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Falken ZIEX ZE329 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Falken ZIEX ZE329 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 1 + 0 road tests and 10 + 23 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 76–51

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Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire AMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

Provisional

Tests – · 1 test Owners 78 · 10 reviews

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

Falken ZIEX ZE329
Tire BFalken

ZIEX ZE329

All-Season

Tests – · none yet Owners 41 · 23 reviews

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 +26
    50
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SZIEX ZE329
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 56 (est.)
    Reviews found online8140

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 73.2 (est.) + 40% × 81.3 = 76

    ZIEX ZE329: 60% × 56.4 (est.) + 40% × 39.6 = 50

    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 0.40).

    No road tests of dry for ZIEX ZE329. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 78

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +27
    51
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SZIEX ZE329
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 76 (est.)≈ 56 (est.)
    Reviews found online8145

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.9 (est.) + 40% × 80.7 = 78

    ZIEX ZE329: 60% × 55.8 (est.) + 40% × 44.8 = 51

    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 0.56).

    No road tests of wet for ZIEX ZE329. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 72

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +15
    57
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SZIEX ZE329
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online7348

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 73.2 = 72

    ZIEX ZE329: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 47.7 = 57

    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 0.33).

    No road tests of snow for ZIEX ZE329. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 73

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +22
    51
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SZIEX ZE329
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online7634

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 76.1 = 73

    ZIEX ZE329: 60% × 63 (est.) + 40% × 33.7 = 51

    No road tests of comfort for Defender LTX M/S or ZIEX ZE329. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 70

    Noise

    Defender LTX M/S +8
    62
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SZIEX ZE329
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7553

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 74.7 = 70

    ZIEX ZE329: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 53.2 = 62

    No road tests of noise for Defender LTX M/S or ZIEX ZE329. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 76

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +30
    46
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SZIEX ZE329
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests74≈ 55 (est.)
    Reviews found online7832

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 78 = 76

    ZIEX ZE329: 60% × 55.3 (est.) + 40% × 32 = 46

    No road tests of treadwear for ZIEX ZE329. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 79

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +38
    41
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SZIEX ZE329
    Reviews found online7941
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SFalken ZIEX ZE329
Relative Score 76 51
Dry 76 50
Wet 78 51
Snow 72 57
Comfort 73 51
Noise 70 62
Treadwear 76 46
Handling (owners) 79 41

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.

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NotLessNeutralImportantMost
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Neutral
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Less important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Defender LTX M/S

ZIEX ZE329

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 ZIEX ZE329

Pros

  • Affordable price point offering great value
  • Good traction and grip on dry pavement
  • Balanced overall performance for everyday commuting

Cons

  • Rapid and premature tread wear, falling short of expected mileage
  • Poor wet and winter weather traction, described as dangerous in snow
  • Excessive road noise and highway hum reported by multiple users
All owner themes in the ZIEX ZE329 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Falken ZIEX ZE329
CategoryAll SeasonAll-Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Tread depth—6/32″
UTQG—480 A A
Treadwear warranty—60,000 mi
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Falken ZIEX ZE329

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, treadwear and wet. 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 enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 41 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 46 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 51 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 50 on dry.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · Falken ZIEX ZE329
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Defender LTX M/S or ZIEX ZE329?

Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or ZIEX ZE329?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 78 vs 51 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or ZIEX ZE329?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 76 vs 50 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or ZIEX ZE329?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 72 vs 57 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Defender LTX M/S or ZIEX ZE329?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 70 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or ZIEX ZE329?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 73 vs 51 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or ZIEX ZE329?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 76 vs 46 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