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Cooper CS5 Grand Touring 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 776 + 10 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 76–69

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Cooper CS5 Grand Touring
Tire ACooper

CS5 Grand Touring

All Season Touring tires

Tests – · none yet Owners 69 · 776 reviews

“Picky1, Former owner of a 2012 Sienna XLE FWD with the 235/60/17 tires. I tried multiple tires on it (Michelin Primacy MXV4s (OEM), Bridgestone Dueler Ecopia HL 422, Firestone FR710s, Cooper CS5 Grand Touring). The best results came from the Cooper CS5 Grand Touring tires. They took my family through multiple 1,000 mile trips, as well as northeast weather including rain, sleet, snow, and ice. I made some comments in the below thread: The CS5's held strong (and had the best wear of the four brands I tried) until I picked up a 2015 Sienna Limited AWD with the Bridgestone run-flats. Those were replaced with Michelin Defender LTX tires, which are phenomenal. Unfortunately, they do not come in the 235/60/17 size. -Eugene”

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. 71

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +5
    76
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online7381

    CS5 Grand Touring: 60% × 69.6 (est.) + 40% × 72.5 = 71

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

    No road tests of dry for CS5 Grand Touring. 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. 71

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    78
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 76 (est.)
    Reviews found online7281

    CS5 Grand Touring: 60% × 70.8 (est.) + 40% × 71.5 = 71

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

    No road tests of wet for CS5 Grand Touring. 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. 63

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +9
    72
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online5973

    CS5 Grand Touring: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 58.8 = 63

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

    No road tests of snow for CS5 Grand Touring. 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. 69

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +4
    73
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6976

    CS5 Grand Touring: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 68.8 = 69

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

    No road tests of comfort for CS5 Grand Touring or Defender LTX M/S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 72

    Noise

    CS5 Grand Touring +2
    70
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7875

    CS5 Grand Touring: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 78.2 = 72

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

    No road tests of noise for CS5 Grand Touring or Defender LTX M/S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 68

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +8
    76
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 67 (est.)74
    Reviews found online7078

    CS5 Grand Touring: 60% × 66.8 (est.) + 40% × 69.5 = 68

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

    No road tests of treadwear for CS5 Grand Touring. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 64

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +15
    79
    Why this score
    SourceCS5 Grand TouringDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6479
Scores at a glance
CategoryCooper CS5 Grand TouringMichelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 69 76
Dry 71 76
Wet 71 78
Snow 63 72
Comfort 69 73
Noise 72 70
Treadwear 68 76
Handling (owners) 64 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.

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Recomputed
Headline score

CS5 Grand Touring

Defender LTX M/S

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A CS5 Grand Touring

Pros

  • Excellent wet and dry traction with strong hydroplaning resistance
  • High value for the price compared to premium competitors
  • Smooth, comfortable ride quality

Cons

  • Some drivers experienced noticeable road noise, particularly on specific lighter vehicles like hybrids
  • Mediocre performance in heavy winter snow, ice, or deep mud
  • Cornering grip in emergency maneuvers is considered average by some drivers
All owner themes in the CS5 Grand Touring 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

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring

Positive

Community sentiment toward the Cooper CS5 Grand Touring is largely positive, with owners highlighting its smooth ride, low road noise, and reliable all-season traction in rain and light snow. While praised as a strong value compared to premium competitors like Michelin, several users note that treadwear often falls short of the advertised 80,000-mile warranty, particularly on heavier minivans or under high-heat conditions.

r/cars ·1 upvote ·2017-09-01

“I have the Cooper cs5 grand touring on my Odyssey and love them. Very quiet and snoot riding. Fwiw, I'm in Southern California so we have little cold/wet weather let alone snow, but they did great when I drove up to Sequoia and had cables on during the snow storm. Much better than the Michelin Defenders I had before.”
subaruoutback.org ·1 upvote ·2023-02-05

“My wife and I have been running Cooper CS5 Grand Touring on Outback and Impreza for many years. (the Outback is on its 2nd set) For us, having a QUIET tire is primary importance... followed closely with winter-traction here in Vermont winters. We do NOT want to have 2nd set of dedicated snow-tires for the winter. The CS5 have met our requirements. At the very least, I would suggest you consider the CS5 Ultra as you make a decision.”
bobistheoilguy.com ·2018-10-28

“I put Cooper CS5 Grand Tourings on my Sienna after having gone through several sets of Michelins, I am happy with them so far. Regardless of what tire you purchase, they will not get to their warranty mileage on a Sienna. The Sienna is notoriously hard on tires. A word of advice, run them at 40 to 42 PSI and rotate them regularly if you want to get reasonable wear. The Sienna's 35 PSI recommendation is FAR too low for the weight the tires carry and the front tires wear 3x faster than the rears.”
Top themes
#ride comfort and low noise#winter and wet traction#treadwear vs warranty mileage#competitive pricing and rebates#comparison to Michelin tires#tire pressure sensitivity#speed rating differences

Based on 38 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Cooper CS5 Grand Touring B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategoryAll Season Touring tiresAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Tread depth11 - 12/32″—
UTQG780 A A—
Treadwear warranty80,000 mi—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Cooper CS5 Grand Touring

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, snow and treadwear. Where the Cooper CS5 Grand Touring 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 enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 64 on handling.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 72 vs 63 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 68 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 71 on wet.

Tire A · Cooper CS5 Grand Touring
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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CS5 Grand Touring or Defender LTX M/S?

Which is better in the wet, CS5 Grand Touring or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 78 vs 71 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, CS5 Grand Touring or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 76 vs 71 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, CS5 Grand Touring or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 72 vs 63 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, CS5 Grand Touring or Defender LTX M/S?

Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 70 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, CS5 Grand Touring or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 73 vs 69 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, CS5 Grand Touring or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 76 vs 68 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