Head-to-head Updated

Continental IceContact 3 vs Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

CrossClimate 2 SUV is ahead, 82–70

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IceContact 3

Winter Premium Touring tires

Tests 77 · 13 tests Owners 65 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 6 in 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 (wet circle)

Tire BMichelin

CrossClimate 2 SUV

All Season Premium Touring tires

Tests 87 · 4 tests Owners 81 · 2,522 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 9 in 2024 Motor SUV All Season Tyre Test (dry braking)

“Had to drive Sunday morning around midnight to the far west side of Madison. Normally 30 minutes from my house on a good day. New CC2s and a small AWD SUV made it far less treacherous than it could have been. Only took me 10 extra minutes but I didn’t lose traction or control once. 5/5 stars, will buy again.”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 73

    Dry

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +14
    87
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)7589
    Reviews found online6984
    Dry Braking (% of best)96%100%
  2. 70

    Wet

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +16
    86
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)7285
    Reviews found online6786
    Longitudinal Aquaplaning (% of best)96%100%
    Wet Braking (% of best)97%97%
    Wet Circle (% of best)100%97%
    Wet Handling (% of best)100%83%
  3. 79

    Snow

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +8
    87
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)8493
    Reviews found online7377
    Snow Braking (% of best)98%99%
    Snow Handling (% of best)99%100%
    Snow Traction (% of best)98%99%
  4. 82

    Comfort

    IceContact 3 +1
    81
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)9778
    Reviews found online6084
  5. 69

    Noise

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +9
    78
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate 2 SUV
    Professional tests (TWG score)7185
    Exterior Noise (% of best)97%99%
  6. 59

    Treadwear

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +11
    70
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate 2 SUV
    Reviews found online5473
  7. 70

    Handling

    CrossClimate 2 SUV +15
    85
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3CrossClimate 2 SUV
    Reviews found online7085
Scores at a glance
Continental IceContact 3 vs Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryContinental IceContact 3Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV
Relative Score 70 82
Dry 73 87
Wet 70 86
Snow 79 87
Comfort 82 81
Noise 69 78
Treadwear 59 70
Handling 70 85

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

IceContact 3

CrossClimate 2 SUV

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryIceContact 3CrossClimate 2 SUVΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 96% #2/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/9 · 2024 Motor SUV All Season Tyre Test −4.2 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 70% #10/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 90% #2/9 · 2025 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ All-Season Tire Test R17 −20.0 Different tests
Exterior Noise Noise 97% #2/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 99% #3/7 · 2025 Quattroruote All-Season Tire Test R19 −1.5 Different tests
Noise Other 98% #2/8 · 2021 Nordic Studded Winter Tyre Test 99% #3/10 · 2023 SUV All Season Tyre Test −0.5 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 11% #9/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/9 · 2024 Motor SUV All Season Tyre Test −88.9 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 98% #7/16 · 2021 Studless and Studded Winter Tyre Test 99% #2/9 · 2024 Motor SUV All Season Tyre Test −1.0 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 99% #6/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/10 · 2023 SUV All Season Tyre Test −0.7 Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 98% #10/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test 99% #2/10 · 2023 SUV All Season Tyre Test −1.0 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 95% #6/8 · The BEST Studded Tyres for 2025 100% #1/10 · 2023 SUV All Season Tyre Test −4.8 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 60% #12/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/7 · 2025 Quattroruote All-Season Tire Test R19 −40.0 Different tests
Longitudinal Aquaplaning Wet 96% #5/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 100% #1/9 · 2025 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ All-Season Tire Test R17 −3.9 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 97% #9/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test 97% #3/9 · 2024 Motor SUV All Season Tyre Test −0.8 Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 100% #1/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 97% #6/7 · 2025 Quattroruote All-Season Tire Test R19 +3.4 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 100% #1/8 · 2024 Studded Tyre Test 83% #6/9 · 2025 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ All-Season Tire Test R17 +16.7 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A IceContact 3

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and braking performance on packed snow and ice
  • Predictable handling in severe winter conditions
  • Strong performance on lake ice tracks

