Continental TerrainContact HT vs Michelin Defender LTX MS2
Ahead in each discipline
The Continental TerrainContact HT and the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 have met in 2 independent tests and the record is level at 1-1. The TerrainContact HT was stronger in dry and wet, the Defender LTX MS2 in snow and ice.
Performance profile
12 measurements from the 2 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
TerrainContact HT
Defender LTX MS2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it.
Where each scores higher
TerrainContact HT
Defender LTX MS2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
TerrainContact HT
Defender LTX MS2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the TerrainContact HT 86% from 4 reviews and the Defender LTX MS2 90% from 4. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tires posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Wins count the tests in which each tire did better.
| Measurement | TerrainContact HT | Gap | Defender LTX MS2 | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry TerrainContact HT ahead | ||||
| Dry Braking ft | 130 | 7.1% | 140 | 1-0 |
| Dry Circle g | 0.76 | 1.3% | 0.75 | 1-0 |
| Subj. Road Score pts | scored | 1.1% | scored | 0-1 |
| Wet TerrainContact HT ahead | ||||
| Wet Braking ft | 156 | 7.1% | 168 | 1-0 |
| Wet Handling s | 36.24 | 3.4% | 37.51 | 1-0 |
| Wet Circle g | 0.64 | 4.9% | 0.61 | 1-0 |
| Snow Defender LTX MS2 ahead | ||||
| Snow Braking ft | 73 | 3.6% | 70 | 0-1 |
| Snow Traction ft | 42 | 8.1% | 39 | 0-1 |
| Snow Handling s | 28 | 3.2% | 27.1 | 0-1 |
| Subj. Snow Handling pts | scored | 10.4% | scored | 0-1 |
| Ice Defender LTX MS2 ahead | ||||
| Ice Braking ft | 47 | 0.4% | 47 | 0-1 |
| Ice Traction s | 6.08 | 1.8% | 5.97 | 0-1 |
Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tires shared.
Head to head in 2 tests, 2024 to 2026
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | TerrainContact HT | Field | Defender LTX MS2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tire Snow Test | P9 of 30 | P3 of 30 | |
| 2024 Tire Rack Highway All Season Tire Test | P1 of 9 | P3 of 9 |
TerrainContact HT vs Defender LTX MS2: your questions
Is the Continental TerrainContact HT or the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 the better tire?
The Continental TerrainContact HT and the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 have met in 2 independent tests and the record is level at 1-1. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the TerrainContact HT scores 8.5 and the Defender LTX MS2 7.3 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the TerrainContact HT or the Defender LTX MS2?
The TerrainContact HT led 3 of the 3 wet measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in the dry?
The TerrainContact HT led 2 of the 3 dry measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in snow?
The Defender LTX MS2 led 4 of the 4 snow measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 8.8/10 for the TerrainContact HT and 9.3/10 for the Defender LTX MS2.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the TerrainContact HT 86% from 4 reviews and the Defender LTX MS2 90% from 4.
More comparisons with these tires
Every Continental vs Michelin test → All comparisons → Compare three or more tires →
Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.