Two Winters With a Dedicated Winter Tyre Set
An automotive long-term review covering two seasons on Michelin CrossClimate 2s, swapped in November 2023 and again in 2024.
How this piece was assessed
- Format
- Long-term review
- Reviewed by
- Jules Béranger — Editor, Automotive
- Evaluation
- Real-world use over months or years. Hearthline does not lab-test or instrument-bench products. Read our methodology.
- Review date
- 19 January 2026
- Last reviewed
- 2026-05-18
All-season tyres are a category nobody believes in until they have used one through an actually bad December. Then they tend to believe permanently.
Our reviewer's set has now been through two full winters in northern France and one unseasonable spring of cold rain.
We first published this piece in January 2026 and have revisited the recommendation through 2026-05-18. What follows reflects what survived that review window — the observations we still stand behind, the caveats worth knowing before purchase, and the small ways the piece has aged in ordinary use.
The summary
Most readers won't change their tyres twice a year; an all-season is the realistic compromise. Two winters with the CrossClimate 2 confirms it as the right one for mixed European climates.
In its favour
- Genuine cold-weather grip without summer-tyre compromises.
- Tread wear is competitive with summer-only sets.
- Noise level on motorway is closer to summer tyres than to winter-only sets.
Where it falls short
- Premium price relative to seasonal swaps.
- Not a substitute for true winter tyres in alpine conditions.
- Wet-weather braking is excellent, not exceptional.
Who it's for
- — Mixed-climate European drivers.
- — Households without storage for a second set of wheels.
Who should skip it
- — You drive in genuine snow for months.
- — You commute on a track day diet.
Buying guidance
- Check the 3PMSF (three-peak-mountain-snowflake) marking — it is the spec that matters.
- Rotate front-to-rear at every service interval to even out wear.
- Pair with a tyre-pressure monitor in winter; cold-snap drops are significant.
- Plan for the trade-off most new owners only notice in the second month: premium price relative to seasonal swaps. It is workable, but it is easier to design around at the point of purchase than to discover afterwards.
- Take the second caveat above seriously when comparing across price tiers — not a substitute for true winter tyres in alpine conditions. The cheaper alternatives in the category usually share the same limitation, so paying more rarely solves it.
Alternatives we considered
Continental AllSeasonContact 2
Quieter; slightly less assured in deep cold.
Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3
Cheaper, slightly noisier, similar wet performance.
Reader questions
- Are all-seasons safe in deep snow?
- Adequate for occasional snow. Not a substitute for studded or true winter tyres in alpine driving.
- How does Michelin CrossClimate 2 hold up over time?
- Several months of ownership has produced no failures we would consider disqualifying. The wear patterns are visible — that is true of anything used daily — but the piece continues to do the work we bought it for. We last revisited the recommendation on 2026-05-18, and the verdict held.
- What maintenance does it actually need?
- Most of the upkeep is preventative rather than corrective. Follow the manufacturer's care notes for the first six months; after that, the routine you settle into matters more than the one printed on the box. The "Where it falls short" column above flags the specific points worth being attentive to.
- Is it worth the price compared with cheaper options?
- Sometimes. The alternatives section above lists the genuine contenders, not lookalikes. The cheaper options are not bad — they are different trade-offs. If the strengths in the "In its favour" column matter to your use, the price gap is usually justified; if they do not, the cheaper alternative is the right call.
Editorial verdict
If you cannot or will not swap tyres seasonally, this is the most defensible all-season set on the market.
Update history
- 2026-05-18Reviewer revisited the recommendation against current alternatives; the verdict held with minor copy refinements.
- 2026-03-19Short check-in revisit; no changes to the verdict, two minor copy corrections logged.
- 2026-01-19Initial publication after the reviewer's testing window concluded.
Written by
Jules BérangerEditor, Automotive
Jules covers the accessories, maintenance tools, and small electronics that quietly determine whether a car feels well kept — not the cars themselves.
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