If you drive a family sedan, minivan, CUV, or coupe, you have many tire options to choose from. In this review, we will explore two of them, the Michelin Defender and the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring.
Despite belonging to different segments, both tires share similar characteristics to the point of competing for the same audience. The question is, what is a better option for your vehicle? Read on to find out.
TL;DR: Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring vs Michelin Defender
Ready to find out more about these two great tires? Let’s first look at a summary of their strengths and weaknesses.
Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring
PROS
- Good cost-benefit ratio
- Excellent performance in adverse weather conditions
- Similar performance to Defender in wet and dry conditions
CONS
- Less durable than Defender
- Noisy after 20k miles of use
Best For:
Drivers of sedans, coupes, and crossovers looking for an everyday tire with similar specs to the Defender for a slightly lower price.
Michelin Defender
PROS
- Great ride quality
- Unbeatable tread life
- Excellent dry performance
- Adequate traction on snow/ice
CONS
- None worth mentioning
Best For:
Drivers of family sedans, minivans, coupes, and small crossovers looking for a tire with great ride quality and durability for daily driving
Performance Ratings: Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring vs Michelin Defender
When comparing two tires, the first thing to consider is the total miles reported for each. The reason is simple. The greater the number of miles reported, the greater the reliability of the ratings.
In that sense, both the CS5 and the Defender have just over 2M reported miles so their ratings can still vary considerably.
The same is true for the ranking of each tire in its respective segment. Both the ranking of 24 out of 57 of the CS5 Ultra Touring in the Grand Touring All-Season segment and the ranking of 4 out of 17 of the Defender in the Standard Touring All-Season segment can change at any time.
That said, below, we leave direct links to each category.
- Dry Performance
- Wet Performance
- Snow / Ice Performance
- Comfort Performance
- Treadwear Performance
- Warranty
- Specs & Options
- Reviews
Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring
Dry Performance: Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring vs Michelin Defender
|
Performance Category Ratings |
Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring |
Michelin Defender |
|---|---|---|
|
Dry Overall |
8.9 |
9.2 |
|
Cornering Stability |
8.8 |
9.1 |
|
Dry Traction |
9.2 |
9.4 |
|
Steering Response |
8.8 |
9.1 |
In this category, the Defender consistently manages to prevail over the CS5, albeit by a narrow margin. Both tires use a similar strategy, which explains why the results are so similar.
For one thing, the Defender uses Michelin’s IntelliSipe technology in conjunction with an asymmetrical tread pattern to improve grip on straights and corners. On the other hand, the CS5 Ultra Touring uses Cooper’s Stabiledge Performance to enhance handling, responsiveness, and high-speed cornering stability.
All in all, both tires will give you an excellent level of traction and superior braking, which makes them ideal for spirited drivers.
Wet Performance: Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring vs Michelin Defender
|
Performance Category Ratings |
Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring |
Michelin Defender |
|---|---|---|
|
Wet Overall |
8.5 |
8.8 |
|
Hydroplaning Resistance |
8.4 |
8.8 |
|
Wet Traction |
8.5 |
8.7 |
In this category, the Defender again manages to claim a victory thanks to its high-silica tread compound, lateral notches, and wide circumferential grooves.
For its part, the CS5 uses in its tread an inboard shoulder with higher sipe density to aid wet traction and hydroplaning resistance. Nevertheless, while both tires do an amazing job handling excess water, we must say that the Defender’s design is more efficient.
Snow / Ice Performance: Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring vs Michelin Defender
|
Performance Category Ratings |
Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring |
Michelin Defender |
|---|---|---|
|
Snow / Ice Overall |
6.3 |
7.1 |
|
Light Snow Traction |
7.2 |
7.9 |
|
Deep Snow Traction |
6.1 |
7.0 |
|
Ice Traction |
5.6 |
6.5 |
Unlike the previous categories, the advantage of the Michelin Defender becomes much more noticeable when dealing with snow and ice.
Its advanced compound and asymmetrical tread give this tire enough grip to safely drive your car on light snow roads during winter. This is not to say that the Cooper CS5 does not offer you enough traction to drive your vehicle in winter. It just means that in this category, the Defender is far superior to the CS5.
All in all, if you live in an area with long winters, the Defender is your best option.
Comfort Performance: Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring vs Michelin Defender
|
Performance Category Ratings |
Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring |
Michelin Defender |
|---|---|---|
|
Overall Comfort |
8.8 |
8.6 |
|
Ride Quality |
8.9 |
8.8 |
|
Noise |
8.7 |
8.5 |
Michelin tends to lead the ratings related to driving comfort. That makes the victory of the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring in this category so important. While it is true that the difference between the ride quality and noise levels of both tires is quite narrow, it is still a great achievement for Cooper to surpass Michelin in this emblematic category.
