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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Goodyear Assurance MaxLife — 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 10 + 9 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 78–57

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Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire AMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

± 7Provisional

Tests – · 1 test Owners 82 · 10 reviews

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

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
Tire BGoodyear

Assurance MaxLife

Premium Touring All-Season tire

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 54 · 9 reviews

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 78

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +20
    58
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAssurance MaxLife
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 74 (est.)≈ 62 (est.)
    Reviews found online8353

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 83.3 = 78

    Assurance MaxLife: 60% × 61.7 (est.) + 40% × 52.9 = 58

    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 Assurance MaxLife. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 81

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +30
    51
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAssurance MaxLife
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 78 (est.)≈ 56 (est.)
    Reviews found online8444

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.2 (est.) + 40% × 84.2 = 81

    Assurance MaxLife: 60% × 56.2 (est.) + 40% × 44.4 = 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 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for Assurance MaxLife. 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 MaxLife
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7653

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 76 = 74

    Assurance MaxLife: 60% × 64.1 (est.) + 40% × 52.9 = 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 0.37).

    No road tests of snow for Assurance MaxLife. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 75

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +16
    59
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAssurance MaxLife
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7855

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.7 (est.) + 60% × 77.6 = 75

    Assurance MaxLife: 40% × 66.5 (est.) + 60% × 54.7 = 59

    No road tests of comfort for Defender LTX M/S or Assurance MaxLife. 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 MaxLife
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online–61

    Assurance MaxLife: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 60.6 = 64

    No road tests of noise for Assurance MaxLife. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 79

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +13
    66
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAssurance MaxLife
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests75≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online8565

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.5 + 40% × 85.1 = 79

    Assurance MaxLife: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 65.4 = 66

    No road tests of treadwear for Assurance MaxLife. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 80

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +31
    49
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SAssurance MaxLife
    Reviews found online8049
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SGoodyear Assurance MaxLife
Relative Score 78 57
Dry 78 58
Wet 81 51
Snow 74 60
Comfort 75 59
Noise – 64
Treadwear 79 66
Handling (owners) 80 49

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 MaxLife

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 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 Assurance MaxLife

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and slow wear rate, with potential to reach high mileage milestones
  • Low road noise providing a comfortable ride for passengers
  • Stable and predictable handling for daily commuting

Cons

  • Significantly reduced grip and sudden traction failure in wet conditions or standing water
  • Rubber hardening and losing starting traction over several years of use
  • Sidewall design that leaves rims vulnerable to curb damage
All owner themes in the Assurance MaxLife review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
CategoryAll SeasonPremium Touring All-Season tire
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—46
Rim diameters—15″ – 20″
Tread depth—11 - 13/32″
UTQG—820 A B
Treadwear warranty—85,000 mi
Sidewall—Vertical Serrated Band
Max pressure—50 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, wet and dry. 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. Goodyear Assurance MaxLife rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 9 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 81 vs 51 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 58 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 75 vs 59 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
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Defender LTX M/S or Assurance MaxLife?

Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or Assurance MaxLife?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 81 vs 51 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or Assurance MaxLife?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 78 vs 58 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or Assurance MaxLife?

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

Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or Assurance MaxLife?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 59 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or Assurance MaxLife?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 66 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