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Head-to-head Updated

Continental Premium Contact 5 SUV vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S — Compared

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

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 77–59

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Tire AContinental

Premium Contact 5 SUV

Summer Premium Touring tires

Tests – · none yet Owners 54 · 4 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 9 in 2016 AMS SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

Tests – · 1 test Owners 78 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 13 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 62

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +14
    76
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 5 SUVDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online5981
  2. 64

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +14
    78
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 5 SUVDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6281
  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 5 SUVDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online–73
  4. 62

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +11
    73
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 5 SUVDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online5576
  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 5 SUVDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online–74
  6. 52

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +24
    76
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 5 SUVDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–74
    Reviews found online4278
  7. 55

    Handling

    Defender LTX M/S +23
    78
    Why this score
    SourcePremium Contact 5 SUVDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online5578
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental Premium Contact 5 SUVMichelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 59 77
Dry 62 76
Wet 64 78
Snow – 72
Comfort 62 73
Noise – 70
Treadwear 52 76
Handling 55 78

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.

Important
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Important
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Neutral
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Premium Contact 5 SUV

Defender LTX M/S

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

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryPremium Contact 5 SUVDefender LTX M/SΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 33% #3/9 · 2016 AMS SUV / 4x4 Tyre Test 83% #3/13 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires −50.0 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Premium Contact 5 SUV

Pros

  • Excellent grip in both dry and wet conditions
  • Very short dry braking distances
  • Very good steering feel and confidence in wet weather

Cons

  • Faster than expected tread wear and low mileage lifespan
  • High noise levels that increase as the tires age
  • Poor traction and usability in snow
All owner themes in the Premium Contact 5 SUV 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 Premium Contact 5 SUV B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategorySummer Premium Touring tiresAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental Premium Contact 5 SUV

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

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

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 52 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 55 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 62 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

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

Tire A · Continental Premium Contact 5 SUV
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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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.

77

Leads

Defender LTX M/S

Amazon