Comparison: Berlin Tires All Season 1 vs. Michelin CrossClimate 2 (2026)

The only test in this comparison with hard braking figures — Autobild's 2021 225/50 R17 evaluation — puts the gap in stark numbers: the Michelin stopped from its test speed in 37.6m on dry tarmac against the Berlin's 42.4m, a difference of 4.8m. At motorway approach speeds that's the better part of a car length of extra runway the Michelin driver has that the Berlin driver doesn't, and it lines up with the wider performance-score gap between the two — 87.2 for the CrossClimate 2's dry score against 55.3 for the All Season 1, with dry-braking specifically scored at 91.6 versus 63.

Beyond straight-line stopping, the CrossClimate 2's dry-handling-objective average of 96.3 signals genuinely sharp, confidence-inspiring behaviour turning into corners and holding a line at speed — testers have repeatedly praised its 'sichere und präzise Eigenschaften im Grenzbereich auf trockener Fahrbahn' (safe and precise characteristics at the limit on dry roads), and one owner switching from a standard all-season tyre onto a Ford Focus described 'sharp response for quick manoeuvres' alongside a confident dry-road feel. Michelin's own marketing leans on V-Ramp tread blocks specifically engineered to maximise ground contact under braking, and the independent test data backs that claim up rather than merely repeating it.

The Berlin's dry score of 55.3 suggests adequate but unremarkable behaviour — enough to get a car stopped and turned, but with none of the precision or short stopping distances that define the class leaders. There's no test commentary available to explain the specific mechanism behind the shortfall, but a 4.8m longer dry stopping distance from the same speed, combined with a last-place finish in a 32-tyre field, points to a compound and tread design tuned more for manufacturing cost than for outright grip.

The wet-weather gap is even larger in absolute terms. In the same Autobild 2021 test, the Michelin stopped in 53.9m on a wet surface against the Berlin's 62.3m — an 8.4m difference, which at typical wet-braking test speeds is a genuinely dangerous margin in a real emergency stop. That single data point is consistent with the broader performance scores: the CrossClimate 2 posts a wet-braking score of 75.3 against the Berlin's 48, and an overall wet score of 71.8 against just 46.

The Michelin isn't flawless on wet roads — its own test record flags 'leichte Schwächen auf nasser Fahrbahn' (slight weaknesses on wet roads) and Tyre Reviews specifically called out long wet braking as a genuine weak point relative to the rest of its scorecard, with understeer and longer wet-braking distances listed among its key weaknesses. But 'weak' here is relative to a very high bar — its aquaplaning score of 76.7 and wet-handling-objective average of 92.5 still put it comfortably ahead of most rivals, and real owners consistently back this up: one Kia Sorento driver called the wet grip 'good' after a full winter of use, and a Volvo XC60 owner specifically praised its traction and handling in wet and snowy conditions.

The Berlin, by contrast, has no comparable body of praise to draw on. An aquaplaning score of 51.5 and a wet score of 46 point to a tyre that struggles with water displacement and grip generation once the road is soaked, and the ARBÖ 2022 finish of 7th out of 9 tyres — well behind the Michelin's 1st — reinforces that this isn't a one-off result but a consistent pattern across independent testing.

Snow is where the CrossClimate 2 makes its strongest case, and the numbers are emphatic: a snow score of 92.3, a snow-handling-objective average of 98.5, and Autobild's own verdict that it 'schneidet als bester Kandidat im Schnee besser ab als der mitgetestete Winterreifen' — performs better in snow than the winter tyre it was tested alongside. That's an extraordinary claim for an all-season tyre to earn, and it's corroborated by multiple independent test cycles praising its 'außergewöhnlich gute Performance auf Eis und Schnee' and calling it a genuine 'Winterprofi' with textbook snow and ice driving characteristics. Real-world testimony matches the lab data closely — one Kia Sorento owner who drove a full Salt Lake City winter on the CrossClimate 2 reported it was 'exceptional' in snow and that they 'couldn't get stuck even in deep snow', while a Ford Focus owner switching from a conventional all-season tyre called the difference in slush and snow 'night and day'.

The Berlin All Season 1's snow score of 65.1 is actually its relative high point — the strongest of its individual performance categories — suggesting the tread pattern does at least prioritise winter traction over some other areas. But 65.1 remains a long way behind the Michelin's 92.3, and with no independent test commentary or detailed snow-handling breakdown available for the Berlin, there's little evidence to suggest it approaches genuine winter-tyre-like security. Both tyres are positioned as all-season options suitable for winter use, but only one of them has been independently shown to match or beat a dedicated winter tyre in cold-weather testing.

Comfort follows the same pattern as everything else in this comparison. The CrossClimate 2 scores 73 for comfort and 69.4 for noise, and Michelin's own heureka.cz customer base — 66 reviews averaging 9.7/10 — cites low cabin noise as the single most frequently mentioned strength, referenced twelve times, ahead of wet grip, dry grip, and ride comfort. Owner reviews consistently describe it as quiet and comfortable even in demanding use; one Infiniti Q60 owner specifically sought it out for comfort and long tread life as a genuine all-season alternative to running dedicated summer and winter sets. The Berlin's comfort score of 42 and noise score of 42 sit at the opposite end of the scale, consistent with a budget tyre built to a price rather than to a refinement target — though without independent tester commentary to draw on, the exact character of that harshness (impact harshness, road roar, or both) isn't specified in the available data.

On running costs, the Michelin's rolling-resistance score of 87.2 is genuinely strong for a tyre that also delivers class-leading snow and dry grip — Autobild's testers have repeatedly flagged its 'niedriger Rollwiderstand' as a standout trait, and its EU fuel label is dominated by C and B ratings, reflecting real efficiency rather than marketing spin. Its mileage score of 77.4 is solid rather than exceptional, and this is genuinely the CrossClimate 2's one acknowledged soft spot: Tyre Reviews specifically noted that its 'high purchase price with average wear means expensive per km', and Autobild's testers have flagged its high price across multiple years. Despite that, the tyre's EU Wet Grip B rating and broad 58-size range help justify the premium for most buyers, and the sheer volume of positive owner sentiment — 9,957 manufacturer-collected reviews averaging 4.7/5 — suggests most owners feel the price is earned.

The Berlin's rolling-resistance score of 55 is mediocre, and with no EU label data, mileage figures, or owner review base available, there's genuinely less to go on for long-term value — but the tyre's core appeal was never going to be running costs or longevity; it's the lower purchase price itself. Buyers choosing it are trading measurable performance and refinement for a smaller initial outlay, and the test results suggest that trade is a steep one.