Tests – · 1 test Owners 69 · 1 review
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Defender T+H vs Continental ProContact — 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 + 0 road tests and 1 + 12 owner reviews. How we score
Defender T+H is ahead, 70–53
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Tests – · none yet Owners 45 · 12 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
70
Dry
Defender T+H +1852Why this score
Source Defender T+H ProContact Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 58 (est.) Reviews found online 71 44 Defender T+H: 60% × 69.3 (est.) + 40% × 70.9 = 70
ProContact: 60% × 57.8 (est.) + 40% × 43.7 = 52
No road tests of dry for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
No road tests of dry for ProContact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
-
73
Wet
Defender T+H +1657Why this score
Source Defender T+H ProContact Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 72 (est.) ≈ 60 (est.) Reviews found online 73 52 Defender T+H: 60% × 72.2 (est.) + 40% × 73.4 = 73
ProContact: 60% × 60.3 (est.) + 40% × 51.8 = 57
No road tests of wet for Defender T+H. 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 ProContact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
65
Snow
Defender T+H +1451Why this score
Source Defender T+H ProContact Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 59 (est.) Reviews found online 62 40 Defender T+H: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 62.1 = 65
ProContact: 60% × 59.1 (est.) + 40% × 39.5 = 51
No road tests of snow for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
No road tests of snow for ProContact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
-
68
Comfort
Defender T+H +1949Why this score
Source Defender T+H ProContact Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 67 39 Defender T+H: 40% × 68.7 (est.) + 60% × 67 = 68
ProContact: 40% × 63.6 (est.) + 60% × 39.3 = 49
No road tests of comfort for Defender T+H or ProContact. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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73
Treadwear
Defender T+H +2152Why this score
Source Defender T+H ProContact Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 76 ≈ 58 (est.) Reviews found online 68 44 Defender T+H: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 68 = 73
ProContact: 60% × 58.3 (est.) + 40% × 43.6 = 52
No road tests of treadwear for ProContact. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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–
Handling (owners)
No comparison46Why this score
Source Defender T+H ProContact Reviews found online – 46
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Defender T+H | Continental ProContact |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 70 | 53 |
| Dry | 70 | 52 |
| Wet | 73 | 57 |
| Snow | 65 | 51 |
| Comfort | 68 | 49 |
| Treadwear | 73 | 52 |
| Handling (owners) | – | 46 |
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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less 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
70
/ 100
Defender T+H
53
/ 100
ProContact
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Defender T+H
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Tire B ProContact
Pros
- Predictable and safe handling on dry pavement
- Competent performance in high-heat conditions
- Generally comfortable ride quality for calm, daily driving
Cons
- Significant increase in road noise as the tire ages
- Premature tread wear and limited mileage lifespan
- Structural reliability issues, including sidewall bubbles and flat-spotting
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender T+H | B · Continental ProContact |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Premium Touring All Season tire | All Season |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
70
/ 100
Michelin Defender T+H
53
/ 100
Continental ProContact
Winner: Michelin Defender T+H — better treadwear, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin Defender T+H rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional. Continental ProContact rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 12 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 52 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender T+H scores 68 vs 49 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender T+H scores 70 vs 52 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 57 on wet.
Tire A · Michelin Defender T+H
Tire B · Continental ProContact
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Defender T+H or ProContact?
Which is better in the wet, Defender T+H or ProContact?
Michelin Defender T+H, 73 vs 57 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Defender T+H or ProContact?
Michelin Defender T+H, 70 vs 52 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Defender T+H or ProContact?
Michelin Defender T+H, 65 vs 51 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Defender T+H or ProContact?
Michelin Defender T+H, 68 vs 49 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Defender T+H or ProContact?
Michelin Defender T+H, 73 vs 52 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