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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 — 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 + 1 road tests and 11 + 3,699 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S leads, 79–77 Narrow edge

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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))

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S2

All Season

± 7

Tests 65 · 1 test Owners 88 · 3,699 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 30 in 2026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Snow Test (snow braking)

“The tires are over inflated for transport. The dealership should set them to the proper PSI during PDI but that's not always the case. I had 55 PSI in mine which explained the rough ride.”

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 +11
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDefender LTX M/S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 75 (est.)52
    Reviews found online8491

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

    Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 52 + 40% × 91.3 = 68

    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).

  2. 82

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +5
    77
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDefender LTX M/S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 79 (est.)67
    Reviews found online8692

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

    Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 66.8 + 40% × 91.5 = 77

    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/S2 +7
    81
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDefender LTX M/S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 72 (est.)84
    Reviews found online7777

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

    Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 84 + 40% × 76.9 = 81

    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).

  4. 75

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S2 +7
    82
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDefender LTX M/S2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7888

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

    Defender LTX M/S2: 40% × 72.5 (est.) + 60% × 87.6 = 82

    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 Defender LTX M/S2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDefender LTX M/S2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online–89

    Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 88.8 = 75

    No road tests of noise for Defender LTX M/S2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 80

    Treadwear

    Level
    80
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDefender LTX M/S2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests75≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online8689

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

    Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 74.6 (est.) + 40% × 89 = 80

    No road tests of treadwear for Defender LTX M/S2. 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/S2 +5
    87
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SDefender LTX M/S2
    Reviews found online8287
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SMichelin Defender LTX M/S2
Relative Score 79 77
Dry 79 68
Wet 82 77
Snow 74 81
Comfort 75 82
Noise – 75
Treadwear 80 80
Handling (owners) 82 87

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

± 7

Defender LTX M/S2

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/SDefender LTX M/S2ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/13 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires #3/30 2026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Snow Test – 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 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 Defender LTX M/S2

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and smooth highway ride
  • Outstanding tread life and long-term durability
  • Improves fuel economy and lowers rolling resistance

Cons

  • High upfront purchase price
  • Occasional difficulty with balancing and high-speed vibrations
  • Can pick up small rocks and struggles in deep snow compared to dedicated winter tires
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S2 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

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2

Positive

The community widely views the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 as an outstanding highway and daily driving tire, praising its smooth ride, low road noise, and reliable wet traction. While considered an ideal replacement for noisy all-terrain or OEM tires, some users question its performance in severe winter or deep mud conditions compared to dedicated off-road tires. A few owners also raised minor concerns regarding warranty differences, balancing, and tread life compared to prior generations.

r/ram_trucks ·4 upvotes ·2025-06-29

“Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 vs Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 for '21 Ram 1500 Limited Unfortunately I'm having to get my 2nd set of tires in 4 years. I had the OEM Goodyear tires the first two times and only got 20-25K miles each time so I'm looking for something better. I usually get my tires from Sam's Club because I've found they give the best value. I wanted to get the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2's at my last need for tires but they cost more than I could afford at the time. I can afford them now but I've also come across these Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3's that are at a better deal and have consistently decent reviews as well that would cost me about $500 less in total. I wanted to see if anyone here has any experience with both sets or has a recommendation between the two tires and if you can provide reasonings why. TIA! Leer más”
r/Rivian ·30 upvotes ·2023-11-22

“275/50R22 Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 At about 15k miles the front 2 Pirelli Scorpions were pretty much worn out/down to the wear bar. I wanted to try something different and always liked Michelin tires so I went with the Defender LTX M/S2. Replaced the front two. If I like them I'll get another 2 next year and shuffle these to the rears. It seems the truck has had to relearn how to drive after putting new tires on. It's been 5 days and it seems that it's almost back to normal. The steering felt a little too loose is how I'd describe it. Otherwise they feel great and I like how they look. A little more meatier than the Pirellis. I'll be measuring the wear to see how it compares and will post some data in the future.”
r/ToyotaTundra ·2 upvotes ·2026-01-18

“I have the same truck. I love my Defender LTX M/S2 tires. Very good on the rroadand in rain and snow. I haven't towed with them but have had no issues on forest service roads in Washington state. I would definitely get them again.”
Top themes
#highway ride comfort#wet weather traction#low road noise#fuel and range efficiency#light snow performance#all-terrain comparison

Based on 83 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Tread depth—11 - 14/32″
UTQG720 - 800 B A820 B A
Sidewall—Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure—50 - 80 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2

Narrow edge: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better dry and wet. Pick the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 if snow and comfort matter most to you. 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 want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 68 on dry.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 81 vs 74 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 82 vs 75 on comfort.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 77 on wet.

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

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

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 77 on our wet score.

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

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 68 on our dry score.

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

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, 81 vs 74 on our snow score.

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

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, 82 vs 75 on our comfort score.

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

Neither, by our numbers: 80 vs 80 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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