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Head-to-head Updated

Continental VikingContact 7 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 (comfort 40/60). Based on 8 + 1 road tests and 32 + 10 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 78–68

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Continental VikingContact 7
Tire AContinental

VikingContact 7

Winter

± 5

Tests 75 · 8 tests Owners 63 · 32 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (snow braking)

Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

± 7Provisional

Tests – · 1 test Owners 82 · 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. 67

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +11
    78
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests77≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online5383

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 76.6 + 40% × 52.7 = 67

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 83.3 = 78

    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 0.42).

  2. 68

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +13
    81
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests68≈ 78 (est.)
    Reviews found online6784

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 68.4 + 40% × 66.5 = 68

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.2 (est.) + 40% × 84.2 = 81

    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 0.55).

  3. 76

    Snow

    VikingContact 7 +2
    74
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests79≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online7276

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 79.1 + 40% × 72.4 = 76

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 76 = 74

    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 0.37).

  4. 71

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +4
    75
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7178

    VikingContact 7: 40% × 70 + 60% × 71.3 = 71

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.7 (est.) + 60% × 77.6 = 75

    No road tests of comfort for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 81

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests89–
    Reviews found online69–

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 88.6 + 40% × 68.8 = 81

  6. 60

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +19
    79
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 63 (est.)75
    Reviews found online5685

    VikingContact 7: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 55.8 = 60

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.5 + 40% × 85.1 = 79

    No road tests of treadwear for VikingContact 7. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 64

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +16
    80
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6480
  8. 77

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceVikingContact 7Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests77–
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental VikingContact 7Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 68 78
Dry 67 78
Wet 68 81
Snow 76 74
Comfort 71 75
Noise 81 –
Treadwear 60 79
Handling (owners) 64 80
Efficiency 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
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
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

VikingContact 7

± 7

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.

DisciplineCategoryVikingContact 7Defender LTX M/SΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/15 2025 Teknikens Värld Winter Tire Test R17 #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 VikingContact 7

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Strong performance in slush and deep snow
  • Stable and predictable handling at highway speeds

Cons

  • Mixed reports regarding tread life and longevity
  • Noticeable decline in ice-braking performance compared to top-tier ice specialists
  • Compound may harden or performance may degrade after multiple seasons
All owner themes in the VikingContact 7 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 VikingContact 7 B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategoryWinterAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available134—
Rim diameters14″ – 22″—
Tread depth10 - 11/32″—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure44 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental VikingContact 7

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, handling and wet. Where the Continental VikingContact 7 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. 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 want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 60 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 64 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 81 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 67 on dry.

Tire A · Continental VikingContact 7
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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VikingContact 7 or Defender LTX M/S?

Which is better in the wet, VikingContact 7 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 81 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, VikingContact 7 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 78 vs 67 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, VikingContact 7 or Defender LTX M/S?

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 74 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, VikingContact 7 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 71 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, VikingContact 7 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 60 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