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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Firestone Destination A/T2 — 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 + 9 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–72

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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))

Firestone Destination A/T2
Tire BFirestone

Destination A/T2

All-Terrain tire

± 7Provisional

Tests – · 1 test Owners 73 · 9 reviews

Best test result: #5 of 18 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Terrain Truck Tires (tested tread life (miles))

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 +10
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDestination A/T2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 75 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online8470

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

    Destination A/T2: 60% × 68.6 (est.) + 40% × 69.6 = 69

    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 Destination A/T2. 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 +4
    78
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDestination A/T2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 79 (est.)≈ 76 (est.)
    Reviews found online8681

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

    Destination A/T2: 60% × 76.3 (est.) + 40% × 80.9 = 78

    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 Destination A/T2. 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 +1
    73
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDestination A/T2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7775

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

    Destination A/T2: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 74.9 = 73

    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 Destination A/T2. 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 +3
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDestination A/T2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7874

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

    Destination A/T2: 40% × 69.8 (est.) + 60% × 73.8 = 72

    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 Destination A/T2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDestination A/T2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online–72

    Destination A/T2: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 72.1 = 69

    No road tests of noise for Destination A/T2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 80

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +10
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDestination A/T2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7571
    Reviews found online8669

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

    Destination A/T2: 60% × 71.1 + 40% × 69 = 70

  7. 82

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +10
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDestination A/T2
    Reviews found online8272
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SFirestone Destination A/T2
Relative Score 79 72
Dry 79 69
Wet 82 78
Snow 74 73
Comfort 75 72
Noise – 69
Treadwear 80 70
Handling (owners) 82 72

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.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
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Neutral
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Less important
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Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Important
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Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Defender LTX M/S

± 7

Destination A/T2

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/SDestination A/T2ΔHead-to-head
Tested Tread Life (Miles) Treadwear 84% #2/13 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires 60% #5/18 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Terrain Truck Tires – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/13 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires #9/18 2022 Consumer Reports All Terrain Truck Tires – 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 Destination A/T2

Pros

  • Exceptional wet weather traction and grip
  • Strong performance in snow with 3PMS rating
  • Quiet and smooth ride quality at highway speeds

Cons

  • Vague or unresponsive steering feedback
  • Questionable durability on sharp rocks or rough forest service roads
  • Stiffer ride compared to factory street tires
All owner themes in the Destination A/T2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Firestone Destination A/T2
CategoryAll SeasonAll-Terrain tire
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available—33
Rim diameters—15″ – 22″
Tread depth—10 - 12/32″
UTQG720 - 800 B A540 - 560 A B
Treadwear warranty—55,000 mi
Sidewall—Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure—44 - 50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Firestone Destination A/T2

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better dry, treadwear 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. Firestone Destination A/T2 rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 9 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 69 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 70 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 72 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 78 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · Firestone Destination A/T2
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Defender LTX M/S or Destination A/T2?

Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or Destination A/T2?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 78 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or Destination A/T2?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 69 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or Destination A/T2?

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 73 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or Destination A/T2?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 72 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or Destination A/T2?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 70 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