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Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 — Compared

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

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 76–71

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Tire AMichelin

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)

Tire BBFGoodrich

All-Terrain T/A KO2

All Season

Tests – · none yet Owners 73 · 1,574 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 7 in 2017 Drive Out Off Road 4x4 Tyre Test (overall ranking)

“2019 zr2 Duratracs were a good tire. Only complaint was the last 10k of their life they got LOUD on the pavement. Good in snow, good on trails. Went to KO2s when it was time for new shoes. Like the stronger side walls and rating, better traction in hard dirt, no real difference in loose rocks or winter to me. Definitely harsher ride w the stiffer sidewalls. I have the ZR2 now as a 2nd rig (finally) so it doesn’t get daily miles. I’d purchase the KO2s again. Daily driver? Duratracs are better, but that horrid drone the last 10k of life would be enough for me to pass on them. 🍻”

Category by category

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

  1. 76

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +3
    73
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAll-Terrain T/A KO2
    Reviews found online8176
  2. 78

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +6
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAll-Terrain T/A KO2
    Reviews found online8172
  3. 72

    Snow

    All-Terrain T/A KO2 +1
    73
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAll-Terrain T/A KO2
    Reviews found online7376
  4. 73

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +3
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAll-Terrain T/A KO2
    Reviews found online7672
  5. 70

    Noise

    Defender LTX M/S +1
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAll-Terrain T/A KO2
    Reviews found online7472
  6. 76

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +6
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAll-Terrain T/A KO2
    Professional tests (TWG score)74–
    Reviews found online7873
  7. 78

    Handling

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    71
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAll-Terrain T/A KO2
    Reviews found online7871
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SBFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2
Relative Score 76 71
Dry 76 73
Wet 78 72
Snow 72 73
Comfort 73 70
Noise 70 69
Treadwear 76 70
Handling 78 71

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

Defender LTX M/S

All-Terrain T/A KO2

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.

DisciplineCategoryDefender LTX M/SAll-Terrain T/A KO2ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 83% #3/13 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires 50% #2/7 · 2017 Drive Out Off Road 4x4 Tyre Test +33.3 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 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

Tire B All-Terrain T/A KO2

Pros

  • Exceptional off-road traction and puncture resistance on rocks, gravel, and dirt
  • Aggressive, rugged aesthetics that enhance the look of trucks and SUVs
  • Impressive tread longevity and high mileage capabilities

Cons

  • Reduced grip and slippery performance in wet conditions, rain, and standing water
  • Rubber tends to harden over time, negatively impacting cold-weather and ice traction
  • Higher price point compared to some competitors
All owner themes in the All-Terrain T/A KO2 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2

Positive

Community sentiment toward the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 is largely positive, with drivers frequently praising its aggressive styling, tough sidewalls, off-road durability, and solid general performance. Many owners report capable handling in snow, though several emphasize that it cannot replace a dedicated winter tire and can struggle on ice or packed snow. Criticisms center on high pricing, added weight hurting fuel economy, mud packing, occasional tread chunking, and difficulties with balancing causing highway vibrations.

r/overlanding ·2 upvotes ·2022-08-11

“I drove to the Deadhorse, Alaska (as far north as you can drive in America). The Dalton highway is a notorious 400 mile gravel road start just north of Fairbanks. Lots of people bring 2 spares. I had 0 flats. KO2 eat snow and sand for breakfast. They definitely improve my Q5 and allow me to hang with proper off-roaders (at least for a little while)”
r/Jimny ·4 upvotes ·2023-05-13

“Yes, totally fine to run them on the stock 5.5" wide wheels, no rubbing and they're a good option for an upgrade while minimising drawbacks. I ran exactly that size KO2 for ~50,000 km, ended up selling them onto someone else and swapped to different wheels and tyres just for something different.”
r/tires ·1 upvote ·2026-06-26

“BFG KO2 - 50k miles, some cracking between tread, slightly uneven wear. Time to replace? BFGoodrich KO2s on a 2021 F150 FX4 max tow. From what I can tell, these were the original tires and have just under 50k miles. Tread depth is technically OK based on the wear indicator. They show some cracking between treads, which may or may not be a problem based on the many threads and opinions here 😅 Bigger problem may be uneven wear. It looks like the original owner missed some regular rotations, and two of the tires (front when I bought the truck) were visibly more rounded than the rear. After 25k of regular 5k rotations it is maybe a little more even but still noticeable. They’re noisy - no surprise with with KO2s - and gas mileage isn’t great. I do tow occasionally - small travel trailer, 6x12 utility trailer, and rarely a pontoon. Time to replace? Or can I make it through another MN winter and replace next year?”
Top themes
#aggressive look#winter and snow traction#sidewall durability#balancing and vibrations#road noise levels#fuel economy impact#tread wear life

Based on 395 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available—49
Rim diameters—15″ – 20″
Tread depth—13 - 15/32″
Treadwear warranty—50,000 mi
Sidewall—Black Side Wall - Raised White Lettering
Max pressure—35 - 80 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2

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

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 71 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 72 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 70 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 73 on dry.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2
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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