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Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Bridgestone Dueler All-Terrain AT002 — 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 1 + 1 road tests and 11 + 98 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–67

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Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire AMichelin

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))

Bridgestone Dueler All-Terrain AT002
Tire BBridgestone

Dueler All-Terrain AT002

All-Terrain tire

± 6

Tests 66 · 1 test Owners 67 · 98 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2025 ADAC All Terrain Tyre Test (dry braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 79

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDueler All-Terrain AT002
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 75 (est.)74
    Reviews found online8468

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

    Dueler All-Terrain AT002: 60% × 74.1 + 40% × 67.7 = 72

    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. 82

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +9
    73
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDueler All-Terrain AT002
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 79 (est.)72
    Reviews found online8675

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

    Dueler All-Terrain AT002: 60% × 71.7 + 40% × 74.8 = 73

    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. 74

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +20
    54
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDueler All-Terrain AT002
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 72 (est.)44
    Reviews found online7769

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

    Dueler All-Terrain AT002: 60% × 43.6 + 40% × 69.1 = 54

    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. 75

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +5
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDueler All-Terrain AT002
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7871

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

    Dueler All-Terrain AT002: 40% × 69.1 (est.) + 60% × 70.9 = 70

    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).

    No road tests of comfort for Dueler All-Terrain AT002. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 80

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +21
    59
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDueler All-Terrain AT002
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests75≈ 62 (est.)
    Reviews found online8655

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

    Dueler All-Terrain AT002: 60% × 62.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.9 = 59

    No road tests of treadwear for Dueler All-Terrain AT002. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 82

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +16
    66
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDueler All-Terrain AT002
    Reviews found online8266
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SBridgestone Dueler All-Terrain AT002
Relative Score 79 67
Dry 79 72
Wet 82 73
Snow 74 54
Comfort 75 70
Treadwear 80 59
Handling (owners) 82 66

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Defender LTX M/S

± 6

Dueler All-Terrain AT002

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.

DisciplineCategoryDefender LTX M/SDueler All-Terrain AT002ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/13 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires #5/7 Best All Terrain Tyres Tested On Road, Off Road and Snow [2024] – 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 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

Tire B Dueler All-Terrain AT002

Pros

  • Surprisingly quiet and comfortable on-road manners for an all-terrain tire
  • Excellent wet and dry weather grip providing high driver confidence
  • Reliable mild off-road and winter/snow performance

Cons

  • Some users reported soft sidewalls causing a floating or less responsive handling feel
  • Occasional reports of early front tire wear or quicker wear signs on specific applications
  • Minor tread pattern rumbling noticeable at very specific low speeds
All owner themes in the Dueler All-Terrain AT002 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Bridgestone Dueler All-Terrain AT002
CategoryAll SeasonAll-Terrain tire
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4—
Sizes available—44
Rim diameters—15″ – 19″
UTQG720 - 800 B A—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Bridgestone Dueler All-Terrain AT002

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, snow and handling. 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 A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 59 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 74 vs 54 on snow.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 66 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 73 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · Bridgestone Dueler All-Terrain AT002
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Defender LTX M/S or Dueler All-Terrain AT002?

Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or Dueler All-Terrain AT002?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 73 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or Dueler All-Terrain AT002?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 72 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or Dueler All-Terrain AT002?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 54 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or Dueler All-Terrain AT002?

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

Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or Dueler All-Terrain AT002?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 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