The Korean portal tested all-season tires on wet and dry pavement, as well as on snow.
List of models tested:
The Korean portal AutoView regularly conducts tire tests of its own; this time around, the test involved four models from European and Korean tire makers, one of the goals of the test being to find out how much the Michelin CrossClimate 2 is superior to its predecessor — the Michelin CrossClimate+. Besides Michelin, the test included two tires from domestic companies — Hankook Ventus S2 AS H462 and Kumho Majesty 9 Solus TA91.
It must be noted that in Korea the segment of all-season tires is subdivided into two categories — «all-season» tires of the «American» type and «all-weather» tires of the «European» type. As the AV experts noted, tires of the first category (such as the tested Hankook and Kumho models), as a rule, provide better ride comfort (both mechanical and acoustic), while the second type (such as Michelin) often feature a V-shaped tread pattern and have maximized wet and snow performance.
The first tests were conducted as early on as in October last year, and it took a week to run all of them. In order to double-check the results, the first set of tires was tested yet again at the end of the tests, and it turned out that the results were vastly different, which led to a decision to repeat the tests. One way or another, it was already the beginning of winter, due to which it was impossible to carry out some of the tests, and it was decided to put them off until spring. The test car was a Mercedes A-Class; the tests were conducted at the Korea Testing & Research Institute (KATRI) in Hwaseong and on the proving ground in PyeongChang. The tires were tested in size 225/45 R18.
Before the tests, the tires were weighed (this was something that the competitors also received points for), and the lightest tire turned out to be the Michelin CC2. The weight of each of the tires from the set was 9.5 kg, without any variations; the same situation was with the Kumho tires but they were much heavier — 11 kg. Weighing the Hankook tires revealed that three tires weighed 11 kg each, and the fourth was 600 g lighter, which led to deterioration of the combined score. The experts also weighed the stiffness of the tires, noting that the «all-season» tires were slightly stiffer than the «all-weather» ones, which, possibly, will let them win in terms of ride comfort.
The noise level was measured both inside and outside of the car; the tests were conducted in KATRI and on public roads as well. The quietest tire was recognized to be the Kumho Majesty 9, which, just as the other models of this family, belongs to the category of extra-comfortable tires, so this result was expectable. According to the testers, both Michelin tires produced a quite audible noise, but their acoustic comfort was still higher than that of Hankook. The Kumho tire, in full accordance with its marketing legend, also became the best in the ride comfort test because it absorbed vibrations from the road inequalities better than all the other tires. Second-placed was the Michelin CC+, followed by the Hankook tire and the Michelin CC2, which did not dispel vibrations from the impact as effectively.
Cabin Noise
- Kumho
- Michelin CC+
- Michelin CC2
- Hankook
Info! The noise level at a speed 80 km/h, db(A).
External Noise
- Hankook
- Kumho
- Michelin CC+
- Michelin CC2
Info! The noise level at a speed 80 km/h, db(A).
In one of the most important disciplines — wet braking — the first line was unexpectedly scored not by Michelin but by the Hankook tire that stopped the car from 80 km/h within 29.2 meters. At the same time, the Michelin СC2 was the worst in this discipline, and the AV experts noted that, possibly, this had something to do with the small depth of the tread pattern.
On the other hand, it was the Michelin CC2 that became the best in the wet handling test, in which, in spite of the small tread depth, it did a great job of dispelling water from the contact area. The second place was scored by the previous-generation Michelin model, which fell slightly behind its newer counterpart, and out of the two Korean tires the better performance was demonstrated by Kumho. Speaking of the Hankook tire, the experts noted that it did show a decent overall result, but could behave in an unstable way in some certain situations.
Wet Braking
- Hankook
- Michelin CC+
- Kumho
- Michelin CC2
Info! Braking in the range of 80–0 km/h, m.
Wet Handling
- Michelin CC2
- Michelin CC+
- Kumho
- Hankook
Info! Average speed, km/h.
The AV experts note that while in Europe the chief indicator is the tire’s wet performance, in Korea many drivers value the tire’s dry characteristics. One way or another, the dry braking test was won by the Michelin CC2, its stopping distance (when braking from 100km/h) being three meters shorter than that of the Kumho tire that dropped to the bottom of the tournament bracket. Hankook came second, but the difference from the Michelin CC+ result was actually within the margin of error.
What matters in the slalom section are traction and lateral stability, and the best time was shown by the Michelin CC2 followed by Kumho, about which the testers said that its cornering grip was not as strong but its overall behavior was quite stable. The grip limit is reached relatively soon, but since the tires inform the driver about this, he can react in advance, and the consequence of this behavior of the tires was a good lap time. The Michelin CC+ also showed itself to the best advantage, and the last line was scored by Hankook — according to the experts, the traction was excellent until halfway through the test but then it started to deteriorate, and the tires could no longer follow the set trajectory.
