May 10, 2021
As crossovers and SUVs continue their upward trend in popularity, the Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season tire marketplace continues to see corresponding advances in performance to satisfy consumers in what has become a highly competitive space. Crossovers and SUVs are arguably becoming the everyday vehicle in North America, replacing the four-door sedan as the relative standard. Likewise, we’ve seen its tire category further segment into differentiated products, appealing to different performance and value priorities, similar to their more car-based counterparts.
The two tires in our test are no strangers to these expectations, with the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport LT boasting the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake branding and the Continental CrossContact LX25’s technology-packed design which has been a steadfast performer since its debut. These two competitors have clearly positioned themselves to satisfy modern consumer demand and hope to have what it takes to compete at the top of the category.
To find out how these tires differentiate themselves, we decided to compare them head-to-head. Our evaluation used 2019 Audi Q5 2.0T SUVs fitted with new, full tread depth 235/60R18 tires mounted on 18x8.0 wheels.
Our 6.0-mile loop of expressway, state highway and county roads provides a great variety of road conditions that include city and highway speeds, smooth and coarse concrete, as well as new and patched asphalt. This route allows our team to experience noise comfort, ride quality and everyday handling, just as you would during your drive to school or work.
As crossovers and SUVs progressively become the primary A-to-B vehicle for many drivers and continue to offer higher levels of refinement than previous-generation vehicles, the demands they place on their tires have also increased accordingly. The Continental CrossContact LX25 found itself up to the task at providing a smooth, comfortable ride around our road loop. Our team was particularly impressed by the low levels of road noise from the tire. It emitted low, medium-toned white noise over most surfaces, which all but disappeared on smooth pavement. Impacts were well-damped and concise from the Continental over both large and small imperfections for a luxurious feel. Handling precision from the CrossContact LX25 was another of its well-executed performances, with a solid on-center feel which the BFGoodrich couldn’t quite match. However, our drivers would have liked a little more resistance mid-turn to complete the package. The BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport LT also suffered from a loose on-center feeling in the wheel that only firmed up after significant steering input. The BFGoodrich was the most compliant over large impacts, which was appreciated over the roughest sections of our road route. However, its lack of motion control was in stark contrast to the well-damped Continental. The tire’s audible pattern noise also made its way into the vehicle’s cabin, which was another departure from the competition.
Our 1/3-mile per lap test track course includes 90-degree street corners, a 3-cone slalom and simulated expressway ramps. Run in both dry and wet conditions, the test track allows our team to experience the traction, responsiveness, handling and drivability normally only encountered during abrupt emergency avoidance maneuvers.
Around our dry course, both tires performed well, even when challenged by our test vehicle’s all-wheel drive system, which could quickly get up to speed mid corner and into braking zones. The Continental seemed the most adept at hustling our Q5s around the track with impressive lateral traction and 50-0 mph average braking distances slightly shorter than the BFGoodrich. The Continental could have benefited from a little more front end response, even if it felt more than satisfactory for emergency maneuvers on the street. The Advantage T/A Sport LT surprised our team with good lap times, indicating the tire is more than capable of getting the job done if needed on the road. Considering it achieved objective figures that trailed the Continental and felt the loosest through the corners, our team was impressed how the tire managed to tie everything together.
Finding the limit of traction in the wet is a more likely scenario for daily drivers and a priority for most. Our tests revealed the CrossContact LX25 was once again a strong performer in the aggressive maneuvers designed to test the tire’s maximum grip and composure, even in the wet. While the tire once again could have benefited from a little more front end bite for the quicker transitions, it earned the highest subjective scores from our testers, with our drivers praising the tire for how it was able to utilize all available traction throughout the lap. Rounding out the test with more modest subjective scores and subsequently slower lap times was the Advantage T/A Sport LT. Its loose feel might have contributed to decent times in the dry, but with the tire’s significant step back in wet traction, laps were well off the pace of its competition. Braking was inconsistent at times and required a mental reminder that it needed to happen well before the Continental coming into sharper corners.
In our test, the Advantage T/A Sport LT was branded with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol, and the CrossContact LX25 was not. We always find it interesting to compare tires with and without the brand, because the 3PMSF does not always guarantee a superior winter performance. The test required to earn the 3PMSF symbol measures longitudinal acceleration traction only, which means there is no braking or cornering component, and it doesn’t evaluate ice traction whatsoever.
The non-3PMSF branded CrossContact LX25 held the advantage in our light snow testing, both objectively and subjectively. While the two tires’ acceleration and braking figures were essentially a tie, the CrossContact LX25 lapped the handling track a significant 2.7 seconds faster than its competition. Additionally, our drivers preferred the steering characteristics and the lateral traction and balance of the Continental. The Advantage T/A Sport LT was also a solid performer, providing traction that is certain to satisfy on the road. As we have often found with tires that focus on the 3PMSF test, there was a noticeable imbalance between longitudinal traction and lateral grip. The steering was a bit soft, and our drivers wanted more front end authority, but even so, it performed at a relatively high level overall.
The CrossContact LX25 outperformed the Advantage T/A Sport LT in our 12-0 mph braking test, as well, though it was very close. A mere 2.1 feet separated the two, but once again, the tire without the 3PMSF symbol had the advantage in wintertime traction.
The Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season tire category has seemingly paralleled the vehicle market with more segmentation and competition from new sources as opportunities present themselves. The CrossContact LX25 excels on the road with a refined feel, and luxurious, quiet ride that is sure to satisfy any Crossover or SUV driver. It combines test-leading road ratings with strong wet and dry objective figures, and it continually impresses our team with its light snow prowess. The result is an undeniably strong package. The BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport LT has proven itself a favorite among consumers and trailed its admittedly tough competition on the road. On the track, the BFGoodrich needs a bump in wet traction to be in line with its competition but proved it has was it takes in the dry and light snow with a well-balanced performance on par with the group.
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