CrossClimate 2 Review – Ride Comfort vs Speed Rating
If you have seen the previous CrossClimate 2 reviews I’ve done you’ll know I think the CrossClimate 2 are fantastic tyres with a big negative being the ride. The ride borders on unacceptable.
Someone asked in the comments what the speed rating of the tires were. Something I didn’t even think to look at.
Turns out the speed rating of the tyres I had was V meaning the tyres are rated to 149mph.
Not sure what effect the tyre speed rating had and thought I would never know because I had zero intention of going out and buying another set of CrossClimate 2s just to see the difference.
But….
One incident later, a staple and screw in the tyre and a massive bulge in the side wall and I needed a new pair of tyres.
Great opportunity to get a couple of the H speed rating tyres to see what the difference was, if anything.
The difference – CrossClimate 2 Review
Revelation is a strong word so I’m not going to use it. What I am going to say is that ride comfort is no longer an issue, at least on the front axle (where these new tyres are fitted). I would say the H speed rating tyre give the ride you would expect from a tyre. Still not comfortable like Continental EcoContact 6 tyre (which are exceptional) but much better.
With the V speed rating tyres you could feel every little nub in the road and not in a nice way but in a way that made it feel as if they tyres were made of wood. The H rating tyres smooth everything off and don’t even acknowledge a lot of the small bumps. The front axle simply passes over the small stuff as if they weren’t there.
Problem Solved
If you don’t need the V speed rating, get the H speed rating. The ride comfort is much better and so far, although it is early days, the handling, braking and acceleration grip seem to be completely unaffected. This means the only complaint I had about the Cross Climate 2 tyres (apart from the price) has now been fixed. A great, almost perfect all weather tyre.
Disclaimer: These are my experience and opinions. Yours may be different.
