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Head-to-head Updated

Continental Cross Contact A/T vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 14 + 10 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 76–62

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Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

Provisional

Tests – · 1 test Owners 78 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 13 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires (tested tread life (miles))

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 64

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +12
    76
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online6281

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 65.5 (est.) + 40% × 62.2 = 64

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 73.2 (est.) + 40% × 81.3 = 76

    No road tests of dry for Cross Contact A/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    No road tests of dry for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 64

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +14
    78
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 76 (est.)
    Reviews found online6381

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 62.5 = 64

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.9 (est.) + 40% × 80.7 = 78

    No road tests of wet for Cross Contact A/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    No road tests of wet for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 53

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +19
    72
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 60 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online4173

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 60.4 (est.) + 40% × 41.3 = 53

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 73.2 = 72

    No road tests of snow for Cross Contact A/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

    No road tests of snow for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 65

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +8
    73
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6076

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 67.6 (est.) + 40% × 60.4 = 65

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 76.1 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for Cross Contact A/T or Defender LTX M/S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    70
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online–75

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 74.7 = 70

    No road tests of noise for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 65

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +11
    76
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 65 (est.)74
    Reviews found online6478

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 65.2 (est.) + 40% × 64.4 = 65

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 78 = 76

    No road tests of treadwear for Cross Contact A/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 62

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +17
    79
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6279
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental Cross Contact A/TMichelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 62 76
Dry 64 76
Wet 64 78
Snow 53 72
Comfort 65 73
Noise – 70
Treadwear 65 76
Handling (owners) 62 79

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Cross Contact A/T

Defender LTX M/S

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryCross Contact A/TDefender LTX M/SΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #7/7 2017 Drive Out Off Road 4x4 Tyre Test #3/13 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Cross Contact A/T

Pros

  • Excellent on-road comfort and handling with acceptable noise levels
  • High potential longevity and mileage for many users, with sets lasting upwards of 50,000 to 80,000 km/miles
  • Competent dry and wet performance on paved surfaces

Cons

  • Susceptibility to punctures and fragile sidewalls reported by some drivers
  • Rapid, premature tread wear experienced by certain users
  • Poor traction and spinning issues in winter conditions such as snow and ice
All owner themes in the Cross Contact A/T review

Tire B Defender LTX M/S

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and mileage lifespan
  • Quiet and smooth ride quality at highway speeds
  • Strong year-round traction across dry, wet, and light snow conditions

Cons

  • High upfront purchase price
  • Subpar performance in deep mud, sand, and off-road environments
  • Limited ice and severe winter capability compared to dedicated winter tires
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental Cross Contact A/T B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategoryAll-Terrain tireAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental Cross Contact A/T

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better snow, handling and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Continental Cross Contact A/T rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Michelin Defender LTX M/S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 72 vs 53 on snow.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 62 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 64 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 64 on dry.

Tire A · Continental Cross Contact A/T
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Cross Contact A/T or Defender LTX M/S?

Which is better in the wet, Cross Contact A/T or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 78 vs 64 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Cross Contact A/T or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 76 vs 64 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Cross Contact A/T or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 72 vs 53 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Cross Contact A/T or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 73 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Cross Contact A/T or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 76 vs 65 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology