Bridgestone WeatherPeak vs Michelin Cross Climate 2: Bridgestone recently announced their latest grand touring all season tire called WeatherPeak. It has 56 sizes which mostly covers the A to C segment cars in the replacement market while boosting a respectable OE fitment line up with the likes of Audi Q5, BMW 3 Series, Honda Accord, Honda Odyssey, Jeep Cherokee, Toyota RAV4 and Volkswagen Golf. It comes with a certified 3 peak mountain logo which indicates it has passed the legal required snow traction threshold. This would indeed put it head to head in competition with the best undisputed 3 peak mountain certified all season tire –> Michelin Cross Climate 2. Let’s put them into a head to head battle and see who comes out on top.
Table of Contents
Results
Results below were taken from the press release of WeatherPeak. Word of caution as the results were provided by Bridgestone and it should be taken with a pinch of salt. Ideally we will get independent results rather than relying on the tire manufacturer itself. We will update the article with more test data once the tires are fully tested independently
The graph below shows the comparison between Bridgestone WeatherPeak vs Michelin Cross Climate 2 based on the relevant performance category. The Michelin Cross Climate 2 was set as a reference hence at the 100% mark. As both tires are categorized as all season tires, snow was included in the testing portfolio.
(Update): Tire Rack has recently conducted a comprehensive 3-way tire comparison test involving the two tire models. The results of the head-to-head comparison during summer are presented below. The winter testing phase will conclude in the upcoming 2022/23 winter season, and we pledge to keep you updated with the latest results.
Wet
The coefficient of friction between the tire and road dramatically decreases on wet surfaces compared to dry ones, making it more likely to encounter road accidents during wet conditions. Surprisingly, WeatherPeak exhibited a 5% advantage in wet acceleration, which is not particularly useful in typical consumer usage. The gold standard in wet conditions would be wet braking rather than acceleration, leading to questions about Bridgestone’s choice of acceleration over braking.
In the latest Tire Rack results, we observed that WeatherPeak slightly trailed Cross Climate 2 in the wet braking test by stopping 0.8 feet (0.2m) further. However, the clear distinction lies in wet handling, where WeatherPeak was outpaced both subjectively and in terms of lap time. WeatherPeak received a lower subjective rating of 5.8/10, compared to Cross Climate 2’s rating of 6.4/10, as it performed poorly in handling and balance criteria. In terms of lap time, WeatherPeak lagged behind Cross Climate 2 by only 0.17 seconds, which is incredibly close.
Based on the latest actual test data, it appears that both tires are well-matched when it comes to wet braking, but Michelin Cross Climate 2 holds the advantage in wet handling.
WeatherPeak :
- +5% in wet acceleration (data from press release)
- -0.6% in wet braking
- -3.3% in wet handling (subjective)
- -0.5% in wet handling (lap time)
Dry
In dry conditions, safety concerns are typically not as pronounced since the braking distance is much longer than in wet conditions. However, in daily usage, the tires must perform consistently at a high level. Similar to the wet test, Bridgestone only disclosed dry acceleration, which is only relevant in a drag race scenario. Nonetheless, WeatherPeak performed 4% better in dry acceleration than Cross Climate 2.
With the latest Tire Rack results, we found that WeatherPeak trailed behind Cross Climate 2 in all typical dry performance categories. WeatherPeak fared much worse in the dry braking test, stopping 8.1 feet (2.5m) further than Cross Climate 2. This trend continues with wet handling, where WeatherPeak was outpaced both subjectively and in terms of lap time, receiving a lower subjective rating of 6.9/10 compared to Cross Climate 2’s rating of 7.4/10. WeatherPeak performed particularly poorly in braking behavior criteria. In terms of lap time, WeatherPeak was 0.61 seconds behind Cross Climate 2.
Based on the latest actual test data, it appears that Cross Climate 2 dominates WeatherPeak in terms of dry braking and handling, making it clearly the superior tire in dry conditions.
WeatherPeak :
- +4% in dry acceleration (data from press release)
- -8.3% in dry braking
- -2.7% in dry handling (subjective)
- -1.9% in dry handling (lap time)
Noise/Comfort/Ride Quality
The ride comfort, noise, and comfort were also tested, and both tires performed similarly with WeatherPeak slightly edging out Cross Climate 2, particularly in noise. WeatherPeak received a rating of 7.92/10, while Cross Climate 2 received a rating of 7.84/10.
WeatherPeak :
- +0.4% in average of Noise, Comfort & Ride Quality.
Snow
Let’s compare these two tires, the Michelin Cross Climate 2 and the Bridgestone WeatherPeak, based on the data from Tire Rack.