Cons

  • Premature stud wear or loss reported after moderate mileage
  • Potential for reduced stability in deeper snow (4-5 cm) depending on tire width
  • Unpredictable handling characteristics when paired with certain electronic stability control systems
All owner themes in the IceContact 3 review

Tire B CrossClimate 2 SUV

Pros

  • Exceptional wet, ice, and snow traction that inspires winter-weather driving confidence
  • Significantly improved ride comfort and impact absorption over road imperfections
  • Impressive tread life and durability yielding long-term value

Cons

  • Higher initial purchase price compared to competitors
  • Minor fuel economy or range drop reported by some users, especially on hybrids and EVs
  • Occasional low-pitched or increased road noise at highway speeds (between 50-70 MPH)
All owner themes in the CrossClimate 2 SUV review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Continental IceContact 3

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV

Positive

Community opinion on the Michelin CrossClimate 2 (and SUV variant) is overwhelmingly positive, with drivers praising its exceptional winter traction, severe snow service rating (3PMSF), and confidence-inspiring wet and dry grip. While a few users note minor drawbacks like a noticeable decrease in EV range/fuel efficiency, higher initial pricing, or slight road noise, the tire remains a top-tier recommendation for all-weather performance.

r/ModelY ·4 upvotes ·2026-06-01

“New CrossClimate 2 tires almost stranded my family. Massive efficiency drop on Model Y. Just a heads-up for anyone swapping to Michelin CrossClimate 2s. Put a set on my Model Y about 3 weeks ago from Discount Tire and just did a road trip from Denver to Taos, NM with my wife and two toddlers. We charged up to 90% at the Pueblo Supercharger, and the Tesla app estimated we would arrive in Taos with 15% battery remaining. Well, the new tire efficiency hit is incredibly real. The range dropped so fast that we were tracking to hit 0% and had to make an emergency Type 2 charging stop on the way just to make sure we didn't get stranded with the kids in the car. I’m now seriously thinking about taking advantage of Discount Tire's return policy and going back to the OEM Continental ProContact RX. Has anyone else faced similar problems or massive efficiency drops when switching to the CC2s? Does the range eventually get better after a break-in period, or should I just cut my losses and swap back to the Continentals? I need something reliable for road trips with the family, so I'd love to hear your suggestions and experiences!”

r/tires ·3 upvotes ·2025-12-22

“Safest among your choices is CC2, the most comfortable is Defender 2, and right into the thrash is Bridgestone. I will never trust a Bridgestone tire except the Brizzak snow tires. My previous car had Bridgestone Turanza on it when bought brand new, and the car felt like a giraffe on skates in any tricky weather. 900 miles into the new car, bought CC2s and made everything perfect. Good riddance.”

r/tires ·3 upvotes ·2026-02-12

“Look at all weather tires (3PMSF rated) instead of a basic all season. Michelin CrossClimate2 is hard to beat for safety and snow grip and they’re not that loud in my experience. I put them on my wife’s Highlander and they’ve been smooth and confident in slush and highway rain. If you want something a little quieter and softer riding, Bridgestone WeatherPeak or Pirelli Scorpion WeatherActive are also solid. When I priced 245/50R20 CC2s recently, Costco was around $314 per tire installed $1,256 set before tax during a promo, Tire Rack was about $302 per tire $1,208 before install and Discounted Wheel Warehouse had them closer to $279 per tire $1,116 before install so roughly $140 difference on a set before mounting”

Top themes
#Snow and Winter Traction#Wet Weather and Rain Grip#EV Range and Fuel Efficiency#Treadwear and Longevity#Price and Value#Road Noise and Comfort

Based on 45 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental IceContact 3 B · Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV
CategoryWinter Premium Touring tiresAll Season Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental IceContact 3

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV

Winner: Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV — better wet, handling and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 86 vs 70 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 85 vs 70 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 87 vs 73 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 70 vs 59 on treadwear.

Tire A · Continental IceContact 3
Tire B · Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV

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How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

82

Leads

CrossClimate 2 SUV

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