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))
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Goodyear Ultragrip Ice — 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 + 1 owner reviews. How we score
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Tests – · none yet Owners – · 1 review (needs 5)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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78
Dry
No comparison–Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Ultragrip Ice Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 74 (est.) – Reviews found online 83 – Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 83.3 = 78
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).
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81
Wet
No comparison–Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Ultragrip Ice Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 78 (est.) – Reviews found online 84 – Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.2 (est.) + 40% × 84.2 = 81
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).
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74
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Ultragrip Ice Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 73 (est.) – Reviews found online 76 – Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 76 = 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 0.37).
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75
Comfort
No comparison–Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Ultragrip Ice Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) – Reviews found online 78 – Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.7 (est.) + 60% × 77.6 = 75
No road tests of comfort for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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79
Treadwear
No comparison–Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Ultragrip Ice Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 75 – Reviews found online 85 – Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.5 + 40% × 85.1 = 79
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80
Handling (owners)
No comparison–Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Ultragrip Ice Reviews found online 80 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Defender LTX M/S | Goodyear Ultragrip Ice |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 78 | – |
| Dry | 78 | – |
| Wet | 81 | – |
| Snow | 74 | – |
| Comfort | 75 | – |
| Treadwear | 79 | – |
| Handling (owners) | 80 | – |
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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
78
/ 100
Defender LTX M/S
–
/ 100
Ultragrip Ice
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
Tire B Ultragrip Ice
Pros
- Reliable traction and handling in deep snow
- Effective winter-specific compound design
Cons
- Poor acceleration performance on ice
- Potential for structural defects such as sidewall splitting
- Inadequate customer service and support accessibility
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S | B · Goodyear Ultragrip Ice |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | High Performance Winter tire |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
78
/ 100
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
–
/ 100
Goodyear Ultragrip Ice
Only Michelin Defender LTX M/S has enough test and review data for a Relative Score, so there is no head-to-head winner yet.
Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire B · Goodyear Ultragrip Ice
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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.
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