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Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S 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 18 + 11 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–52

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Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S
Tire AFalken

ZIEX ZE001 A/S

All Season

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 43 · 18 reviews

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. 55

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +24
    79
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE001 A/SDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 60 (est.)≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online4984

    ZIEX ZE001 A/S: 60% × 60 (est.) + 40% × 48.6 = 55

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

    No road tests of dry for ZIEX ZE001 A/S. 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. 54

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +28
    82
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE001 A/SDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 58 (est.)≈ 79 (est.)
    Reviews found online4886

    ZIEX ZE001 A/S: 60% × 58.1 (est.) + 40% × 47.7 = 54

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

    No road tests of wet for ZIEX ZE001 A/S. 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 LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 61

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +13
    74
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE001 A/SDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online5477

    ZIEX ZE001 A/S: 60% × 65.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 61

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

    No road tests of snow for ZIEX ZE001 A/S. 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).

  4. 54

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +21
    75
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE001 A/SDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online4778

    ZIEX ZE001 A/S: 40% × 64.2 (est.) + 60% × 46.7 = 54

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

    No road tests of comfort for ZIEX ZE001 A/S. 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
    SourceZIEX ZE001 A/SDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)–
    Reviews found online55–

    ZIEX ZE001 A/S: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 54.8 = 62

    No road tests of noise for ZIEX ZE001 A/S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 40

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +40
    80
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE001 A/SDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 51 (est.)75
    Reviews found online2486

    ZIEX ZE001 A/S: 60% × 51 (est.) + 40% × 23.6 = 40

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

    No road tests of treadwear for ZIEX ZE001 A/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 42

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +40
    82
    Why this score
    SourceZIEX ZE001 A/SDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online4282
Scores at a glance
CategoryFalken ZIEX ZE001 A/SMichelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 52 79
Dry 55 79
Wet 54 82
Snow 61 74
Comfort 54 75
Noise 62 –
Treadwear 40 80
Handling (owners) 42 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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

ZIEX ZE001 A/S

± 7

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 ZIEX ZE001 A/S

Pros

  • Quiet, comfortable ride, noted by several owners including a long-distance highway driver
  • Good dry grip and handling, with several reviewers describing wet performance as impressive or confident
  • Stable, composed behavior and good steering feedback in everyday driving, with one reviewer calling it a capable all-rounder that is not aimed at sporting use

Cons

  • Premature tread wear is the most frequent complaint, with reports of tires nearly bald or needing replacement at roughly 34-36K miles, and fast wear noted at 13K miles, 15,000 km and 20,000 km
  • Poor traction in snow, slush and ice, with some reviewers advising against use below 0°C
  • Wet-weather concerns in some cases, including hydroplaning resistance described as dangerous on a turbo Mazda 6 and looser handling in the wet late in the tire's life
All owner themes in the ZIEX ZE001 A/S 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 · Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available6—
Rim diameters17″ – 20″—
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG360 A A720 - 800 B A
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S

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. Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 18 reviews), so read this result as provisional. 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 want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 40 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 42 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 54 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 55 on dry.

Tire A · Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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ZIEX ZE001 A/S or Defender LTX M/S?

Which is better in the wet, ZIEX ZE001 A/S or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 54 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, ZIEX ZE001 A/S or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 55 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, ZIEX ZE001 A/S or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 61 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, ZIEX ZE001 A/S or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 54 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, ZIEX ZE001 A/S or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 40 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