Michelin Defender 2 vs Michelin CrossClimate 2 AW
- TR Score
- 7.0/10
- Owners say
- 92% · 3
- TR Score
- 9.4/10
- Owners say
- 87% · 11
In the 2 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Michelin CrossClimate 2 AW finished ahead 2 times and the Defender 2 not once. The CrossClimate 2 AW stopped 22.8% shorter on snow.
Data updated
Which should you buy?
Choose the Michelin CrossClimate 2 AW if you want one premium-touring set to cover rain, cold snaps, slush and occasional snow/ice with clearly better braking and control; it's the stronger all-conditions performer despite higher noise. Choose the Michelin Defender 2 if your driving is predominantly dry/wet on cleared roads and you prioritize low noise and relaxed touring manners over winter capability.
Where the Defender 2 is stronger
- Class-leading cabin refinement in the 2026 test: quietest tyre with better subjective noise (8 vs 7) and slightly better comfort (7.5 vs 7.25)
- Slightly higher lateral grip in steady-state circles: dry circle 0.86g vs 0.83g and wet circle 0.70g vs 0.69g
- Competent clear-road touring character: described as easy and unobtrusive for commuting on clear roads
Where the CrossClimate 2 AW is stronger
- Consistently better braking on dry and wet surfaces in both tests (e.g., wet braking 30.358 m vs 33.619 m in 2026)
- Dramatically stronger winter performance: much shorter snow braking (17.01 m vs 25.76 m) and better ice braking (14.08 m vs 16.76 m) in the 2024/2025 test
- More engaging and higher-rated road feel: higher subjective road score (8.25 vs 7) and stronger subjective handling results
The bullet points are analysis of the shared tests and of owner reviews; the measured wins in each discipline are in the tables below. Where the two disagree, the figures are right.
Defender 2 vs CrossClimate 2 AW at a glance
| Category | Defender 2 | Gap | CrossClimate 2 AW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared tests won2 shared tests | 0 | 2 | |
| Dry5 measurements | 1 | The CrossClimate 2 AW stopped 3.1% shorter in the dry (2 tests) | 4 |
| Wet5 measurements | 1 | The CrossClimate 2 AW stopped 5.8% shorter in the wet (2 tests) | 4 |
| Snow6 measurements | 0 | The CrossClimate 2 AW stopped 22.8% shorter on snow (2 tests) | 6 |
| Ice3 measurements | 0 | The CrossClimate 2 AW stopped 9.8% shorter on ice (2 tests) | 3 |
| Comfort2 measurements | 2 | 0 | |
| Tyre Reviews Scoreevery test and review we hold | 7.0/10 | The CrossClimate 2 AW by 2.4 | 9.4/10 |
| Owner rating3 and 11 reviews | 92% | The Defender 2 by 5 points | 87% |
Wins count every measurement the shared tests recorded for both tyres; a tick marks the tyre ahead on that line. Subjective driver scores count as wins but are never averaged, because each test uses its own scale.
Head to head in 2 tests, 2025 to 2026
Each row is one published test in which both tyres ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | Defender 2 | Field | CrossClimate 2 AW |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | P2 of 3All Season | P2 of 2All Weather | |
| 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test | P10 of 11 | P6 of 11 |
Performance profile
5 measurements from the 2 shared tests, each tyre shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Defender 2
Not ahead on any measurement here
CrossClimate 2 AW
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 36 m stop against 34.2 m is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 85%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 11 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
Defender 2
CrossClimate 2 AW
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tyres of the same season and class: 90 means this tyre out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
Defender 2
CrossClimate 2 AW
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
Owners rate the Defender 2 92% from 3 reviews and the CrossClimate 2 AW 87% from 11. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tyres posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Open a discipline for its measurements, and a measurement for every test's figure.
