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Hankook Optimo H725 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Hankook Optimo H725 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. Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 36 + 10 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 76–55

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Hankook Optimo H725
Tire AHankook

Optimo H725

All-Season tire

Tests – · none yet Owners 48 · 36 reviews

Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

Provisional

Tests – · 1 test Owners 78 · 10 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. 53

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +23
    76
    Why this score
    SourceOptimo H725Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 58 (est.)≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online4581

    Optimo H725: 60% × 58.4 (est.) + 40% × 44.5 = 53

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 73.2 (est.) + 40% × 81.3 = 76

    No road tests of dry for Optimo H725. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    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 0.40).

  2. 57

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +21
    78
    Why this score
    SourceOptimo H725Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 60 (est.)≈ 76 (est.)
    Reviews found online5281

    Optimo H725: 60% × 59.9 (est.) + 40% × 52.1 = 57

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.9 (est.) + 40% × 80.7 = 78

    No road tests of wet for Optimo H725. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    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 0.56).

  3. 55

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +17
    72
    Why this score
    SourceOptimo H725Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 62 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online4673

    Optimo H725: 60% × 61.8 (est.) + 40% × 45.5 = 55

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 73.2 = 72

    No road tests of snow for Optimo H725. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

    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 0.33).

  4. 54

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +19
    73
    Why this score
    SourceOptimo H725Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online4076

    Optimo H725: 60% × 64.1 (est.) + 40% × 39.8 = 54

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 76.1 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for Optimo H725 or Defender LTX M/S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 61

    Noise

    Defender LTX M/S +9
    70
    Why this score
    SourceOptimo H725Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online5275

    Optimo H725: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 52.3 = 61

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 74.7 = 70

    No road tests of noise for Optimo H725 or Defender LTX M/S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 56

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +20
    76
    Why this score
    SourceOptimo H725Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 60 (est.)74
    Reviews found online4978

    Optimo H725: 60% × 60.4 (est.) + 40% × 48.8 = 56

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 78 = 76

    No road tests of treadwear for Optimo H725. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 46

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +33
    79
    Why this score
    SourceOptimo H725Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online4679
Scores at a glance
CategoryHankook Optimo H725Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 55 76
Dry 53 76
Wet 57 78
Snow 55 72
Comfort 54 73
Noise 61 70
Treadwear 56 76
Handling (owners) 46 79

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
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Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Less important
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Neutral
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Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score

Optimo H725

Defender LTX M/S

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Optimo H725

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

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 · Hankook Optimo H725 B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategoryAll-Season tireAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Tread depth9/32″—
UTQG700 A B—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Hankook Optimo H725

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin Defender LTX M/S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 46 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 53 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 57 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 56 on treadwear.

Tire A · Hankook Optimo H725
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Optimo H725 or Defender LTX M/S?

Which is better in the wet, Optimo H725 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 78 vs 57 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Optimo H725 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 76 vs 53 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Optimo H725 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 72 vs 55 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Optimo H725 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 70 vs 61 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Optimo H725 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 73 vs 54 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Optimo H725 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 76 vs 56 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