Will be buying a full set of tyres next week and pondering on CrossClimates. Reviews everywhere are excellent but I wonder how folks on here with them are getting on?
That type tread pattern is often quite noisy but they have quite a good noise rating... don't want a tyre that roars.
Not that fussed rear longevity as my mileage is fairly low and shared between three cars. See the wet grip is rated B whereas I always buy a normal tyre with an A rating but there are plenty of premium summer tyres with a B rating so it can't be that bad.
Any thoughts?
BTW BlackCircles have them 10% off at the moment which brings them down to what I'd pay for the Dunlops I usually fit so something of an incentive.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Thu 28 Mar 19 at 09:45
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Can't help you with anything specific, other than to say I posted here a couple of weeks back about buying some Michelins, and found that ATS were cheaper than anywhere else by a country mile. They also had (at the time anyway) a further £50 off if you bought four.
Just in case you want to check out their prices anyway.
Oh, and annoyingly I discovered just post-purchase that my bank was offering yet another 7% off at ATS on one of those "cashback" offers you get every month, but I hadn't noticed it so it wasn't activated. That would have saved me another £30, so a bit annoying.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Thu 28 Mar 19 at 10:36
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Yip got 4 x crossclimates through ATS (which is owned by Michelin)
Winter wise can't really say, as per ususual, when I buy a 4x4 or fit winter / all season tyres you can be guaranteed there will be no snow!
Normal day to day running - absolutely fine but I don't drive on the limit, I don't do lots of country road driving.
In many ways, to 80% of the driving population, I think a tyre is a tyre!
But they weren't that much more expensive so went with them for their all season capabilities.
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Got Crossclimates on the Qashqai. Quieter, subjectively anyway, than the Bridgestones it had before. Like Bobby, I couldn’t say if they make a difference in snow!
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Thanks CC for the heads up on ATS. I usually use Asda Tyres and they are £440 for the set. ATS with the £50 off are £419 with a free Amazon Fire HD8 tablet. Black Circles are £378 as they have a 10% offer on Michelins this week.
I prefer my local ATS to the fitters offered by Black Circles so... do I want to pay £41 more at ATS to get a tablet worth £79.99 that I don't need but might like?
The benchmark tyres that I would choose if going conventional will be Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2. Set of these are £352 from Asda… £376 from Halfords... £383 at Black Circles and £488 at ATS, Obviously ATS don't get good deals on Dunlops!
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Have been through quite a few CrossClimates - they're pretty good, certainly no problems with noise. I put Hankooks on my 3008 as they were available quicker, and £30 each cheaper - and they have a very similar tread pattern, and from the snow I drove in a few weeks back, very good!
Check ATS for a Monday fitting - when I got the pair on the Picasso I could have had 10% off for a Monday, but I wanted them before the weekend. In the end they weren't delivered, and I had to go back on Monday, so I asked for, and got, my 10% off! They also do 5.25% off via topcashback if you have an account - which would get you down to £358 with a tablet you could punt on on e-bay!!
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Gah! Didn't remember topcashback. Never use it but have an account. Missed out on yet another discount then. How annoying.
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The BMW is currently on cross climates - that’s the third winter they’ve been on the car. I haven’t noticed that they’re noisier than the Pilot supersports (?) that are on for the rest of the year, but then gain they’re on a separate set of smaller diameter wheels (17” vs 18”). They do have noticeably better levels of grip in low tempertures and in damp conditions, and I’ve not noticed any significant difference in fuel consumption either.
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We've had crossclimates on the C Max for nearly a year. All good so far and not showing much signs of wear. They have been everything the reviews promised, but only had a dusting of snow since, so we are yet to discover how good they are then!
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I’ve had Michelin on my Alhambra cause I carry a lot of equipment and do plenty of miles so want the best I can afford .
Purely for ease , I always check all the only prices , then take it to my local Kwik Fit , a 2 min walk from my house and get them to at least match it , so far thry always have
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Ruddy marvellous. But then I started from a very low point.
Having sold my 10yo + 330 my trade pal found me a Focus 1.6 Tdi Sport ( ha) at a knock down price as a stop gap. It came shod with 4 Chinese ditchfinders....3 different makes. Almost new as well. Black Circles later, transformed the handling, braking, grip etc. Kept the Focus 18 months, used in lots of awful weather in the Dales, including plenty of snow and slush.
I rated them very very highly and wouldn’t hesitate to fit them again should circumstances dictate. Which hopefully won’t be the case.
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Thanks all... seemingly a resounding thumbs up for the CrossClimates.
I will decide on Sat when I know the alloys refurb is done and can order tyres for next week.
My only reservation on the CrossClimates is the Mondeo seems very sensitive to road/tyre noise and having read about 50 forum/test opinions on them some mention a "hum" to their noise character and a noisy way they disperse rain water. This may be taking it to the Nth degree but I'd hate to find they excite the Mondeo suspension with that big echo chamber loadspace.