| Measurement | Defender 2 | Gap | CrossClimate 2 AW | Wins | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 3.1% | 32.02 | 0-2 | |||||||||
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| scored | 6.5% | scored | 0-1 | |||||||||
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| 0.86 | 3.6% | 0.83 | 1-0 | |||||||||
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| scored | 17.9% | scored | 0-1 | |||||||||
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| 40.58 | 5.8% | 38.49 | 0-2 | |||||||||
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| 35.35 | 2.7% | 34.4 | 0-1 | |||||||||
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| scored | 11.5% | scored | 0-1 | |||||||||
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| 0.7 | 1.4% | 0.69 | 1-0 | |||||||||
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| 25.36 | 22.8% | 19.54 | 0-2 | |||||||||
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| 6.17 | 4.7% | 5.88 | 0-1 | |||||||||
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| 62.1 | 10.1% | 55.87 | 0-2 | |||||||||
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| scored | 38.9% | scored | 0-1 | |||||||||
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| 16.76 | 9.8% | 15.12 | 0-2 | |||||||||
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| 6.17 | 1.3% | 6.09 | 0-1 | |||||||||
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| scored | 3.4% | scored | 1-0 | |||||||||
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| scored | 14.3% | scored | 1-0 | |||||||||
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Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tyres shared. "Scored" rows are subjective driver ratings: each test uses its own scale, so only the wins are counted.
Scores beyond the shared tests
On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Defender 2 scores 7 and the CrossClimate 2 AW 9.4 out of 10.
| Defender 2 | Category | CrossClimate 2 AW | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | Dry | 100 | ||
| 32 | Wet | 86 | ||
| 41 | Comfort | 9 | ||
| - | Value | 18 | ||
| 5 | Snow | 86 | ||
| 83 | Ice | 100 | ||
Category scores are percentiles among tyres of the same season and class: 90 means this tyre out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
What owners say
| Defender 2 | Category | CrossClimate 2 AW | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.3 | Dry Grip | 9.1 | ||
| 8.3 | Wet Grip | 9 | ||
| 8.7 | Road Feedback | 8.6 | ||
| 9.3 | Handling | 7.7 | ||
| 9 | Wear | 8.9 | ||
| 9.3 | Comfort | 8.8 | ||
| 9 | Snow Grip | 8.8 | ||
| 9 | Ice Grip | 8.2 | ||
Owners rate the Defender 2 92% from 3 reviews and the CrossClimate 2 AW 87% from 11. Reviews are vetted by hand before publication; ownership is not verified.
Michelin Defender 2
- 92%from 3 reviews
- 120,120 milesdriven by reviewers
All 3 Defender 2 reviewsWe own a Dodge Challenger GT AWD. We dive the challenger year round. The OEM tires were Michelins and were touring tires. They were super comfortable and offered great handling. When we went lookng for our next tires we found out that the OEM tires were no longer available. They spec'd the Defender 2 at Costco and we extremely pleased with them. We have summer and winter rims and are so happy with the Defenders that we are buying them again for the summer rims. and they came with a rebate, too! Happy customers! Thanks, Michelin.
Michelin CrossClimate 2 AW
- 87%from 11 reviews
- 91%would buy again
- 150,500 milesdriven by reviewers
Across all nine owner reviews, the Michelin CrossClimate 2 AW is rated very highly (87.1% average) and is most often praised as a dependable year-round tyre, especially for snow use. Around half of owners specifically highlight strong snow traction, while a similar share report encouraging tread life so far. Comfort and noise levels also get positive mentions, and several owners are happy with dry and wet performance for everyday driving. A smaller minority (around one in five) report compromises such as reduced dry grip/handling versus sportier tyres, and opinions on rolling resistance are mixed.
- Strong snow traction for winter trips
- Promising tread life and longevity so far
- Good everyday dry grip
- Comfortable, softer ride
- Dry handling not as sharp when pushed
- Dry grip can be lower than sportier all-season/summer tyres
- Wet grip impressions are mixed
Summarised by AI from 9 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tyre page.
