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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT — 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 + 31 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–61

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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/SWrangler Fortitude HT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 75 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online8456

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

    Wrangler Fortitude HT: 60% × 63.1 (est.) + 40% × 56.1 = 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 Wrangler Fortitude HT. 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 +23
    59
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SWrangler Fortitude HT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 79 (est.)≈ 62 (est.)
    Reviews found online8655

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

    Wrangler Fortitude HT: 60% × 62 (est.) + 40% × 54.7 = 59

    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 Wrangler Fortitude HT. 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 +8
    66
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SWrangler Fortitude HT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7763

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

    Wrangler Fortitude HT: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 62.7 = 66

    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 Wrangler Fortitude HT. 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 +14
    61
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SWrangler Fortitude HT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7857

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.5 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 75

    Wrangler Fortitude HT: 40% × 66.4 (est.) + 60% × 57.3 = 61

    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 Wrangler Fortitude HT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    66
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SWrangler Fortitude HT
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online–65

    Wrangler Fortitude HT: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 65.1 = 66

    No road tests of noise for Wrangler Fortitude HT. 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/SWrangler Fortitude HT
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests75≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online8662

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

    Wrangler Fortitude HT: 60% × 64.8 (est.) + 40% × 61.8 = 64

    No road tests of treadwear for Wrangler Fortitude HT. 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 +26
    56
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SWrangler Fortitude HT
    Reviews found online8256
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SGoodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT
Relative Score 79 61
Dry 79 60
Wet 82 59
Snow 74 66
Comfort 75 61
Noise – 66
Treadwear 80 64
Handling (owners) 82 56

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

Wrangler Fortitude HT

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 Wrangler Fortitude HT

Pros

  • Excellent tread life and durability
  • Quiet and smooth highway ride quality
  • Improved fuel economy compared to all-terrain alternatives

Cons

  • Poor traction in snow, ice, and heavy rain
  • Inadequate performance for off-road or mud environments
  • Reports of vibration and balancing issues in some units
All owner themes in the Wrangler Fortitude HT review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT
CategoryAll SeasonPremium Touring All Season tire
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available—9
Rim diameters—16″ – 18″
Tread depth—10 - 15/32″
UTQG720 - 800 B A680 A B
Sidewall—Black Side Wall - Vertical Serrated Band
Max pressure—50 - 83 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT

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, 11 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 56 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

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

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 longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 64 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT
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Defender LTX M/S or Wrangler Fortitude HT?

Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or Wrangler Fortitude HT?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 59 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or Wrangler Fortitude HT?

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

Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or Wrangler Fortitude HT?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 66 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or Wrangler Fortitude HT?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 61 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or Wrangler Fortitude HT?

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