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Head-to-head Updated

Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S — Compared

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

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 76–64

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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. 64

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +12
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWrangler Fortitude HTDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6281
  2. 64

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +14
    78
    Why this score
    SourceWrangler Fortitude HTDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6181
  3. 66

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +6
    72
    Why this score
    SourceWrangler Fortitude HTDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6373
  4. 66

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWrangler Fortitude HTDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6476
  5. 67

    Noise

    Defender LTX M/S +2
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWrangler Fortitude HTDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6774
  6. 64

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +12
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWrangler Fortitude HTDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–74
    Reviews found online6278
  7. 63

    Handling

    Defender LTX M/S +15
    78
    Why this score
    SourceWrangler Fortitude HTDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6378
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear Wrangler Fortitude HTMichelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 64 76
Dry 64 76
Wet 64 78
Snow 66 72
Comfort 66 73
Noise 67 69
Treadwear 64 76
Handling 63 78

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

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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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Recomputed
Headline score

Wrangler Fortitude HT

Defender LTX M/S

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Wrangler Fortitude HT

Pros

  • Excellent tread life and durability
  • Quiet and smooth highway ride quality
  • Improved fuel economy compared to all-terrain alternatives

Cons

  • Poor traction in snow, ice, and heavy rain
  • Inadequate performance for off-road or mud environments
  • Reports of vibration and balancing issues in some units
All owner themes in the Wrangler Fortitude HT 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 · Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategoryPremium Touring All Season tireAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available9—
Rim diameters16″ – 18″—
Tread depth10 - 15/32″—
UTQG680 A B—
SidewallBlack Side Wall - Vertical Serrated Band—
Max pressure50 - 83 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

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

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 63 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 64 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 64 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 64 on treadwear.

Tire A · Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT
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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.

76

Leads

Defender LTX M/S

Amazon