If you drive a pick-up truck or a full-size SUV, there is a good chance that you are currently using Michelin XC tires.
This is a tire designed for daily driving applications that require good durability and performance throughout the year in relatively heavy vehicles.
If you want to know more about the benefits of this tire, we invite you to continue reading.
Photo credit: simpletire.com
TL;DR: Michelin Primacy XC
Before we start discussing what makes this tire special, let’s go over its pros and cons.
Michelin Primacy XC
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PROS
- Michelin signature comfort
- Good wet and dry performance
- Excellent durability for an OE tire
- Traction suitable for light snow roads
CONS
- Somewhat expensive
- Not recommended for driving in deep snow or ice
Best For:
Full-size pick-up trucks, vans, and SUVs with 2WD or 4WD drivetrains that need an OEM quality tire.
Michelin Primacy XC Performance Ratings
When evaluating a tire’s performance, the first thing to consider is the reliability of its ratings. And the best way to do it is by looking at the number of miles reported by users.
In the case of the tire we are evaluating today, its 800k miles indicate that its ratings are unreliable. This is not necessarily a bad thing since it only tells us that these ratings and their ranking in the Highway All-Season segment can vary significantly.
That said, below are the links to jump directly to each of the categories that we will analyze.
- Off-Road Performance
- Dry Performance
- Wet Performance
- Snow / Ice Performance
- Comfort Performance
- Treadwear Performance
- Warranty
- Specs & Options
- Reviews
Michelin Primacy XC Off-Road Performance
|
Off-Road Performance Ratings |
|
|---|---|
|
Off-Road Overall |
6.1 |
|
Dirt Performance |
6.8 |
|
Sand Performance |
5.9 |
|
Mud Performance |
5.5 |
|
Rock Performance |
6.2 |
While the XC is geared toward pick-up trucks, SUVs, and to some extent, crossovers, that doesn’t mean it’s meant for off-road adventures. Proof of this is its ratings, which in our opinion, are more than adequate for driving on mild trails occasionally.
In other words, unless you have in mind using your vehicle for Overlanding or exploring remote locations, this tire offers adequate off-road traction.
Michelin Primacy XC Dry Performance
|
Dry Performance Ratings |
|
|---|---|
|
Dry Overall |
8.6 |
|
Cornering Stability |
8.3 |
|
Dry Traction |
8.8 |
|
Steering Response |
8.6 |
This is the kind of category where a tire like the XC should excel. For better or for worse, its ratings only tell us that it performs “good” in the dry. These values should not be surprising, as we must remember that this is an OE tire. This tire provides an average level of traction and stopping power good for everyday vehicles on dry roads.
Michelin Primacy XC Wet Performance
|
Wet Performance Ratings |
|
|---|---|
|
Wet Overall |
7.8 |
|
Hydroplaning Resistance |
7.8 |
|
Wet Traction |
7.8 |
Considering its values in the dry, we must say that the ratings of traction in wet and resistance to hydroplaning are not bad at all. The tread design used by Michelin allows water to be displaced from this tire efficiently and safely.
Michelin Primacy XC Snow / Ice Performance
|
Snow / Ice Performance Ratings |
|
|---|---|
|
Snow / Ice Overall |
5.5 |
|
Light Snow Traction |
6.3 |
|
Deep Snow Traction |
5.3 |
|
Ice Traction |
4.9 |
In this category, the OE nature of this tire is again evident. The ratings indicate that the rim provides barely adequate grip on light snow roads, but the values observed on deep snow and ice make us distrust its reliability in such conditions. This is a suitable tire for safe driving on roads with less than an inch of snow.
Michelin Primacy XC Comfort Performance
|
Comfort Performance Ratings |
|
|---|---|
|
Overall Comfort |
8.7 |
|
Ride Quality |
8.5 |
|
Noise |
8.8 |
While it is far from rivaling the leaders in its segment, the XC offers ride quality and noise levels suitable for everyday use in your car. From a comfort perspective for everyday highway and highway use, this tire will not disappoint.
Michelin Primacy XC Treadwear Performance
|
Treadwear Performance Ratings |
|
|---|---|
|
Treadwear |
8.2 |
OE tires do not stand out for their high durability. However, Michelin has used a high-quality compound that, coupled with its robust construction, allows this tire to have a longer-than-average life. If you are looking for a tire that gives you more than 50k miles of useful life, this is a good alternative.
Michelin Primacy XC Warranty
Treadlife Warranty
6-year warranty or 55,000 miles (Euro- & P-metric sizes), 40,000 miles (LT sizes), whichever occurs first. This warranty is halved when the rear and the front tires are different in size.
Uniformity Warranty
Complaints regarding these tires’ uniformity must be subscribed in the first year of use or the first 2/32″ of wear.
Workmanship / Materials Warranty
Michelin provides an amazing 6-year warranty against defects in workmanship or materials. Moreover, it also offers free tire replacement for the first year, 2/32″ wear, or 25% wear.
Road Hazard Warranty
None.
Manufacturer Special Warranty
This tire comes with a special warranty consisting of 60-day satisfaction (in which you can exchange the tire for a BFGoodrich or Uniroyal equivalent) and a 3-year flat changing service.
Tire Rack Road Hazard Warranty
On top of the tread life warranty offered by Michelin, this tire features Tire Rack’s leading warranty that covers refunds of up to $40 for repairs per tire per occurrence. Moreover, if the tire suffers non-repairable damage within the first 2 years, a refund of the original purchase price or replacement purchase price (whichever is less) will be made.
Despite not having the most generous warranty in its segment, the combination of Michelin’s and Tire Rack’s warranties make this tire a valid option to consider.
Michelin Primacy XC Specs & Options
As expected, the market coverage of this tire is quite limited. It is only available in two sizes, 17 and 18 inches, with rim widths 235, 265, and 275. If we talk about its UTQG, the value of 480 A A only confirms that it is a tire with average traction. For more information about the UTQG, we suggest you read this article.
Basically, this is a tire that is only available in the sizes used by the vehicles in which it is installed at the factory.
Michelin Primacy XC Reviews
While it is true that there are not enough reviews of this tire to draw solid conclusions or detect trends, we can say that most drivers are satisfied with it. This speaks volumes for Michelin, as Ford F150 and Dodge Ram owners are quite demanding. We attribute the high number of positive reviews to the durability of the tire, which, while not extraordinary, exceeds expectations for an OE tire.
Quick Recap
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|
Michelin Primacy XC |
|
|---|---|
|
Off-Road |
6.1 |
|
Dry |
8.6 |
|
Wet |
7.8 |
|
Snow / Ice |
5.5 |
|
Comfort |
8.7 |
|
Treadwear |
8.2 |
End of the Road
The Michelin XC may not be a tire for everyone. However, we have been able to verify in this review that it meets the performance expectations of users who use it daily to go from work to home. Furthermore, it exceeds the expectations of these drivers in terms of durability.