In short, if you are looking for the best driving experience for your sedan, coupe, or crossover, the Cooper CS5 gives you a slight advantage over the Defender.
Treadwear Performance: Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring vs Michelin Defender
|
Performance Category Ratings |
Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring |
Michelin Defender |
|---|---|---|
|
Treadwear |
8.2 |
8.7 |
When it comes to the tread life, Michelin is back in the lead by offering better durability. The internal construction and manufacturing process used in the Defender give it an astonishingly long service life, which is hard to beat even for the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring. In terms of durability, the Defender is once again your best alternative.
Warranty: Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring vs Michelin Defender
|
Warranty Type Ratings |
Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring |
Michelin Defender |
|---|---|---|
|
Treadlife Warranty |
Unlimited time / 70,000 miles (V- & H-rated), 50,000 miles (W-rated) whichever occurs first. This warranty is halved for rear tires when they are different in size from the front tires. |
6-year warranty or 80,000 miles (whichever occurs first). This warranty is halved for rear tires when they are different in size from the front tires. |
|
Uniformity Warranty |
One year of use or the first 2/32″ of wear. |
One year of use or the first 2/32″ of wear. |
|
Workmanship / Materials Warranty |
6-year warranty and free tire replacement for the first year, 2/32″ wear, or 25% wear. |
6-year warranty and free tire replacement for the first year, 2/32″ wear, or 25% wear. |
|
Road Hazard Warranty |
None |
None |
|
Tire Rack Road Hazard Warranty |
Refunds of up to $40 for repairs per tire per occurrence. Refund of the original purchase price or replacement purchase price (whichever is less) when the tire suffers non-repairable damage (valid within the first 2 years of use). |
Refunds of up to $40 for repairs per tire per occurrence. Refund of the original purchase price or replacement purchase price (whichever is less) when the tire suffers non-repairable damage (valid within the first 2 years of use). |
When it comes to warranty, both tires have solid backing from their respective manufacturers. Cooper offers a Treadlife Warranty for unlimited time or 70k / 50k miles, while Michelin provides six years or 80k miles. Which is better? We are inclined to prefer Michelin as they offer a guarantee that will cover your tires for a longer time in the long run.
Specs & Options: Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring vs Michelin Defender
Although both tires are similar in many respects, their market coverage is not the same. On the one hand, the CS5 is available in wheel sizes ranging from 15 inches to 20 inches and rim widths ranging from 185 to 265.
On the other hand, the Defender is available in wheel sizes ranging from 14 inches to 18 inches in rim width from 185 to 235. Regarding the UTQG of each tire, the Defender is classified as 820 AB while the CS5 Ultra Touring is classified as 640 A A. For more on the UTQG we invite you to read this article: How Long Do Tires Last.
While both tires are available in a wide variety of sizes, depending on the vehicle you drive, you may have to choose one tire over the other.
Photo credit: tractionnews.com
Reviews: Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring vs Michelin Defender
After analyzing in-depth the reviews of both tires, there are several aspects to highlight.
Positive first. Both tires meet the expectations of most users. They provide excellent year-round performance at a reasonable price. It is worth noting that many drivers praise the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring’s grip in heavy rain, something that confirms that it is an excellent alternative to the Defender.
On the downside, we have found a significant number of drivers complaining about how “noisy” the CS5 is. Sadly, these comments somewhat contradict the ratings where this tire got its only win over the Defender. Judging from the vehicle type and driving style, we suspect this has a lot to do with premature wear on this tire, which brings us to the next point, durability.
Based on the information provided by the drivers, it appears that the CS5 Ultra Touring has a tread life of approximately 60k-70k miles. On the other hand, the Michelin Defender seems to hit 90k miles with relative ease.
All things considered, it’s safe to say that the Defender is the overall winner from every point of view.
Quick Recap
|
Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring |
|
|---|---|
|
Dry |
8.9 |
|
Wet |
8.5 |
|
Snow / Ice |
6.3 |
|
Comfort |
8.8 |
|
Treadwear |
8.2 |
|
Michelin Defender |
|
|---|---|
|
Dry |
9.2 |
|
Wet |
8.8 |
|
Snow / Ice |
7.1 |
|
Comfort |
8.6 |
|
Treadwear |
8.7 |
End of the Road
This review has explored the strengths and weaknesses of two great tires, the Michelin Defender and the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring.
Both will give you predictable braking in dry and wet conditions, and both will provide you with adequate grip no matter the season of the year. However, the Defender has proven to be superior to its opponent in each segment, which is why we consider it the best option for family sedans, minivans, and small crossovers.