Michelin cross climate

[malcolmwoodyatt]

Thinking of getting a set of four of these for the roomster, what happens about the spare it is a normal summer tyre, should I get 5?

[Huskoda]

Depends how much you want to spend. I have two sets of 5 identical alloys and tyres for my car, but then I'm crazy. I just don't want to have any restrictions or problems when we do long family trips in any season.

 

You will be ok using a normal spare, generally, but you may have to drive a little more carefully if its snowy when you use it, plus you will want it on the rear or your diff may go nuts.

[The Plumber]

Have very recently fitted Cross Climate's to our V40. To early to give a proper review but happy so far.

 

However I'd stick to a standard spare or get a Quatrac 5 for the boot, as the CC is a directional tyre and therefore would only work properly on one side of the car as a spare; the Quatrac on the other-hand is asymmetric and would work on both sides.

 

 

TP

[themond]

I don't like the look of the cross climates, look like some budget tyres to me

[langers2k]

I don't like the look of the cross climates, look like some budget tyres to me

 

Is it just the tread pattern you don't like? They seem to be coping well with everything I've come across so far, especially standing water and other very wet conditions.

[themond]

Yeah the tread pattern I don't like.

I personally would have some good summer tyres on your alloys and the get some steels and put winters on them. Probably better then paying to swap tyres over on rims.

[Huskoda]

Yeah, I also really don't like the pattern on them. They look like they won't work, due to having nearly no sipes. If I needed more tyres right now I'd be getting Nokian Weatherproofs. Its a Nokian winter tyre with the summer A wet rating. Exactly what I'd want from two sets in the UK.

[themond]

I used to use fulda comfort but now trying general altimax sport... So far seem good for dry roads

[Hughp]

I have a set of Crossclimate tyres on my Roomster for several months now. I am very happy with them. They are quieter, I get better economy and improved grip in both the wet and dry. Will be interesting to see how they cope in the snow (if we get some).

[abo]

I'm hoping they perform like this: http://www.evo.co.uk/features/15600/michelin-cross-climate-vs-winter-and-all-season-tyres I have them on my motor...

Sent from my SM-T210 using Tapatalk

[Taxi_G]

I have a set of Crossclimate tyres on my Roomster for several months now. I am very happy with them. They are quieter, I get better economy and improved grip in both the wet and dry. Will be interesting to see how they cope in the snow (if we get some).

Hi, just about to purchase 4 new tyres and these are ticking the box, 3 months on since you posted your last comment about them, any further update?

G

[Hughp]

Hello Taxi_G,

I have not had to drive the car in an snow but I have in -4 conditions. I have not had to encounter any difficulties so far. Still very happy with the tyres, I feel confident with them.

[Taxi_G]

Hello Taxi_G,

I have not had to drive the car in an snow but I have in -4 conditions. I have not had to encounter any difficulties so far. Still very happy with the tyres, I feel confident with them.

It's all positive reviews I'm reading so I think I'll go ahead and fit 4.

Thanks

G

[OldTrilobite]

I noticed "Honest John" recommending Michelin Cross Climates in last week's Daily Telegraph Motoring Section. "they grip very well in cold, wet conditions, as well as giving good ride comfort and steering feel with no economy penalty." HJ was replying, in this instance, to an enquiry about fitting them to a Jag XJ, but he seems to like them as general purpose all-seasons tyres. I have no personal experience, not having had my Fabia long enough to need new tyres (I bought it second-hand last December, fitted with nearly-new PS3 tyres).

[Jim H]

What happens about the spare it is a normal summer tyre, should I get 5?

 

The Cross Climates are have a directional tread patten, so only can be fitted to one side of the car.  It is not at all wise to run a directional one in the wrong direction. It may be OK in the dry up to curtain speeds, but in the wet it will be dangerous! It channels water to the centre of the tyre not the outside as it should, this will mean it will aqua-plane very easily. Therefore for the spare you need a non-directional or asymmetric one.

[Paradigm]

Had 17" cross climates on my Scout now for a few months, very impressed. I was moving up from random budget tyres though that the dealer had slapped on last year (used car). I haven't had a chance with snow yet but wet, dry, cold, hot or average weather I would give thumbs up for handling and noise on the scout.

I am slightly biased as I got a free hat and random car kit when buying them!

For a all season tyre these are shaping up to be great!

Watch out on insurance, it is a modification if you drop a speed rating like I had too - I went from a W standard to a V in order to have them in my size. Luckily it didn't cost me extra to add it to the policy but they did say they needed to know - they asked their claims department (I asked them to check as I never heed what a salesman tells me!) and they said if the car was in an accident with the mod tyres without them knowing (its on the tick box sheet the loss adjuster uses) my policy would have been void! Eep!

