The Michelin CrossClimate 2 has finally been launched in Europe, and Tire Reviews has the exclusive first test comparing the new Michelin CrossClimate 2 to the outgoing Michelin CrossClimate+.

In this test we look at the improvements made in dry grip, including dry braking which was already very impressive, the step forward in wet grip and aquaplaning resistance, the huge improvement in rolling resistance meaning lower fuel consumption / better MPG for your car, and the serious step forward Michelin have made in the snow performance of the new tire.

Watch the video to see how the new Michelin CrossClimate 2 is better than the Michelin CrossClimate+ in nearly every way!

For the 2021 Tire Reviews 200 treadwear Track Tire Test we have selected eight of the the most popular 200tw track focused performance tires and have access to Michelin's Laurens proving ground in South Carolina, which has a very fast, high grip, dry handling test track.

You can either watch the full test video for all the glorious shots of the beautiful E36 M3 test car, or click through to read the full results.

We've taken 14 of the best ultra high performance summer tires in the very popular 225/40 R18 tire size, and we've tested the dry and wet handling, the dry and wet braking ability, aquaplaning resistance, the noise levels and the rolling resistance of these tires, to work out exactly what tire is best at what!

As you're probably aware, the Michelin CrossClimate 2 launched in Europe this month, and is a big improvement over the outgoing Michelin CrossClimate+ (you can see our review of the Michelin CrossClimate 2 vs CrossClimate+ here!) 

The most common question we've had since the tire launched has been "Is the CrossClimate 2 available in my size?" 

To answer this, here's a list of all sizes the Michelin CrossClimate 2 is available in Europe. There's a few more sizes due later this year, and a further expansion in 2022, however this is a really impressive launch list.

The German SUV specialist publication Auto Bild Allrad have become the second magazine in 2021 to publish their all season tire test, and the first to include the new Michelin CrossClimate 2 (much to our disappointment, we wanted to be first!)

While the Allrad tests aren't quite as in depth as the industry leading Auto Bild tests, they're still an excellent reference point for the market, and especially useful if you drive an SUV, or are interested in how an all season tire compares to a summer and winter tire, as both are included as references.

The tested size is 215/65 R17, which fits many popular SUVs such as the VW Tiguan test vehicle, the Audi Q5, Mercedes GLA, Nissan Qashqai and many others. It's worth remembering that sometimes SUV tire sizes have different constructions to their regular cousins, meaning that surprising results can be a feature in this sort of test!

The 2021 Auto Zeitung all season tire test tested nine all season tires in the popular 205/55 R16 size.

While this test doesn't have the new Michelin CrossClimate 2 or Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF2, it does have the new Vredestein Quatrac, and even more interestingly, it tested at multiple temperatures. We didn't get precise temperature data, but the magazine did detail that the cooler temperature was under 10c, and the warmer temperature over 20c.

Lap records at the infamous Nurburgring are hotly contested, so it's certainly news that the lap record for compact cars set way back in 2019 as finally been beaten! 

Pirelli and Audi teamed up to set the lap record with the new Audi RS3, wearing the track focused, but road legal, Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R. The new record of 7m40.748s on the 20.8-kilometre circuit beats the previous record for compact cars by 4.64 seconds!

Interestingly, the tire sizes chosen were 265/30Z R19 at the front and 245/35Z R19 at the back. We're not sure if this a factory setup, but it will certainly help with the understeer on track!

The German publication ProMobil have tested eight summer tires in the popular 235/55 R17 size using a VW T 6.1 Camper!

This test is slightly more relevant than usual tests to Camper Van / SUV overs, as the magazine tested the "regular" 235/55 R17 tire option instead of the 215/65 R16 C commercial size with is often fitted to the VW Transporter the VW is based on.

This tire size isn't just limited to camper vans though, it's also on many large saloons and midsize crossover SUVs such as the BMW 7 Series, BMW X3, Audi Q3, Ford S-Max, Honda CRV, VW Tiguan, VW, California, VW Caravelle and many others!

As usual the eight sets of summer tires were put through the usual array of dry, wet, noise and rolling resistance tests to find out exactly what tire is best in each key area.

As hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) continue to gain popularity, we are seeing various development approaches from tire manufacturers in order to meet the new demands of heavy, high torque, low noise vehicle applications.

Naturally, Pirelli have decided to use the P Zero name once again, and this time append "HL" on the end meaning High Load. The first vehicle to be fitted with the new Pirelli P Zero HN? The Lucid Air.

It's the first Tire Reviews SUV tire test, and as usual, we're trying to do this as properly as possible!

We have 8 of the most popular SUV tires in 235/55 R18, including the Michelin Primacy 4, the brand new Goodyear EfficientGrip 2 SUV, the extremely popular Uniroyal RainSport 5, the new Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 SUV, the Nokian WetProof SUV, the Vredestein Ultrac Satin, the Avon ZX7, the BFGoodrich Advantage SUV, and a budget tire.

Michelin and BMW spent over 2.5 years making the perfect tire for the new G80 BMW M3 and G82 BMW M4. Here's all the work and changes that went into the project!

