February 29, 2020
When drivers of family sedans, coupes, and even small crossovers are looking for one tire to fill all their needs for year-round driving, something from the Grand Touring All-Season category is typically the best choice. While not specialized in any one area of performance, these well-rounded players, particularly those from the premium brands, often provide a high level of satisfaction on the road in dry or wet conditions, as well as when the weather takes a turn for the worse. Even so, the tire manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to improve the performance, and therefore consumer satisfaction, from their mainstream tire offerings.
During the course of normal, day-to-day driving, the outright limits of a tire’s traction are rarely approached, let alone reached. As the traction of the road surface drops, the likelihood of finding the limit increases. As a result, we rarely want for more traction in the dry, while some occasionally wish for an improvement in the wet, and it’s not a stretch to say it’s common for drivers to find the limit every time they drive in the snow. We have seen the result of this reality for years in our consumer ratings, as tires with poor light snow traction invariably fall to the bottom of the charts in Grand Touring All-Season. To help prevent potential dissatisfaction, tire manufacturers are developing mainstream Grand Touring All-Season tires with light snow traction sufficient to earn the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol. While this type of tire was once colloquially (and inaccurately) known as an "all-weather" tire, the modern offerings are a significant departure from what were essentially de-tuned winter tires. These days, the 3PMSF symbol is just one part of the overall performance package delivered by a Grand Touring All-Season tire, and is far from a defining trait that places all tires bearing it in a single group.
A perfect example of this shift in focus is Michelin’s new CrossClimate2. While it is branded with the 3PMSF symbol, it is also designed to deliver category-leading wet traction; engaging driving dynamics; and a refined, quiet ride; not to mention impressive life and satisfying performance from new to worn. Our test team and consumers alike were very pleased with the CrossClimate2’s predecessor, and Michelin says the new tire should improve on the original in a meaningful way.
To get an early impression of the light snow traction delivered by the CrossClimate2, select members of the Tire Rack team went to Circuit Mecaglisse in Quebec, where we performed some controlled testing in snowy conditions.
Our first test involved instrumented acceleration and braking runs on a groomed flat of hard-packed snow with a small layer of medium-packed snow on top. Our driver accelerated from a standstill up to approximately 22mph and then quickly applied the brakes to use the vehicle’s ABS to bring the car to a stop. To help eliminate variables introduced by the surface and the ABS, our reported figures are from 5-20mph for acceleration and 20-5mph for braking.
| Tire | 5-20mph Acceleration (seconds) |
20-5mph Braking (feet) |
|---|---|---|
| Continental PureContact LS | 4.3 | 61.7 |
| Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady | 4.4 | 60.1 |
| Michelin CrossClimate2 | 4.2 | 50.2 |
To provide a feel for how the tires perform when you add some turns to the braking and accelerating, we took some laps around a short, rally-style track. While all the tires performed at a high level, the Michelin delivered the most authoritative response to steering inputs, along with increased stability and confidence through the turns. In the spots on the course with deeper snow, the Michelin-equipped vehicle also seemed to be the least affected by the added depth. The other tires delivered satisfying results, as well, though in this demonstration the CrossClimate2 had a slight advantage.
As Grand Touring All-Season tires continue to improve all aspects of performance, light snow traction sufficient to earn the 3PMSF symbol seems to be the next factor in the equation. While we have to wait for our official test to pass final judgment, our initial impression is the Michelin CrossClimate2 delivers light snow traction that is likely to satisfy drivers who are used to driving all-season tires year-round.
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