Tests – · none yet Owners 57 · 3 reviews
Falken ZIEX CT50 vs Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
CrossClimate 2 SUV is ahead, 82–61
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Tests 87 · 4 tests Owners 81 · 2,522 reviews
“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.
-
63
Dry
CrossClimate 2 SUV +2487Why this score
Source ZIEX CT50 CrossClimate 2 SUV Professional tests (TWG score) – 89 Reviews found online 60 84 -
61
Wet
CrossClimate 2 SUV +2586Why this score
Source ZIEX CT50 CrossClimate 2 SUV Professional tests (TWG score) – 85 Reviews found online 58 86 -
–
Snow
No comparison87Why this score
Source ZIEX CT50 CrossClimate 2 SUV Professional tests (TWG score) – 93 Reviews found online – 77 -
60
Comfort
CrossClimate 2 SUV +2181Why this score
Source ZIEX CT50 CrossClimate 2 SUV Professional tests (TWG score) – 78 Reviews found online 52 84 -
–
Noise
No comparison78Why this score
Source ZIEX CT50 CrossClimate 2 SUV Professional tests (TWG score) – 85 -
60
Treadwear
CrossClimate 2 SUV +1070Why this score
Source ZIEX CT50 CrossClimate 2 SUV Reviews found online 55 73 -
60
Handling
CrossClimate 2 SUV +2585Why this score
Source ZIEX CT50 CrossClimate 2 SUV Reviews found online 60 85
Scores at a glance
| Category | Falken ZIEX CT50 | Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 61 | 82 |
| Dry | 63 | 87 |
| Wet | 61 | 86 |
| Snow | – | 87 |
| Comfort | 60 | 81 |
| Noise | – | 78 |
| Treadwear | 60 | 70 |
| Handling | 60 | 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.
Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
ZIEX CT50
CrossClimate 2 SUV
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A ZIEX CT50
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
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)
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Falken ZIEX CT50
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV
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.
“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!”
“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.”
“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”
Based on 45 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Falken ZIEX CT50 | B · Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Premium Touring tires | All Season Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
Which one should you actually buy?
Falken ZIEX CT50
Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV
Winner: Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV — better wet, handling and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 86 vs 61 on wet.
Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 85 vs 60 on handling.
Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 87 vs 63 on dry.
Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV scores 81 vs 60 on comfort.
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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.