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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Winter Response 2 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 2 + 1 road tests and 10 + 11 owner reviews. How we score

Winter Response 2 leads, 82–79 Narrow edge

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Dunlop Winter Response 2
Tire ADunlop

Winter Response 2

Winter

± 6

Tests 89 · 2 tests Owners 84 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 51 in 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! (wet braking)

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. 77

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +2
    79
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 74 (est.)≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online8384

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 74 (est.) + 40% × 82.7 = 77

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

    No road tests of dry for Winter Response 2. 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).

  2. 91

    Wet

    Winter Response 2 +9
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests93≈ 79 (est.)
    Reviews found online8986

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 93 + 40% × 88.6 = 91

    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. 84

    Snow

    Winter Response 2 +10
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests84≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online8477

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 84 + 40% × 84.3 = 84

    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. 80

    Comfort

    Winter Response 2 +5
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online8578

    Winter Response 2: 40% × 72 (est.) + 60% × 85.1 = 80

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

    No road tests of comfort for Winter Response 2. 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. 75

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +5
    80
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 72 (est.)75
    Reviews found online8186

    Winter Response 2: 60% × 71.7 (est.) + 40% × 80.8 = 75

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

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter Response 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 83

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Response 2 +1
    82
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Response 2Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online8382
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Winter Response 2Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 82 79
Dry 77 79
Wet 91 82
Snow 84 74
Comfort 80 75
Treadwear 75 80
Handling (owners) 83 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.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

Winter Response 2

± 7

Defender LTX M/S

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinter Response 2Defender LTX M/SΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #1/51 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! #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 Winter Response 2

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and confidence in snow and ice
  • Excellent wet weather performance and braking
  • High level of cabin comfort and low noise levels

Cons

  • Faster tread wear reported by some users
  • Slightly noticeable tire roll in fast corners above 50 mph
All owner themes in the Winter Response 2 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 · Dunlop Winter Response 2 B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategoryWinterAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available15—
Rim diameters14″ – 16″—
UTQG—720 - 800 B A

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Winter Response 2

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Narrow edge: Dunlop Winter Response 2 — better snow, wet and comfort. Pick the Michelin Defender LTX M/S if treadwear matters most to you. Michelin Defender LTX M/S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 11 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 84 vs 74 on snow.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 91 vs 82 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop Winter Response 2 scores 80 vs 75 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 75 on treadwear.

Tire A · Dunlop Winter Response 2
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Winter Response 2 or Defender LTX M/S?

Which is better in the wet, Winter Response 2 or Defender LTX M/S?

Dunlop Winter Response 2, 91 vs 82 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Response 2 or Defender LTX M/S?

Neither, by our numbers: 77 vs 79 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, Winter Response 2 or Defender LTX M/S?

Dunlop Winter Response 2, 84 vs 74 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter Response 2 or Defender LTX M/S?

Dunlop Winter Response 2, 80 vs 75 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter Response 2 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 75 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