Published a later than usual due to covid travel restrictions, the Polish magazine "Motor" have tested ten 225/55 R17 summer tires in the usual array of wet and dry testing.

The 17 inch size tested can be found on a wide range of vehicles, such as the Audi A6, BMW 5-Series, and Mercedes E-Class, smaller vehicles like the BMW 3-Series and Mini Countryman, crossovers like the Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Trail and Skoda Karoq, and even minivans / people carriers like the Chrysler Voyager, Fiat Scudo and Opel Vivaro. 

In an unexpected release, Auto Bild have just published their second ultra high performance tire test of 2021, this time testing the popular 235/35 R19 tire size and again putting the new Bridgestone Potenza Sport up against the best from Continental and Michelin. Strangely, Auto Bild have included the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 instead of the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport which would have been a more natural selection for this group, but it's still a really interesting test.

As always, things are close at the top, with Michelin taking a narrow victory, just ahead of Bridgestone and Continental in joint second place.

It seems like every year there's a tire test that doesn't follow the norm, and this year it's the ACE / ARBÖ / GTÜ summer tire test. 

The test starts out as a regular summer tire test, there's nine tire patterns in the popular 225/45 R17 size, and they tested using a VW Golf which is the standard test car. However, once you get into the results, things get a little confusing.

Firstly, no data is provided by the testers, just a points system which makes an accurate analysis of the results difficult. Secondly, the test gives weighting to the price of the tires, but doesn't test wear, which means a tire which is cheap to purchase scores well, even if it has a lower overall value due to high wear.

But strangest of all are the overall results. 

It’s important to check your tires thoroughly after a prolonged period of not using your car very much, especially now the UK is preparing to come out of lockdown. Your driving habits may have changed dramatically from early last year, as home working has become much more prevalent as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Tires can degrade over time, and you might need to replace even nearly-new tires if your car has seen a lot less use than in previous years.

Michelin has reminded drivers to check their tires over before using their vehicles frequently again. It has provided a step-by-step checklist so you don’t forget any part of your tires and wheels.

Good news, 2021 is shaping up to be a really a exciting year for tires. We have a brand new UUHP contender taking the fight to Michelin, Goodyear and Continental, some extreme updates of existing patterns, and the promise of new tires on the horizon later this year! 

Watch on for the full exciting details!

For 2021, the testing experts at ViBilagare have tested eight of the latest 225/45 R17 tires, with a surprising result!

The Maxxis Premitra HP5 aced the tire test to finish in first spot overall, ahead of the new Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 in second place and Continental PremiumContact 6 in third. This is a really impressive result for the Maxxis brand, especially when you consider price was NOT taken into account for the final results!

The only caveat worth remembering is wear was not tested in this test. In previous tests where wear results were included, the second placed Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 had a significant advantage over other tires on test, and the Maxxis didn't score too well..

It's the second time in history the new Bridgestone Potenza Sport has been tested in a tire test, and it's super exciting to see whether it can it match the first place from the Auto Bild Sportscars test!

There are some small differences between the two tests. Firstly, Auto Bild tested 20" tires using a Ford Mustang, where for this test Sport Auto have used the Toyota Supra / BMW Z4 platform which wears 255/35 R19 front and 275/35 R19 rear tires.

Sport Auto have also added a little depth to the test by including both UUHP (or Maximum Performance) and UHP tires, which means we get the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 up against the best from Michelin and Bridgestone, not the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport.

Following on from the massive 53 tire braking test, Auto Bild have taken the best twenty 205/55 R16 tires through to further testing, which includes wet and dry handling, aquaplaning, rolling resistance, noise, and a rarity in tire testing, wear!

As the 2021 Tire Reviews summer test is covering UHP and SUV sizes, this will be the most complete reference we have this year for the 16" summer tire market, however if you'd like to watch a 16" summer tire test, you can check out ours from last year here.

It's the test we've all been waiting for, it's the first test of the brand new Bridgestone Potenza Sport, the only new tire in 2021 that has the chance of taking the fight to the established ultra high performance tires such as the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, Continental SportContact 6 and Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport.

Naturally, it's the best testers in the business doing it first, the German publication Auto Bild. They've tested nine 265/35 R20 UUHP tires in the dry and wet using a very un-european Ford Mustang.

For the 2021 Sport Auto summer tire test, the German publication have tested eleven tires in the relatively small 195/55 R16 tire size. As this tire size is intended for smaller vehicles such as the Audi A1, Ford Fiesta, Peugeot 208 and other similar sized cars, Sport Auto used a Seat Ibiza for testing, and placed all eleven sets of tires through the usual dry, wet and environment based tests.

The 2021 Auto Bild All Rad SUV test has tested ten SUV tires in the popular 215/60 R17 size. While the German publication used a Jeep Renegade for testing, this size is also fitted to vehicles like the Nissan Qashqai, VW Transporter, Renault Kadjar, Toyota C HR and many other popular crossover SUVs.

As always Auto Bild have done a great job testing, as not only have they tested in the dry and wet, they've also conducted FIVE off-road tests. Given these sort of vehicles rarely see any activity outside of the school run, the tests have a low weighting in the overall results, but it's certainly excellent data if you ever plan to take your crossover SUV on grass, gravel, sand or mud!

