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Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli Cinturato P7 vs Continental CrossContact LX Sport — 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 8 + 0 road tests and 307 + 561 owner reviews. How we score

Cinturato P7 is ahead, 69–57

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Pirelli Cinturato P7
Tire APirelli

Cinturato P7

Summer

± 6

Tests 74 · 8 tests Owners 62 · 307 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 12 in 2023 Best SUV Tyres Tested (dry braking)

Continental CrossContact LX Sport
Tire BContinental

CrossContact LX Sport

All Season

± 7

Tests – · none yet Owners 48 · 561 reviews

“Issues with Continental Cross Contact LX Sport tires Anybody having premature wear on their tires? In South Texas these tires are notorious for having flaking/peeling/chunking issues on the tread. Had to replace mine after 26k, but noticed the issues much earlier than that. Not a warrantable condition but Continental did give proration based on tread depth. Used the credit towards some new Michelins. Read more”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 73

    Dry

    Cinturato P7 +14
    59
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7CrossContact LX Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests78≈ 62 (est.)
    Reviews found online6455

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 78.3 + 40% × 64.1 = 73

    CrossContact LX Sport: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 54.7 = 59

    No road tests of dry for CrossContact LX Sport. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 76

    Wet

    Cinturato P7 +15
    61
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7CrossContact LX Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 7 / – tests80≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online6957

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 80.3 + 40% × 68.7 = 76

    CrossContact LX Sport: 60% × 63.2 (est.) + 40% × 57.1 = 61

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

  3. 61

    Snow

    CrossContact LX Sport +1
    62
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7CrossContact LX Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online5557

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 64.8 (est.) + 40% × 54.9 = 61

    CrossContact LX Sport: 60% × 65.8 (est.) + 40% × 57.4 = 62

    No road tests of snow for Cinturato P7. 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 CrossContact LX Sport. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 74

    Comfort

    Cinturato P7 +12
    62
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7CrossContact LX Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests92≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6258

    Cinturato P7: 40% × 92.3 + 60% × 61.6 = 74

    CrossContact LX Sport: 40% × 67.1 (est.) + 60% × 58 = 62

    No road tests of comfort for CrossContact LX Sport. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 63

    Noise

    CrossContact LX Sport +1
    64
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7CrossContact LX Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests61≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6661

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 61.1 + 40% × 65.9 = 63

    CrossContact LX Sport: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 61.1 = 64

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

  6. 58

    Treadwear

    Cinturato P7 +18
    40
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7CrossContact LX Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests60≈ 51 (est.)
    Reviews found online5523

    Cinturato P7: 60% × 60.3 + 40% × 55 = 58

    CrossContact LX Sport: 60% × 51 (est.) + 40% × 22.6 = 40

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

  7. 64

    Handling (owners)

    Cinturato P7 +18
    46
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7CrossContact LX Sport
    Reviews found online6446
  8. 75

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceCinturato P7CrossContact LX Sport
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests75–
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli Cinturato P7Continental CrossContact LX Sport
Relative Score 69 57
Dry 73 59
Wet 76 61
Snow 61 62
Comfort 74 62
Noise 63 64
Treadwear 58 40
Handling (owners) 64 46
Efficiency 75 –

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not 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
± 6

Cinturato P7

± 7

CrossContact LX Sport

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 Cinturato P7

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and comfortable ride quality when new
  • Strong dry traction, stability, and confident cornering grip
  • Low rolling resistance contributing to improved fuel economy

Cons

  • Faster-than-expected tread wear and reduced mileage lifespan
  • Noticeable increase in road noise and harshness as the tread wears down
  • Subpar wet-weather and cold-temperature grip compared to competitors
All owner themes in the Cinturato P7 review

Tire B CrossContact LX Sport

Pros

  • Low road noise and exceptional cabin comfort
  • Strong handling and reliable grip in wet and dry conditions
  • Confident performance in light snow and winter weather

Cons

  • Disappointing tread life and faster-than-expected wear
  • Occasional reports of reduced traction in heavy mud or specific slick conditions
  • Higher price point relative to the longevity experienced by some drivers
All owner themes in the CrossContact LX Sport review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Pirelli Cinturato P7

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

Tire B

Continental CrossContact LX Sport

Mixed

Community opinion on the Continental Cross Contact LX Sport is mixed, with some drivers praising its comfort, balance of control, and low road noise. However, many owners express dissatisfaction with rapid tread wear, flaking or chunking, poor wet traction, and shallow initial tread depth. Several users consider replacing them early with options like Michelin CrossClimate or Defender models.

bobistheoilguy.com ·3 upvotes ·2022-10-17

“A broken screw went partially into the tire tread, cutting one of the metal wires / belts in the casing. The tire is not losing air. I am concerned the damaged wire belt could lead to a tire failure. The open divot, deeper than the tire tread, also concerns me since it can get packed with debris, damage the other intact wire, or open the hole even more or further puncturing it. Tire is 2 years old with 17k miles so it's in great shape. Continental Cross Contact LX Sport 245/50 R20. This is on my wife's Pilot so I want her to have a reliable tire with no possibility of having a failure due to this damage, if that is likely here. What do you guys think?”
r/ModelX ·1 upvote ·2026-09-18

“You don’t want to be too cheap with harder rubber material because they lack stability. I just replaced mine with Continental Cross Contact LX Sport T1 from America Tires with the best balance between comfort and control. Slightly cheaper than Tesla Service Center. You can try the Hankook Evo ION designed specifically for EV but you only have half the warranty mileage due to staggered tires configuration on the MX.”
r/tires ·1 upvote ·2026-09-27

“Gouge on sidewall It’s a continental cross contact LX sport 235/65 R18. Got them last year but hit a sharp curb the other day. Not sure if I’m seeing any cords, there’s some white streaks deep in the gouge but it all seems in tact. Just need to drive this car for 3 more days, is it safe?”
Top themes
#premature tread wear#wet weather traction#OEM tire replacement#tire inflation pressure#ride comfort and road noise#EV efficiency comparison

Based on 26 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli Cinturato P7 B · Continental CrossContact LX Sport
CategorySummerAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available4939
Rim diameters16″ – 21″16″ – 22″
Tread depth11/32″9/32″
UTQG260 A A480 A A
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure44 psi51 psi
Sizes in common11

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli Cinturato P7

Continental CrossContact LX Sport

Winner: Pirelli Cinturato P7 — better treadwear, handling and wet. Where the Continental CrossContact LX Sport is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Pirelli Cinturato P7 scores 58 vs 40 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Cinturato P7 scores 64 vs 46 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Cinturato P7 scores 76 vs 61 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Pirelli Cinturato P7 scores 73 vs 59 on dry.

Tire A · Pirelli Cinturato P7
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Tire B · Continental CrossContact LX Sport
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Cinturato P7 or CrossContact LX Sport?

Which is better in the wet, Cinturato P7 or CrossContact LX Sport?

Pirelli Cinturato P7, 76 vs 61 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Cinturato P7 or CrossContact LX Sport?

Pirelli Cinturato P7, 73 vs 59 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Cinturato P7 or CrossContact LX Sport?

Neither, by our numbers: 61 vs 62 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Cinturato P7 or CrossContact LX Sport?

Neither, by our numbers: 63 vs 64 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Cinturato P7 or CrossContact LX Sport?

Pirelli Cinturato P7, 74 vs 62 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Cinturato P7 or CrossContact LX Sport?

Pirelli Cinturato P7, 58 vs 40 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