Skip to content
Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife vs Michelin CrossClimate 2 — Compared (September 2026)

Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.

Tire A Goodyear

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife

Premium Touring Summer tire

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife tread pattern
Objective (60%)
/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
57/100
4 owner reviews
Dry
79
Wet
42
Snow
74
Comfort
71
Noise
Treadwear
85
Handling
48

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Michelin

Michelin CrossClimate 2

All Season Premium Touring tires

Michelin CrossClimate 2 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
95/100
37 professional tests
User signal (40%)
81/100
143 owner reviews
Dry
90
Wet
83
Snow
82
Comfort
77
Noise
72
Treadwear
82
Handling
74

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Michelin CrossClimate 2 — better wet, handling and dry. Pick the Goodyear Assurance MaxLife if treadwear matters most to you.
Read full

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made via links on this page.

Category breakdown

7 categories, side by side

Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.

Dry

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) CrossClimate 2 leads by 11
A — Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
79
B — Michelin CrossClimate 2
90
Why this score
SourceAssurance MaxLifeCrossClimate 2
Professional tests (TWG score) 92
Tire Rack owners 91 94
Tyre Reviews owners 75 86
SimpleTire owners 85
America's Tire owners 98

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) CrossClimate 2 leads by 41
A — Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
42
B — Michelin CrossClimate 2
83
Why this score
SourceAssurance MaxLifeCrossClimate 2
Professional tests (TWG score) 84
Tire Rack owners 85 94
Tyre Reviews owners 30 82
SimpleTire owners 80
America's Tire owners 97

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) CrossClimate 2 leads by 8
A — Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
74
B — Michelin CrossClimate 2
82
Why this score
SourceAssurance MaxLifeCrossClimate 2
Professional tests (TWG score) 80
Tire Rack owners 73 88
Tyre Reviews owners 85
SimpleTire owners 80

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) CrossClimate 2 leads by 6
A — Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
71
B — Michelin CrossClimate 2
77
Why this score
SourceAssurance MaxLifeCrossClimate 2
Professional tests (TWG score) 73
Tire Rack owners 86 89
Tyre Reviews owners 65 84
SimpleTire owners 95
America's Tire owners 96

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
B — Michelin CrossClimate 2
72
Why this score
SourceAssurance MaxLifeCrossClimate 2
Professional tests (TWG score) 72
SimpleTire owners 90
America's Tire owners 92

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Assurance MaxLife leads by 3
A — Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
85
B — Michelin CrossClimate 2
82
Why this score
SourceAssurance MaxLifeCrossClimate 2
Tire Rack owners 87 91
Tyre Reviews owners 83 82
SimpleTire owners 90
America's Tire owners 95

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) CrossClimate 2 leads by 26
A — Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
48
B — Michelin CrossClimate 2
74
Why this score
SourceAssurance MaxLifeCrossClimate 2
Tyre Reviews owners 48 74
America's Tire owners 97
DriverReviews owners 84

Scores at a glance

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife vs Michelin CrossClimate 2: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryGoodyear Assurance MaxLifeMichelin CrossClimate 2
Relative Score 66 82
Dry 79 90
Wet 42 83
Snow 74 82
Comfort 71 77
Noise 72
Treadwear 85 82
Handling 48 74

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

Personalize

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.

Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Goodyear Assurance MaxLife

The Goodyear Assurance MaxLife is widely regarded as a high-longevity tire that excels in daily commuting and highway driving, though it sacrifices performance in wet conditions. While users appreciate the exceptional tread life and quiet ride, the consensus indicates significant concerns regarding traction in rain and standing water.

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and durability
  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Reliable performance for standard daily commuting

Cons

  • Poor traction and handling in wet conditions
  • Noticeable reduction in fuel efficiency compared to OEM alternatives
  • Lack of sidewall protection for rim safety

Observations

  • Tesla Model 3 owners reported significant safety concerns regarding wet-weather handling and a lack of rim protection.
  • High-mileage drivers, such as rideshare operators, report high satisfaction with noise levels and tread endurance over long distances.
Tire B Michelin CrossClimate 2

The Michelin CrossClimate 2 is widely regarded as a benchmark all-weather tire, offering exceptional snow and ice traction that rivals dedicated winter tires while maintaining respectable dry and wet performance. While most users praise its year-round versatility and comfort, a subset of owners reports concerns regarding wet-weather confidence, increased road noise as the tire wears, and a noticeable impact on fuel efficiency.