- Snow Braking: The Bridgestone WeatherPeak has a snow braking distance of 54.30 feet, which is shorter than the Michelin Cross Climate 2, which comes in at 59.80 feet. This indicates that the Bridgestone tire has superior performance in snowy conditions in terms of stopping distance. However, according to the press release data, the WeatherPeak was reported to have a +25% improvement in snow braking, while the data from Tire Rack indicates only a +10% improvement. This discrepancy might be due to different testing conditions or methodologies between the two sources.
- Snow Acceleration: The Michelin Cross Climate 2 performs better in snow acceleration, reaching a certain speed in 26.30 feet. In contrast, the Bridgestone WeatherPeak needs a slightly longer distance of 30.21 feet to reach the same speed. The lower number indicates quicker acceleration on snowy surfaces.
- Snow Handling (Subjective): This is a subjective measure, likely rated by testers, and it appears that the Michelin Cross Climate 2 also edges out the Bridgestone WeatherPeak in this category, with a score of 8.33 out of 10 compared to 7.33 out of 10 for the WeatherPeak. This suggests that drivers may feel more control and better handling with the Michelin tires in snowy conditions.
In conclusion, while the Bridgestone WeatherPeak seems to have a shorter braking distance on snow according to the Tire Rack’s tests, the Michelin Cross Climate 2 is ahead in terms of both acceleration and handling. These results highlight the importance of considering multiple performance factors when choosing a tire, as well as understanding that different tests might yield slightly different results.
WeatherPeak :
- +25% in snow braking (data from press release)
- +10% in snow braking (data from Tire Rack)
- -13% in snow acceleration
- -5% in snow handling subjective
Ice
Unlike Snow where there both tires performed equally well, ice was dominated by Michelin Cross Climate 2. Below are the key findings.
- Ice Braking: The Michelin Cross Climate 2 has an ice braking distance of 47.20 feet, which is shorter than the Bridgestone WeatherPeak’s braking distance of 53.50 feet. This indicates that the Michelin tire has better stopping performance on icy surfaces, meaning it will stop in a shorter distance which can be particularly crucial in preventing accidents in icy conditions.
- Ice Acceleration: In terms of acceleration on ice, the Michelin Cross Climate 2 reaches 60 feet in 5.61 seconds, faster than the Bridgestone WeatherPeak, which takes 6.05 seconds. A lower number indicates quicker acceleration. This suggests that the Michelin tire provides better traction on icy surfaces, allowing it to reach a certain speed quicker than the Bridgestone tire.
In summary, the Michelin Cross Climate 2 outperforms the Bridgestone WeatherPeak in both ice braking and ice acceleration according to these data points. This suggests that for icy conditions, the Michelin Cross Climate 2 may be the more effective tire.
WeatherPeak :
- -11.8% in ice braking
- -7.3% in ice acceleration
UTQG rating
We have previously shown that UTQG tread wear rating can be a good indication of your expected mileage. Below are the UTQG values of both of the tirelines.
| Brand | Tireline | Size | Tread Wear | Traction | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgestone | WeatherPeak | All | 700 | A | A |
| Michelin | CrossClimate2 | All | 640 | B | A |
The WeatherPeak boasts a mileage warranty of 70,000 miles, surpassing the Cross Climate 2’s warranty of 60,000 miles. This is supported by the higher UTQG tread wear rating of 700 for the WeatherPeak, compared to the Cross Climate 2’s rating of 640. Based on these factors, we can anticipate a significantly greater lifespan for the WeatherPeak tire in comparison to the Cross Climate 2. For a more comprehensive understanding of UTQG, we recommend perusing this article, which even offers a complimentary download of the latest UTQG values from top tire manufacturers.
Price
Given Michelin’s position as the undisputed technology leader, one might expect that their tires would command the highest prices in the market. This was found to be true as Weatherpeak actually cost $12 less than Cross Climate 2.
Tire size: 225/50R17
WeatherPeak: $187
Cross Climate 2: $199
Difference: -6.4% more cheaper for WeatherPeak.
Summary
According to the updated test results data, Michelin Cross Climate 2 has demonstrated clear superiority in wet and dry performances, surpassing the WeatherPeak in all wet/dry braking and handling performance criteria. However when it came to winter performances, the WeatherPeak excels in snow braking over Cross Climate 2 but the percentage differs from what was reported on the press release data. Apart from snow braking, Michelin Cross Climate 2 dominated the rest of the winter performances with strong performance in ice & snow handling/acceleration. Based on both the summer & winter test results, it is clear that Michelin Cross Climate 2 is the superior tire with only snow braking being the saving grace for Bridgestone Weatherpeak.