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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Turanza EL440 vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S — Compared

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

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 76–40

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Category by category

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

  1. 38

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +38
    76
    Why this score
    SourceTuranza EL440Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online2281
  2. 43

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +35
    78
    Why this score
    SourceTuranza EL440Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online3381
  3. 46

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +26
    72
    Why this score
    SourceTuranza EL440Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online3073
  4. 46

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +27
    73
    Why this score
    SourceTuranza EL440Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online2476
  5. 52

    Noise

    Defender LTX M/S +18
    70
    Why this score
    SourceTuranza EL440Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online3174
  6. 39

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +37
    76
    Why this score
    SourceTuranza EL440Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–74
    Reviews found online2178
  7. 28

    Handling

    Defender LTX M/S +50
    78
    Why this score
    SourceTuranza EL440Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online2878
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Turanza EL440Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 40 76
Dry 38 76
Wet 43 78
Snow 46 72
Comfort 46 73
Noise 52 70
Treadwear 39 76
Handling 28 78

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

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

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Recomputed
Headline score

Turanza EL440

Defender LTX M/S

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
All owner themes in the Turanza EL440 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 Turanza EL440 B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategorySummerAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available9—
Rim diameters16″ – 19″—
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG480 A A—
Treadwear warranty50,000 mi—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Turanza EL440

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, dry and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 28 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 38 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 39 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 43 on wet.

Tire A · Bridgestone Turanza EL440
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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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.

76

Leads

Defender LTX M/S

Amazon