Tests – · none yet Owners 18 · 24 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Turanza EL440 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 0 + 1 road tests and 24 + 11 owner reviews. How we score
Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–35
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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.
-
33
Dry
Defender LTX M/S +4679Why this score
Source Turanza EL440 Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 46 (est.) ≈ 75 (est.) Reviews found online 14 84 Turanza EL440: 60% × 45.6 (est.) + 40% × 13.6 = 33
Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 84.3 = 79
No road tests of dry for Turanza EL440. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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).
-
39
Wet
Defender LTX M/S +4382Why this score
Source Turanza EL440 Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 47 (est.) ≈ 79 (est.) Reviews found online 27 86 Turanza EL440: 60% × 46.8 (est.) + 40% × 26.9 = 39
Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.8 (est.) + 40% × 85.6 = 82
No road tests of wet for Turanza EL440. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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).
-
43
Snow
Defender LTX M/S +3174Why this score
Source Turanza EL440 Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 56 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 24 77 Turanza EL440: 60% × 55.6 (est.) + 40% × 23.5 = 43
Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.6 = 74
No road tests of snow for Turanza EL440. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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).
-
33
Comfort
Defender LTX M/S +4275Why this score
Source Turanza EL440 Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 58 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 16 78 Turanza EL440: 40% × 58.1 (est.) + 60% × 15.9 = 33
Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.5 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 75
No road tests of comfort for Turanza EL440. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
-
50
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Turanza EL440 Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) – Reviews found online 26 – Turanza EL440: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 25.8 = 50
No road tests of noise for Turanza EL440. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
32
Treadwear
Defender LTX M/S +4880Why this score
Source Turanza EL440 Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 46 (est.) 75 Reviews found online 10 86 Turanza EL440: 60% × 46.1 (est.) + 40% × 10 = 32
Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 86.3 = 80
No road tests of treadwear for Turanza EL440. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
20
Handling (owners)
Defender LTX M/S +6282Why this score
Source Turanza EL440 Defender LTX M/S Reviews found online 20 82
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Turanza EL440 | Michelin Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 35 | 79 |
| Dry | 33 | 79 |
| Wet | 39 | 82 |
| Snow | 43 | 74 |
| Comfort | 33 | 75 |
| Noise | 50 | – |
| Treadwear | 32 | 80 |
| Handling (owners) | 20 | 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
35
/ 100
Turanza EL440
79
/ 100
Defender LTX M/S
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 Turanza EL440
Pros
- Precise steering response and good handling on dry roads
- Quiet and comfortable ride quality when brand new
- Strong initial road grip for daily commuting
Cons
- Significantly premature tread wear, with many users needing replacements between 20,000 and 30,000 miles
- Excessive and worsening road noise as the tires age
- Poor wet-weather traction and a tendency to understeer in corners
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Turanza EL440 | B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All-Season | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | 9 | — |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 19″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 480 A A | 720 - 800 B A |
| Treadwear warranty | 50,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
35
/ 100
Bridgestone Turanza EL440
79
/ 100
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, treadwear and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. 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 enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 20 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 32 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 33 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 39 on wet.
Tire A · Bridgestone Turanza EL440
Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Turanza EL440 or Defender LTX M/S?
Which is better in the wet, Turanza EL440 or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 39 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Turanza EL440 or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 33 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Turanza EL440 or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 43 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Turanza EL440 or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 33 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Turanza EL440 or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 32 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