[Sevenfeet]

My wife's 2017 Bolt is now at 46,325 miles and the OEM Michelins are officially shot. In fact, they nearly killed me today in a hydroplaning incident near my home. We knew it was time to replace them but that brought it into stark focus. The Michelin Energy Saver Self Seals have always been lousy in the wet but as they get to the end of their life, they are really bad, if not dangerous.

So what to replace them with? I looked over what other owners have done here. But as I looked at the selection at Tire Rack, the CrossClimate 2 kept coming up as something to investigate. So after a little reading, I'm going to give this a shot. Yes, we expect that we'll lose some range but we can stomach about 10-12%. What we're hoping is that the ride will be more compliant than the almost buckboard harshness of the OEMs, especially over railroad tracks or speed bumps. But wet performance was the big factor my wife wants since she never thought it felt that safe in all situations and our daughter will begin learning how to drive next year and I'd like something different for her. These tires aren't run flats, but hey, that's why we have OnStar.

Discount Tire will do the installation and they should be shod in a few days. I'll let everyone know my impressions including what range changes we see, hopefully before the temperature changes too much as we get into the beginning of fall.

 

[ARob]

I replaced OEM with Continental Pure Contact Eco +, no range loss, far better traction in wet and snow. The lack of run flat doesn't concern me, I have an inflator kit in the car for that, as well as a can of fix-a-flat. In 45 years of driving, only one blowout, ironically on a 1 day old tire that Discount installed a bad valve stem.

 

[El Dobro]

That's good to hear about the Conti Pure Contacts. That's the tire that I narrowed my choice to when I replace the OEMs. Besides the compressor kit, I also carry a mushroom plug kit in both my cars.

 

[Sevenfeet]

Well we've had the CrossClimate 2s on the car for about 300 miles now. I was hoping to report in with some wet weather observations but it hasn't rained much in the 2 weeks we changed out the tires.

The Good: Certainly better dry weather traction. The car feels a lot more sure around corners, softer and more compliant which I would expect since these aren't run flats. The increased traction means that the car doesn't spin the front wheels anymore during hard acceleration.

The Bad: Range is down....a good 15%. That's not going to be a problem in most cases but it might come into play with long range trips that already stretched the range of the car that we might make a few times a year. Since the car doesn't have fast charging, this is important.

The Unknown: Haven't been in the car with a good rain yet. This is the real test for my wife since the OEM tires were lousy when they were new and dangerous when they were worn.

 

[wicky]

I'm curious if you have any further updates on the CrossClimate 2s including range and wet weather? Thinking about getting those for my 17 Bolt too.

 

[[email protected]]

I would also like to hear about your range and weather weather experiences now. I need to replace my Energy Savers. Would love better handling, braking, etc. but don't want to take a 15% hit on range.

 

[unpotonic]

Just bought these tires a couple of weeks ago.

All I can say is from the moment that I left the installation, I have never been happier since the day I bought the car. I absolutely love the aggressive look of the tread. That slippy fight for traction that the car used to get during sudden acceleration on dry surfaces is GONE.

There is no road noise to speak of and the grip in both rain and snow is unbelievable; I could not get enough of driving around during the last snowfall and took it everywhere. The braking distance in the rain and snow is unreal.

Granted, we don’t get much snow where we live, but the stock, low rolling resistance tires would not have allowed us to get around NEAR as much.

As far as range mileage is concerned, it is not much of a factor for us as we live in a small community and long distances are not an issue, so I cannot speak to that; others might have to answer that question in this thread, but I am thoroughly sold on these tires and their advertised and applauded capabilities.

 

[Boltmobile]

I would also like to hear about your range and weather weather experiences now. I need to replace my Energy Savers. Would love better handling, braking, etc. but don't want to take a 15% hit on range.

There are ways to limit the range hit while still getting better handling, braking..

New tires with higher max tire pressure and no self seal : Michelin energy saver self seal tires are rated at max 44 psi. You can easily find other tires with higher max tire pressure.
Changing wheels size so that the overall tire circumference is slightly bigger = more distance per tire rev. Don't go with wider tires though in order to not impact drag.
Changing wheels so that the overall weight of wheels + tires is lower.
Changing wheel offset in order to play with the scrub radius.
Higher performance tires that are still low rolling resistance.
Better suspensions and sway bar.

 

[electrons]

Cross Climates are some of the most advanced tires around. Michelin is usually a good choice, as a brand typically.

Yes, we expect that we'll lose some range but we can stomach about 10-12%.

The Bad: Range is down....a good 15%.

No way it's 15%.

