds think alike! 😅
One thing I’ve noticed about the Michelin pilot sport 5 I use is they are rather temperature dependent, no the days are getting colder I do notice a slight reduction in grip at the beginning of my drive or when iv been in slow moving traffic. They’re still more grippy than tyres of a lower price, but I wonder if the cross climates mate be an option for the colder months, I’ve never used them so I don’t know.
I just had them fitted to my van, for me I found they offered better grip than the Continentals. Being a van, I needed to fit slightly more expensive extra load variants. Where I live, the roads are very muddy and full of debris that really shouldn't be there.
I said to a friend a few days ago, we should try and partner up with a tyre manufacturer and design 'UK Endurance' tyres that can cope with everything a poor road surface throws at them.
Funny what you say about tyre noise, they are known to be quiet tyres and I find them particularly quiet on my Skoda Karoq, perhaps it's the differencein vehicle which is coming into play! Cheers.
I have been thinking about putting the Michelin CrossClimate 2 tires on my 2014 Nissan 370Z. It was between these or the Continental DWS06+. I am leaning towards these although the Continental's have gotten great reviews also. I live in Colorado, USA and the weather here is a bit tricky due to the alpine environment. The elevation changes here are dramatic and can span several thousand feet up and down mountain passes. All season tires are a MUST here unless you are switching them back and forth between winter and summer tires like some people do. I rarely drive my 370Z in the snow, wet, sleet, or hail if I can avoid it at all. Unfortunately I do get caught in pop up storms from time to time when I am out enjoying my sports car. It's not my daily driver so I always check the weather before leaving home. That being said, it doesn't matter because last year I got caught twice out with my 370Z when an unexpected snow storm hit. One time I was half way up a steep mountain pass on a very narrow and snow and ice covered road. My 370Z got about half way up the mountain and it wouldn't go any further. It just wouldn't go up anymore. It was spinning and spinning and nothing happening. Right at that moment, I said I needed to get good all season tires, even if I only drive the car in very limited amounts of bad weather. I'd rather have a tire like these that can handle it all. How are these on road noise? What about tread wear?
On my previous cars for many years I had crossclimates fitted, probably going back well over 10 years. Only when I changed my car two years ago did it come with factory fitted tyres. I recently had the fronts changed and went for high quality summer tyres instead of crossclimates given the lack of snow and relatively mid winters over recent years. My experience of cross climates was generally good - fine when new but dry grip did decline a little with wear - and I found they do wear quicker than summer tyres (probably due to a softer compound). Also they do produce a bit more road noise at higher speed but also quite noticably on poor road surfaces (the concrete motoroway surfaces especially). Hopefully we do not get much snow this winter so I regret breaking with my previous tradition of using crossclimates. 🙂
These Crossclimates are geared more towards dry & snow performance (and are even better than many dedicated winter tyres in the snow), and so are better suited to drier European climates that have harsher winters. They fall short against some of the competition in the wet though, which is where the Goodyear Vector 4Seasons excel. For me that makes them a better (and slightly cheaper) alternative in our drizzly, milder British climate. Jonathan Benson has some really thorough tests on this stuff on his tyre reviews channel-really recommend it.
I think I'll go for Continentals next time for this reason - they're more well-rounded than the Crossclimate. The new Pirelli Cinturato all-season tyre seems to get excellent scores too.
@04smallmj Yep heard good things about the new Pirellis too. Hopefully the next iteration of the Crossclimates give a bit more wet performance, because they're compromised in precisely the wrong place for the UK & Ireland.
Literally had CrossClimate 2 tyres fitted today. I had Chinese made Bridgestones as original equipment on the car (MG4). They were terrible. As it is an EV they were ultra low rolling resistance. I'll take a slight dop in range in trade off for some more grip. Will see how the new rubber is when I do my commute to work on Tuesday.
I think the raised amount of road noise is common with most all season tyres!
I had continental all season contacts on before the crossclimate 2's & they were about the same ceratinly noisier than the summer tires it came fitted with but no noiser that the crossclimate 2's
Maybe due to them being directional tyres instead of accemetrical tyres that most seem to be these days!
Infact I remember the directional summer tyres of years ago generating more road noise than none directional tyres!
I have the Pirelli SF3 all seasons, why I choose these over CC2, because they are A rated on wet, verses B for CC2. These are also a bit noisier at 70mph. But the tyres fell the same all year round. Much better once the temps get closer to 0c vs summer tyre steering and braking have much more confidence. Waiting for CC3 as the CC2 is now being out performed by Pirelli, Bridgestone. Still a good tyre.
Hey, Ahley. I just tried to buy a Viofo dashcam, but your discount code didn't work. Do you have any idea why? Is anyone else having this problem?
@@grahamtudor9962 thanks for trying but the codes have been switched off until after 2nd Dec due to Black Friday. 👊
Thanks for the reaction Ashley, but do you know why your discount code isn't working with Viofo?
@@ashley_neal OK, thanks.
