--- title: "The Best Michelin Tires: Bibendum Take the Wheel" description: "Want the best Michelin tires? Here is your tire guide to one of the most acclaimed names in tires: Michelin." date: "2022-02-16" modified: "2023-08-24" authors: - name: "Jeric Jaleco" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jeric-jaleco" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/reviews/44313/best-michelin-tires" categories: - "The Garage" - "Tires" tags: - "Buying Guides" - "commerce" - "NoAds" - "Roundup" --- # The Best Michelin Tires: Bibendum Take the Wheel ![Michelin Pilot Sport 4S]() *Check out the Michelins on this BMW 1 Series. \Peter Nelson\* With there being so many [tire]() manufacturers to choose from, it can be tough to narrow down one's search and figure out which set will take their dollar the furthest. Especially with many brands that didn't exist—or at least barely existed—just a couple of years ago, who now offer products that put a lot of the traditional, long-time players to the test. In spite of this, one brand that's persevered is [Michelin](). Michelin is a France-based tire manufacturer that's been in the game for a very long time. It's got a vast catalog, but is especially renowned when it comes to motorsports—heck, the company's the title sponsor of one of North America's [top racing series](). It produces a good amount of its lines here in the United States, too, which is always a plus. If you've determined that your next set of tires will be Michelins and want to know which of its products are the best in eight major categories, check out this comprehensive buyer's guide that we've whipped up for your convenience. ## Summary List of Michelin Tires - Best Streetable Track and Competition: [Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2]() - Best Max Performance Summer: [Michelin Pilot Sport 4S]() - Best Ultra High Performance All-Season: [Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4]() - Best Grand Touring All-Season: [Michelin CrossClimate2]() - Best Studless Ice and Snow: [Michelin X-Ice Snow]() - Best SUV/Crossover Touring All-Season: [Michelin CrossClimate SUV]() - Best Highway All-Season: [Michelin Defender LTX M/S]() - Best On-Road All-Terrain: [Michelin LTX A/T 2]() ## Our Methodology As ideal as it is, we can’t always get our hands on every item on sale. Getting a hold of numerous sets of tires to test in a variety of conditions with a fleet of cars is undoubtedly less feasible, at least for our small team of writers. But luckily, we've driven on a couple of the compounds on this list and have very good things to say. Without a doubt, we [provide facts and product details]() through scrutinous online research and reviewing pages of customer feedback. ## The Best Michelin Tires Reviews and Recommendations Michelin's Pilot Sport Cup 2s are widely regarded as a very grippy track-centric compound. Its treadwear rating certainly demonstrates this—it's only at 180. That means that high-horsepower vehicles, as well as ones that are meant to be driven spritedly, benefit greatly from what it offers. Many users say that it also offers great steering response, communication, and braking performance. However, some folks also note that it's not that great in the wet, and that its life is shorter than similarly rated fare. Though, the latter could depend on other factors such as chassis weight, alignment, traction control settings, and so on. I've got a lot of personal experience with the 300 treadwear Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. I've got a set on one of our staff member's [BMW](), and have driven on this compound quite a bit mounted up to various high-performance press cars. It's got great grip in the dry and wet for its treadwear rating, yet rides quite comfortably and quietly. It's an expensive tire no matter the size, but they're worth it. We're not alone, either—a lot of consumer and professional reviews mirror my impressions. Other reviewers point out that they'll suffer mid-corner understeer in the wet, but that's splitting hairs. To split a few more: PS4s work suprisingly well on track, though their sidewalls are a tad soft for such duty, so they don't offer the most high-speed cornering confidence. But, then again, they're not track-centric like Pilot Sport Cup 2s. Also, between the two, avoid driving on them in winter conditions at all costs (which they aren't rated for anyway). The Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 takes a lot of what makes the Pilot Sport 4 S great, and expands its capabilities. This all-season is very good in wet conditions, and reviewers even say it performs well in light snow. Its treadwear rating is a much higher 540, too, which means consumers will get a lot more life out of it. I can attest to its wet weather performance—staff writer Peter Nelson's [2002 Audi S4]() came with this tire mounted up at all four corners. He says the little sedan had very confident grip during an especially rainy winter at the beginning of 2023. But to be more well-rounded (no pun intended, for once), it possesses a couple of trade-offs. It's grippy, but not anywhere as grippy as the PS4S (unsurprisingly). It's also slightly noisy and lacks steering feel. Making our way to non-performance-driving fare, the CrossClimate2 is a solid 640 treadwear Grand Touring All-Season that shines especially bright in wintry conditions, including snow duty. It won't drive as well through snow as a dedicated snow tire, but rather offers a good balance as an all-weather compound. Its downsides are few: It rides a tad stiff, and it's a tad noisy. This is certainly noteworthy for a tire category that normally favors the opposite, but it's still a versatile choice that, based on consumer and professional reviews, beats out other Michelins of the same type. Both consumers and reviewers absolutely rave about the Michelin X-Ice Snow: It's among the best-rated tires that we've covered in these buyers guides. It possesses all of the upsides of a focused winter tire, yet barely any downsides. Even when it comes to treadwear, which it doesn't possess a rating for—users say it lasts in its appropriate conditions. Generally, snow tires shouldn't be driven in dry conditions above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, by the way. This tire offers a nice balance between comfort and composure, digs into hard-packed snow quite well, and is quite quiet to boot. The latter is a normal complaint of most other snow tires. Like the non-SUV-specific CrossClimate2 above, this is a solid all-weather option. Consumers and reviewers report that it's nearly as good as a dedicated snow tire when it comes to pummeling through fallen powder. It also offers sharp handling, as well as great braking and lateral grip in the wet. However, two aspects that both parties seem to agree on is it rides a bit stiff and is noisier than its competition. It also comes in a very small range of sizes. Kicking it off for tires that are specifically meant for full-size trucks and SUVs—and even larger commercial vehicles—this 800 treadwear compound has generally very positive reviews. It's got generally good traction for its class across all conditions, plus it rides well and possesses good steering feel. It's also available in a massive array of sizes. One thing that consumers pointed out was that it's noisy—some say it's not too bad, others say it's quite annoying. Professional reviewers wished it had a little more grip in wet conditions, too. The LTX A/T 2 is a true workhorse. Many users report getting crazy high life out of their sets, which only sort-of makes sense: They're rated at 500, which is high, but not as high as some other tires on this list. Still, folks seem to really like them. They possess a lot of what one wants in this category: Capable enough off-road, overall good grip, quiet, and a good ride quality. Still, some users report it falling a tad short in the rain. Some have also called into question the amount of miles folks have racked up. Though, depending on their vehicle's weight, tire size, alignment, regular tire maintenance (rotating and balancing), and so on, their mileage may vary (pun slightly intended). ## Our Verdict Let's focus on three Michelin tires that do their respective jobs especially well. For outstanding grip in the winter, you can't beat the [Michelin X-Ice Snow](). When it comes to excellent summer traction that's quite confident in the wet and offers a great ride quality, the [Michelin Pilot Sport 4S]() kicks rear-end. For a nice mix of both, the [Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4]() is worth a try. ## FAQS You’ve got questions. *The Drive* has answers! ### Author social links