From Tire Rack energy (rolling resistance) tests, there would be only about 2% - 5% range loss, somewhere in that range, the difference between Michelin Energy Savers & Cross Climates (see the Cross Climate+ test and estimate for Cross Climate2).

The worst difference spread I've ever seen in tire tests was 5%. Tire compounds & carcass hysteresis is to blame for the differences. Low Rolling Resistance tires get advanced, very special, tread compounds & carcass design to reduce it down to a minimum. Hysteresis is basically energy dissipation in the tire when it flexes at the tire contact patch, so the less of that the better of course.

 

[Sean Nelson]

Hysteresis is basically energy dissipation in the tire when it flexes at the tire contact patch, so the less of that the better of course.

Yep, there's a good reason why trains use steel wheels on steel rails...

 

[electrons]

Yep, there's a good reason why trains use steel wheels on steel rails...

Steel is used there for stiffness, strength, & wear reasons. It is true that steel has energy losses at the track-wheel interface too. The Royal Society was famous for paving the way in the science & engineering of materials wasting energy in flexure ( https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspa.1914.0021 ).... Back then, the whole world except for the Germans, saw England as the leader!

With LRR rubber tires we buy, the science actually looks at minimizing internal heat generation when it's flexed. They try different compounds & materials, including orientation of carcass fibers, attempted to get the tire to heat up (waste energy) less.

Michelin & Bridgestone have the best LRR tires for those models that emphasize it, but I've noticed most Goodyears, even ones that don't claim LRR that strongly, as when the Firestone (Bridgestone-owned) Champion Fuel Fighter equaled the Goodyear Assurance All-Season in a tirerack.com test, do well. Similarly, Goodyear Assurance Maxlife beat a Michelin & a Continental competitor in LRR. Goodyear is best at spreading LRR around to more of it's popular tire models by default.

It is true adding tire pressure reduces flexure amount & increases stiffness, which lowers rolling resistance, yet new tread compounds in LRR tires specifically target material properties alone.

 

[Really]

My wife's 2017 Bolt is now at 46,325 miles and the OEM Michelins are officially shot. In fact, they nearly killed me today in a hydroplaning incident near my home. We knew it was time to replace them but that brought it into stark focus. The Michelin Energy Saver Self Seals have always been lousy in the wet but as they get to the end of their life, they are really bad, if not dangerous.

So what to replace them with? I looked over what other owners have done here. But as I looked at the selection at Tire Rack, the CrossClimate 2 kept coming up as something to investigate. So after a little reading, I'm going to give this a shot. Yes, we expect that we'll lose some range but we can stomach about 10-12%. What we're hoping is that the ride will be more compliant than the almost buckboard harshness of the OEMs, especially over railroad tracks or speed bumps. But wet performance was the big factor my wife wants since she never thought it felt that safe in all situations and our daughter will begin learning how to drive next year and I'd like something different for her. These tires aren't run flats, but hey, that's why we have OnStar.

Discount Tire will do the installation and they should be shod in a few days. I'll let everyone know my impressions including what range changes we see, hopefully before the temperature changes too much as we get into the beginning of fall.

I just have 19,231 mills on my Bolt, but I don't have trade left, I discovered yesterday when I ride a little of water on the Highway, I take the car today to Costco and they estimate I have one or two months more, and they recommend an alignment now, I don't want expend more... I look at the tires and I like the unusual look at the crossclimate2, so I order the tires, few days and they must arrive; now I watched a lot or all the YouTube videos I find. I think I make a good shop. But I have concerns about the noise, the look and confort of the tire on the Bolt. (I don't go with the imaginary warranty from the dealer, on the tires because they make a relation with the life left, is ridiculous and I feel low traction some times, I hope have a little more; no make sense pay plus with the dealer)

Do you please upload a photo of the side of you car with the tires? Thank you.

I think I need change my drive stile, I can't explain way the tires have so short life. I think Micheline is a excellent and responsable company... Is the reason I buy Michelin again and again, but really I can't understand what happened. Someone switch the tires? I use the car for everything work and personal, I'm a janitor, I have vacuums, floor cleaners, you named... is more heavy? I just try to process the disaster.

 

[Really]

I just have 19,231 mills on my Bolt, but I don't have trade left, I discovered yesterday when I ride a little of water on the Highway, I take the car today to Costco and they estimate I have one or two months more, and they recommend an alignment now, I don't want expend more... I look at the tires and I like the unusual look at the crossclimate2, so I order the tires, few days and they must arrive; now I watched a lot or all the YouTube videos I find. I think I make a good shop. But I have concerns about the noise, the look and confort of the tire on the Bolt. (I don't go with the imaginary warranty from the dealer, on the tires because they make a relation with the life left, is ridiculous and I feel low traction some times, I hope have a little more; no make sense pay plus with the dealer)

Do you please upload a photo of the side of you car with the tires? Thank you.

