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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Bridgestone Dueler H/T 689 — 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 + 0 road tests and 11 + 10 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–54

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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 H/T 689
Tire BBridgestone

Dueler H/T 689

All-Season Premium Touring tires

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 47 · 10 reviews

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 +25
    54
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDueler H/T 689
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 75 (est.)≈ 59 (est.)
    Reviews found online8447

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.8 (est.) + 40% × 84.4 = 79

    Dueler H/T 689: 60% × 59.1 (est.) + 40% × 46.6 = 54

    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 0.42).

    No road tests of dry for Dueler H/T 689. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 82

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +25
    57
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDueler H/T 689
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 79 (est.)≈ 60 (est.)
    Reviews found online8652

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 79 (est.) + 40% × 85.7 = 82

    Dueler H/T 689: 60% × 60.3 (est.) + 40% × 51.6 = 57

    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).

    No road tests of wet for Dueler H/T 689. 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 H/T 689
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 62 (est.)
    Reviews found online7742

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

    Dueler H/T 689: 60% × 61.5 (est.) + 40% × 42 = 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).

    No road tests of snow for Dueler H/T 689. 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 +23
    52
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDueler H/T 689
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7844

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.6 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 75

    Dueler H/T 689: 40% × 63.6 (est.) + 60% × 43.6 = 52

    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 H/T 689. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    60
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDueler H/T 689
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online–51

    Dueler H/T 689: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 50.5 = 60

    No road tests of noise for Dueler H/T 689. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 80

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +27
    53
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDueler H/T 689
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests75≈ 59 (est.)
    Reviews found online8645

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

    Dueler H/T 689: 60% × 58.7 (est.) + 40% × 44.7 = 53

    No road tests of treadwear for Dueler H/T 689. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 82

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +31
    51
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDueler H/T 689
    Reviews found online8251
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SBridgestone Dueler H/T 689
Relative Score 79 54
Dry 79 54
Wet 82 57
Snow 74 54
Comfort 75 52
Noise – 60
Treadwear 80 53
Handling (owners) 82 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
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Defender LTX M/S

± 8

Dueler H/T 689

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 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 H/T 689

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life exceeding expected mileage with regular rotation
  • Quiet and comfortable highway ride
  • Reliable grip and performance in rain and snow

Cons

  • Slippery performance and poor handling on gravel roads
  • Can be noisy on certain road surfaces
  • Some users report a bouncy ride quality during travel
All owner themes in the Dueler H/T 689 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Bridgestone Dueler H/T 689
CategoryAll SeasonAll-Season Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available—6
Rim diameters—8″ – 16″
Tread depth—10/32″
UTQG720 - 800 B A180 B A
Treadwear warranty—60,000 mi
Sidewall—Blackwall

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Bridgestone Dueler H/T 689

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, treadwear 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. Bridgestone Dueler H/T 689 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 51 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 53 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 54 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 57 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · Bridgestone Dueler H/T 689
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Defender LTX M/S or Dueler H/T 689?

Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or Dueler H/T 689?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 57 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or Dueler H/T 689?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 54 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or Dueler H/T 689?

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

Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or Dueler H/T 689?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 52 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or Dueler H/T 689?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 53 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