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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max — 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 + 16 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–62

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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))

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 +19
    60
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAssurance CS Fuel Max
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 75 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online8455

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

    Assurance CS Fuel Max: 60% × 62.6 (est.) + 40% × 54.9 = 60

    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 Assurance CS Fuel Max. 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 +17
    65
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAssurance CS Fuel Max
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 79 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online8662

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.8 (est.) + 40% × 85.6 = 82

    Assurance CS Fuel Max: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 62.2 = 65

    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 Assurance CS Fuel Max. 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 +14
    60
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAssurance CS Fuel Max
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online7753

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

    Assurance CS Fuel Max: 60% × 64.8 (est.) + 40% × 52.6 = 60

    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 Assurance CS Fuel Max. 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 +18
    57
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAssurance CS Fuel Max
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online7851

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.4 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 75

    Assurance CS Fuel Max: 40% × 65.2 (est.) + 60% × 51.1 = 57

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

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    64
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAssurance CS Fuel Max
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online–59

    Assurance CS Fuel Max: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 59.4 = 64

    No road tests of noise for Assurance CS Fuel Max. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 80

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +16
    64
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAssurance CS Fuel Max
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests75≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online8662

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

    Assurance CS Fuel Max: 60% × 65 (est.) + 40% × 62.2 = 64

    No road tests of treadwear for Assurance CS Fuel Max. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 82

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +23
    59
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAssurance CS Fuel Max
    Reviews found online8259
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SGoodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max
Relative Score 79 62
Dry 79 60
Wet 82 65
Snow 74 60
Comfort 75 57
Noise – 64
Treadwear 80 64
Handling (owners) 82 59

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

± 8

Assurance CS Fuel Max

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

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 Assurance CS Fuel Max

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life with many users reporting over 50,000 miles
  • Improved fuel economy
  • Consistent and reliable on-road handling

Cons

  • Higher upfront cost compared to competing options
  • Limited availability at some local retailers
  • Primarily optimized for on-road use rather than off-road or severe weather conditions
All owner themes in the Assurance CS Fuel Max review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max
CategoryAll SeasonAll-Season tire
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Tread depth—10 - 11/32″
UTQG720 - 800 B A600 A B
Treadwear warranty—65,000 mi
Sidewall—Vertical Serrated Band
Max pressure—51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, dry and comfort. 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. Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 16 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 59 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 60 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 75 vs 57 on comfort.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 65 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max
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Defender LTX M/S or Assurance CS Fuel Max?

Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or Assurance CS Fuel Max?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 65 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or Assurance CS Fuel Max?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 60 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or Assurance CS Fuel Max?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 60 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or Assurance CS Fuel Max?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 57 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or Assurance CS Fuel Max?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 64 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