Pros

  • Outstanding snow and ice traction for an all-season tire
  • Excellent dry road handling and braking performance
  • High levels of ride comfort and noise refinement when new
  • Strong hydroplaning resistance in heavy rain
  • Long-term durability and tread life for many users

Cons

  • Noticeable drop in fuel economy compared to dedicated summer or low-rolling-resistance tires
  • Increased road noise and ride stiffness as the tread wears down
  • Mixed feedback on wet-weather grip, with some users reporting understeer or lack of confidence
  • Higher price point compared to competitors
  • Performance degradation in extreme summer heat

Observations

  • EV and hybrid owners frequently report a 5-7% reduction in range or fuel efficiency due to higher rolling resistance.
  • Users with high-performance or high-torque vehicles (e.g., BMW M-series, Mustang) often find the tire's sidewall and compound too soft for spirited driving, leading to unpredictable handling.
  • Drivers of heavier SUVs and crossovers generally report higher satisfaction with the tire's ability to handle inclement weather compared to lighter passenger cars.
Community buzz

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife

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

Tire B

Michelin CrossClimate 2

Mixed

Community opinion on the Michelin CrossClimate 2 is largely positive regarding its exceptional snow, ice, and wet weather traction, with many users praising its quiet ride and aggressive look. However, some dissenters point out potential drawbacks such as increased road noise as the tread ages, a minor hit to fuel economy or EV range, and questioned value for users who live in mild climates without winter weather.

r/LexusNX ·55 upvotes ·2026-06-14

“CrossClimate2 in. Alenza Run Flats out. Swapped the Alenza run flats for CrossClimate2 all-weather tires. Sharper handling. Better ride comfort. Very quiet after an initial break-in period. Just make sure the tire pressure is as recommended on the door sill sticker, shop techs don’t always check. I’m an early adopter of CC2 tires, been using them on my old Jeep since 2022, super durable and perfect for inclement weather, still had some tread remaining at the 60k-mile warranty mark.”

r/crv ·53 upvotes ·2023-06-23

“Review of Michelin CrossClimate 2 tires. I recently purchased Michelin CrossClimate 2 tires for my wife’s 2018 CRV EX-L FWD and I have to say they are pretty stellar. Thus far we have put at least 2000 miles on them to include a 14 hour road trip. Excellent traction on wet roads and far superior to the Goodyear Assurance we had before. We have driven through a couple significant downpours and these tires have confidence on wet roads. As for the alleged noise complaints, I think they’re very quiet compared to the old tires. Rolling resistance/ MPG; no changes and I would have happily sacrificed a couple MPG for good traction in FWD vehicle. As for snow, I can’t say and we live in Texas anyway. Price; I spent about $1000 total for four tires and installs at Costco. That was with tax. Overall, I highly recommend these tires thus far.”

r/MachE ·37 upvotes ·2026-07-23

“PSA: Michelin CrossClimate 2 - They make noise. Recently purchased Michelin Cross Climate 2s for my MachE from Costco. I received a fairly decent price (1,000 for 4) vs local competitors (1,400 for 4). I've seen a lot of people say how great they are, and I thought I'd give them a shot. They look nice. They definitely give it a more 'off-road' look. They also come with a 65,000 mile warranty which they said applied to EVs as well, which is nice as well. They feel great driving. I appreciate their excellent traction and feel secure on turns. I haven't been able to test them on snow yet, but they perform well on wet roads. That being said. They definitely make noise. They make a little at lower, city speeds (~35 mph). They also make a really weird noise at highway speeds (~70 mph+). Neither is so loud or annoying that a little radio can't cover up the sound. Overall, I am very pleased with the tire and the price I received. However, be warned, they do make noise. EDIT: I originally posted this is the Ford Mustang MachE forum and forgot to say that I put them on my MachE. The MachE, being an EV, may be why the noise is more noticeable for me versus others. Read more”

r/TyreReviews ·35 upvotes ·2026-01-18

“Michelin CrossClimate 2 after 31.000 kilometers I have those Michelin CrossClimate 2 (EU version, made in Spain) for 26 months now and 31.000 kilometers on a heavy Mercedes EQE, the rears are still good but the front tyres are starting to give up on the shoulders. Usual tyre pressure is 2.8 bars, there is still some good tread left on the middle of the tyre. Steering feeling on the snow is also not as good as it used to be. Overall very happy with those tyres, I’ll have to decide between the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 or the CrossClimate 3 Sport (sadly the 3 isn’t available in 255/45 R19) to replace them this year. We have the Pirelli Scorpion SF3 on our second car. Given the car and my usage, I give priority to snow braking, rolling resistance, silence and longevity. I lost a bit of range, comfort and steering engagement when I swapped the factory Bridgestone Turanza T005 for the CrossClimate 2, but in general nothing to call-out.”

Top themes
#Snow and ice performance#Wet weather traction#Road noise and ride comfort#Fuel economy and EV range impact#Tread wear and longevity#Price and value comparison

Based on 393 community posts

Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Goodyear Assurance MaxLife B · Michelin CrossClimate 2
CategoryPremium Touring Summer tireAll Season Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available461
Rim diameters15″ – 20″19″
Tread depth11 - 13/32″9 - 10/32″
UTQG820 A B640 B A
Treadwear warranty85,000 mi60,000 mi
SidewallVertical Serrated BandBlack Side Wall
Max pressure50 - 51 psi50 - 51 psi
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear

Michelin

Winner: Michelin CrossClimate 2 — better wet, handling and dry. Pick the Goodyear Assurance MaxLife if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 83 vs 42 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 74 vs 48 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 90 vs 79 on dry.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin CrossClimate 2 scores 82 vs 74 on snow.

Tire A · Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
Tire B · Michelin CrossClimate 2

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.

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