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Continental CrossContact LX25 vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Defender LTX M/S2 is ahead, 81–73

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Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S2

Tests – · none yet Owners 87 · 3,650 reviews

“Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 vs Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 for '21 Ram 1500 Limited Unfortunately I'm having to get my 2nd set of tires in 4 years. I had the OEM Goodyear tires the first two times and only got 20-25K miles each time so I'm looking for something better. I usually get my tires from Sam's Club because I've found they give the best value. I wanted to get the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2's at my last need for tires but they cost more than I could afford at the time. I can afford them now but I've also come across these Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3's that are at a better deal and have consistently decent reviews as well that would cost me about $500 less in total. I wanted to see if anyone here has any experience with both sets or has a recommendation between the two tires and if you can provide reasonings why. TIA! Leer más”

Category by category

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

  1. 75

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S2 +7
    82
    Why this score
    SourceCrossContact LX25Defender LTX M/S2
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online8391
  2. 79

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S2 +5
    84
    Why this score
    SourceCrossContact LX25Defender LTX M/S2
    Reviews found online8289
  3. 53

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S2 +19
    72
    Why this score
    SourceCrossContact LX25Defender LTX M/S2
    Professional tests (TWG score)40–
    Reviews found online7274
  4. 74

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S2 +4
    78
    Why this score
    SourceCrossContact LX25Defender LTX M/S2
    Reviews found online7987
  5. 71

    Noise

    Defender LTX M/S2 +5
    76
    Why this score
    SourceCrossContact LX25Defender LTX M/S2
    Reviews found online7789
  6. 71

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S2 +9
    80
    Why this score
    SourceCrossContact LX25Defender LTX M/S2
    Reviews found online7590
  7. 79

    Handling

    Defender LTX M/S2 +7
    86
    Why this score
    SourceCrossContact LX25Defender LTX M/S2
    Reviews found online7986
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental CrossContact LX25Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
Relative Score 73 81
Dry 75 82
Wet 79 84
Snow 53 72
Comfort 74 78
Noise 71 76
Treadwear 71 80
Handling 79 86

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

CrossContact LX25

Defender LTX M/S2

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A CrossContact LX25

Pros

  • Extremely quiet and smooth ride quality at all speeds
  • Significantly improved wet and snow traction
  • Enhanced braking performance and responsiveness

Cons

  • Tends to pick up and throw gravel from the road surface
  • Can feel a bit harsh or firm when hitting deep potholes
  • Occasional reports of unexpectedly rapid treadwear in rare instances
All owner themes in the CrossContact LX25 review

Tire B Defender LTX M/S2

Pros

  • Exceptionally long tread life and high mileage durability
  • Smooth, comfortable, and quiet highway ride quality
  • Improved fuel economy and low rolling resistance compared to factory or all-terrain tires

Cons

  • High upfront premium price point
  • Occasional minor wheel spin or reduced traction on wet surfaces during hard takeoffs
  • Treads can pack with snow, making them mediocre in deep winter conditions
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S2 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Continental CrossContact LX25

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2

Positive

The community widely views the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 as an outstanding highway and daily driving tire, praising its smooth ride, low road noise, and reliable wet traction. While considered an ideal replacement for noisy all-terrain or OEM tires, some users question its performance in severe winter or deep mud conditions compared to dedicated off-road tires. A few owners also raised minor concerns regarding warranty differences, balancing, and tread life compared to prior generations.

landcruiserforum.com ·5 upvotes ·2024-08-12

“The tires are over inflated for transport. The dealership should set them to the proper PSI during PDI but that's not always the case. I had 55 PSI in mine which explained the rough ride.”
tahoeyukonforum.com ·5 upvotes ·2026-03-06

“Defender LTX M/S2 275/50/22 on Fuel 22’s Coming off the Allenzas the quiet smooth ride is very noticeable. A section of paved road that has roots underneath but not really washboard - on the Allenzas it was noisy and bumpy and with the Defenders it is barely noticeable. They are that good”
bobistheoilguy.com ·5 upvotes ·2025-06-04

“Got them last month. Did road trip to Vegas and back. Astonishing tire. You almost don’t know they are there. They just provide feedback necessary to have good control. No noise, no uncomfortable transfer of impact. Excellent in rain. Went through several downpours. As expected from 12/32 depth and this design, hydroplaning resistance is excellent. But what I pay attention is braking and handling, and they are excellent there. Did by now 3,000mls no any noticeable wear.”
Top themes
#highway ride comfort#wet weather traction#low road noise#fuel and range efficiency#light snow performance#all-terrain comparison

Based on 83 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental CrossContact LX25 B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
CategoryAll Season—
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available401
Rim diameters16″ – 22″22″
Tread depth10 - 12/32″11 - 14/32″
UTQG740 A A - B820 B A
SidewallBlack Side Wall - Raised Outline White LetteringBlack Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure44 - 51 psi50 - 80 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental CrossContact LX25

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 — better snow, treadwear and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 72 vs 53 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 80 vs 71 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 82 vs 75 on dry.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 86 vs 79 on handling.

Tire A · Continental CrossContact LX25
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
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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.

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

81

Leads

Defender LTX M/S2

Amazon