Forgive me Michelin Crossclimate 2s….. I’ve been unfaithful…

I fitted CC2’s to my VWT6.1 last autumn, as I was taken in by all the positive reviews on them, and there was a deal on them! But, I have got to say I’m disappointed with them. Fine in general use but in the little snow we’ve had this year, they were useless. I now carry my snow socks, which I normally only do when we go skiing. I will be going back to the tried and tested Vredestiens I’ve had for the last several years.

I fitted CC2’s to my VWT6.1 last autumn, as I was taken in by all the positive reviews on them, and there was a deal on them! But, I have got to say I’m disappointed with them.

Car and commercial versions of the same tyre model can be quite different. Unsure how the ratings for the CC2 compare between car vs van version, but the original commercial CC wasn’t well reviewed/rated compared to rivals. I fully expected to be fitting CCs to our Transit Custom when we bought it 7 years ago, but instead went for Pirelli Carrier All Seasons in 215/65r16C – one of the only commercial all-seasons with an A-rating for wet grip. Not complaints with them at all, covered 30k miles and still 4mm+ remaining but likely to replace before the summer and a planned 2k mile adventure due to a small amount of cracking starting to appear on the tread blocks.

Bit of a thread bump.

I’ve always fitted ‘standard’ tyres, but as my fronts need changing I thought I’d jump on the all season train. Just checking it’s OK just fitting to the front axle, or do all four need changing to all season? Rears have a lot of life in so would probably not go with this plan if all four need doing.

Would be going for Conti AllSeason Contact 2’s. Fitting to a Octavia VRS (as if I needed to type that).

I wouldn’t mix them.

Why not Crossclimate 2? They’re awesome in the wet, work on snow, and are seemingly indestructible. Just gone through 40,000 miles and still have 5mm of tread left on a Tesla Model 3 AWD.

Why not Crossclimate 2?

Chat earlier in this thread (and linked review) suggests Conti’s are the new king (or at least as good). They are also £105 a corner fitted versus £133.

I wouldn’t mix them

Hmm, balls. Now I’m actually Googling that seems like pretty consistent advice.

There is an opinion that the CC2’s are now too biased towards snow performance at the expense of wet performance which depending where you are in the UK you are makes a more wet biased tyre a better choice.

If you don’t live in a part of the country that gets properly cold, then I’d recommend Uniroyal rainsports in whichever flavour suits your car, they’re the best all-round tyre I’ve ever used.

Ahoy thread bumpers….

So far very happy with the bridge stones…

Plus… The A27 STILL suffers standing water.. just this week I was commuting through pouring rain and puddles! Me has no regerts regarding my choice!

Economy seems unchanged, as far as I can tell.

DrP

Just checking it’s OK just fitting to the front axle, or do all four need changing to all season?

Most of the time it won’t matter but when it starts getting cold i’d think there would start to be significant performance differences between your fronts and your rears which could make the handling a bit unpredictable. Where I live though, it’s very unlikely there’s going to be significantly cold weather until November – I’d be happy running a mixed set until then myself, that’d let you get another 6 months of of the rears then change them for winter onwards.

Also, what do you mean by a lot of life? I change tyres at about 3mm, legally they’d be ok for another 10k miles or so but the performance in the wet drops away dramatically below 3mm.

Sod it. Have booked in for all 4.

My first experience of crossclimates was my work lease company insisting on them as replacements. I was a bit miffed as had a hybrid and wanted eco tyres. They were fitted front only and turned out to be great, just the same economy but they actually gripped.

I replaced the worn primacy 4 on my current car recently with CC2.  Only 1 axle needed doing and wasnt prepared to throw away a lightly worn set of Primacy 4 so put them on the back and moved the rears to the front to wear out sooner.

Reading up, its advised to replace all of them, but if going to have more grip then better on the back to get understeer rather than the front grip and then have the rear overtake it!

Will replace the fronts with similar when worn, probably in Autumn.

For balance, our other car has the Conti All Season Contact 2 on the rear, and they also seem good.

I know it goes against the grain but I’ve been running all season tyres on the front and std tyres on the back* for the past 2yrs & 20k miles. Front wheel drive hatchback & down south so temps aren’t extreme. In my mind most emergency braking will be in a straight line & I’d rather have the better grip, braking & steering on the front, so I might lose the back end and get a glancing blow – but isn’t that better than ploughing straight on into a head on?

Too pig headed to be convinced otherwise, just thought I’d put out an alternative viewpoint out there 😉

* will change to all seasons once they wear out.

TBH i also put them on the back as car is an EV and much heavier wear on the fronts, so it means I will replace sooner than if i put the new ones on the front.

The previous car also ran for about 6 months with all season on front and rock hard eco tyres on the rear and was fine.

Latest conti 4 seasons on my old beemer, 57mpg (real) on a round trip to Austria from Scotland the day after they were fitted, grippy, quiet, M&S rated. Been over some snowy car parks abroad, and a few very wet muddy fields in the last few weeks, excellent tyres.

I run conti van contact 4 seasons on the van and they have also been an excellent long lasting, very capable tyre.