I think I need change my drive stile, I can't explain way the tires have so short life. I think Micheline is a excellent and responsable company... Is the reason I buy Michelin again and again, but really I can't understand what happened. Someone switch the tires? I use the car for everything work and personal, I'm a janitor, I have vacuums, floor cleaners, you named... is more heavy? I just try to process the disaster.

I have a flat, wen the car was new, the tire don't rune flat, is like a dipper inside and seal small leks (No in that time)

 

[XJ12]

Costco and they estimate I have one or two months more

I bought a cheap tread depth gauge from an auto parts store to measure how much tread I have left. I think the OEMs start out with only 9/32" at new. I just rotated my tires and my ones now on the front are at 5/32 and the rears are at 4/32 with 30K+ miles.

 

[Lika]

I bought a cheap tread depth gauge from an auto parts store to measure how much tread I have left. I think the OEMs start out with only 9/32" at new. I just rotated my tires and my ones now on the front are at 5/32 and the rears are at 4/32 with 30K+ miles.

I need do the same, only for get more information. I rotate the tires twice.

I have a flat, wen the car was new, the tire don't rune flat, is like a dipper inside and seal small leks (No in that time)

I make a mistake, I don’t have my glasses, the real odometer read 18,118 miles. I can’t believe or understand.

Anyway

 

[Sean Nelson]

Well we've had the CrossClimate 2s on the car for about 300 miles now. I was hoping to report in with some wet weather observations but it hasn't rained much in the 2 weeks we changed out the tires.

The Good: Certainly better dry weather traction. The car feels a lot more sure around corners, softer and more compliant which I would expect since these aren't run flats.

This is an old post, but since the thread has been resurrected I just noticed it and I wanted to note that the OEM Michelin tires are not run flats. If you loose tire pressure and continue to drive you will ruin your tires and probably your wheels too.

The OEM Michelins are "Self Seal", they're designed to seal a leak so that they don't loose tire pressure in the event of a puncture. If you do loose tire pressure, you need to stop.

 

[KyleBrightman]

I hated the OEM tires and changed them out for Michelin CrossClimate2 after 600 miles since this will be a year-round car and I don't want to bother with the expense and hassle of two sets of wheels. The range impact has been pretty big (around 15-20%), but I'm ok with that since it's a regional commuter, not a long-range roadtripper.

I had the original CrossClimate (195/65-15) on my Prius for the past 75k miles and swear by them. Based on the hit in mpg I took on the Prius I have estimated the extra rolling resistance expends an extra 40-50 Wh/mile with mostly highway usage (- 0.3-0.4 miles/kWh) compared to a normal baseline.

 

[Really]

I just have 19,231 mills on my Bolt, but I don't have trade left, I discovered yesterday when I ride a little of water on the Highway, I take the car today to Costco and they estimate I have one or two months more, and they recommend an alignment now, I don't want expend more... I look at the tires and I like the unusual look at the crossclimate2, so I order the tires, few days and they must arrive; now I watched a lot or all the YouTube videos I find. I think I make a good shop. But I have concerns about the noise, the look and confort of the tire on the Bolt. (I don't go with the imaginary warranty from the dealer, on the tires because they make a relation with the life left, is ridiculous and I feel low traction some times, I hope have a little more; no make sense pay plus with the dealer)

Do you please upload a photo of the side of you car with the tires? Thank you.

I think I need change my drive stile, I can't explain way the tires have so short life. I think Micheline is a excellent and responsable company... Is the reason I buy Michelin again and again, but really I can't understand what happened. Someone switch the tires? I use the car for everything work and personal, I'm a janitor, I have vacuums, floor cleaners, you named... is more heavy? I just try to process the disaster.

A little over a month and is just incredible the change, a different car. The first thing is not so much tire spinning, no rubber burn for no reason. The second thing is the extraordinary stability, the car is significantly more attached to the road. About the rate of energy distance is the same factor. Before the new tires was 0.274 and now is a little lower 0.269 I'm more than happy with the for the trade.

Happy with the purchase. The looks is a little like John Deere have a night out with Chevy. The look is like ATV. Some friends asked if I get a new car.

 

[KyleBrightman]

Glad you like them, Really. Hopefully when my car gets fixed (link to thread) my indicated consumption will drop back to normal levels. Is most of your driving on surface streets and not on highways?

 

[Lika]

Glad you like them, Really. Hopefully when my car gets fixed (link to thread) my indicated consumption will drop back to normal levels. Is most of your driving on surface streets and not on highways?

I drive 50/50, and the last days a lot more and more rain. A little more noise. But no to much.