Tests – · none yet Owners 49 · 6 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Kumho Ecsta KH11 vs Michelin Defender T+H — 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 0 + 1 road tests and 6 + 1 owner reviews. How we score
Defender T+H is ahead, 70–55
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 69 · 1 review
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season 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.
-
54
Dry
Defender T+H +1670Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 59 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 47 71 Ecsta KH11: 60% × 59 (est.) + 40% × 46.5 = 54
Defender T+H: 60% × 69.2 (est.) + 40% × 70.8 = 70
No road tests of dry for Ecsta KH11. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
No road tests of dry for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
-
56
Wet
Defender T+H +1773Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 59 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 50 73 Ecsta KH11: 60% × 59.3 (est.) + 40% × 50.1 = 56
Defender T+H: 60% × 72.2 (est.) + 40% × 73.3 = 73
No road tests of wet for Ecsta KH11. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
No road tests of wet for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
53
Snow
Defender T+H +1265Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 60 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 42 62 Ecsta KH11: 60% × 60.2 (est.) + 40% × 42.4 = 53
Defender T+H: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 62.1 = 65
No road tests of snow for Ecsta KH11. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
No road tests of snow for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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55
Comfort
Defender T+H +1368Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 49 67 Ecsta KH11: 40% × 65.4 (est.) + 60% × 48.6 = 55
Defender T+H: 40% × 68.7 (est.) + 60% × 66.9 = 68
No road tests of comfort for Ecsta KH11 or Defender T+H. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
58
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) – Reviews found online 46 – Ecsta KH11: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 46.1 = 58
No road tests of noise for Ecsta KH11. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
59
Treadwear
Defender T+H +1473Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 62 (est.) 76 Reviews found online 55 68 Ecsta KH11: 60% × 62.1 (est.) + 40% × 54.7 = 59
Defender T+H: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 67.9 = 73
No road tests of treadwear for Ecsta KH11. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
-
51
Handling (owners)
No comparison–Why this score
Source Ecsta KH11 Defender T+H Reviews found online 51 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Kumho Ecsta KH11 | Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 55 | 70 |
| Dry | 54 | 70 |
| Wet | 56 | 73 |
| Snow | 53 | 65 |
| Comfort | 55 | 68 |
| Noise | 58 | – |
| Treadwear | 59 | 73 |
| Handling (owners) | 51 | – |
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
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
55
/ 100
Ecsta KH11
70
/ 100
Defender T+H
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 Ecsta KH11
Pros
- Exceptional tread life and longevity with proper maintenance
- Balanced performance in both wet and dry conditions for select users
- Attractive cost compared to premium competitors like Pirelli and Michelin
Cons
- Soft sidewalls leading to poor handling stability and a rolling sensation
- Inconsistent or disappointing grip, particularly in wet weather
- Rapid and unexpected tread wear reported by some users
Tire B Defender T+H
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Kumho Ecsta KH11 | B · Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Premium Touring All Season tire |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | 3 | — |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 18″ | — |
| Tread depth | 8.9/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 340 A A | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
55
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta KH11
70
/ 100
Michelin Defender T+H
Winner: Michelin Defender T+H — better wet, dry and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score. Kumho Ecsta KH11 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Michelin Defender T+H rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 56 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender T+H scores 70 vs 54 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 59 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender T+H scores 68 vs 55 on comfort.
Tire A · Kumho Ecsta KH11
Tire B · Michelin Defender T+H
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Ecsta KH11 or Defender T+H?
Which is better in the wet, Ecsta KH11 or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 73 vs 56 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Ecsta KH11 or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 70 vs 54 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Ecsta KH11 or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 65 vs 53 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Ecsta KH11 or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 68 vs 55 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Ecsta KH11 or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 73 vs 59 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