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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs General Grabber HTS — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 76–59

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Tire BGeneral

Grabber HTS

Tests – · none yet Owners 55 · 990 reviews

“I am a big fan of General tires in general in the moderate budget category... they are a great cost to benefit tire and part of Continental tires. The Grabber HTS 60 is a great tire... as long as you don't have to deal with winter conditions. An alternative I have seen people extremely happy with is the Nexen Roadian HTX2 or the Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S... but in my neck of the woods we don't usually use "3-season" tires (which is what all-season tires really are these days) very often, but really like all-weather tires or using all-seasons in conjunction with dedicated winter/snow tires.”

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 +17
    59
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS
    Reviews found online8155
  2. 78

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +16
    62
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS
    Reviews found online8160
  3. 72

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +13
    59
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS
    Reviews found online7353
  4. 73

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +12
    61
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS
    Reviews found online7654
  5. 69

    Noise

    Defender LTX M/S +6
    63
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS
    Reviews found online7458
  6. 76

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +20
    56
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS
    Professional tests (TWG score)74–
    Reviews found online7849
  7. 78

    Handling

    Defender LTX M/S +22
    56
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS
    Reviews found online7856
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SGeneral Grabber HTS
Relative Score 76 59
Dry 76 59
Wet 78 62
Snow 72 59
Comfort 73 61
Noise 69 63
Treadwear 76 56
Handling 78 56

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Defender LTX M/S

Grabber HTS

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 Grabber HTS

Pros

  • Smooth and quiet ride quality that improves vehicle feel
  • Excellent value and affordable price point compared to competitors like Michelin
  • Strong traction and handling in both dry and wet conditions

Cons

  • Premature tread wear reported by several users failing to reach expected mileage
  • Balancing difficulties and occasional out-of-round vibrations
  • Decreased winter and wet traction performance as the tread wears down
All owner themes in the Grabber HTS 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

General Grabber HTS

Mixed

The General Grabber HTS (and HTS60) is generally viewed as a solid, budget-friendly highway tire backed by Continental, appealing to truck and SUV owners who stick primarily to paved roads. While many users appreciate their value, comfortable ride, and quiet highway performance, others note concerns regarding puncture susceptibility and limited capabilities in severe winter conditions.

r/HyundaiSantaFe ·8 upvotes ·2025-03-11

“New shoes - General Grabber HTS 60’s on 2009 Santa Fe 2nd owner in my family after my grandfather, 124k and going strong Read more”
r/F150Lightning ·3 upvotes ·2023-05-28

“I honestly think the Grabber HTS tires are weak to punctures Just spent $320 at Firestone I was not expecting to pay after only 5400 miles. The stock Grabber HTS tires are supposedly good for up to 50,000 miles IIRC. I barely made it 10% on one of them. This wasn’t the first time the tire picked up a small screw either. First time I got lucky and Discount Tire extracted it without needing repair because it didn’t make it deep into the tread. But last week I wasn’t lucky. Passenger front tire picked up a screw and sure enough, it went in. And it was only about 1.5” from the sidewall so they wouldn’t repair it. I went to Firestone and picked up a Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra. Not a “great” tire but at least I have a road hazard warranty, something the General Grabber tires don’t have. I’m sure someone will chime in about having zero issues after a million miles with their Grabber HTS but honestly, I haven’t had a legit puncture since 2007 and at that time I was poor so my car always had recycled/used/mismatched tires. I also noticed the tires on my Lightning ALWAYS have gravel and small rocks wedged in between the treads even though the truck is on city streets mainly. I never see that on my other cars.”
r/tires ·4 upvotes ·2024-12-04

“General Grabbers I found a guy on marketplace who bought some general grabber HTS for his truck and they didn’t fit so he’s selling them. They’re 11/32 tread life and he’ll take $350 for them. They’re my size but I’ve never heard of the brand. I have a 4Runner in Florida so no snow but is this a good deal for that brand? Read more”
Top themes
#value and pricing#highway performance#continental backing#puncture resistance#winter weather limitations#tread life durability

Based on 7 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · General Grabber HTS
CategoryAll Season—
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available—9
Rim diameters—15″ – 20″
Tread depth—11 - 13/32″
UTQG—640 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

General Grabber HTS

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, treadwear and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 56 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 56 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 59 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 62 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · General Grabber HTS
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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

76

Leads

Defender LTX M/S

Amazon