Tests 68 · 1 test Owners 57 · 21 reviews
Best test result: #5 of 11 in 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test (snow handling)
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack vs Michelin Defender2 — 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 + 2 road tests and 21 + 11,304 owner reviews. How we score
Defender2 is ahead, 77–63
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Tests 64 · 2 tests Owners 89 · 11,304 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test (noise (tester's mark))
“I just ordered Michelin Defender 2 for our 15 Outback . We've had 2 sets of Yokohama YK-CTX after OEM which only lasted about 20k (first set) and 25k (second set). I've had Michelin Defender (orig) and Michelin Defender2 on our Ford Taurus. Very comfortable and great tread life.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
65
Dry
Defender2 +1580Why this score
Source Turanza QuietTrack Defender2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests 67 73 Reviews found online 61 92 Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 92% 94% Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–0 92% 92% Turanza QuietTrack: 60% × 67.4 + 40% × 60.9 = 65
Defender2: 60% × 72.7 + 40% × 91.5 = 80
-
68
Wet
Defender2 +775Why this score
Source Turanza QuietTrack Defender2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests 69 64 Reviews found online 66 92 Wet Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 87% 81% Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 91% 90% Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 96% 95% Turanza QuietTrack: 60% × 69.2 + 40% × 66.4 = 68
Defender2: 60% × 64 + 40% × 92.3 = 75
-
60
Snow
Level60Why this score
Source Turanza QuietTrack Defender2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests 65 46 Reviews found online 52 79 Ice Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 80% 83% Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 79% 66% Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 94% 88% Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 88% 90% Turanza QuietTrack: 60% × 65.4 + 40% × 51.9 = 60
Defender2: 60% × 46.4 + 40% × 79.3 = 60
-
66
Comfort
Defender2 +1682Why this score
Source Turanza QuietTrack Defender2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 64 88 Turanza QuietTrack: 40% × 67.8 (est.) + 60% × 64.2 = 66
Defender2: 40% × 72.5 (est.) + 60% × 87.6 = 82
No road tests of comfort for Turanza QuietTrack. 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 Defender2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
-
64
Noise
Defender2 +1579Why this score
Source Turanza QuietTrack Defender2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 73 Reviews found online 61 87 Turanza QuietTrack: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 61.2 = 64
Defender2: 60% × 73.3 + 40% × 87 = 79
No road tests of noise for Turanza QuietTrack. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
52
Treadwear
Defender2 +2880Why this score
Source Turanza QuietTrack Defender2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 58 (est.) ≈ 75 (est.) Reviews found online 44 89 Turanza QuietTrack: 60% × 58.2 (est.) + 40% × 43.6 = 52
Defender2: 60% × 74.6 (est.) + 40% × 89 = 80
No road tests of treadwear for Turanza QuietTrack. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
No road tests of treadwear for Defender2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
59
Handling (owners)
Defender2 +3089Why this score
Source Turanza QuietTrack Defender2 Reviews found online 59 89
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack | Michelin Defender2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 63 | 77 |
| Dry | 65 | 80 |
| Wet | 68 | 75 |
| Snow | 60 | 60 |
| Comfort | 66 | 82 |
| Noise | 64 | 79 |
| Treadwear | 52 | 80 |
| Handling (owners) | 59 | 89 |
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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
63
/ 100
Turanza QuietTrack
77
/ 100
Defender2
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.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack finished ahead 1 times and Michelin Defender2 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | Turanza QuietTrack | Defender2 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 92% | 94% | −2.6 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 92% | 92% | 0.0 | 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 91% | 90% | +1.2 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 96% | 95% | +1.5 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 87% | 81% | +6.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Ice Braking | Snow | 80% | 83% | −2.6 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 79% | 66% | +13.2 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 94% | 88% | +6.6 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 88% | 90% | −1.9 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #8/11 | #10/11 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test · 215/55 R17 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Turanza QuietTrack
Pros
- Dramatically reduced road noise and exceptionally quiet operation
- Smooth and comfortable ride quality
- Strong grip and responsive handling in dry and wet conditions
Cons
- Very poor traction and instability on snow-covered roads
- Treadlife often falls significantly short of the 80,000-mile warranty for some users
- Can become noticeably louder as the tires wear down
Tire B Defender2
Pros
- Long-lasting tread life and high mileage capability
- Confident dry and wet traction with stable handling
- Quiet and smooth ride quality on specific vehicles and highway surfaces
Cons
- Stiffer, harder ride compared to original equipment or older models
- Noticeable road noise and lack of noise absorption on certain pavement types
- Reduced fuel economy (MPG) reported by multiple users
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Defender2
Community sentiment toward the Michelin Defender2 is strongly positive, with owners widely praising its exceptional tread life, durability, and 80k-mile warranty. Many drivers and EV owners report excellent longevity and efficiency, though some note elevated road noise compared to premium touring tires or question its necessity for low-mileage driving.
teslamotorsclub.com
·2 upvotes ·2025-03-13
“I have put Michelin Defender2 on my Model Y P right when I got it. I have driven 62k miles on them and they have plenty life left. Very impressed with their longevity. I didn't drive the Pilot Sport enough to really be able to compare, but the Defender2 is definitely not a performance tire. Efficiency is pretty amazing. I just drove from Dallas to Orlando and my average was 268 Wh/m going at the speed limit of 65 to 75. Road noise could be better, but part of it is that the Y is so well sound insulated from other noises that tire noise is the loudest thing left. It is far less noisy overall than my Model S was. So it might appear noisier only because the other noises are so reduced.”
macheforum.com
·2025-11-13
“I have them on my 2024 'conventional' Mustang, and really like them.”
mbworld.org
“I have Mercedes GLE 350 2018 with Scorpion Verde 255/50/19 R 107H. Drove 45 K miles in 4 years on it and still have 35% left. Got it slightly damaged on the side but still driveable so i am thinking about changing tires. For the same size, what would be better Michelin Defender2 or Primacy Tour A/S? Prefer quiet/smooth ride/noise isolation/safety.Never accelerate too fast/slalom or overusing breaks. Driving in Los Angeles. Max 80 mph/no quick turns. Thought that Primacy Tour A/S should be better for my needs as above, but read bad reviews (very low usable tire mileage ~ 35000 miles, wobbly, bad when raining) vs great for Defender2”
Top themes
#tread life longevity#80k mileage warranty#EV efficiency and range#road noise trade-off#comparison to CrossClimate2#speed rating fitment issues#ride comfort
Based on 24 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack | B · Michelin Defender2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 29 | 1 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 19″ | 18″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | 10 - 11/32″ |
| UTQG | 800 A A | 840 B B |
| Treadwear warranty | 80,000 mi | 80,000 mi |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | 50 - 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
63
/ 100
Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack
77
/ 100
Michelin Defender2
Winner: Michelin Defender2 — better handling, treadwear and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Defender2 scores 89 vs 59 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender2 scores 80 vs 52 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender2 scores 82 vs 66 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender2 scores 80 vs 65 on dry.
Tire A · Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack
Tire B · Michelin Defender2
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Turanza QuietTrack or Defender2?
Which is better in the wet, Turanza QuietTrack or Defender2?
Michelin Defender2, 75 vs 68 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Turanza QuietTrack or Defender2?
Michelin Defender2, 80 vs 65 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Turanza QuietTrack or Defender2?
Neither, by our numbers: 60 vs 60 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is quieter, Turanza QuietTrack or Defender2?
Michelin Defender2, 79 vs 64 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Turanza QuietTrack or Defender2?
Michelin Defender2, 82 vs 66 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Turanza QuietTrack or Defender2?
Michelin Defender2, 80 vs 52 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