All 11 CrossClimate 2 AW reviewsOn a par with Continental DWS06 in wet and dry handling.
Despite 3PMS rating, less grip in snow than expected.
Sizes, EU label and lineage
| Category | Defender 2 | CrossClimate 2 AW |
|---|---|---|
| Season | All Season | All Weather |
| Replaced | Michelin Defender | - |
Reading the results
Written from the test results and owner reviews above. It is analysis, not a measurement: where it and the tables disagree, the tables are right.
Michelin's Defender 2 and CrossClimate 2 AW sit close on the showroom shelf as premium-touring tyres for passenger cars, but they're engineered with very different priorities. The Defender 2 is a conventional all-season aimed at quiet, easy commuting on mostly clear roads, while the CrossClimate 2 AW is an all-weather design built to stretch deeper into cold, slushy and snowy conditions without switching to a winter tyre.
Across two Tire Rack group tests in the same size (215/55 R17), the CrossClimate 2 AW consistently ranks higher overall (7/10 and 6/11) than the Defender 2 (9/10 and 10/11). The pattern is clear: CrossClimate 2 AW brings notably stronger wet and especially winter capability, while the Defender 2's counterpunch is refinement-particularly noise comfort-and slightly higher measured lateral grip in the dry and wet circles.
Conclusion
In measured performance, the Michelin CrossClimate 2 AW is the more capable “do-it-all” option in mixed conditions. It beats the Defender 2 in both tests for dry braking (25.329 m vs 26.274 m; and 38.71 m vs 39.72 m), wet braking (30.358 m vs 33.619 m; and 46.63 m vs 47.55 m), and every winter metric provided-often by meaningful margins. The biggest real-world separator is snow and ice: for example, snow braking improves from 25.76 m (Defender 2) to 17.01 m (CrossClimate 2 AW) in the 2024/2025 test (about a 34% advantage), with faster snow handling laps as well (53.79 s vs 61.36 s). Professional notes reinforce that the CrossClimate feels sharper and more connected on clear roads while remaining substantially more confidence-inspiring in winter than typical all-seasons.
The Michelin Defender 2's case is refinement and calm manners for predominantly dry, rain-only commuting. It was the quietest tyre in the 2026 test and won subjective noise (8 vs 7) and subjective comfort (7.5 vs 7.25), plus it posted slightly higher skidpad-style grip in dry and wet circle measurements (0.86g vs 0.83g; 0.70g vs 0.69g). The trade-off is that when conditions turn truly wintry, the Defender 2 is clearly out of its depth-described as providing little feedback in snow with abrupt breakaway-so the “savings” can evaporate quickly if you regularly face snow/ice. Practical takeaway: pick Defender 2 if your winters are mostly just cold rain and you value quiet cruising; pick CrossClimate 2 AW if you want one set of tyres to handle real shoulder-season and occasional winter events with materially better stopping and control.
Defender 2 vs CrossClimate 2 AW: your questions
Is the Michelin Defender 2 or the Michelin CrossClimate 2 AW the better tyre?
In the 2 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Michelin CrossClimate 2 AW finished ahead 2 times and the Defender 2 not once. On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Defender 2 scores 7 and the CrossClimate 2 AW 9.4 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Defender 2 or the CrossClimate 2 AW?
The CrossClimate 2 AW led 4 of the 5 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 5.8% shorter in the wet across 2 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The CrossClimate 2 AW led 4 of the 5 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 3.1% shorter in the dry across 2 tests.
Which is better in snow?
The CrossClimate 2 AW led 6 of the 6 snow measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 22.8% shorter on snow across 2 tests.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 9.3/10 for the Defender 2 and 8.8/10 for the CrossClimate 2 AW.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Defender 2 92% from 3 reviews and the CrossClimate 2 AW 87% from 11.
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Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tyre wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tyres ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tyre Reviews Score rates each tyre out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tyres can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tyre Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tyres independently since 2007.
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