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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Cooper Discoverer A/T3 — 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 10 + 973 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 78–69

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Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire AMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

± 7Provisional

Tests – · 1 test Owners 82 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 13 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires (tested tread life (miles))

Cooper Discoverer A/T3
Tire BCooper

Discoverer A/T3

All-Terrain tire

± 7

Tests – · none yet Owners 67 · 973 reviews

“I have a set of 275/60R20 on my dodge work truck. Coming up on 35k. Oilfield roads. These tires are ride smooth and are quiet. They have done well in the snow and mud for me. I will purchase a set of these for my own personal truck once needed. These are great tires.”

Category by category

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

  1. 78

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +5
    73
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDiscoverer A/T3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 74 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online8375

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 83.3 = 78

    Discoverer A/T3: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 74.9 = 73

    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 Discoverer A/T3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 81

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +6
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDiscoverer A/T3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 78 (est.)≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online8476

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.2 (est.) + 40% × 84.2 = 81

    Discoverer A/T3: 60% × 73.9 (est.) + 40% × 76.4 = 75

    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 Discoverer A/T3. 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 +5
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDiscoverer A/T3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7668

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 76 = 74

    Discoverer A/T3: 60% × 69.7 (est.) + 40% × 67.9 = 69

    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 0.37).

    No road tests of snow for Discoverer A/T3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 75

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDiscoverer A/T3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7867

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.7 (est.) + 60% × 77.6 = 75

    Discoverer A/T3: 40% × 68.8 (est.) + 60% × 67.1 = 68

    No road tests of comfort for Defender LTX M/S or Discoverer A/T3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    66
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDiscoverer A/T3
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online–65

    Discoverer A/T3: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 65.4 = 66

    No road tests of noise for Discoverer A/T3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 79

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +22
    57
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDiscoverer A/T3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests75≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online8552

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.5 + 40% × 85.1 = 79

    Discoverer A/T3: 60% × 61.1 (est.) + 40% × 51.6 = 57

    No road tests of treadwear for Discoverer A/T3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 80

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +15
    65
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDiscoverer A/T3
    Reviews found online8065
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SCooper Discoverer A/T3
Relative Score 78 69
Dry 78 73
Wet 81 75
Snow 74 69
Comfort 75 68
Noise – 66
Treadwear 79 57
Handling (owners) 80 65

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

± 7

Discoverer A/T3

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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/SDiscoverer A/T3ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/13 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires #13/13 2018 SA4x4 All-Terrain Tire Test R17 – 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 Discoverer A/T3

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and smooth highway ride for an all-terrain tire
  • Great traction and handling on dry and wet pavement
  • Strong value and competitive pricing compared to major brand competitors

Cons

  • Some users experienced balancing issues and persistent road vibrations
  • Faster-than-expected tread wear or premature wear reported by a subset of drivers
  • Subpar performance on ice and hard-packed snow for certain vehicle applications
All owner themes in the Discoverer A/T3 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

Cooper Discoverer A/T3

Positive

The community expresses overwhelmingly positive feedback for the Cooper Discoverer A/T3, praising its strong performance on the highway, good wet and snow traction, and smooth, relatively quiet ride quality. Many users note that the tires wear well over tens of thousands of miles, though some mention that they can get slightly louder as they age and tend to pack up in deep mud. Overall, users consider them to be reliable, high-value all-terrain tires suitable for daily driving, towing, and light off-roading.

f150forum.com

“Put a set on a day after I purchased my truck. Have about 8500 miles on them and no complaints whatsoever. Been on a 3000 trip with them not towing and a 2400 mile trip towing a 8K travel trailer. No problems on either trip. I'll get another set when these wear out, hopefully many miles down the road. No sign of wear yet!”
bobistheoilguy.com ·2012-09-08

“I have a set of 275/60R20 on my dodge work truck. Coming up on 35k. Oilfield roads. These tires are ride smooth and are quiet. They have done well in the snow and mud for me. I will purchase a set of these for my own personal truck once needed. These are great tires.”
ford-trucks.com

“Been running them on the wifes truck for 3 or 4 years now. They are a good tire, very little noise on pavement, does fine on snow. Cooper Discoverer A/T3 Review”
Top themes
#Highway and road manners#Winter and snow traction#Treadwear and longevity#Low road noise#Value for money#Towing and load handling#Mud performance limitations

Based on 25 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Cooper Discoverer A/T3
CategoryAll SeasonAll-Terrain tire
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available—14
Rim diameters—15″ – 22″
Tread depth—14 - 17/32″
UTQG—560 A B
Sidewall—Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure—44 - 80 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Cooper Discoverer A/T3

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, handling and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin Defender LTX M/S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 57 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 65 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 75 vs 68 on comfort.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 81 vs 75 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · Cooper Discoverer A/T3
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Defender LTX M/S or Discoverer A/T3?

Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or Discoverer A/T3?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 81 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or Discoverer A/T3?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 78 vs 73 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or Discoverer A/T3?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 69 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or Discoverer A/T3?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 68 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or Discoverer A/T3?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 57 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