71
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
71/100
34 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated May 2026
Continental CrossContact UHP vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S — Compared (May 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
97
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
95/100
109 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, comfort and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
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Category breakdown
7 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
Defender LTX M/S leads by 12
Why this score
| Source | CrossContact UHP | Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 87 | 92 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 86 | 94 |
| SimpleTire owners | 97 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Defender LTX M/S leads by 17
Why this score
| Source | CrossContact UHP | Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 82 | 83 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | 91 |
| SimpleTire owners | 90 | – |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | CrossContact UHP | Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 94 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 80 |
| SimpleTire owners | 75 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Defender LTX M/S leads by 24
Why this score
| Source | CrossContact UHP | Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 82 | 84 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 72 | 87 |
| SimpleTire owners | 97 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | CrossContact UHP | Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 94 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Defender LTX M/S leads by 44
Why this score
| Source | CrossContact UHP | Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 66 | 92 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 53 | 97 |
| SimpleTire owners | 92 | – |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Defender LTX M/S leads by 23
Why this score
| Source | CrossContact UHP | Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 74 | 85 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental CrossContact UHP | Michelin Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 71 | 97 |
| Dry | 86 | 98 |
| Wet | 79 | 96 |
| Snow | – | 82 |
| Comfort | 72 | 96 |
| Noise | – | 95 |
| Treadwear | 53 | 97 |
| Handling | 74 | 97 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
71
/ 100
Tire A
97
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Continental Cross Contact UHP is a polarizing tire that delivers strong dry and wet road performance but suffers from significant inconsistency regarding tread longevity. While many users praise its handling, stability, and confidence-inspiring grip, a substantial portion of the user base reports premature and uneven wear, particularly on heavier SUVs and 4x4 vehicles.
Pros
- Strong dry and wet road grip
- Predictable handling and cornering stability
- Good performance in light snow and varied weather conditions
- Quiet operation on many vehicle platforms
Cons
- Extremely inconsistent and often premature tread wear
- High road noise reported by a significant subset of users
- Firm, sometimes harsh ride quality
- Poor off-road capability, particularly on wet grass or mud
Observations
- Heavy SUVs and 4x4s frequently exhibit rapid front-axle tire wear, often requiring rotation as early as 8,000-10,000 miles to maintain even tread depth.
- Users with high-center-of-gravity vehicles report that aggressive cornering significantly accelerates rear tire scrubbing.
- Performance varies notably by vehicle weight; lighter or more balanced setups report significantly higher mileage than heavy luxury SUVs.
The Michelin Defender LTX M/S is widely regarded as a premier all-season tire for trucks and SUVs, consistently praised for its exceptional tread longevity and balanced performance across various weather conditions. While the vast majority of users report superior ride comfort, stability, and fuel efficiency, a small minority of owners have noted issues with increased road noise as the tires age or inconsistent traction in specific wet-weather scenarios.
Pros
- Exceptional tread life often exceeding 60,000–80,000 miles
- Strong all-weather traction, particularly in dry and light snow conditions
- Improved fuel efficiency due to low rolling resistance
- High level of ride comfort and stability for heavy vehicles
- Reliable performance that often outperforms original equipment (OE) tires
Cons
- Increased road noise reported by some users as the tire tread wears down
- Higher price point compared to competitors
- Occasional reports of reduced wet-weather grip or traction loss during turns
- Limited off-road capability in mud or deep sand
Observations
- Heavy-duty truck owners (RAM 2500/3500) report high satisfaction with durability, even under heavy usage or towing conditions.
- SUV owners (Expedition, Highlander) frequently cite the tire as a significant upgrade over factory-installed rubber, specifically noting improvements in cabin quietness and fuel economy.
- Users recommend running higher tire pressures (40-45 psi) to optimize performance and handling on certain truck platforms.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental CrossContact UHP | B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Category | — | Premium Touring All Season tire |
| Vehicle type | — | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | 9 | — |
| Rim diameters | 18″ – 21″ | — |
| Tread depth | 9 - 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 280 - 420 A - AA A | — |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
71
/ 100
Continental
97
/ 100
Michelin
Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, comfort and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 97 vs 53 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 96 vs 72 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 97 vs 74 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 96 vs 79 on wet.
Tire A · Continental CrossContact UHP
Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
More comparisons
Also compared with
Continental CrossContact UHP also compared with
Michelin Defender LTX M/S also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.