Dry Braking
- Michelin CC2
- Hankook
- Michelin CC+
- Kumho
Info! Braking in the range of 100–0 km/h, m.
Slalom
- Michelin CC2
- Kumho
- Michelin CC+
- Hankook
Info! Section passing time, sec.
In the «lane switching» discipline, a sharp detour of an obstacle was simulated, and the Michelin CC2 was the best to tackle this test, while the Michelin CC+ also had good results, and this time the Hankook tire was able to surpass Kumho thanks to higher grip and stability.
Lane switching
AV also conducted a test, in which the driver abruptly switched lanes three consecutive times. The trajectory was wider than in slalom, and the speeds were expectedly higher. The leading position was maintained by the Michelin СС2 with the Michelin predecessor model following close behind (average speeds 90 and 85 km/h respectively). Hankook and Kumho were again quite noticeably inferior to both Michelin tires.
Lane Switching
- Michelin CC2
- Kumho
- Michelin CC+
- Hankook
Info! Maneuvering speed, km/h.
Three Consecutive Lane Switchings
- Michelin CC2
- Michelin CC+
- Hankook
- Kumho
Info! Maneuvering speed, km.
On a 30-meter circular track, the experts evaluated lateral grip, and the order was as follows: Michelin CC2 and СС+, Hankook, and Kumho. According to the testers, both Michelin models behaved neutrally, whereas the Hankook tire was slightly prone to understeer, and the Kumho tire had a noticeably stronger tendency for that.
Lateral Stability on Dry Pavement
- Michelin CC2
- Michelin CC+
- Hankook
- Kumho
Info! Lateral stability, g.
During the snow tests, it was decided to test winter tires as well, which were quite expectedly more effective in all of the disciplines. Specifically, the dedicated winter tires demonstrated better traction on a snow-covered road (the car was accelerated up to 40 km/h), while the best tire from the main pool was the Michelin CC2, which also managed to stay within the 4-second limit.
On snow, the experts also measured the braking distances, and again the best results were shown by winter tires, while the Michelin CC2 significantly outperformed its main competitors. According to the experts, the Hankook surprised everybody with its ability to perform on a level with the «all-weather» Michelin CC+, while the Kumho tire simply lagged behind the competition. In the snow handling test, the experts evaluated, among other things, how effectively the tires regained grip after it was lost, and here the order was the same as in the previous discipline.
Snow Traction
- Winter tires
- Michelin CC2
- Michelin CC+
- Hankook
- Kumho
Info! Acceleration time from 0 to 40 km/h, sec.
Snow Braking
- Winter tires
- Michelin CC2
- Michelin CC+
- Hankook
- Kumho
Info! Braking in the range of 40–0 km/h, m.
Verdict
First place in the final standings was won by the Michelin CrossClimate 2, which lost a few points because of a rough ride, at the same time proving that it could be very effective on all types of surfaces. The Michelin CC2 was the best in slalom and switching lanes on dry pavement, it surpassed the competition on snow, and, in addition, it was the lightest tire on test. Second-placed was the Michelin CrossClimate+, which was commended for excellent traction in any conditions and well-balanced overall performance. Although the previous-generation tire did yield to CC2, the gap between the two tires was not all that substantial. The Hankook S2 AS tire, which took third place, was remembered by the experts for the fact that at the beginning of the tests it also demonstrated very good handling and braking performance, but then it «got tired» and the level of grip decreased. This means that the tire cannot maintain its performance over time, and the AV experts shared that they tested an Audi RS6, fitted with Hankook tires as original equipment, and the tires also began to gradually increase the lap time, so the problem does exist. Last-placed was the Kumho Majesty 9 TA91, which, although was the best in terms of ride comfort, demonstrated a relatively poor performance in all of the disciplines. At the same time, the company recently introduced the new Kumho Majesty X model, which, possibly, will redeem the brand in future tests.
1st place: Michelin / CrossClimate 2
Quick Take
Michelin CrossClimate 2
- Low weight
- Good handling response on all types of surfaces
- Excellent grip and stability during the emergency lane switching
- Relatively long braking distance on wet pavement
- Relatively rough ride
2nd place: Michelin / CrossClimate+
Quick Take
Michelin CrossClimate+
- Well-balanced performance
- Good grip and handling response in any conditions
- No prominent issues found
3rd place: Hankook / Ventus S2 AS H462
Quick Take
Hankook Ventus S2 AS H462
- Short braking distance on wet pavement
- The performance noticeably declined halfway through the tests
- Somewhat unstable behavior on wet pavement
- Unstable weight (one tire was 600 g lighter than the others)
4th place: Kumho / Majesty 9 Solus TA91
Quick Take
Kumho Majesty 9 Solus TA91
Factory fitted to:
- Extremely low noise emission
- Very good riding comfort
- Relatively long braking distance on dry and wet pavement
- Reduced snow grip
