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Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Optimo H426 vs Michelin Defender T+H — Compared

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

Defender T+H is ahead, 72–51

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Tire BMichelin

Defender T+H

Premium Touring All Season tire

Tests – · 1 test Owners 71 · 1 review

Category by category

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

  1. 53

    Dry

    Defender T+H +19
    72
    Why this score
    SourceOptimo H426Defender T+H
    Reviews found online4574
  2. 55

    Wet

    Defender T+H +19
    74
    Why this score
    SourceOptimo H426Defender T+H
    Reviews found online5075
  3. 48

    Snow

    Defender T+H +18
    66
    Why this score
    SourceOptimo H426Defender T+H
    Reviews found online3364
  4. 52

    Comfort

    Defender T+H +18
    70
    Why this score
    SourceOptimo H426Defender T+H
    Reviews found online3470
  5. 60

    Noise

    Defender T+H +8
    68
    Why this score
    SourceOptimo H426Defender T+H
    Reviews found online4970
  6. 50

    Treadwear

    Defender T+H +23
    73
    Why this score
    SourceOptimo H426Defender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)–75
    Reviews found online3970
  7. 40

    Handling

    Defender T+H +32
    72
    Why this score
    SourceOptimo H426Defender T+H
    Reviews found online4072
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Optimo H426Michelin Defender T+H
Relative Score 51 72
Dry 53 72
Wet 55 74
Snow 48 66
Comfort 52 70
Noise 60 68
Treadwear 50 73
Handling 40 72

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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Recomputed
Headline score

Optimo H426

Defender T+H

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Optimo H426

Pros

  • Reliable dry and wet traction in moderate weather
  • Comfortable and smooth initial ride quality
  • Confident handling and cornering capabilities

Cons

  • Accelerated tread wear in the latter half of the tire's life span
  • Subpar performance and loss of grip in cold temperatures or snow
  • Increased road noise as the tires age
All owner themes in the Optimo H426 review

Tire B Defender T+H

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Hankook Optimo H426 B · Michelin Defender T+H
CategoryAll SeasonPremium Touring All Season tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available11—
Rim diameters15″ – 20″—
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG440 A A—
Treadwear warranty60,000 mi—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Optimo H426

Michelin Defender T+H

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

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender T+H scores 72 vs 40 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 50 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender T+H scores 72 vs 53 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender T+H scores 74 vs 55 on wet.

Tire A · Hankook Optimo H426
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Tire B · Michelin Defender T+H
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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 T+H

Amazon