Tests – · none yet Owners 53 · 34 reviews
Cooper Discoverer H/T Plus 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 34 + 11 owner reviews. How we score
Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–58
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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.
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64
Dry
Defender LTX M/S +1579Why this score
Source Discoverer H/T Plus Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) ≈ 75 (est.) Reviews found online 62 84 Discoverer H/T Plus: 60% × 65.3 (est.) + 40% × 61.6 = 64
Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 84.3 = 79
No road tests of dry for Discoverer H/T Plus. 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).
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60
Wet
Defender LTX M/S +2282Why this score
Source Discoverer H/T Plus Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 63 (est.) ≈ 79 (est.) Reviews found online 56 86 Discoverer H/T Plus: 60% × 62.7 (est.) + 40% × 56 = 60
Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.8 (est.) + 40% × 85.6 = 82
No road tests of wet for Discoverer H/T Plus. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.54).
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 0.54).
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54
Snow
Defender LTX M/S +2074Why this score
Source Discoverer H/T Plus Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 62 (est.) ≈ 73 (est.) Reviews found online 43 77 Discoverer H/T Plus: 60% × 61.8 (est.) + 40% × 43 = 54
Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.7 = 74
No road tests of snow for Discoverer H/T Plus. 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).
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62
Comfort
Defender LTX M/S +1375Why this score
Source Discoverer H/T Plus Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 59 78 Discoverer H/T Plus: 40% × 66.7 (est.) + 60% × 58.6 = 62
Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.5 (est.) + 60% × 77.8 = 75
No road tests of comfort for Discoverer H/T Plus. 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).
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64
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Discoverer H/T Plus Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) – Reviews found online 61 – Discoverer H/T Plus: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 61.4 = 64
No road tests of noise for Discoverer H/T Plus. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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51
Treadwear
Defender LTX M/S +2980Why this score
Source Discoverer H/T Plus Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 57 (est.) 75 Reviews found online 41 86 Discoverer H/T Plus: 60% × 57.4 (est.) + 40% × 41 = 51
Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 86.4 = 80
No road tests of treadwear for Discoverer H/T Plus. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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53
Handling (owners)
Defender LTX M/S +2982Why this score
Source Discoverer H/T Plus Defender LTX M/S Reviews found online 53 82
Scores at a glance
| Category | Cooper Discoverer H/T Plus | Michelin Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 58 | 79 |
| Dry | 64 | 79 |
| Wet | 60 | 82 |
| Snow | 54 | 74 |
| Comfort | 62 | 75 |
| Noise | 64 | – |
| Treadwear | 51 | 80 |
| Handling (owners) | 53 | 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.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Discoverer H/T Plus
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 Discoverer H/T Plus
Pros
- Smooth and quiet highway ride quality
- Strong wet and dry traction, including dependable performance in rain
- Attractive and somewhat aggressive tread design that enhances truck appearance
Cons
- Rapid tread wear reported by some users, failing to meet expected mileage warranties
- Slight decrease in fuel economy noted by a few drivers
- Occasional minor increase in road noise compared to previous tires on specific setups
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 · Cooper Discoverer H/T Plus | B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All-Season tire | All Season |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | SUV and 4x4 |
| Tread depth | 12/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 460 A B | 720 - 800 B A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
Cooper Discoverer H/T Plus
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, handling and wet. 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.
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 51 on treadwear.
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 53 on handling.
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 60 on wet.
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 74 vs 54 on snow.
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Discoverer H/T Plus or Defender LTX M/S?
Which is better in the wet, Discoverer H/T Plus or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 60 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Discoverer H/T Plus or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 64 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Discoverer H/T Plus or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 54 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Discoverer H/T Plus or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 62 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Discoverer H/T Plus or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 51 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