Good compromise or is it the Future way forward ?

Michelin CrossClimate launched - is this a game changer?

In the UK, we experience every sort of winter driving condition. Heavy snow in 2012, the cold and wet winter of 2014, to the mild and warm winter of 2015, the UK really is an unpredictable climate.

 

This unpredictability makes tyre choices for the British winters difficult. Without question, winter tyres are the right tyre for freezing and snowy conditions, but with the last few winters characterised by warm wet conditions, a summer tyre would be the smarter choice overall.

 

This has lead us to start recommending "all season" tyres as the correct tyre to fit in the winter. All season tyres offer approximately 85% of a summer tyres performance in the dry and wet, and 85% of a winter tyres performance the snow which gives them a slightly better operating window for the UK than a full winter. While this balance of qualities is the best compromise currently available, the ideal tyre for the UK tyre market is a tyre which offers 99% of a summer tyres performance in the dry and wet, yet still offers the ability to perform in snow and ice for those few days a year we see adverse conditions. The good news is, Michelin claim to have done exactly that with the new Michelin CrossClimate.

 

The Michelin CrossClimate is the worlds first summer tyre which can be used in winter conditions. TUV tested, the new CrossClimate really does seem to be the magic bullet for the UK climate, with 99% of a summer tyres performance in the dry and wet, and 100% of a winter tyres performance in snow traction and braking. Is this too good to be true? Fortunately we've had some experience driving on this tyre, and we're happy to report it seems to do exactly as Michelin / TUV claim.

I've already decided to move all our cars (where available) to all-season tyres. Vredestein Quatrac 5 is the tyre of choice at the moment. But this move by michelin is most welcome, the universal silica based compound has been available for a long time, and no doubt they could have designed these earlier, being held back only by marketing and profit motives.

 

It will be interesting to see if Michelin's claims of only being £5 more expenxsive turn out to be true. THe only disappointment is the low fuel economy rating.

 

If nothing else it will encourage others Goodyear etc to react and compete. 

The fuel economy rating is C.

That's better than the F rating of the Dunlop Sports Skoda fit from new on my Yeti.

Their wet road braking is A and tyre noise 69.

I'll be fitting these to my next new car, rather than having a second set of winter wheels and tyres.

There are reviews on YouTube and they seem pretty positive. Not as good as winters in snow, but impressive nonetheless.

When are these going to be available?

Good article here: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/miscellaneous/2015-02/michelin-crossclimate-tyres/

Can't beat a bit of Honest John.

Hmm no 225/40/18 and 255/35/18

No thanks

Didn't clock that. Only up to 17".

Apparently more sizes due in 2016.

I thought the whole idea behind the need for both winter and summers tyres is that you can't have the best of both worlds.

 

All I've seen so far is lots of fluffy marketing, well-worded advertising and potentially biased reviews.

 

What exactly are Michelin doing differently that hasn't or couldn't have been done before now?

 

99% of a summer tyres performance in the dry and wet, and 100% of a winter tyres performance in snow traction and braking!? Really?

They might have been testing and developing and they might be advancing technology,

or just BS.

But time will tell.

 

Once there were Cross Ply, now Radials, once Town & Counties use was common, then M+S, Winter-Cold Weather

So names and products, and times move on.

Maybe Manufacturers will fit those as Factory Fit, then people can still go Full Winter / Snow tyres if they have Winters.

One tyre for all UK seasons would sure be marketing gold!

 

This statement set alarm bells ringing for me...

 

"This unpredictability makes tyre choices for the British winters difficult. Without question, winter tyres are the right tyre for freezing and snowy conditions, but with the last few winters characterised by warm wet conditions, a summer tyre would be the smarter choice overall."

 

I'm not sure where the author spent this recent winter but it wasn't warm and wet much where I live!

Not suitable for you then,  Location Location Location.

There is a Michelin Factory in Dundee, Scotlands Sunniest City.  Icy tonight though.

 

Treated UK Roads, Salted / Gritted, and not very often Untreated or left unploughed for long,

& the full winter tyres are readily available where people need them.

I'm a big advocate of winter tyres, my car is sat on Avon Ice Tourer's as we speak.

 

Close to 10 degrees and sunny this morning. Half way home tonight it starts sleeting and I get the 4 degree's ice warning bong.

 

One set of tyres and one less set of rims would be a bonus though. I very much hope Michelin have pulled it off.

 

I am a sceptic though.

So these are the Evo recommended Summer Tyres.http://www.evo.co.uk/features/15659/which-is-the-best-tyre-for-summer-performance-tyre-test

I wonder how the Cross Climate Michelin would compare.