In December 2020 Michelin announced the new Michelin e.Primacy, and now in March 2021, it is widely available for purchase in the UK market. Designed to sit alongside the hugely popular Michelin Primacy 4, the new Michelin e.Primacy has some incredible statistics both for electric vehicle (EV), and internal combustion (IC) drivers who want to save money, range, and have an interest in protecting the environment. 

The new Michelin e.Primacy is the first tire to be carbon neutral at point of purchase, and has the lowest rolling resistance in its class. It is built on the core Michelin principle that a tire should perform all the way to 1.6mm, which avoids early changing of tires, reducing the environmental impact and saving the customer money. Impressively, it is still capable of passing the EU wet braking test after 30,000 km, a distance at which some competitor tires might be already past the legal tread depth limit!

After already publishing the ADAC 16" tire test in 2021, ADAC have also released their slightly more sporty, 225/50 R17 summer tire test.

While the 16" test received wear data, for this test we have wet braking data, and the range between best and worst is larger than ever!

For the 2021 ADAC summer tire tests, the German organisation selected the popular 205/55 R16 and 225/50 R17 summer tire sizes.

As usual with ADAC tests there is little raw data provided, instead the testers grading each tire with a score, but this year we do get wear data (below) and even some of the testers subjective thoughts on the tires, which is an excellent addition.

Without fail, each year German publication Auto Bild provides the most comprehensive overview of the summer tire market by testing a huge amount of tires ability in the dry and wet, in order to work out which twenty tires deserve to be tested in their full summer tire test.

For 2021, Auto Bild have tested 53 tires in the most popular tire size in Europe, 205/55 R16.

All 53 sets of tires have their wet and dry braking results below, with the shortest 20 combined braking distances progressing to the full test, which will be on the website shortly.

The 2021 summer tire test season is kicking off early, with the excellent team at Auto Zeitung publishing their 10 set 225/40 R18 summer tire test during February!

As this test is out so early in the season, it means the testing would have been completed in late 2020, which means it's missing the new Bridgestone Potenza Sport, but it's still an excellent start to the year as AZ always dig into the subjectiveness of the tires, covering dry handling, wet handling and comfort!

All testing was carried out using a Seat Leon FR, and the popular 225/40 R18 UHP tire size should cover many mid-sized sporty cars, including the ever popular VW Golf, the front of a BMW 1 Series, the Audi TT and many other vehicles.

Pirelli have announced their latest generation all season tire, the Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF2 (SnowFlake 2.)

As a result of climate change, where winters are getting less extreme in many parts of Europe, the interest in all season tires is growing year by year.

Historically the sales of tires has been  60% summer tires and 40% winter, but the market for all seasons is growing rapidly, with just 3% in 2014, 14% in 2020, and a predicted 20% by 2025. Naturally these numbers are for areas of Europe with milder winters, if you live in an alpine area dedicated summer and winter tires are still the best option.

All season VS winter tires is a hotly discussed topic, and while we've done our own test at various temperatures, it sadly didn't include any ice testing, or things like wet handling and rolling resistance testing.

Fortunately, our friends at Vi Bilagare once again have us covered. During their Nordic winter testing in 2020, the magazine included an all season and "european" winter tire alongside their usual selection of Nordic friction and studded winter tires.

As the all-season and European winter tire were being tested from a Nordic perspective, they had a significant testing on ice, which is a rarity for an all-season tire.

The results... well, I’m sure you can guess how each of the four tire types performed on each surface, but it's really cool to see all this data from one source.

Sadly there are very few professional tire tests conducted in North America, however the magazine Consumer Reports does an excellent job of educating the market with a number of huge tire tests every year.

While the public data is limited, you have to be a member to see the full results, we thought it would be important to database the information we have to help our American audience pick the right winter tire.

The 2020 Consumer Reports Winter Tire Test has tested seventeen of the best winter tires on the market in the popular 215/60 R16 size.

The 2020 Auto Bild crossover SUV all season tire test has tested 11 of the best all season tires in the rather small 215/60 R16 tire size, using a VW T-Roc. 

Auto Bild have also included a reference summer and winter tire, so we can see the difference performances between the three tire types, but sadly haven't shared which tires were used as the reference tires.

The 2020 Sport Auto all season tire test has covered seven of the best all season tires in 225/45 18, using a new BMW 3 Series.

Most of the tires on test were also included in the 2020 Tire Reviews all season tire test, however as Sport Auto used a different size and vehicle, this test still makes for interesting reading!

Following on from the 32 tire braking shootout, Auto Bild have taken the fourteen best all season tires to the full test, and included a summer and winter tire as reference.

As with the Tire Reviews all season test, Auto Bild have ranked the new Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 as the best all season tire, not because it was outstanding in one single area, but because it had a rounded performance in nearly all tests.

With the promise of one tire to work in all conditions, all season tires are a rapidly growing market segment.

To find out which of these all season tires is best, and whether they can match a summer and winter tire, the 2020 Tire Reviews all season tire test has tested nine of the best 225/45 R17 all season tires on the market, and included a summer and winter tire as reference.