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That generation of Mondeo has such sweet suspension and handling that it'll tolerate almost anything with tread. Be fine !
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>>>That generation of Mondeo has such sweet suspension and handling
I've actually managed to go through the past 12yrs without having driven this generation of Mondeo and that was the main thing I was taken aback by. Compliant quiet ride but taut in the corners... much better than expected given it has an estate body two could weekend camp in.
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I've had them for 2 years on the Civic. Lasting very well at 5 mm tread left after 20k miles. This a about twice the life of the original Contis. They are very quiet.
Just one thing to be aware of, these are XL tyres, as such they should be run at about 10% higher pressure than standard tyres. There are load and pressure tables online if your handbook doesn't give XL pressures.
If you do run at "normal" pressure they actually have a lower load capacity than standard tyres. Probably not a big issue if you don't increase pressure but I have seen advice elsewhere to run them at about 10% lower than standard pressures to improve comfort. Not good advice as this will result in tyres being a cumulative 20% underinflated.
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>>Just one thing to be aware of, these are XL tyres, as such they should be run at about 10% higher pressure than standard tyres. There are load and pressure tables online if your handbook doesn't give XL pressures.
This was mentioned before on here so when I got mine I contacted Michelin direct who advised that it was tosh and the tyres should just be run at the same standard pressures that your car book states.
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When tyre change times comes on BMW, in another 8k I think, I have to decide if to go with runflats or not. Dont like runflats.
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...I wouldn't do it. Most people who change do so in the other direction.
My experience of runflats aligns with what I've seen as the majority view - the (very) rigid sidewalls play havoc with both ride comfort and handling. On top of that you will pay a premium for a tyre that just might survive a puncture, but often won't.
I specifically sourced my X1 with conventional tyres (but also made sure it had a factory-fit spare, as an aftermarket addition on the X1 is not simple).
Historically, there have also been regular reports of BMW alloy wheel failures on vehicles fitted with runflats.
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>> ...I wouldn't do it. Most people who change do so in the other direction.
Clearly I was not clear in my post, I have runflats, and pondering moving away.
As you say the runflats offer you not much in the way of run flat, and when cold they spoil the ride, and are noisy.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 29 Mar 19 at 20:51
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Just one thing to be aware of, these are XL tyres, as such they should be run at about 10% higher pressure than standard tyres. There are load and pressure tables online if your handbook doesn't give XL pressures.
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>> This was mentioned before on here so when I got mine I contacted Michelin direct
>> who advised that it was tosh and the tyres should just be run at the
>> same standard pressures that your car book states.
>>
There is a slight difference in load capability at given pressures on some manufactures tables but IIRC it's a lb or two, it's nothing like 10%. However I did read that Michelin uses the same carcass for many of its tyres so it makes no difference.
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>> There is a slight difference in load capability at given pressures on some manufactures tables
>> but IIRC it's a lb or two, it's nothing like 10%. However I did read
>> that Michelin uses the same carcass for many of its tyres so it makes no
>> difference.
>>
What are you saying, that the standard load and XL of the same size/model are identical but just 'plated' differently?
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>> What are you saying, that the standard load and XL of the same size/model are
>> identical but just 'plated' differently?
>>
I think that's it - Google "Michelin Geobox"
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I don't think we're much apart on the pressure point. I can't find the tables I looked at originally but a figure of 33 lbs was suggested against my standard pressures of 30 so it is indeed only a pound or two but in my case that is 10%.
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Don't know if it's OK to post this link, but a thread on Pistonheads has both charts together:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=1045462
That posters comparison isn't valid - he used the same load index for both tyres. In reality, say for the common 205/55R16, the standard tyre would be 91 and the XL 94 - so the pressure difference to get the same weight (sometimes more) is 0.1 bar (1.5lbs). That's probably within the likely accuracy of most pressure gauges!
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Cheers Bill these are the tables I (mis)remembered. I agree with you on the 1.5lb point. I still wouldnt risk reducing the XL pressures below standard however.
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Another thumbs up for Cross Climates.
I have them fitted on our Peugeot Traveller (17” wheels). Having driven in the Alps, they give grip as good as full winter tyres. The softer compound makes them quieter, and they are lasting well. I swapped them front to rear after 17,000 miles and am hoping for 27,000 plus from the set. The previous VW Transporter had 18” wheels with Hankooks that were shot after 15,000 miles!
It is nice not to have the twice annual swap of winter tyres as well as long life, and a quiet comfortable ride.
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I would only use Cross Climates now.
Had them on the Volvo V70 and this increased the grip considerably, whilst also reducing road noise. Pleasantly surprised at how they wear too - very long lasting.
Never got to really try them in ice and snow, but my view is that I would rather have them 'just in case' and anything will be better than summer tyres in that instance.
