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Firestone Transforce AT2 vs Michelin Defender — Compared

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

Defender is ahead, 72–64

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Tire BMichelin

Defender

Summer Premium Touring tires

Tests – · none yet Owners 75 · 4 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 64

    Dry

    Defender +9
    73
    Why this score
    SourceTransforce AT2Defender
    Reviews found online6276
  2. 67

    Wet

    Defender +6
    73
    Why this score
    SourceTransforce AT2Defender
    Reviews found online6674
  3. 67

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceTransforce AT2Defender
    Reviews found online65–
  4. 60

    Comfort

    Defender +11
    71
    Why this score
    SourceTransforce AT2Defender
    Reviews found online5073
  5. 67

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceTransforce AT2Defender
    Reviews found online68–
  6. 67

    Treadwear

    Defender +2
    69
    Why this score
    SourceTransforce AT2Defender
    Reviews found online6772
  7. 58

    Handling

    Defender +19
    77
    Why this score
    SourceTransforce AT2Defender
    Reviews found online5877
Scores at a glance
CategoryFirestone Transforce AT2Michelin Defender
Relative Score 64 72
Dry 64 73
Wet 67 73
Snow 67 –
Comfort 60 71
Noise 67 –
Treadwear 67 69
Handling 58 77

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.

Important
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Important
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Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

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

Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

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

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Transforce AT2

Defender

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 Transforce AT2

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Tire B Defender

Pros

  • Excellent ride comfort and quiet operation
  • Strong tread life and durability over several years
  • Reliable grip on dry pavement

Cons

  • Susceptibility to hydroplaning in heavy rain
  • Limited traction in deep or severe snow
  • Audible squealing during aggressive dry-pavement acceleration
All owner themes in the Defender review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Firestone Transforce AT2 B · Michelin Defender
Category—Summer Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available17—
Rim diameters16″ – 20″—
Tread depth32/32″—
SidewallOutlined White Lettering—
Max pressure80 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone Transforce AT2

Michelin Defender

Winner: Michelin Defender — better handling, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender scores 77 vs 58 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender scores 71 vs 60 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender scores 73 vs 64 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender scores 73 vs 67 on wet.

Tire A · Firestone Transforce AT2
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Defender
Check price on Amazon

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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.

72

Leads

Defender

Amazon