Michelin Cross Climate 3 review
The Michelin Cross Climate 3 might be the runner-up, but it's a very good tyre overall.
- Score: 99.6%
- Ranking: 2nd
- Price: £110
Michelin was one of the first makers to embrace all-season tyres and after an absence of a few years from our tests, it very nearly took a debut win with its new Cross Climate 3.
It made the best possible start in Finland with a clean sweep of the snow tests. It was the only tyre to go under 19m in the 25-0mph braking test, then set an uncatchable 5.68sec for the 3-25mph traction test. It set the pace around the snow handling circuit, where it was almost 1.5sec a lap faster than the second-place tyre thanks to superb grip and exploitable adjustability.
Its cold wet and dry performance was less emphatic but good enough to help it to second overall. In the benchmark wet braking test it ranked only sixth and was 2m off the top three, while around the wet circle it was only seventh, which you might expect to add up to a mediocre wet lap time. Not so; the Michelin was a strong third and it felt great, combining strong grip with calm precision. Third in dry braking was backed up by great feel on the dry track where it wasn’t the grippiest but was biddable, smooth and quiet. To cap it all, it delivered the second lowest rolling resistance.
We say:
“Superb in the snow, effective in the wet and the dry, great to drive and economical too. An excellent all-season tyre.”
Blackcircles.com says:
“From over 2,800 reviews this tyre was rated 4.8/5 overall. Drivers called out its good performance and longevity.”
| Michelin Cross Climate 3 | Score | Place |
| Snow braking | 100 | 1st |
| Snow traction | 100 | 1st |
| Snow handling | 100 | 1st |
| Straight aquaplaning | 93.8 | 4th |
| Curved aquaplaning | 85.3 | 5th |
| Wet braking | 94.1 | 6th |
| Wet handling | 99.3 | 3rd |
| Wet circle | 97.7 | 7th |
| Dry braking | 95.8 | 3rd |
| Dry handling | 98.3 | 7th |
| Cabin noise | 99.0 | 8th |
| Rolling resistance | 99.2 | 2nd |