[Greenline3Matt]

Hi Paradigm. What a nonsense that all is. Some Insurance companies seem to be out to get you! Surely the speed rating is only there to tell you the top speed that you can go? So unless you were doing 150+ mph at the time I don't see what difference it makes?

I'd like to try these tyres next but currently they don't do 18's...

[Paradigm]

Indeed the Insurance guys are out to get me!

I did bring up the safety issue re max speed the tyre is rated for compared to how fast the car can go or ever will be driven. The response to that was the safety issue is irrelevant for insurance, as the tyre is not manufacturers standard spec then it is a mod required to be disclosed.

Of course your choice whether or not to tell your insurers!

[Greenline3Matt]

Wow that's harsh. My tyres are actually a higher speed rating than standard. I've never thought to say anything to my insurer about that.

[Rooted]

It is very unlikely that the Speed / Load rating of the Michelin Cross Climate that are the correct size for your vehicle 

will be lower than that of the tyres EU Type Approved with that vehicle for the size of tyres recommended to be used when fitting Snow Chains.

 

Luckily now UK Insurers treat the appropriate and safer tyres for the UK winters and actually all year as being better 

than driving on inappropriate ECO / Summer tyres in adverse weather.

 

Plenty posts in this Forum and others have the List of Insurers and attitude to Winter Tyres, 

lower speed ratings etc.

Since Summer Temps can be as low as winter temps in parts of the UK or Europe they do not 

define 'Winter', as it is not just October to March.

Edited 22 May, 2016 by GoneOffSKi

[labman1001]

I personally think insurance companies are just out to make as much as possible from us ... If you tell them you have fitted a "V" rated tyre in place of a "W" they'll hit you with £40 to adjust the policy and if you don't they'll refuse to payout yet both tyres handle and behave identically up to the speed of the "V" with the only difference being the "W" can go to a higher speed and yet the "V" is rated higher than the top speed of the majority of family cars

[Rooted]

Some might try to charge, and you might allow them.

But then when you ask them to confirm in writing why fitting the correct all season tyres for the vehicle they would do this you get the correct response.  No Charge.

 

As for refusing to pay out, plenty might claim this and repeat the story, but have they actually had a Loss Adjuster or Crash Investigator then the underwriter refuse a claim when the correct Speed & Load Rated tyres are fitted with Legal Tread?

[KBPhoto]

This seems like the best place to share my experiences of the Cross Climates on a Yeti (170 4x4).

Obvious difference is in the mpg hit!

Average has dropped by 4-6 mpg (I need a longer period to be more accurate) which is about 10-13% decrease over my previous tyres (Goodyear Efficientgrip Performance) on the same 17" alloys. The Michelins are 'C' rated while the Goodyears are 'B' rated so this is to be expected, but it seems quite a big hit for one rating category difference. Maybe this will settle down as they bed in like the Goodyears did.

The previous tyres lasted 27,000 miles of very varied driving (but were completely shot at that point) having been swapped front to rear part way through.

If the Cross Climates last anywhere near that long I will be very happy and very surprised.

Noise seems to be on a par with the Goodyears, possibly slightly better. Also the noise from the Michelins seems to be a slightly deeper resonation that is less audible to my ears.

Wet grip is definitely better. We had torrential rain here in Scotland for the past three weeks and I had the tyres changed during that period. Admittedly the Goodyears were shot and not displacing water well at all, but the Michelins are better than I recall the Goodyears ever were. Not that the Goodyears were a bad tyre. Accidentally hitting a shallow puddle at speed would cause the car to balk a lot less with the Michelins; almost non-existent in most situations.

The downside (apart from mpg loss) is the price. I know I'm in a remote part of Scotland, but £600 for four tyres is rather difficult to swallow when my usual Goodyears are just over £500. I could have gone to Blackcircles and paid £500 (£400 for the Goodyears) but would then have had needed a day off work, two ferry crossings, a three hour round trip, and booking almost a week in advance.

I'll see how they get on this winter on the Scottish roads to see if they prove themselves worthy of the extra costs and, if not, it'll be back to the Goodyear Efficientgrip Performance tyres next time.

[labman1001]

I've argued the point about the sped rating on tyres to I'm blue in the face ....

If you buy any tyre that comes in various speed ratings all will behave and handle the exact same up to the limit of the lowest rated tyre .... The only difference in a W over a V is that the W can run at a higher speed just as a Y will run at a higher speed than a W.

Now given that on the whole, even these days, the majority of modern family cars can't get to the speed limit of a V I see no reason why they require a higher rated tyre and when our speed limit is 70mph it's ludicrous.

[sadgit1]

I don't see tyre rating being an issue, I just ordered 4 CrossClimates, 225/40 R18 Y (92) Reinforced, this is the same spec as my current Goodyears and the Conti's before that, the only difference is the CC's are stamped M+S