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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin CrossClimate SUV vs Michelin Defender T+H — Compared

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

CrossClimate SUV leads, 74–72 Narrow edge

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Tire AMichelin

CrossClimate SUV

All Season

Tests 81 · 4 tests Owners 72 · 23 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 8 in 2018 Auto Bild SUV All Season Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BMichelin

Defender T+H

Premium Touring All Season tire

Tests – · 1 test Owners 71 · 1 review

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season 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. 81

    Dry

    CrossClimate SUV +9
    72
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate SUVDefender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)85–
    Reviews found online7474
  2. 82

    Wet

    CrossClimate SUV +8
    74
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate SUVDefender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)84–
    Reviews found online7975
  3. 70

    Snow

    CrossClimate SUV +4
    66
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate SUVDefender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)69–
    Reviews found online7263
  4. 70

    Comfort

    Level
    70
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate SUVDefender T+H
    Reviews found online7170
  5. 73

    Noise

    CrossClimate SUV +5
    68
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate SUVDefender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)75–
    Reviews found online7170
  6. 65

    Treadwear

    Defender T+H +8
    73
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate SUVDefender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)–75
    Reviews found online6570
  7. 70

    Handling

    Defender T+H +2
    72
    Why this score
    SourceCrossClimate SUVDefender T+H
    Reviews found online7072
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin CrossClimate SUVMichelin Defender T+H
Relative Score 74 72
Dry 81 72
Wet 82 74
Snow 70 66
Comfort 70 70
Noise 73 68
Treadwear 65 73
Handling 70 72

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

CrossClimate SUV

Defender T+H

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.

DisciplineCategoryCrossClimate SUVDefender T+HΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 50% #2/8 · 2018 Auto Bild SUV All Season Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires −50.0 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A CrossClimate SUV

Pros

  • Exceptional all-weather traction, particularly in wet, cold, and light snow conditions.
  • High levels of ride comfort and low cabin noise for most users.
  • Strong durability and longevity with minimal tread wear reported by many owners.

Cons

  • Reports of increased road noise or 'growling' as the tire ages.
  • Ride quality can feel overly firm or harsh on certain vehicle suspensions.
  • Some users noted a decline in wet-weather performance as the tire reaches the end of its life.
All owner themes in the CrossClimate SUV review

Tire B Defender T+H

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin CrossClimate SUV B · Michelin Defender T+H
CategoryAll SeasonPremium Touring All Season tire
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin CrossClimate SUV

Michelin Defender T+H

Winner: Michelin CrossClimate SUV — better dry, wet and noise. Pick the Michelin Defender T+H if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin CrossClimate SUV scores 81 vs 72 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin CrossClimate SUV scores 82 vs 74 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 65 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Michelin CrossClimate SUV scores 73 vs 68 on noise.

Tire A · Michelin CrossClimate SUV
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Defender T+H
Check price on Amazon

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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.

74

Narrow edge

CrossClimate SUV

Amazon