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Head-to-head Updated

Firestone Firehawk 900 vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 77–71

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Category by category

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

  1. 69

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    76
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online7081
  2. 73

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +5
    78
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online7481
  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    72
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online–73
  4. 71

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +2
    73
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online7476
  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    70
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online–74
  6. 69

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    76
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–74
    Reviews found online7278
  7. 76

    Handling

    Defender LTX M/S +2
    78
    Why this score
    SourceFirehawk 900Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online7678
Scores at a glance
CategoryFirestone Firehawk 900Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 71 77
Dry 69 76
Wet 73 78
Snow – 72
Comfort 71 73
Noise – 70
Treadwear 69 76
Handling 76 78

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Neutral
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Less important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Firehawk 900

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 wet and dry traction
  • Strong durability and impact resistance against potholes
  • High level of ride comfort and bump absorption

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise, especially at lower speeds
  • Run-flat variants may be unsuitable for certain vehicle suspension setups
  • Dry grip performance can degrade noticeably as the tire ages
All owner themes in the Firehawk 900 review

Tire B Defender LTX M/S

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and mileage lifespan
  • Quiet and smooth ride quality at highway speeds
  • Strong year-round traction across dry, wet, and light snow conditions

Cons

  • High upfront purchase price
  • Subpar performance in deep mud, sand, and off-road environments
  • Limited ice and severe winter capability 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

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone Firehawk 900

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better dry, treadwear and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 69 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 69 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 73 on wet.

Tire A · Firestone Firehawk 900
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

77

Leads

Defender LTX M/S

Amazon