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Head-to-head Updated

Firestone All Season vs Michelin Defender2 — 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 1 + 2 road tests and 43 + 11,304 owner reviews. How we score

Defender2 leads, 76–72 Narrow edge

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Firestone All Season
Tire AFirestone

All Season

All Season Touring tires

± 8

Tests – · 1 test Owners 74 · 43 reviews

Michelin Defender2
Tire BMichelin

Defender2

All Season

± 7

Tests 64 · 2 tests Owners 89 · 11,304 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test (noise (tester's mark))

“I just ordered Michelin Defender 2 for our 15 Outback . We've had 2 sets of Yokohama YK-CTX after OEM which only lasted about 20k (first set) and 25k (second set). I've had Michelin Defender (orig) and Michelin Defender2 on our Ford Taurus. Very comfortable and great tread life.”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 74

    Dry

    Defender2 +6
    80
    Why this score
    SourceAll SeasonDefender2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 72 (est.)73
    Reviews found online7792

    All Season: 60% × 71.6 (est.) + 40% × 76.8 = 74

    Defender2: 60% × 72.7 + 40% × 91.5 = 80

    No road tests of dry for All Season. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 76

    Wet

    All Season +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceAll SeasonDefender2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 75 (est.)64
    Reviews found online7892

    All Season: 60% × 74.8 (est.) + 40% × 78.3 = 76

    Defender2: 60% × 64 + 40% × 92.2 = 75

    No road tests of wet for All Season. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 69

    Snow

    All Season +9
    60
    Why this score
    SourceAll SeasonDefender2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)46
    Reviews found online6879

    All Season: 60% × 69.6 (est.) + 40% × 67.6 = 69

    Defender2: 60% × 46.4 + 40% × 79.3 = 60

    No road tests of snow for All Season. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 70

    Comfort

    Defender2 +12
    82
    Why this score
    SourceAll SeasonDefender2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7188

    All Season: 40% × 69.2 (est.) + 60% × 71.2 = 70

    Defender2: 40% × 72.5 (est.) + 60% × 87.6 = 82

    No road tests of comfort for All Season. 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 Defender2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 68

    Noise

    Defender2 +11
    79
    Why this score
    SourceAll SeasonDefender2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)73
    Reviews found online7187

    All Season: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 70.7 = 68

    Defender2: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 87.1 = 79

    No road tests of noise for All Season. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 69

    Treadwear

    Defender2 +11
    80
    Why this score
    SourceAll SeasonDefender2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests67≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online7289

    All Season: 60% × 67.1 + 40% × 72.1 = 69

    Defender2: 60% × 74.6 (est.) + 40% × 89 = 80

    No road tests of treadwear for Defender2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. –

    Handling (owners)

    No comparison
    89
    Why this score
    SourceAll SeasonDefender2
    Reviews found online–89
Scores at a glance
CategoryFirestone All SeasonMichelin Defender2
Relative Score 72 76
Dry 74 80
Wet 76 75
Snow 69 60
Comfort 70 82
Noise 68 79
Treadwear 69 80
Handling (owners) – 89

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

All Season

± 7

Defender2

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.

DisciplineCategoryAll SeasonDefender2ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #6/8 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires #2/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A All Season

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Tire B Defender2

Pros

  • Long-lasting tread life and high mileage capability
  • Confident dry and wet traction with stable handling
  • Quiet and smooth ride quality on specific vehicles and highway surfaces

Cons

  • Stiffer, harder ride compared to original equipment or older models
  • Noticeable road noise and lack of noise absorption on certain pavement types
  • Reduced fuel economy (MPG) reported by multiple users
All owner themes in the Defender2 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Firestone All Season

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Michelin Defender2

Positive

Community sentiment toward the Michelin Defender2 is strongly positive, with owners widely praising its exceptional tread life, durability, and 80k-mile warranty. Many drivers and EV owners report excellent longevity and efficiency, though some note elevated road noise compared to premium touring tires or question its necessity for low-mileage driving.

subaruoutback.org ·1 upvote ·2026-01-15

“I just ordered Michelin Defender 2 for our 15 Outback . We've had 2 sets of Yokohama YK-CTX after OEM which only lasted about 20k (first set) and 25k (second set). I've had Michelin Defender (orig) and Michelin Defender2 on our Ford Taurus. Very comfortable and great tread life.”
silveradosierra.com ·1 upvote ·2025-03-19

“Michelin Defender2 LTX M/S are excellent tires IMO. Quiet and good all around. Or the KO3 but there have a more aggressive look.”
teslamotorsclub.com ·5 upvotes ·2026-03-19

“Swapped the OEM 19s for the 18" TSportLine wheels I had on our 2022 MYP. I installed new Michelin Defender2 tires sized 235/55s last June and they have 9K miles on them and look brand new. The complement the Stealth Gray nicely. I do miss the RED clippers the MYP had. The car was PERFECT at delivery and continues to amaze us with each mile. Just turned 167 miles. HW4 is a game changer.”
Top themes
#tread life longevity#80k mileage warranty#EV efficiency and range#road noise trade-off#comparison to CrossClimate2#speed rating fitment issues#ride comfort

Based on 24 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Firestone All Season B · Michelin Defender2
CategoryAll Season Touring tiresAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available621
Rim diameters14″ – 20″18″
Tread depth10/32″10 - 11/32″
UTQG560 A B840 B B
Treadwear warranty65,000 mi80,000 mi
SidewallBlackwallBlack Side Wall
Max pressure44 psi50 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone All Season

Michelin Defender2

Narrow edge: Michelin Defender2 — better comfort, noise and treadwear. Pick the Firestone All Season if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender2 scores 82 vs 70 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Defender2 scores 79 vs 68 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender2 scores 80 vs 69 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Firestone All Season scores 69 vs 60 on snow.

Tire A · Firestone All Season
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Tire B · Michelin Defender2
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All Season or Defender2?

Which is better in the wet, All Season or Defender2?

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 75 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, All Season or Defender2?

Michelin Defender2, 80 vs 74 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, All Season or Defender2?

Firestone All Season, 69 vs 60 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, All Season or Defender2?

Michelin Defender2, 79 vs 68 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, All Season or Defender2?

Michelin Defender2, 82 vs 70 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, All Season or Defender2?

Michelin Defender2, 80 vs 69 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