tirewheelguide

General AltiMAX HP 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 General AltiMAX HP — 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 + 11 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 80–51

Check price on Amazon · Defender LTX M/S or AltiMAX HP on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

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))

General AltiMAX HP
Tire BGeneral

AltiMAX HP

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 43 · 11 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 +26
    53
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAltiMAX HP
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 75 (est.)≈ 58 (est.)
    Reviews found online8445

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

    AltiMAX HP: 60% × 58.5 (est.) + 40% × 45 = 53

    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).

    No road tests of dry for AltiMAX HP. 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 +27
    55
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAltiMAX HP
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 79 (est.)≈ 59 (est.)
    Reviews found online8649

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.9 (est.) + 40% × 85.6 = 82

    AltiMAX HP: 60% × 58.7 (est.) + 40% × 48.8 = 55

    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 AltiMAX HP. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 74

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAltiMAX HP
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)–
    Reviews found online77–

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.4 (est.) + 40% × 76.6 = 74

    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 +26
    49
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAltiMAX HP
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online7840

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.5 (est.) + 60% × 77.6 = 75

    AltiMAX HP: 40% × 62.9 (est.) + 60% × 40 = 49

    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 AltiMAX HP. 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 +32
    48
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAltiMAX HP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests75≈ 56 (est.)
    Reviews found online8636

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

    AltiMAX HP: 60% × 55.7 (est.) + 40% × 36.2 = 48

    No road tests of treadwear for AltiMAX HP. 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 +45
    37
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAltiMAX HP
    Reviews found online8237
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SGeneral AltiMAX HP
Relative Score 80 51
Dry 79 53
Wet 82 55
Snow 74 –
Comfort 75 49
Treadwear 80 48
Handling (owners) 82 37

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

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

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Defender LTX M/S

± 8

AltiMAX HP

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/SAltiMAX HPΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/13 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires #47/54 2013 54 Tyre Braking Test – 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 AltiMAX HP

Pros

  • Excellent value for the price point
  • Reliable dry road grip and handling
  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality

Cons

  • Fragile sidewalls prone to impact damage
  • Short tread life and rapid wear
  • Inconsistent wet weather performance
All owner themes in the AltiMAX HP review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · General AltiMAX HP
CategoryAll SeasonSummer
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
UTQG720 - 800 B A—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

General AltiMAX HP

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, 11 reviews), so read this result as provisional. General AltiMAX HP rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 11 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 37 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 48 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 55 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 53 on dry.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · General AltiMAX HP
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Defender LTX M/S or AltiMAX HP?

Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or AltiMAX HP?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 55 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or AltiMAX HP?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 53 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or AltiMAX HP?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 49 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or AltiMAX HP?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 48 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