On my first car (2003 Honda CRV) I decided to go for a set of Yokohama all season (just two days before we had snow) having had a newer (2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross) car this year they had Landsail on the front and Yokohama Geolander all season and only fitted last December on the rear. I did think about having a full set of the Geolander but I wanted a bit more grip on the front so I went for the Goodyear 4season and when we had all that rain the other week I missed running water and stone across the road (sharp uphill bend) until my rear end swung out for a split second. I was wondering was it the type of tyre I have on the rear as I wasn’t going that fast (less that 30 in a 50) fairly sure the onboard SAWD and coming off the gas and turning steering wheel into the skid helped a lot, but can’t help feeling if I had a full set of Goodyear it might not have happened. I was on the A623 leaving the village of Peak Forrest towards Eyam, as you leave Peak Forrest there’s an incline and two bends, incident happened on the second bend. I will treat the bend with a little more caution next time 😂
Interesting you talk about the behaviour of the Pirelli's like that. I have Pirelli's on a solid Luxury vehicle and having the same issue. I thought it was alignment but after talking to an alignment, tyre and racing modifications specialist they told me this is typical for Pirelli's as they are a harder tyre for longevity. Driving has been a part of my life and working life for some 30yrs now so have a bit of a feel about these things. Apparently lots of folks have been having the same issue with Pirelli's and it can be very unsettling on some surfaces. Now looking to change them out. Something I didn't expect from a premium branded tyre.
Tyre noise on the Michi's x climate I suppose there is something in the pattern to allow for better grip in cold, like pure winter tyres this can make them noisy. Tyre labels are useful to find out how noisy a tyre may be. Sub 70dB and they are usually a quiet tyre.
My Outback had a mixture of OEM Bridgestone Turanza and a different Bridgestone (thanks to punctures) and I've just replaced all four for Yokohama Geolander All Season which I had on a Forester. The Bridgestones were getting low and cracked and recent MOT stated there were a couple of small nails in a couple of the tyres. We also had snow last week and I opted to take out a Yaris with all season tyres rather than my Outback as the summer tyres were terrible in snow.
The Bridgestones also used to tramline on rougher surfaces at low speeds and they were very camber sensitive. My X type had similar issues when I once fitted Goodyear tyres.
The Yokohamas are 104, rather than 100 rated so have stiffer sidewalls and what a difference to the drive experience. Tramlining has gone completely, no camber sensitivity at all. Its like a brand new car again and I know if we get more snow I won't be getting stuck in it.
Exactly which Geolandar have you got?
I’ve just put on a set of X-CV G057. Pleased with them so far but not had any really bad conditions yet.
I was one of those mentioning the road noise and that isn't a fault of the cross climate tires, it's just a fact of tires with a more aggressive tread pattern.
I've got the original cross climates but the eXtra Load ones. They do tend to follow/tramline and bash and crash over holes. 😢
Uniroyal RS5's are a good option too if you don't want to spend £100+ per corner. Your average 16/17" wheel is probably about £70-80 per corner.
Do these tyres actually handle ALL climates though as claimed? I have PILOT sport 4 on the rear and 5 on the front on my Mk7 Fiesta ST, but I would fit a set of these for all year round if they work well as in the extreme rain, floods and any snow the cars rubbish with the tyres.
On the subject of tyres, I replace mine when they are down to 3mm rather than the legal minimum of 1.6mm. And I have a digital tyre depth gauge to accurately measure the tread depth, rather than using the "coin" test.
I recently bought one of those digital tread depth gauges - very handy tool and only £5. Definitely money well spent.
@dannyboyy31 Very much so yes. Occasionally I have to press the button to "Zero" the reading, even with the depth gauge fully retracted but yes, they are very useful.
Tyre shape and compound affect handling in a surprising way. As does how the tyre degrades over time. I currently have budgets on my car, I don’t do enough mileage to warrant paying for mid to high range…that is until the tyres got to around a third tread used. It feels like I have four broken suspension arms on some roads and the noise is like having failed bearings
I will be heading back to mod range tyres for the next change as they seem to offer the best balance between durability, noise and performance…or at least they used to. I am hearing differing opinions over the last coulple of years on some brands and it sounds like they have been fiddling with the tyres making them perform poorly after a few thousand miles
It will be interesting to see how the Michelin tyres perform as they bed in and the tread dissipates
I like my tyres like I like my YT driving instructors, bald
There are some decent brands on the cheap, try Avon or Kuhmo - very good price to quality ratio.
I just have a normal hatchback and use these tyres, when it gets hot in the summer the handling does suffer. And I'm not a boy racer, you just notice it on the corners on A/B roads
I've not used Michelins but I have used all season tyres by Hankook, Nexen and, recently, Falken.
The Hankook ones were first generation all season. They had a winter tread on the inboard side of the tyre and summer tread outboard (I have never seen all season tyres that are not do not have a specified rotation).
