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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Continental CrossContact LX25 — 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 1 + 1 road tests and 10 + 26 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 78–73

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Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire AMichelin

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. 78

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +2
    76
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SCrossContact LX25
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 74 (est.)70
    Reviews found online8383

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

    CrossContact LX25: 60% × 70.4 + 40% × 83.4 = 76

    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. 81

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +1
    80
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SCrossContact LX25
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 78 (est.)≈ 78 (est.)
    Reviews found online8484

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

    CrossContact LX25: 60% × 77.8 (est.) + 40% × 83.5 = 80

    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).

    No road tests of wet for CrossContact LX25. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 74

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +21
    53
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SCrossContact LX25
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 73 (est.)40
    Reviews found online7672

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

    CrossContact LX25: 60% × 40.3 + 40% × 72.1 = 53

    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. 75

    Comfort

    CrossContact LX25 +2
    77
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SCrossContact LX25
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7880

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

    CrossContact LX25: 40% × 71.1 (est.) + 60% × 80.2 = 77

    No road tests of comfort for Defender LTX M/S or CrossContact LX25. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    71
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SCrossContact LX25
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online–78

    CrossContact LX25: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 77.9 = 71

    No road tests of noise for CrossContact LX25. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 79

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SCrossContact LX25
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests75≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online8575

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

    CrossContact LX25: 60% × 69.3 (est.) + 40% × 75.3 = 72

    No road tests of treadwear for CrossContact LX25. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 80

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +1
    79
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SCrossContact LX25
    Reviews found online8079
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SContinental CrossContact LX25
Relative Score 78 73
Dry 78 76
Wet 81 80
Snow 74 53
Comfort 75 77
Noise – 71
Treadwear 79 72
Handling (owners) 80 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.

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
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Defender LTX M/S

± 7

CrossContact LX25

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.

DisciplineCategoryDefender LTX M/SCrossContact LX25ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/13 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires #2/3 Michelin CrossClimate 2 vs Continental CrossContact LX25 vs Goodyear WeatherReady – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 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

Tire B 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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Continental CrossContact LX25
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available—40
Rim diameters—16″ – 22″
Tread depth—10 - 12/32″
UTQG—740 A A - B
Sidewall—Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure—44 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Continental CrossContact LX25

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better snow and treadwear. Where the Continental CrossContact LX25 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 A You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 74 vs 53 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 72 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · Continental CrossContact LX25
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Defender LTX M/S or CrossContact LX25?

Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or CrossContact LX25?

Neither, by our numbers: 81 vs 80 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or CrossContact LX25?

Neither, by our numbers: 78 vs 76 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or CrossContact LX25?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 53 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or CrossContact LX25?

Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 77 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or CrossContact LX25?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 72 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