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Head-to-head Updated

General Altimax Sport 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 1 + 1 road tests and 32 + 11 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 80–71

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General Altimax Sport
Tire AGeneral

Altimax Sport

Summer

± 8

Tests 68 · 1 test Owners 74 · 32 reviews

Best test result: #19 of 45 in 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout (wet braking)

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. 66

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +13
    79
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax SportDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests64≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online6984

    Altimax Sport: 60% × 63.9 + 40% × 68.8 = 66

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

    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. 74

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +8
    82
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax SportDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 79 (est.)
    Reviews found online7686

    Altimax Sport: 60% × 72.4 + 40% × 75.7 = 74

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.9 (est.) + 40% × 85.6 = 82

    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
    SourceAltimax SportDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online–77

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.4 (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. 70

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +5
    75
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax SportDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7178

    Altimax Sport: 40% × 69.2 (est.) + 60% × 71.1 = 70

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.5 (est.) + 60% × 77.6 = 75

    No road tests of comfort for Altimax Sport. 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. 74

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +6
    80
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax SportDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 71 (est.)75
    Reviews found online7886

    Altimax Sport: 60% × 70.6 (est.) + 40% × 77.9 = 74

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

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

  6. 73

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +9
    82
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax SportDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online7382
Scores at a glance
CategoryGeneral Altimax SportMichelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 71 80
Dry 66 79
Wet 74 82
Snow – 74
Comfort 70 75
Treadwear 74 80
Handling (owners) 73 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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Altimax Sport

± 7

Defender LTX M/S

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.

DisciplineCategoryAltimax SportDefender LTX M/SΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #23/45 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout #3/13 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Altimax Sport

Pros

  • Excellent value for money compared to premium brands
  • Impressive tread life and durability
  • Reliable dry-weather handling and responsiveness

Cons

  • Increased road noise as the tire ages
  • Inconsistent wet-weather grip for some users
  • Performance degradation noted after significant mileage
All owner themes in the Altimax Sport 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 · General Altimax Sport B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategorySummerAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available20—
Rim diameters14″ – 20″—
UTQG—720 - 800 B A
SidewallBlackwall—

Which one should you actually buy?

General Altimax Sport

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

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

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 66 on dry.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 73 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 74 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 74 on treadwear.

Tire A · General Altimax Sport
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Altimax Sport or Defender LTX M/S?

Which is better in the wet, Altimax Sport or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 74 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Altimax Sport or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Altimax Sport or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 70 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Altimax Sport or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 74 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