Tests 55 · 2 tests Owners 75 · 164 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 9 in 2024 Tire Rack Highway All Season Tyre Test (dry circle)
Head-to-head
Updated
Kumho Crugen HT51 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 2 + 1 road tests and 164 + 11 owner reviews. How we score
Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–64
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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.
-
65
Dry
Defender LTX M/S +1479Why this score
Source Crugen HT51 Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 58 ≈ 75 (est.) Reviews found online 76 84 Crugen HT51: 60% × 58.2 + 40% × 75.9 = 65
Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.8 (est.) + 40% × 84.4 = 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 0.42).
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67
Wet
Defender LTX M/S +1582Why this score
Source Crugen HT51 Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 60 ≈ 79 (est.) Reviews found online 78 86 Crugen HT51: 60% × 59.5 + 40% × 78.1 = 67
Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 79 (est.) + 40% × 85.7 = 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).
-
49
Snow
Defender LTX M/S +2574Why this score
Source Crugen HT51 Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 36 ≈ 73 (est.) Reviews found online 70 77 Crugen HT51: 60% × 35.8 + 40% × 69.7 = 49
Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.7 = 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).
-
70
Comfort
Defender LTX M/S +575Why this score
Source Crugen HT51 Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 70 78 Crugen HT51: 40% × 69.1 (est.) + 60% × 70.4 = 70
Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.6 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 75
No road tests of comfort for Crugen HT51. 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).
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71
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Crugen HT51 Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) – Reviews found online 79 – Crugen HT51: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 79 = 71
No road tests of noise for Crugen HT51. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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66
Treadwear
Defender LTX M/S +1480Why this score
Source Crugen HT51 Defender LTX M/S Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests 58 75 Reviews found online 76 86 Tested Tread Life (Miles) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 58% 84% Crugen HT51: 60% × 58.4 + 40% × 76.4 = 66
Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 86.3 = 80
-
74
Handling (owners)
Defender LTX M/S +882Why this score
Source Crugen HT51 Defender LTX M/S Reviews found online 74 82
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Crugen HT51 | Michelin Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 64 | 79 |
| Dry | 65 | 79 |
| Wet | 67 | 82 |
| Snow | 49 | 74 |
| Comfort | 70 | 75 |
| Noise | 71 | – |
| Treadwear | 66 | 80 |
| Handling (owners) | 74 | 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 and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
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.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
64
/ 100
Crugen HT51
79
/ 100
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.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Kumho Crugen HT51 finished ahead 0 times and Michelin Defender LTX M/S 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | Crugen HT51 | Defender LTX M/S | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tested Tread Life (Miles) | Treadwear | 58% | 84% | −26.3 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires · 215/60R17 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #5/13 | #3/13 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires · 215/60R17 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Crugen HT51
Pros
- Exceptional value and lower price point compared to premium competitors
- Smooth, quiet, and comfortable highway ride
- Strong dry, wet, and winter/snow traction
Cons
- Slightly vague or 'squishy' steering feel/sidewall stiffness compared to some OEM tires
- Potential negative impact on fuel economy (decreased MPG for some truck owners)
- Occasional reports of accelerated shoulder wear or balancing issues
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Crugen HT51 | B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | All Season |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | 44 | — |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 22″ | — |
| Tread depth | 12.5/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 720 A A | 720 - 800 B A |
| Treadwear warranty | 70,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
64
/ 100
Kumho Crugen HT51
79
/ 100
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better snow, wet and dry. 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 drive through snowy winters
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 74 vs 49 on snow.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 67 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 65 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 66 on treadwear.
Tire A · Kumho Crugen HT51
Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Crugen HT51 or Defender LTX M/S?
Which is better in the wet, Crugen HT51 or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 67 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Crugen HT51 or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 65 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Crugen HT51 or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 49 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Crugen HT51 or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 70 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Crugen HT51 or Defender LTX M/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 66 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