Tests 66 · 6 tests Owners 71 · 1 review
Best test result: #1 of 9 in 2022 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ All-Season Tire Test R17 (straight aquaplaning)
Head-to-head
Updated
Cooper Discoverer All Season vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 — 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 6 + 1 road tests and 1 + 3,699 owner reviews. How we score
Defender LTX M/S2 is ahead, 77–68
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Tests 65 · 1 test Owners 88 · 3,699 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 30 in 2026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Snow Test (snow braking)
“The tires are over inflated for transport. The dealership should set them to the proper PSI during PDI but that's not always the case. I had 55 PSI in mine which explained the rough ride.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
72
Dry
Discoverer All Season +468Why this score
Source Discoverer All Season Defender LTX M/S2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 1 tests 73 52 Reviews found online 71 91 Discoverer All Season: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 70.5 = 72
Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 52 + 40% × 91.4 = 68
-
73
Wet
Defender LTX M/S2 +477Why this score
Source Discoverer All Season Defender LTX M/S2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 1 tests 73 67 Reviews found online 74 92 Discoverer All Season: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 73.6 = 73
Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 66.8 + 40% × 91.7 = 77
-
52
Snow
Defender LTX M/S2 +2981Why this score
Source Discoverer All Season Defender LTX M/S2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 1 tests 41 84 Reviews found online 69 77 Discoverer All Season: 60% × 41.2 + 40% × 68.8 = 52
Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 84 + 40% × 76.9 = 81
-
67
Comfort
Defender LTX M/S2 +1582Why this score
Source Discoverer All Season Defender LTX M/S2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 73 (est.) Reviews found online 66 88 Discoverer All Season: 40% × 68.2 (est.) + 60% × 65.9 = 67
Defender LTX M/S2: 40% × 72.6 (est.) + 60% × 87.6 = 82
No road tests of comfort for Discoverer All Season. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).
No road tests of comfort for Defender LTX M/S2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).
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73
Noise
Defender LTX M/S2 +275Why this score
Source Discoverer All Season Defender LTX M/S2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests 77 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) 89 Discoverer All Season: 60% × 77.1 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 73
Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 88.6 = 75
No owner ratings of noise for Discoverer All Season. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
No road tests of noise for Defender LTX M/S2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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66
Treadwear
Defender LTX M/S2 +1480Why this score
Source Discoverer All Season Defender LTX M/S2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 64 ≈ 75 (est.) Reviews found online 70 89 Discoverer All Season: 60% × 64 + 40% × 70 = 66
Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 74.6 (est.) + 40% × 89 = 80
No road tests of treadwear for Defender LTX M/S2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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71
Handling (owners)
Defender LTX M/S2 +1687Why this score
Source Discoverer All Season Defender LTX M/S2 Reviews found online 71 87 -
34
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Discoverer All Season Defender LTX M/S2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests 34 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Cooper Discoverer All Season | Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 77 |
| Dry | 72 | 68 |
| Wet | 73 | 77 |
| Snow | 52 | 81 |
| Comfort | 67 | 82 |
| Noise | 73 | 75 |
| Treadwear | 66 | 80 |
| Handling (owners) | 71 | 87 |
| Efficiency | 34 | – |
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
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
68
/ 100
Discoverer All Season
77
/ 100
Defender LTX M/S2
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.
| Discipline | Category | Discoverer All Season | Defender LTX M/S2 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 95% #4/12 · 2024 Minivan / SUV All Season Tyre Test | 93% #9/9 · 2024 Tire Rack Highway All Season Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 97% #4/12 · 2024 Minivan / SUV All Season Tyre Test | 92% #6/9 · 2024 Tire Rack Highway All Season Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 98% #6/12 · 2024 Minivan / SUV All Season Tyre Test | 94% #4/9 · 2024 Tire Rack Highway All Season Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 98% #7/12 · 2024 Minivan / SUV All Season Tyre Test | 97% #5/9 · 2024 Tire Rack Highway All Season Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 95% #5/12 · 2024 Minivan / SUV All Season Tyre Test | 97% #2/30 · 2026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Snow Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 97% #3/12 · 2024 Minivan / SUV All Season Tyre Test | 97% #3/9 · 2024 Tire Rack Highway All Season Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 95% #8/12 · 2024 Minivan / SUV All Season Tyre Test | 94% #3/30 · 2026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Snow Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #7/12 2024 Minivan / SUV All Season Tyre Test | #3/30 2026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Snow Test | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Discoverer All Season
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Tire B Defender LTX M/S2
Pros
- Exceptionally quiet and smooth highway ride
- Outstanding tread life and long-term durability
- Improves fuel economy and lowers rolling resistance
Cons
- High upfront purchase price
- Occasional difficulty with balancing and high-speed vibrations
- Can pick up small rocks and struggles in deep snow compared to dedicated winter tires
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Cooper Discoverer All Season
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
The community widely views the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 as an outstanding highway and daily driving tire, praising its smooth ride, low road noise, and reliable wet traction. While considered an ideal replacement for noisy all-terrain or OEM tires, some users question its performance in severe winter or deep mud conditions compared to dedicated off-road tires. A few owners also raised minor concerns regarding warranty differences, balancing, and tread life compared to prior generations.
landcruiserforum.com
·5 upvotes ·2024-08-12
“The tires are over inflated for transport. The dealership should set them to the proper PSI during PDI but that's not always the case. I had 55 PSI in mine which explained the rough ride.”
bobistheoilguy.com
·5 upvotes ·2025-06-04
“Got them last month. Did road trip to Vegas and back. Astonishing tire. You almost don’t know they are there. They just provide feedback necessary to have good control. No noise, no uncomfortable transfer of impact. Excellent in rain. Went through several downpours. As expected from 12/32 depth and this design, hydroplaning resistance is excellent. But what I pay attention is braking and handling, and they are excellent there. Did by now 3,000mls no any noticeable wear.”
tahoeyukonforum.com
·5 upvotes ·2026-03-06
“Defender LTX M/S2 275/50/22 on Fuel 22’s Coming off the Allenzas the quiet smooth ride is very noticeable. A section of paved road that has roots underneath but not really washboard - on the Allenzas it was noisy and bumpy and with the Defenders it is barely noticeable. They are that good”
Top themes
#highway ride comfort#wet weather traction#low road noise#fuel and range efficiency#light snow performance#all-terrain comparison
Based on 83 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Cooper Discoverer All Season | B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | All Season |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | SUV and 4x4 |
| Tread depth | — | 11 - 14/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 820 B A |
| Sidewall | — | Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering |
| Max pressure | — | 50 - 80 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
68
/ 100
Cooper Discoverer All Season
77
/ 100
Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 — better snow, handling and comfort. Pick the Cooper Discoverer All Season if dry matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 81 vs 52 on snow.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 87 vs 71 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 82 vs 67 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 80 vs 66 on treadwear.
Tire A · Cooper Discoverer All Season
Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
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Discoverer All Season or Defender LTX M/S2?
Which is better in the wet, Discoverer All Season or Defender LTX M/S2?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, 77 vs 73 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Discoverer All Season or Defender LTX M/S2?
Cooper Discoverer All Season, 72 vs 68 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Discoverer All Season or Defender LTX M/S2?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, 81 vs 52 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, Discoverer All Season or Defender LTX M/S2?
Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 75 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Discoverer All Season or Defender LTX M/S2?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, 82 vs 67 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Discoverer All Season or Defender LTX M/S2?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, 80 vs 66 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