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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Hankook Kinergy 4S2 — 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 + 24 road tests and 10 + 3,649 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 78–71

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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))

Hankook Kinergy 4S2
Tire BHankook

Kinergy 4S2

All Season

± 4

Tests 79 · 24 tests Owners 60 · 3,649 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2026 ADAC All Season Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 (curved aquaplaning)

“I had the Kinergy 4s2 tires and they were not good. They wore unevenly, especially on the outsides of the fronts and handling was poor. When cornering the tire felt like the sidewall was folding under which would explain the increased wear on the outside tread block of the tires . The alignment was verified to be perfect. Go with the CC2 or anything Nokian . I ran some old Nokian WRG2s and was very impressed. Id imagine the latest versions are also very good.”

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 +6
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SKinergy 4S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 23 tests≈ 74 (est.)83
    Reviews found online8357

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

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 82.6 + 40% × 56.5 = 72

    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).

  2. 81

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +3
    78
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SKinergy 4S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 23 tests≈ 78 (est.)87
    Reviews found online8464

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

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 86.6 + 40% × 64.3 = 78

    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).

  3. 74

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +2
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SKinergy 4S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 18 tests≈ 73 (est.)79
    Reviews found online7661

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

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 79 + 40% × 61.3 = 72

    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).

  4. 75

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +11
    64
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SKinergy 4S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 71 (est.)77
    Reviews found online7855

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

    Kinergy 4S2: 40% × 76.6 + 60% × 54.9 = 64

    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.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    66
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SKinergy 4S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 18 tests–66
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 65.6 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 66

    No owner ratings of noise for Kinergy 4S2. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 79

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +12
    67
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SKinergy 4S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 9 tests7571
    Reviews found online8559

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

    Kinergy 4S2: 60% × 71.5 + 40% × 59.4 = 67

  7. 80

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +24
    56
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SKinergy 4S2
    Reviews found online8056
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    54
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SKinergy 4S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 18 tests–54
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SHankook Kinergy 4S2
Relative Score 78 71
Dry 78 72
Wet 81 78
Snow 74 72
Comfort 75 64
Noise – 66
Treadwear 79 67
Handling (owners) 80 56
Efficiency – 54

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

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

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
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Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Defender LTX M/S

± 4

Kinergy 4S2

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

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryDefender LTX M/SKinergy 4S2ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/13 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires #5/16 2026 ADAC All Season Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 – Different tests

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 Kinergy 4S2

Pros

  • Exceptional wet weather grip, braking, and aquaplaning resistance
  • Strong performance and confidence in cold temperatures, light snow, and slush
  • High overall value for money compared to premium tier alternatives

Cons

  • Increased road noise and occasional highway 'whining' or howling between 120-140 km/h
  • Some reports of faster-than-expected tread wear or uneven inner tread deformation
  • Softer sidewalls can induce initial steering delay or a slight floating feel during aggressive cornering
All owner themes in the Kinergy 4S2 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

Hankook Kinergy 4S2

Mixed

Community members frequently view the Hankook Kinergy 4S 2 as a solid, budget-friendly alternative to premium all-weather tires like the Michelin CrossClimate 2, highlighting its strong wet traction and good snow performance for the price. However, users report mixed experiences regarding tread longevity, with some noting rapid or uneven wear, as well as drawbacks such as highway humming noise, a stiff ride, and twitchy handling on ice.

r/TyreReviews ·3 upvotes ·2025-10-15

“Hankook Kinergy 4S2 vs Continental AllSeasonContact 2 For the past 3 years I have been using the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 195/55R15 and I am super happy with them, but a little over 50,000km in it is time to get new shoes this winter. I have driven in snow and they felt quite ok. Now I am looking to either get them again since I enjoyed them, or try the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 - but they only come in 185/55R15. I have read that narrower tires are better in the snow - most of the driving I do is on maintained roads but we do go into the mountains for a few weekends through winter usuallly. First of all, are the Continental a big step up from the Hankooks, like-for-like? Secondly, would the width difference be a significant factor in snow performance gain or dry/wet performance loss? And if it is better to have the narrower tire, would the Hankook in 185/55R15 be still a reasonable move from my current 195/55? Price-wise: Continental AllSeasonContact 2 185/55 R15 - 100Eur Hankook Kinergy 4S2 185/55 R15 - 79Eur Hankook Kinergy 4S2 195/55 R15 - 84Eur Cheers :) Read more”
teslamotorsclub.com ·3 upvotes ·2023-12-30

“I've been running the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 all seasons on my M3 for just over a year - great tyres, esp in the wet, although they take a few hundred miles to scrub in (a touch "slippery" until then, so care is needed pulling out of junctions, etc). They placed 2nd behing the CrossClimate 2s in the 2022 all-season tyre test on Tyre Reviews, and were considered better overall in milder, wet conditions (bulk of UK basically!), which is why I chose them over the CC2s. Only had the recent spell of wintry weather to check the snow/ice performance - no issues with snow, but felt twitchy on ice. Supply seems limited this year - only place I've seen them listed in M3 18" size is ATS Euromaster, whereas I could have also got them from Halfords & Kwikfit last year.”
bobistheoilguy.com ·2021-03-02

“Hankook's 3-peak all-season tire, also called all-weather, is finally available from TR, though it had been out awhile now, when it replaced the 4S (4s1?) that was sold in Canada, but not the US. Like all the other 3-peak all-seasons that they carry, TR classifies the 4S2 as grand touring all-season”
Top themes
#Affordable CrossClimate alternative#Wet weather traction#Snow and winter performance#Tread wear longevity#Cabin road noise#Ride stiffness and comfort

Based on 33 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Hankook Kinergy 4S2
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—95
Rim diameters—14″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Hankook Kinergy 4S2

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, treadwear and comfort. 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.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 56 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 67 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 75 vs 64 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 72 on dry.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · Hankook Kinergy 4S2
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Defender LTX M/S or Kinergy 4S2?

Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or Kinergy 4S2?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 81 vs 78 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or Kinergy 4S2?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 78 vs 72 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or Kinergy 4S2?

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 72 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or Kinergy 4S2?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 64 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or Kinergy 4S2?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 67 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