Continental CrossContact LX25 Tire Review and Rating

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Continental CrossContact LX25

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Dry
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Wet
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Snow
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Comfort
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Noise
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Treadwear
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Pros

  • Plenty of grip and traction in multiple weather conditions
  • 70,000-mile treadwear warranty
  • Outstanding aquaplaning resistance
  • Very comfortable

Cons

  • You may hear a thump when you hit a bigger hole
  • Not the best for spirited driving

In a world almost dominated by crossovers and SUVs, the tire industry aims to keep up with the demand for tires designed for those types of vehicles. Essentially, you are looking at similar tires to the ones you’d find for a sedan or a hatchback, but with updated size to fit them.

As most people on the planet need a long-lasting and comfortable tire to drive, touring tires are on top of the most sought out after models. While you sacrifice some performance, an aspect that enthusiasts are after, you get a tire that you can cruise with peacefully. To be honest, most crossovers or SUVs aren’t designed to be driven on a track, so it’s not a huge disadvantage.

All tire manufacturers today have a few touring models in their lineup, and Continental is no different. This German brand celebrates its 150th birthday this year and has been providing us with excellent tires. As a premium brand, you will pay a premium price, and at the same time, you should get a premium-performing tire.

Within the Continental’s plethora of models, you have the CrossContact LX25, a successor to the LX20. The tire is advertised as an all-season touring tire designed for crossovers, SUVs, and light trucks. In other words, it’s a tire that you can drive throughout the year in various conditions without worrying about longevity. The brand has implemented a lot of technology into the tire and, with a wide range of sizes, ensures that fitment won’t be an issue.

The previous generation LX20 was already an excellent tire, so today, we’ll see if Continental managed to retain and improve the performance.

What are the features of the Continental CrossContact LX25?

The first feature worth mentioning is the increased size range over its predecessor. You can find the tire in sizes that range from 16 to 22 inches meaning that you can fit it to smaller crossovers or larger trucks. In addition to that, there are LT-metric models for truck owners that haul or tow heavy loads.

Continental CrossContact LX25 Tire Review

Continental made the CrossContact LX25 as an all-season tire, so the rubber compound is not your typical summer one. the company used advanced technologies that should help the tire keep some of its properties in colder temperatures.

The tread features a symmetrical pattern designed to bring improvements in how the tire drives. Based on Continental’s claims, the CrossContact LX25 should be more responsive to steering inputs. On top of that, the stiffened blocks combined with the treat pattern should offer increased stability on the highway.

For wet and snow performance, the CrossContact LX25 is designed with Continental’s Traction Grooves. Their task is to provide the tire with more biting edges to have plenty of traction in non-dry conditions.

Continental didn’t forget about heavy rain conditions. The CrossContact LX25 has 4 circumferential grooves to channel the water beneath the tire. The sipes and lateral groves also play a role here, ensuring that the water doesn’t get between the tread blocks and the road. As a result, the tire should have excellent aquaplaning resistance.

Treadwear Rating: 4/5

4/5

How does it behave on dry tarmac?

The dry performance of the CrossContact LX25 is excellent. For a touring tire, you can expect plenty of performance, more than you’d probably need for normal driving. 

Traction levels are pretty good, among the best in this class. It means that you can be a bit more aggressive and get away without any slip. The cornering grip is also marvelous, and the tire will hold the line even if you push it harder into a corner.

Responsiveness is decent, and you shouldn’t expect the CrossContact LX25 to drive like a high-performance tire. You also won’t be getting a lot of feedback through the steering wheel.

The CrossContact LX25 is excellent for a touring tire, and you shouldn’t expect anything more than that.

Dry Rating: 4/5

4/5

How does it behave over wet and slippery roads?

Like most Continental tires in this category, the CrossContact LX25 is an excellent performer on rain.

The Traction Grooves are doing their job marvelously and bite into the slippery road providing excellent traction. You will notice the tire slip, but only in cases where you are extra aggressive.

Grip is also one of the best in this class, and the tire can hold a corner pretty well. Considering both of these, the CrossContact LX25 has very short braking distances.

The grooves and sipes are also very good at doing their job, providing the tire with excellent aquaplaning resistance.

Wet Rating: 4.5/5

4.5/5

How is it over snow?

When it comes to snow, the CrossContact LX25 is pretty good, as long as you keep in mind that it’s an all-season tire.

The result is decent traction and grip in light conditions. The tire will find traction and offer a safe driving experience as long as the snow isn’t too deep. Speaking of safety, the CrossContact LX25 has among the shortest braking distances in the all-season touring category.

In terms of handling, you won’t be getting the performance from a proper winter tire, but you won’t have to worry about getting caught off guard. 

Snow Rating: 3.5/5

3.5/5

Is it comfortable and refined?

It’s a premium touring tire, so you can expect the CrossContact LX25 to be comfortable and quiet.

Continental’s use of the Comfort Ride Technology enabled the tire to provide a plush ride. It absorbs bumps like a champ and offers a very smooth ride. Even when you drive over a bad road, most of the vibrations are muted.

