Tests – · none yet Owners 48 · 36 reviews
Hankook Optimo H725 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Michelin Defender 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 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 36 + 4 owner reviews. How we score
Defender is ahead, 72–54
Add your size for an exact match
/R
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
53
Dry
Defender +2073Why this score
Source Optimo H725 Defender Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 58 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 45 76 Optimo H725: 60% × 58.4 (est.) + 40% × 44.5 = 53
Defender: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 76.4 = 73
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. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
-
57
Wet
Defender +1673Why this score
Source Optimo H725 Defender Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 60 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 52 74 Optimo H725: 60% × 59.9 (est.) + 40% × 52.1 = 57
Defender: 60% × 72.2 (est.) + 40% × 74.1 = 73
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. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
-
55
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Optimo H725 Defender Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 62 (est.) – Reviews found online 46 – Optimo H725: 60% × 61.8 (est.) + 40% × 45.5 = 55
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).
-
54
Comfort
Defender +1771Why this score
Source Optimo H725 Defender Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 64 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 40 73 Optimo H725: 60% × 64.1 (est.) + 40% × 39.8 = 54
Defender: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 73.4 = 71
No road tests of comfort for Optimo H725 or Defender. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
61
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Optimo H725 Defender Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) – Reviews found online 52 – Optimo H725: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 52.3 = 61
No road tests of noise for Optimo H725. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
56
Treadwear
Defender +1369Why this score
Source Optimo H725 Defender Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 60 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 49 72 Optimo H725: 60% × 60.4 (est.) + 40% × 48.8 = 56
Defender: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 71.6 = 69
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).
No road tests of treadwear for Defender. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
-
46
Handling (owners)
Defender +3177Why this score
Source Optimo H725 Defender Reviews found online 46 77
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Optimo H725 | Michelin Defender |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 54 | 72 |
| Dry | 53 | 73 |
| Wet | 57 | 73 |
| Snow | 55 | – |
| Comfort | 54 | 71 |
| Noise | 61 | – |
| Treadwear | 56 | 69 |
| Handling (owners) | 46 | 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 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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
54
/ 100
Optimo H725
72
/ 100
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 Optimo H725
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Optimo H725 | B · Michelin Defender |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All-Season tire | Summer Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Tread depth | 9/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 700 A B | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
54
/ 100
Hankook Optimo H725
72
/ 100
Michelin Defender
Winner: Michelin Defender — better handling, dry and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin Defender rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 4 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Defender scores 77 vs 46 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender scores 73 vs 53 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender scores 71 vs 54 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender scores 73 vs 57 on wet.
Tire A · Hankook Optimo H725
Tire B · Michelin Defender
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Optimo H725 or Defender?
Which is better in the wet, Optimo H725 or Defender?
Michelin Defender, 73 vs 57 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Optimo H725 or Defender?
Michelin Defender, 73 vs 53 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Optimo H725 or Defender?
Michelin Defender, 71 vs 54 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Optimo H725 or Defender?
Michelin Defender, 69 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