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Head-to-head Updated

Kumho Road Venture AT51 vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 76–66

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Tire AKumho

Road Venture AT51

Tests – · none yet Owners 64 · 154 reviews

Best test result: #17 of 13 in 2018 SA4x4 All-Terrain Tire Test R17 (overall ranking)

Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

Tests – · 1 test Owners 78 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 13 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires (overall ranking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 67

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +9
    76
    Why this score
    SourceRoad Venture AT51Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6781
  2. 69

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +9
    78
    Why this score
    SourceRoad Venture AT51Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6981
  3. 69

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +3
    72
    Why this score
    SourceRoad Venture AT51Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6873
  4. 66

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    73
    Why this score
    SourceRoad Venture AT51Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6276
  5. 64

    Noise

    Defender LTX M/S +6
    70
    Why this score
    SourceRoad Venture AT51Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online5974
  6. 61

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +15
    76
    Why this score
    SourceRoad Venture AT51Defender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–74
    Reviews found online5778
  7. 62

    Handling

    Defender LTX M/S +16
    78
    Why this score
    SourceRoad Venture AT51Defender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online6278
Scores at a glance
CategoryKumho Road Venture AT51Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 66 76
Dry 67 76
Wet 69 78
Snow 69 72
Comfort 66 73
Noise 64 70
Treadwear 61 76
Handling 62 78

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.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Road Venture AT51

Defender LTX M/S

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryRoad Venture AT51Defender LTX M/SΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall -7% #17/13 · 2018 SA4x4 All-Terrain Tire Test R17 83% #3/13 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires −90.0 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Road Venture AT51

Pros

  • Exceptional value and affordable price point compared to premium competitors
  • Impressive traction and confidence in snow and winter conditions
  • Quiet and smooth highway ride with minimal road noise for an all-terrain tire

Cons

  • Faster-than-expected tread wear for some users under heavy or everyday use
  • Poor self-cleaning capabilities in deep or heavy mud
  • Reduced wet traction and potential slippage when the tread wears low
All owner themes in the Road Venture AT51 review

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 · Kumho Road Venture AT51 B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Category—All Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available10—
Rim diameters15″ – 18″—
Tread depth13.5/32″—
UTQG540 A A—
Treadwear warranty55,000 mi—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure65 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Kumho Road Venture AT51

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, treadwear and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 62 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 61 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 67 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 69 on wet.

Tire A · Kumho Road Venture AT51
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

76

Leads

Defender LTX M/S

Amazon