tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A vs Michelin Defender — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Defender leads, 72–71 Narrow edge

Check price on Amazon · Defender or Trail-Terrain T/A on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Tire BMichelin

Defender

Summer Premium Touring tires

Tests – · none yet Owners 75 · 4 reviews

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 73

    Dry

    Level
    73
    Why this score
    SourceTrail-Terrain T/ADefender
    Reviews found online7676
  2. 69

    Wet

    Defender +4
    73
    Why this score
    SourceTrail-Terrain T/ADefender
    Reviews found online6974
  3. 77

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceTrail-Terrain T/ADefender
    Reviews found online82–
  4. 69

    Comfort

    Defender +2
    71
    Why this score
    SourceTrail-Terrain T/ADefender
    Reviews found online6973
  5. 68

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceTrail-Terrain T/ADefender
    Reviews found online70–
  6. 71

    Treadwear

    Trail-Terrain T/A +2
    69
    Why this score
    SourceTrail-Terrain T/ADefender
    Reviews found online7572
  7. 69

    Handling

    Defender +8
    77
    Why this score
    SourceTrail-Terrain T/ADefender
    Reviews found online6977
Scores at a glance
CategoryBFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/AMichelin Defender
Relative Score 71 72
Dry 73 73
Wet 69 73
Snow 77 –
Comfort 69 71
Noise 68 –
Treadwear 71 69
Handling 69 77

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Trail-Terrain T/A

Defender

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Trail-Terrain T/A

Pros

  • Surprisingly low road noise for an all-terrain tire
  • Excellent traction and predictability in snow and winter conditions
  • Good ride comfort and smoothness on paved roads

Cons

  • Some users report poor wet weather traction and rear-wheel slippage
  • A minority of reviewers noted high noise levels on paved tarmac
  • Concerns regarding longevity with some users experiencing faster tread wear
All owner themes in the Trail-Terrain T/A review

Tire B Defender

Pros

  • Excellent ride comfort and quiet operation
  • Strong tread life and durability over several years
  • Reliable grip on dry pavement

Cons

  • Susceptibility to hydroplaning in heavy rain
  • Limited traction in deep or severe snow
  • Audible squealing during aggressive dry-pavement acceleration
All owner themes in the Defender review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A B · Michelin Defender
CategoryAll SeasonSummer Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available50—
Rim diameters15″ – 22″—
Tread depth11 - 13/32″—
UTQG660 A A - B—
SidewallBlack Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering—
Max pressure44 - 51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A

Michelin Defender

Too close to call: BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A and Michelin Defender are within 2 points overall. Michelin Defender is stronger on handling and wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender scores 77 vs 69 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender scores 73 vs 69 on wet.

Tire A · BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Defender
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

72

Narrow edge

Defender

Amazon