Michelin CrossClimate 2 vs Continental PureContact LS: All season tires have always been the go to tires for the American market and this segment has been well established across the years. We have written quite extensively about Michelin’s CrossClimate 2 as the gold standard for all season tires with an incredible all round balance portfolio. This time around we picked up another all season challenger in the form of Continental’s PureContact LS. This tireline was launched in 2018 and covers a large range of passenger cars and crossovers. The major difference between the tires is that CrossClimate 2 comes with a 3 peak mountain logo while PureContact LS only has the M+S logo on it. CrossClimate 2 was launched in 2020 and covers a wide variety of sizes. Let’s put them head to head and see who comes out on top !
Table of Contents
Results
Results below were taken from the Tire Rack’s “Testing Grand Touring All-Season Tires 2022” test. A total of 3 tires were tested this time around. The graph below shows the comparison between Michelin CrossClimate 2 vs Continental PureContact LS based on the relevant performance category. The PureContact LS was set as a reference hence at the 100% mark. Note that for subjective evaluation, we equate 1 point as 5%. Hence for example if tire A is graded 7 while tire B is graded 6, A is better than B by 5%.
As both tires are categorized as all season tires, Tire Rack will conduct the snow & ice tests in this upcoming 2022 winter season hence please stay tuned for further updates. The tire size of interest is a 225/45R17 which is a common tire size for Audi A3 and Hyundai Elantra. You can check out our latest tire size table for more information. The testing vehicle is a powerful 2022 Subaru BRZ Limited.
Wet
The friction of coefficient of the tire/road dramatically decreases in wet roads compared to dry roads. Hence it is more likely to get into a road accident during wet conditions rather than on a sunny day. It was so important that the EU label has wet braking as one of its three criteria. With regards to our comparison, PureContact LS has the slight edge in wet braking compared to CrossClimate 2 with a 1.7 feet (0.5 m) advantage in braking distance.
While in wet handling, both tires were graded the same with an overall rating of 6.47/10. The main feedback for PureContact LS from the test driver was that ” it possesses good wet traction & while it is capable through the turns, the tire’s steering was a little vague, with a tendency to understeer through most corners”. CrossClimate 2’s feedback differs as “steering from the Michelin was sharp and precise, giving it strong front-end authority, which made it easy to place the car exactly where we wanted through the turns. Braking consistency from Michelin on the more dynamic conditions of the handling course was also noted by the drivers, which helped make it the easiest tire to drive at a consistently fast pace. “
The lap times on the wet track were very close with PureContact LS managed to be 0.29 seconds quicker than CrossClimate 2.
PureContact LS :
- +1.3% in wet braking
- 0 % in wet handling (subj)
- +0.8 % in wet handling (lap time)
Dry
As for dry, safety is usually not an issue as the braking distance is much longer than wet. However this is the default daily usage and the tires have to perform at a very consistent level. Things were yet again very close as CrossClimate 2 had a 0.6 feet (0.18m) shorter braking distance compared to PureContact LS.
Similar to what happened in wet handling, both tires were ranked equally again in subjective dry handling with a rating of 7.38/10. PureContact LS was the favorite subjectively with a very tight margin as it has “higher ultimate lateral traction and bubbly, athletic feel through the turns yielded the quickest times of the test”. While the feedback from CrossClimate 2 was also good as it has “precise steering making it the easiest tire to drive at a consistently quick pace. The accurate turn-in and buttoned down mid-corner characteristics let our drivers meter each input to put the car exactly where they intended. “
PureContact LS had the fastest dry handling lap time with a 0.29 seconds advantage over CrossClimate 2. Overall, both tires are equally matched in dry performances and no clear differentiation is possible.
PureContact LS :
- -0.7% in dry braking
- 0 % in dry handling (subj)
- +0.6% in dry handling (lap time)
Noise/Comfort/Ride Quality
Ride comfort, noise & comfort was tested and PureContact LS was lacking behind CrossClimate 2 especially in steering/road handling. The CrossClimate 2 came out ahead at 7.84/10 rating compared to the 7.46/10 rating of PureContact LS.
PureContact LS :
- -1.9% in average of Noise, Comfort & Ride Quality.
