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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 1 + 1 road tests and 21 + 10 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 78–68

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Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

± 7Provisional

Tests – · 1 test Owners 82 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 13 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires (tested tread life (miles))

Category by category

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

  1. 73

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +5
    78
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests85≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online5583

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 85 + 40% × 55.1 = 73

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 83.3 = 78

    No road tests of dry for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 67

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +14
    81
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests65≈ 78 (est.)
    Reviews found online6984

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 65.3 + 40% × 69 = 67

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.2 (est.) + 40% × 84.2 = 81

    No road tests of wet for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 73

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +1
    74
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests69≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online7976

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 69.1 + 40% × 79.2 = 73

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 76 = 74

    No road tests of snow for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 61

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +14
    75
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests68≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online5678

    Blizzak WS90: 40% × 68.5 + 60% × 56 = 61

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.7 (est.) + 60% × 77.6 = 75

    No road tests of comfort for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 63

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70–
    Reviews found online52–

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 51.7 = 63

  6. 61

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +18
    79
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 63 (est.)75
    Reviews found online5885

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 63.2 (est.) + 40% × 57.8 = 61

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.5 + 40% × 85.1 = 79

    No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak WS90. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 62

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +18
    80
    Why this score
    SourceBlizzak WS90Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6280
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak WS90Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 68 78
Dry 73 78
Wet 67 81
Snow 73 74
Comfort 61 75
Noise 63 –
Treadwear 61 79
Handling (owners) 62 80

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Blizzak WS90

± 7

Defender LTX M/S

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

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryBlizzak WS90Defender LTX M/SΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #8/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test #3/13 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Blizzak WS90

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and acceleration on ice and hard-packed snow
  • Excellent braking performance in hazardous winter conditions
  • Strong capability in slush and deep snow

Cons

  • Increased road noise during highway driving
  • Less responsive or 'softer' handling feel on dry pavement
  • Potential for minor rubbing depending on vehicle fitment
All owner themes in the Blizzak WS90 review

Tire B Defender LTX M/S

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and mileage lifespan
  • Quiet and smooth ride quality at highway speeds
  • Strong year-round traction across dry, wet, and light snow conditions

Cons

  • High upfront purchase price
  • Subpar performance in deep mud, sand, and off-road environments
  • Limited ice and severe winter capability compared to dedicated winter tires
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategoryWinterAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available45—
Rim diameters15″ – 19″—
Tread depth11/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, handling and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin Defender LTX M/S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 61 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 62 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 81 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 75 vs 61 on comfort.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Blizzak WS90 or Defender LTX M/S?

Which is better in the wet, Blizzak WS90 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 81 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak WS90 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 78 vs 73 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Blizzak WS90 or Defender LTX M/S?

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 74 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Blizzak WS90 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Blizzak WS90 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 61 on our treadwear score.

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.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

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