Tests – · none yet Owners 60 · 14 reviews
Michelin Defender looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental Cross Contact A/T vs Michelin Defender — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 14 + 4 owner reviews. How we score
Defender is ahead, 72–64
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Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
64
Dry
Defender +973Why this score
Source Cross Contact A/T Defender Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 62 76 Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 65.5 (est.) + 40% × 62.2 = 64
Defender: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 76.4 = 73
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. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
-
64
Wet
Defender +973Why this score
Source Cross Contact A/T Defender Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 63 74 Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 62.5 = 64
Defender: 60% × 72.2 (est.) + 40% × 74.1 = 73
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. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
-
53
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Cross Contact A/T Defender Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 60 (est.) – Reviews found online 41 – Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 60.4 (est.) + 40% × 41.3 = 53
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).
-
65
Comfort
Defender +671Why this score
Source Cross Contact A/T Defender Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 60 73 Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 67.6 (est.) + 40% × 60.4 = 65
Defender: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 73.4 = 71
No road tests of comfort for Cross Contact A/T or Defender. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
65
Treadwear
Defender +469Why this score
Source Cross Contact A/T Defender Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 64 72 Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 65.2 (est.) + 40% × 64.4 = 65
Defender: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 71.6 = 69
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).
No road tests of treadwear for Defender. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
-
62
Handling (owners)
Defender +1577Why this score
Source Cross Contact A/T Defender Reviews found online 62 77
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental Cross Contact A/T | Michelin Defender |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 64 | 72 |
| Dry | 64 | 73 |
| Wet | 64 | 73 |
| Snow | 53 | – |
| Comfort | 65 | 71 |
| Treadwear | 65 | 69 |
| Handling (owners) | 62 | 77 |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
64
/ 100
Cross Contact A/T
72
/ 100
Defender
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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
Tire B Defender
Pros
- Excellent ride comfort and quiet operation
- Strong tread life and durability over several years
- Reliable grip on dry pavement
Cons
- Susceptibility to hydroplaning in heavy rain
- Limited traction in deep or severe snow
- Audible squealing during aggressive dry-pavement acceleration
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental Cross Contact A/T | B · Michelin Defender |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All-Terrain tire | Summer Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
64
/ 100
Continental Cross Contact A/T
72
/ 100
Michelin Defender
Winner: Michelin Defender — better handling, dry 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 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 4 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Defender scores 77 vs 62 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender scores 73 vs 64 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender scores 73 vs 64 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender scores 71 vs 65 on comfort.
Tire A · Continental Cross Contact A/T
Tire B · Michelin Defender
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Cross Contact A/T or Defender?
Which is better in the wet, Cross Contact A/T or Defender?
Michelin Defender, 73 vs 64 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Cross Contact A/T or Defender?
Michelin Defender, 73 vs 64 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Cross Contact A/T or Defender?
Michelin Defender, 71 vs 65 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Cross Contact A/T or Defender?
Michelin Defender, 69 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