When I got the new E-Class estate it was so quiet and refined in every way - apart from tyre roar which was really marked.
Have changed over to Cross Climates and the road noise has disappeared. The unexpected benefit (that I had not got on the Volvo) has been an increase in MPG. About 3-4 mpg extra, unless I am just driving in a more chilled-out fashion in the last couple of months....
Drove to Port Talbot and back from East Sussex the other week. 60.1mpg. Astonishing!
Topcashback is a must if you have an account, and do shop around. I got 10% off at Kwikfit and they were cheaper than Black Circles, ATS, etc, etc.
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Nine thumbs up for the CrossClimates… pretty impressive in truth.
Will they hum or won't they hum on a Mondeo though??
Final decision when I order tomorrow afternoon... only when I know the final lacquer coats on the alloys refurb looks OK. They've actually been a bit of a pig to get looking nice.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Mon 1 Apr 19 at 20:57
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You can get a man to do them up for about £50 each I believe. Scratched alloys that is. Not that I'd need to know of course, just must have heard it somewhere...
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Must be a limit though, like if the rim is almost serrated it'd been so badly mistreated. Cobbles can be particularly bad, I hear.
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Yep I checked out 5 or more local places to do the wheels and the cheaper jobs were to make good quite mild discolouration or limited marks to the rims or face where the rest of the wheel was almost new.
Mine needed the full job where they chemical dip to remove all existing coatings... shot blast and refinish the alloy surface before powder coating and oven bake... nearer £300 a set.
I used a multitool with the small vibrating triangular sanding head plus sandpaper on fingers between the spokes where it wouldn't reach. Any coarse grade that would whip through the corrosion and old coating also marked the alloy terribly so just had to be a lot slower with finer grades.
Etch primed yesterday... 4 coats silver today and lacquer tomorrow. Done in a garden shed cleared out and sheeted for the job with a 2kw fan heater on a stat keeping to about 22deg.
So I've put some effort in at a cost of about £40 in paint/materials and the saved £250 plus has paid for the timing belt/water pump kit and all the service parts/oils. From a metre away they look DIY... from 3m they look great... well in keeping with an 11yr old car.
You are right NoFM the costs to straighten or weld in chunks of missing alloy on a basic car like a Ford would never be worth it.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Mon 1 Apr 19 at 22:40
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>> You can get a man to do them up for about £50 each I believe.
>> Scratched alloys that is. Not that I'd need to know of course, just must have
>> heard it somewhere...
Seems cheap compared to a door mirror?
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Well deed done. In the end balance of price (£98 less for the set)… personal preference... and suitable supplier/fitting location drew me to the Dunlop Sport Maxx I like. So ordered for Sat am fitting.
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It'll snow now, bound to.
;-)
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>>>It'll snow now, bound to.
;-)
I know. It seems one of the greatest attributes of the CrossClimates is to stop it snowing at all.
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Phoning home this AM there was sleet at low level. Plenty of heavy wet snow on the hills around where I live.
I knew I should be staying longer in warmer climes
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Just a post fitting update.
I used the online site Tyre Shopper who appear to be tied up with National Tyres as it was only their fitting stations listed for fit locations. Well that or National Tyres mobile so I chose them. No extra cost when buying 3 or more tyres and a very civilised way to have tyres fitted. Apart from tractors in days past hadn't used a mobile service before but avoiding a 20ml round trip to town and a "sorry we're running about 30mins behind" was a luxury.
Nice guy and very respectful of the 4 days old paint on my alloy refurb.
On top of that about £20 a set cheaper than anyone else for my chosen tyres.
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>> It'll snow now, bound to.
>> ;-)
>>
Guilty as charged.
Just changed Mrs H's C3's winter wheels with Nangkang SV-2 and SV-3 for Michelin economy, and the C8 goes back to summer wheels with Michelin fronts as well. The Jaguar tyres have 6mm all round and some snow socks in the boot so no action required there.
But I fear it will snow ...
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I've just had fitted a pair of Uniroyal rainexpert 3. I've never seen such an aggressive tread pattern on a Summer tyre. There's more air than rubber in the tread. Hope they last a decent mileage.
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They wear fairly quickly, are slightly vague in the dry (more to do with the blocks being a bit less rigid than the usual "soft sidewall" nonsense reviewers mention).
In the wet and especially standing water they are phenomenal.
Anything from 205/55x16 and bigger tend to be Rainsport 3 rather than Rainexperts - have RSs on the FRV and found them to be dissapointingly average in snow.
Last edited by: Lygonos on Mon 8 Apr 19 at 17:19
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Now a driving update.
Compared to the original 2mm Contis on the rear and part worn Chinese on the front these new Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2s are chalk and cheese. Mainly as the 60+mph noise level is greatly reduced but also a much sharper turn in than the Chinese front tyres.
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Michelin CrossClimates - Crankcase