Noise levels are very low, and the tire is among the best in its class in this regard. I wouldn’t quite compare it with the Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack, but it’s almost as quiet. A single complaint is the noise you hear when you hit a bigger hole.

Comfort Rating: 4/5

4/5

Is it good for off-roading?

No, the CrossContact LX25 is not a good off-road performer. You may be tempted to take the tire off-roading since you’ll have it on a vehicle capable of those conditions. The problem is that the tire isn’t designed for that, and the performance will be terrible.

A quick drive on a dirt road may be fine, but anything other than that will be an issue. Even the slightest whiff of mud will get you stuck, and sharper rocks can damage it quite easily.

Is the Continental CrossContact LX25 ideal for sporty driving?

As a touring tire, you shouldn’t expect the CrossContact LX25 to be a good tire for sporty driving. 

Even though there is plenty of grip and traction, those will be enough for regular driving or a slightly aggressive one. Anything more than that, and the tire will struggle to keep up.

Handling is also an issue for the enthusiast, something that all touring tires suffer from. The responsiveness is suitable for regular driving but not for a day on the track. With the muted feedback, you won’t know what’s happening with the front tires, which will also kill the joy.

Noise Rating: 3.5/5

3.5/5

Continental CrossContact LX25 Warranty

When you purchase a touring tire, you expect it to last long, and the CrossContact LX25 can deliver on that front. With a 70,000-mile treadwear warranty, Continental promises that the tire will last a long time.

The warranty falls between two close contenders in this class. On the one hand, you have the Michelin Premier LTX with a 60,000-mile warranty. On the other hand, you have the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus with an 80,000-mile warranty.

Continental CrossContact LX25 Pricing: Is it worth the money?

Yes, considering what you get, the CrossContact LX25 is priced quite nicely. It starts from around $155, which for a premium touring all-season is not a lot. 

Comparing it with the Dueler and Premier I mentioned in the warranty section, you are looking at a $20-30 price difference. 

Noise Rating: 4/5

4/5

Should I buy the Continental CrossContact LX25?

At first glance, it may seem like the CrossContact LX25 may not be the absolute best, but when you consider the entire package, it’s a tire that I would gladly recommend.

To be honest, even though it isn’t the absolute best in any category, it comes pretty close to the leaders in some.

On the performance side of things, you get a tire that will be more than enough for any driver in any condition. Wet performance is remarkable, and for winter, you’ll need to think about a proper winter tire for harsher conditions, as it can cope with the lighter ones.

Refinement is also excellent, meaning that you get a comfortable and almost noise-free tire. You will hear the occasional thump when you hit a pothole, but it’s not terrible.

Combine this with a very competitive price and a 70,000-mile treadwear warranty, and you have a winner.

Looking at how things stand, I cannot think of a tire that I would recommend more than the CrossContact LX25.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

4.5/5

What Vehicles Will the Continental CrossContact LX25 Fit?

Here’s a sample list of cars that the Continental CrossContact LX25 will fit:

  • Acura MDX
  • Audi Q3, Q5, A7
  • BMW X3, X5, X6
  • Ford F150, Escape, Explorer, Ranger
  • Hyundai Santa Fe, Palisade, Tucson
  • Mercedes GLC, GLE, GLS, G-Class
  • Subaru Forester, Outback, Ascent
  • Toyota 4Runner, Rav4, Highlander, Hilux, CH-r
  • Volkswagen Touareg, Tiguan, Amarok

Tire Sizes for Continental CrossContact LX25

16″

  • 215/70R16
  • 215/70R16
  • 235/70R16

17″

  • 225/55R17
  • 225/65R17
  • 225/65R17
  • 235/55R17
  • 235/60R17
  • 235/65R17
  • 245/65R17

18″

  • 215/55R18
  • 225/55R18
  • 225/60R18
  • 235/50R18
  • 235/55R18
  • 235/55R18
  • 235/60R18
  • 235/60R18
  • 235/65R18
  • 235/65R18
  • 245/60R18
  • 245/60R18
  • 255/55R18
  • 255/65R18
  • 265/60R18

19″

  • 225/55R19
  • 235/50R19
  • 235/55R19
  • 245/55R19
  • 255/50R19
  • 255/60R19
  • 275/55R19

20″

  • 235/55R20
  • 245/50R20
  • 265/45R20
  • 265/50R20
  • 275/45R20
  • 275/50R20

22″

  • 285/45R22

2 Comments

  1. I was gonna put these Conti’s on our ’10 Lexus RX350 AWD 19″ after reading so many good things about them. Now I’m leaning away from them and heading back towards Michelin CrossClimate2 or Defender2 — although now I’m reading that they also seem to be noisy.

    Gosh, what to put on this car in the Pacific Northwest?? (head bash)

    Jack

  2. I’ve now read several reviews of these tires. The most significant issue I see is people who buy them for vehicles they’re not designed for? We have a 2019 Suburu Forester sport and I expect they will do well but even Continental says light truck or crossover NOT full size heavy luxury SUV’s.

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