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Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Continental TerrainContact A/T — Compared

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

Defender LTX M/S leads, 76–72 Narrow edge

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Tire AMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

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))

Tire BContinental

TerrainContact A/T

All Season

Tests 72 · 2 tests Owners 74 · 33 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 18 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Terrain 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. 76

    Dry

    Level
    76
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/STerrainContact A/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)–75
    Reviews found online8178
  2. 78

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +1
    77
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/STerrainContact A/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)–74
    Reviews found online8182
  3. 72

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +8
    64
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/STerrainContact A/T
    Reviews found online7361
  4. 73

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +1
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/STerrainContact A/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)–71
    Reviews found online7674
  5. 69

    Noise

    TerrainContact A/T +9
    78
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/STerrainContact A/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)–80
    Reviews found online7475
  6. 76

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +9
    67
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/STerrainContact A/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)7466
    Reviews found online7869
  7. 78

    Handling

    Defender LTX M/S +5
    73
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/STerrainContact A/T
    Reviews found online7873
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SContinental TerrainContact A/T
Relative Score 76 72
Dry 76 76
Wet 78 77
Snow 72 64
Comfort 73 72
Noise 69 78
Treadwear 76 67
Handling 78 73

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

Defender LTX M/S

TerrainContact A/T

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.

DisciplineCategoryDefender LTX M/STerrainContact A/TΔBoth?
Tested Tread Life (Miles) Other 84% #2/13 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires 55% #10/18 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Terrain Truck Tires +29.2 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 83% #3/13 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires 100% #1/18 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Terrain Truck Tires −16.7 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 TerrainContact A/T

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and smooth ride quality for an all-terrain tire
  • Superior wet-weather traction and hydroplaning resistance
  • Strong on-road handling and stability during highway driving

Cons

  • Inconsistent performance on ice and packed snow
  • Limited capability in deep mud or extreme off-road terrain
  • Reports of premature tread wear in some heavy-duty or high-torque applications
All owner themes in the TerrainContact A/T review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Continental TerrainContact A/T
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available—30
Rim diameters—16″ – 22″
Tread depth—10 - 16/32″
UTQG—680 A A - B
Treadwear warranty—60,000 mi
Sidewall—Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure—44 - 80 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Continental TerrainContact A/T

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, snow and handling. Pick the Continental TerrainContact A/T if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 67 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Continental TerrainContact A/T scores 78 vs 69 on noise.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 72 vs 64 on snow.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 73 on handling.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · Continental TerrainContact A/T
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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.

76

Narrow edge

Defender LTX M/S

Amazon