They were fine until they the tread got below about 3mm. Then they struggled with cornering in the wet a bit. I don't know about more recent Hankooks, though. On occasion I needed to put the Autosocks on.
The Nexens were generally good. Like the Hankooks, I took them on ski trips. I had to buy new Autosocks (different size wheels in the new car). The front ones lasted 21,000 miles. One of the back ones got a puncture in the side wall and had to be replaced a couple of years ago. The other is still looking good after 43,000 miles.
I have just put the Falkens on the front so I do not know what they are like in the snow.
I would be interested to see how you get on with Autosocks (other brands are available) compared to the all season tyres when it does actually snow, Ashley. I find them good but, as always, they cannot stop somebody else sliding into you!
Were the Hankooks the Optimo 4S tyre?
Are these the type of tyres that Michelin say can quite safely be worn down to the 1.6mm legal limit without loss of performance?
At around 7:38 notice that the Nissan driver gave no left "exit" signal at the roundabout.
Ive neen running these on my c class for 12 months and find rhem to be a good all year tyre. I live on the hills and nothing can prevent you sliding down an icy hill!
6:38 that’s it, don’t let them bully you, the left lane is closed so you can’t do anything until the lane reopens.
Had these on in the recent snow, have had them for years actually but just as an FYI for all… breezed through the snow with such control and traction, living in a hilly area and it was a peace of came… every other car stuck and there’s me just driving past the fake SUVs and Land Rover’s with the wrong tyres on.
I've just had some goodyear vector 4 season tyres fitted as they were the best within my current budget when i needed to upgrade from the old tyres that were on already.
Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with these?
They seemed to get decent reviews but this is my first car and first experience buying new tyres.
I've had a set of them on Skoda Yeti, although I didn't keep the car long. They were very good and are very well reviewed and are usually in the top 5 tyres on all-season tyre tests. If it snows, I imagine that they'll be amazing compared to summer tyres - my Crossclimates certainly are!
i run Goodyear All Seasons on my Skoda Superb all year and i live in Fordingbridge down in Hampshire. find them just as good as normal summer tyres in the summer and they are much grippier when the temperature drops towards frozen. never got to test them in the snow tho…
I'm hoping mine are worth the money when the snow arrives. They are noiser that summer tyres on before.
I have cross climate tyres on four cars from a Jaguar XF sportbrake to a Skoda Fabia. They are very good all round tyres. I live in Buckinghamshire where the roads surfaces are appalling. I find theses tyres far more effective on the poor road surfaces I face in my daily drives. I believe we have to start considering the poor quality of our roads as a major factor when choosing tyres the roads are unlikely to improve in the foreseeable future.
I’ve got the same car as you, In the first 3 minutes you mentioned about the car seeming to be moved around by the road, I feel like I’m in a constant battle to drive in a straight line with this car & was considering booking it in as I thought there was a fault with my steering, but from what you’re saying I may benefit from different tyres?
6:27 she handled the merge in turn so well but she let herself down when she started to close the space down not wanting to stick to the speed limit.
Was that not undertaking when you passed the van on the slip road?
Because it was filtering it may not have been classed as that. Probably was, but either way, it was the safest option which is the most important thing.
I remember he did the same when he was driving Liz's high performance car.
It was undertaking Thomas, but the example is there to show it's not illegal and may be the safest option sometimes 👍 edit: typo
If you think cutting up the Nissan and being bucnhed up with traffic, or having nowhere to go when the slip road merges to one lane were better options then I'd hate to be a passenger in your car.
@@JohnCarlyle I have heard it all before, from some of my "friends" 🙂
Hey Ashley, how many miles did you get from your P-zeros & did you change all 4 tyres or just the front 2 with the ST being FWD? cheers
Little question on that on-ramp situation.
If we don't have a car that can quite accelerate as hard as your Ford, what would be the best course of action?
Lift off and let the cars pass and then change lanes?
I think 99% or road cars would out accelerate that HGV. So you'll be fine, just drop a gear, foot down and use the revs, its all about minimising 'time exposed to danger'. If you do have a car that takes 15 secs to get to 60 i would get rid of it, a slow car is also a dangerous place to be as you cannot get out of the 'dangerzone' quickly. Obviously you would try not be be in the 'dangerzone' when driving but there are too many variables that you cannot control which will put you in these situations occasionally and being able to accelerate out of there is paramount.
@@kenzohkw Alright, thank you buddy.
And yeah makes sense, most of the cars would have the juice to get around.
5:22 nice to see some good driving, nice to see a none space closer.
I'm going to go against the grain a bit, but I have a hot hatch (I20N), and I've used CrossClimates for winter.
While they're great in the extreme cold, I get globs of torque steer under heavy acceleration and they seem to overheat quite quickly in summer.
I have Pilot Sports on for summer and they're noticeably better in the wet, while peak grip is massively better in the dry.
I've elected not to put the Cross Climates for this winter, but I also never have a need to drive in snow/ice
I have 2 sets of wheels for my Accord, a recently gone on all season set replaced my better looking summer wheels .