I’ve been faithful a d put 4x Michelin Cross Climate 2s on my Kuga.

2x OEM tyres at 40k miles (Conti Contact Sport) were a bit thin and also the sidewalls were perishing/cracking up. A big fat nail in 1 of them (right on the edge) was the excuse to trigger renewal.

(The other 2 tyres were appalling plasticy shiiite that had been put on to get the car past the MOT before I got it.).

The CCs are defo quieter and less harsh/ less road vibration.

The all seasons  Contis in my size were only available in 101xl load rating rather than 97.  I decided I wanted 97 (which does meet manufacturers spec requirements) to reduce the harshness.   Something to bear in mind. Higher load rating = stiffer side walls = harsher.

If you don’t live in a part of the country that gets properly cold, then I’d recommend Uniroyal rainsports in whichever flavour suits your car, they’re the best all-round tyre I’ve ever used.

Had them on the wifes old C30 great tyres and decently priced too IIRC. Have Kuhmo solus 4’s on the van and they were great in the properly cold and slippy weather too (not that we get that much)

About to replace my Bridgestones as they have lasted only 16 months. Michelins were previously good for 3 years.

Question on the Conti’s as I’ve forgotten the answer.

The CC2’s are almost self funding with the extra mileage and fuel economy. Wondered if the Conti’s are the same as, well as the improved performance?

I wouldn’t mix them

I have, and currently am.

I had shiny Hankook Kinergy 4s fitted to the front after a puncture .

Another pair will go on the back in September/ October to eek out a list few miles from the part worn tyres the car came with.

Cc2 here, very impressive in bumper deep snow(I live off road up a track) I wouldn’t go back to full winters now, and I’ve had a few.

All round the cc2 is great, very quite, very smooth. I was slightly concerned about the XL rating but have no issues at all. Very comfortable tyre.

I got a killer deal that saved me 20 quid a corner, so at that price a bargain but I’d buy again if the longevity is good

I used to just leave winter tyres on all year round, then I realised that often I’d get to the start of winter with 2-3mm on them- good enough for summer but not winter so I got some steels and switch back and forth. Thats why I wont use all season tyres.

Bump – what’s the thought this winter? Stupid rubber band tyres (245/35 R19) on my car coming to the point they need replacing so it’s all-season time…

This thread from the other day might give you some ideas…

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/so-i-fitted-all-season-tyres/

The polestar is a hefty, fast, powerful car..that I drive up and down the a27 with me and my kids on several times a week… It’s been so wet, with standing water, over the past few years, that I’ve ALWAYS erred on the side of caution and stuck decent (i.e branded all season) tyres on my cars

Why not just get rain tyres which will be a better all round all season tyre for the south of Britain where it rarely falls below 7 deg?

Swapped out 4 Goodyear eagle asymmetrics for 4 Goodyear vector 4seasons gen 3 a few months ago as my front eagles needed replacing, plus I felt uneasy at how the eagles ‘clunk’ about when the roads get cold, then looking at the reviews noticed how terrible the performance tyres were for braking in the cold and wet.

But you have bought the wrong tyres for the driving you do. They need a bit of heat in them to work well, and are designed for ‘pressing on’. No wonder they were no good if you just pootle around. Agree they get a bit harsh in winter too, but again get the heat in them, or leave them cold and do lots of fun skidz.

Why not just get rain tyres which will be a better all round all season tyre for the south of Britain where it rarely falls below 7 deg?

Because on the coast I frequently get below 7 degrees (has been below that 2 mornings last week)… plus it’s hilly in brighton and hove..
The Bridgestone all season are better in teh wet, and worse in the snow/ice, than cross climates. hence the choice..

DrP

FunkyDunc Free Member

But you have bought the wrong tyres for the driving you do. They need a bit of heat in them to work well, and are designed for ‘pressing on’.

If you mean the Eagles it depends exactly which one, I reckon they’ve changed focus a bit, I had the old Asym 3 and it was just a very good everyday sport/touring tyre, didn’t need to be driven hard and tbh ran out of steam a bit quick if you did. The 6 is definitely a more sporty tyre and gives up a little bit of those everyday manners for sure.

The thing about “get a rain tyre” is, well, what is that? Most allseasons are designed with rain in mind and most allrounders too but there’s not a raindrop icon for sidewalls to go beside M&S or a wee mountain. Premiumcontact’s supposed to be great in the wet,but so is a vector, what’s the better “rain tyre”? It feels to me like that’s just something that’s hard to ID, as a punter. Especially as grouptests uqite sensibly tend to compare “to the winner” not to an overall score, just cos conditions vary. (I am also discounting the Rainsport, because ime they’re just not much good)

I’m just getting some Vectors on mine to replace some older gen winters and tbh they’re all seasons and it’ll be snow and ice where they really earn their keep and keep things safe, and they’ll see a lot of sub-7, but I also expect them to absolutely kick ass in the rain. AND be good in the dry for that matter. I’m not sure there’s much wet weather or everyday sacrifice here in order to get the winter performance, or at least that is my hope! Feels like we’re getting past that.

CC2 update. 25k and in need of replacing. Very poor.