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Head-to-head Updated

Firestone Firehawk 900 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 7 + 11 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 80–74

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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. 73

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +6
    79
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online7684

    Firehawk 900: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 75.5 = 73

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

    No road tests of dry for Firehawk 900. 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. 75

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    82
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 74 (est.)≈ 79 (est.)
    Reviews found online7686

    Firehawk 900: 60% × 73.7 (est.) + 40% × 76.1 = 75

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

    No road tests of wet for Firehawk 900. 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. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    74
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online–77

    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. 76

    Comfort

    Firehawk 900 +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7978

    Firehawk 900: 40% × 70.7 (est.) + 60% × 79 = 76

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

    No road tests of comfort for Firehawk 900. 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. 71

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)–
    Reviews found online78–

    Firehawk 900: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 77.9 = 71

    No road tests of noise for Firehawk 900. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 73

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    80
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)75
    Reviews found online7786

    Firehawk 900: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 77 = 73

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

    No road tests of treadwear for Firehawk 900. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 79

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +3
    82
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online7982
Scores at a glance
CategoryFirestone Firehawk 900Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 74 80
Dry 73 79
Wet 75 82
Snow – 74
Comfort 76 75
Noise 71 –
Treadwear 73 80
Handling (owners) 79 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

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

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

Firehawk 900

± 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 Firehawk 900

Pros

  • Reliable and safe grip in both wet and dry conditions
  • Good ride comfort and bump absorption on rough or uneven roads
  • Attractive aesthetic appearance

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise, especially reported with run-flat versions at lower speeds or with windows down
  • Potential to receive older, pre-dated stock from retailers affecting rubber longevity
  • Dry grip can diminish as the tire ages
All owner themes in the Firehawk 900 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 · Firestone Firehawk 900 B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategorySummerAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
UTQG300 A A720 - 800 B A
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure42 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone Firehawk 900

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better wet, treadwear and dry. Where the Firestone Firehawk 900 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Firestone Firehawk 900 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 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 Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 75 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 73 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 73 on dry.

Tire A · Firestone Firehawk 900
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Firehawk 900 or Defender LTX M/S?

Which is better in the wet, Firehawk 900 or Defender LTX M/S?

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

Which grips better on dry roads, Firehawk 900 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 73 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Firehawk 900 or Defender LTX M/S?

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

Which lasts longer, Firehawk 900 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 73 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