Snow
Let’s compare these two tires, the Michelin Cross Climate 2 and the Continental PureContact LS, based on their performance in snowy conditions:
- Snow Braking: The Michelin Cross Climate 2 has a snow braking distance of 59.80 feet, which is shorter than the Continental PureContact LS’s braking distance of 64.10 feet. This suggests that the Michelin tire has superior performance when it comes to stopping on snow-covered roads. This might be especially significant in scenarios where sudden braking is necessary to avoid obstacles or accidents.
- Snow Acceleration: When it comes to snow acceleration, the Michelin Cross Climate 2 again outperforms the Continental PureContact LS. The Michelin tire reaches a 12 mph in 26.30 feet, while the Continental tire requires 33.06 feet to reach the same speed. This indicates that the Michelin Cross Climate 2 has better traction on snowy surfaces, allowing it to accelerate quicker.
- Snow Handling (Subjective): On a subjective scale, testers rated the Michelin Cross Climate 2 at 8.33 out of 10 for handling in snow, compared to just 6 out of 10 for the Continental PureContact LS. This suggests that drivers may feel more control and stability with the Michelin tire in snowy conditions.
The performance disparity between the two tires in snow conditions could potentially be explained by their certifications. The Michelin Cross Climate 2 has a Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) certification, which is an indicator of good performance in severe snow conditions. On the other hand, the Continental PureContact LS doesn’t carry this certification, hence it may not be as optimized for snowy conditions as the Michelin tire.
In conclusion, based on these data, the Michelin Cross Climate 2 performs better in snowy conditions compared to the Continental PureContact LS in terms of braking distance, acceleration, and subjective handling.
PureContact LS :
- -6.7% in snow braking
- -20.4% in snow acceleration
- -11.7% in snow handling subjective
Ice
Let’s compare the ice performance of the Michelin Cross Climate 2 and the Continental PureContact LS:
- Ice Braking: The Michelin Cross Climate 2 has an ice braking distance of 47.20 feet, which is significantly shorter than the Continental PureContact LS’s braking distance of 55.70 feet. This indicates that the Michelin Cross Climate 2 has a better stopping performance on icy surfaces, which could be particularly crucial in preventing accidents during winter conditions.
- Ice Acceleration: When it comes to acceleration on ice from a rolling start to 60 feet, the Michelin Cross Climate 2 also outperforms the Continental PureContact LS. The Michelin Cross Climate 2 reaches this distance in 5.61 seconds, while the Continental PureContact LS takes slightly longer at 6.14 seconds. This suggests that the Michelin tire has better traction on icy surfaces, enabling it to reach the required distance in a shorter time frame.
In summary, the Michelin Cross Climate 2 shows superior performance in both ice braking and ice acceleration compared to the Continental PureContact LS, based on these data points. This suggests that the Michelin Cross Climate 2 may provide better safety and control in icy conditions.
PureContact LS :
- -15.3% in ice braking
- -8.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelin | CrossClimate 2 | All | 640 | B | A |
| Continental | PureContact LS | All | 700 | A | A |
The mileage warranty for CrossClimate 2 is 60,000 miles while PureContact LS is 70,000 miles. The higher miles warranty offered by PureContact LS are in line with the UTQG tread wear rating of CrossClimate 2 at 640 compared to 700 of PureContact LS. Overall we can expect a slightly more mileage for PureContact LS in comparison to CrossClimate 2.
For more in depth information about UTQG, please check out this article here. We even have a free download on the latest UTQG values from the leading tire manufacturers.
Price
Being the undisputed technology leader, we would expect Michelin to command the highest priced tire in the market. This was in alignment as CrossClimate 2 was 38 dollars more expensive than PureContact LS.
Tire size: 225/45R17
CrossClimate 2 : $212
PureContact LS : $174
Difference: -21.8% more cheaper for PureContact LS.
Summary
Overall, both tires exhibited very similar performances in wet and dry conditions. The CrossClimate 2 had a slight advantage in terms of noise and comfort, while the PureContact LS is expected to offer slightly more mileage compared to its counterpart. However, when it comes to winter performance, the clear winner is the Michelin CrossClimate 2. With notable differences in snow and ice performances, the CrossClimate 2 truly shows the market who is the master of the complex balancing act between winter and summer performances!