Tests – · none yet Owners 23 · 10 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT DSST vs Michelin Defender T+H — 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 10 + 1 owner reviews. How we score
Defender T+H is ahead, 71–38
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 69 · 1 review
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season 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.
-
38
Dry
Defender T+H +3169Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx GT DSST Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 49 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 22 70 SP Sport Maxx GT DSST: 60% × 49.1 (est.) + 40% × 22.1 = 38
Defender T+H: 60% × 68.8 (est.) + 40% × 70 = 69
No road tests of dry for SP Sport Maxx GT DSST. 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 T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
-
42
Wet
Defender T+H +3072Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx GT DSST Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 49 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 31 73 SP Sport Maxx GT DSST: 60% × 49 (est.) + 40% × 31 = 42
Defender T+H: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.8 = 72
No road tests of wet for SP Sport Maxx GT DSST. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
No road tests of wet for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
–
Snow
No comparison65Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx GT DSST Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online – 61 Defender T+H: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 61.1 = 65
No road tests of snow for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
-
29
Comfort
Defender T+H +3867Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx GT DSST Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 57 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 10 66 SP Sport Maxx GT DSST: 40% × 57 (est.) + 60% × 10 = 29
Defender T+H: 40% × 68.1 (est.) + 60% × 66 = 67
No road tests of comfort for SP Sport Maxx GT DSST or Defender T+H. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
37
Treadwear
Defender T+H +3673Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx GT DSST Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 49 (est.) 76 Reviews found online 18 68 SP Sport Maxx GT DSST: 60% × 49.1 (est.) + 40% × 18.3 = 37
Defender T+H: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 67.9 = 73
No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport Maxx GT DSST. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT DSST | Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 38 | 71 |
| Dry | 38 | 69 |
| Wet | 42 | 72 |
| Snow | – | 65 |
| Comfort | 29 | 67 |
| Treadwear | 37 | 73 |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
38
/ 100
SP Sport Maxx GT DSST
71
/ 100
Defender T+H
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT DSST | B · Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer tire | Premium Touring All Season tire |
| Vehicle type | — | SUV and 4x4 |
| UTQG | 240 AA A | 820 A - B B |
Which one should you actually buy?
38
/ 100
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT DSST
71
/ 100
Michelin Defender T+H
Winner: Michelin Defender T+H — better comfort, treadwear and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT DSST rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Michelin Defender T+H rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender T+H scores 67 vs 29 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 37 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender T+H scores 69 vs 38 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender T+H scores 72 vs 42 on wet.
Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT DSST
Tire B · Michelin Defender T+H
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SP Sport Maxx GT DSST or Defender T+H?
Which is better in the wet, SP Sport Maxx GT DSST or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 72 vs 42 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, SP Sport Maxx GT DSST or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 69 vs 38 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, SP Sport Maxx GT DSST or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 67 vs 29 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, SP Sport Maxx GT DSST or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 73 vs 37 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