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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Road Venture APT KL51 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 0 + 1 road tests and 24 + 11 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–69

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Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

± 7Provisional

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.

  1. 69

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +10
    79
    Why this score
    SourceRoad Venture APT KL51Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online6984

    Road Venture APT KL51: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 69 = 69

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 84.3 = 79

    No road tests of dry for Road Venture APT KL51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

    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 0.41).

  2. 70

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +12
    82
    Why this score
    SourceRoad Venture APT KL51Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 79 (est.)
    Reviews found online7086

    Road Venture APT KL51: 60% × 70.1 (est.) + 40% × 69.6 = 70

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.8 (est.) + 40% × 85.6 = 82

    No road tests of wet for Road Venture APT KL51. 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 LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 65

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +9
    74
    Why this score
    SourceRoad Venture APT KL51Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online6177

    Road Venture APT KL51: 60% × 67.6 (est.) + 40% × 61.4 = 65

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.6 = 74

    No road tests of snow for Road Venture APT KL51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

    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).

  4. 70

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +5
    75
    Why this score
    SourceRoad Venture APT KL51Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7078

    Road Venture APT KL51: 40% × 69 (est.) + 60% × 70.4 = 70

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.5 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 75

    No road tests of comfort for Road Venture APT KL51. 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).

  5. 67

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceRoad Venture APT KL51Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)–
    Reviews found online69–

    Road Venture APT KL51: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 68.6 = 67

    No road tests of noise for Road Venture APT KL51. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 70

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +10
    80
    Why this score
    SourceRoad Venture APT KL51Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 69 (est.)75
    Reviews found online7286

    Road Venture APT KL51: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 72 = 70

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 86.3 = 80

    No road tests of treadwear for Road Venture APT KL51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 69

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +13
    82
    Why this score
    SourceRoad Venture APT KL51Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6982
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Road Venture APT KL51Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 69 79
Dry 69 79
Wet 70 82
Snow 65 74
Comfort 70 75
Noise 67 –
Treadwear 70 80
Handling (owners) 69 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 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
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Road Venture APT KL51

± 7

Defender LTX M/S

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 Road Venture APT KL51

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and long-term durability, with many users reporting tens of thousands of miles
  • High-value pricing offering significant savings compared to premium competitors
  • Strong wet and dry traction with dependable on-road handling and braking

Cons

  • Mediocre performance in deep snow or severe winter conditions
  • Slightly increased rolling resistance leading to a minor reduction in fuel economy for some drivers
  • Occasional complaints regarding sidewall aesthetics or soft feel in high summer temperatures
All owner themes in the Road Venture APT KL51 review

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
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Kumho Road Venture APT KL51 B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available6—
Rim diameters15″ – 18″—
Tread depth12/32″—
UTQG600 A A720 - 800 B A
Treadwear warranty60,000 mi—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Road Venture APT KL51

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, 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 enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 69 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 70 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 69 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 70 on treadwear.

Tire A · Kumho Road Venture APT KL51
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Road Venture APT KL51 or Defender LTX M/S?

Which is better in the wet, Road Venture APT KL51 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 70 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Road Venture APT KL51 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 69 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Road Venture APT KL51 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 65 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Road Venture APT KL51 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 70 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Road Venture APT KL51 or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 70 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