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Head-to-head Updated

Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ 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 6 + 1 road tests and 6 + 11 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–60

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Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+
Tire ACooper

WeatherMaster SA2+

Winter

± 8

Tests 57 · 6 tests Owners 63 · 6 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 20 in 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

± 7Provisional

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.

  1. 53

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +26
    79
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests50≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online5784

    WeatherMaster SA2+: 60% × 50.3 + 40% × 57.1 = 53

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 84.3 = 79

    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).

  2. 75

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests81≈ 79 (est.)
    Reviews found online6786

    WeatherMaster SA2+: 60% × 80.5 + 40% × 66.6 = 75

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.8 (est.) + 40% × 85.6 = 82

    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).

  3. 53

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +21
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / – tests44≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online6777

    WeatherMaster SA2+: 60% × 43.6 + 40% × 66.5 = 53

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.6 = 74

    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).

  4. 64

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +11
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6278

    WeatherMaster SA2+: 40% × 67.2 (est.) + 60% × 61.6 = 64

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.5 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 75

    No road tests of comfort for WeatherMaster SA2+. 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).

  5. 62

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests60–
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)–

    WeatherMaster SA2+: 60% × 59.7 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 62

    No owner ratings of noise for WeatherMaster SA2+. 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.

  6. 56

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +24
    80
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests5175
    Reviews found online6386

    WeatherMaster SA2+: 60% × 51 + 40% × 63.4 = 56

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 86.3 = 80

  7. 53

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +29
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online5382
  8. 56

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests56–
Scores at a glance
CategoryCooper WeatherMaster SA2+Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 60 79
Dry 53 79
Wet 75 82
Snow 53 74
Comfort 64 75
Noise 62 –
Treadwear 56 80
Handling (owners) 53 82
Efficiency 56 –

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

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

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
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Neutral
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Less important
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Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Not important
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Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

WeatherMaster SA2+

± 7

Defender LTX M/S

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.

DisciplineCategoryWeatherMaster SA2+Defender LTX M/SΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #22/49 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview #3/13 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A WeatherMaster SA2+

Pros

  • Strong value for the price, with several reviewers saying it is hard to beat and would buy again
  • Good wet-weather grip and stability, with a comfortable, soft ride
  • Capable in cold conditions and light or easy snow, and usable across mixed wet, dry, snow and ice on a long trip

Cons

  • Snow and ice performance is only average in heavy snow or on ice, with one reviewer moving to a Nordic-compound tire for extra grip
  • Handling and road feedback criticized, with one reviewer describing fast cornering as scary despite good grip
  • Dry performance is limited, as the tire reportedly overheats quickly and loses grip when driven spiritedly
All owner themes in the WeatherMaster SA2+ review

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
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategoryWinterAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
UTQG—720 - 800 B A

Which one should you actually buy?

Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+

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. 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 53 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 53 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 56 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 74 vs 53 on snow.

Tire A · Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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WeatherMaster SA2+ or Defender LTX M/S?

Which is better in the wet, WeatherMaster SA2+ or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WeatherMaster SA2+ or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 53 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WeatherMaster SA2+ or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 53 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, WeatherMaster SA2+ or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 64 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WeatherMaster SA2+ or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 56 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