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Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent 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 7 + 11 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–74

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Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent
Tire ABridgestone

Dueler A/T Ascent

All-Terrain tire

± 7Provisional

Tests 74 · 1 test Owners 75 · 7 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 30 in 2026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Snow Test (snow braking)

Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

± 7Provisional

Tests – · 1 test Owners 83 · 11 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. 70

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +9
    79
    Why this score
    SourceDueler A/T AscentDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests66≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online7584

    Dueler A/T Ascent: 60% × 66 + 40% × 74.8 = 70

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 84.3 = 79

    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 0.41).

  2. 76

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +6
    82
    Why this score
    SourceDueler A/T AscentDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests77≈ 79 (est.)
    Reviews found online7586

    Dueler A/T Ascent: 60% × 76.8 + 40% × 75.2 = 76

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.8 (est.) + 40% × 85.6 = 82

    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. 80

    Snow

    Dueler A/T Ascent +6
    74
    Why this score
    SourceDueler A/T AscentDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests84≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7377

    Dueler A/T Ascent: 60% × 84.3 + 40% × 73 = 80

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.6 = 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 0.32).

  4. 71

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +4
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDueler A/T AscentDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests71≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7178

    Dueler A/T Ascent: 40% × 70.7 + 60% × 71.2 = 71

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.4 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 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. 72

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceDueler A/T AscentDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests74–
    Reviews found online71–

    Dueler A/T Ascent: 60% × 73.7 + 40% × 70.6 = 72

  6. 75

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +5
    80
    Why this score
    SourceDueler A/T AscentDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 71 (est.)75
    Reviews found online8086

    Dueler A/T Ascent: 60% × 71.3 (est.) + 40% × 79.8 = 75

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 86.3 = 80

    No road tests of treadwear for Dueler A/T Ascent. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 75

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    82
    Why this score
    SourceDueler A/T AscentDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online7582
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Dueler A/T AscentMichelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 74 79
Dry 70 79
Wet 76 82
Snow 80 74
Comfort 71 75
Noise 72 –
Treadwear 75 80
Handling (owners) 75 82

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

Dueler A/T Ascent

± 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.

DisciplineCategoryDueler A/T AscentDefender LTX M/SΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/30 2026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Snow 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 Dueler A/T Ascent

Pros

  • Remarkably quiet and smooth ride quality comparable to highway tires
  • Fantastic traction and handling in wet conditions
  • Reliable performance for daily commuting, towing, and mild off-roading (sand and gravel)

Cons

  • Subpar performance and traction on ice
  • Mud-clearing issues leading to a lack of traction in muddy environments
  • Occasional wheel slip when starting from a stop on wet roads
All owner themes in the Dueler A/T Ascent review

Tire B Defender LTX M/S

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and long-term durability, often exceeding 60,000 miles
  • Smooth, quiet, and comfortable highway ride quality
  • Strong traction and secure handling in wet, dry, and moderate snow conditions

Cons

  • High initial purchase price compared to competitors
  • Subpar off-road performance, specifically struggling in mud, sand, and loose gravel
  • Limited ice performance compared to dedicated winter tires
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategoryAll-Terrain tireAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available31—
Rim diameters17″ – 22″—
Tread depth12/32″—
UTQG640 A B720 - 800 B A
Treadwear warranty60,000 mi—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better dry, handling and wet. Pick the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent if snow matters most to you. Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Michelin Defender LTX M/S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 11 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 70 on dry.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 75 on handling.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent scores 80 vs 74 on snow.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 76 on wet.

Tire A · Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Dueler A/T Ascent or Defender LTX M/S?

Which is better in the wet, Dueler A/T Ascent or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 76 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Dueler A/T Ascent or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 70 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Dueler A/T Ascent or Defender LTX M/S?

Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent, 80 vs 74 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Dueler A/T Ascent or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 71 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Dueler A/T Ascent or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 75 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