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 Pilot HX MXM4 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 — 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 + 9 owner reviews. How we score
Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 80–55
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Tests – · none yet Owners 47 · 9 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
79
Dry
Defender LTX M/S +2257Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Pilot HX MXM4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 75 (est.) ≈ 61 (est.) Reviews found online 84 51 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 84.3 = 79
Pilot HX MXM4: 60% × 61 (est.) + 40% × 51.1 = 57
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 Pilot HX MXM4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
-
82
Wet
Defender LTX M/S +2656Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Pilot HX MXM4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 79 (est.) ≈ 59 (est.) Reviews found online 86 50 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 79 (est.) + 40% × 85.7 = 82
Pilot HX MXM4: 60% × 59.5 (est.) + 40% × 50.2 = 56
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 Pilot HX MXM4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
74
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Pilot HX MXM4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 72 (est.) – Reviews found online 77 – Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.4 (est.) + 40% × 76.5 = 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 0.32).
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75
Comfort
Defender LTX M/S +1758Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Pilot HX MXM4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 78 54 Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.6 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 75
Pilot HX MXM4: 40% × 65.6 (est.) + 60% × 53.5 = 58
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 0.21).
No road tests of comfort for Pilot HX MXM4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).
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80
Treadwear
Defender LTX M/S +3050Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Pilot HX MXM4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 75 ≈ 57 (est.) Reviews found online 86 39 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 86.3 = 80
Pilot HX MXM4: 60% × 56.7 (est.) + 40% × 39 = 50
No road tests of treadwear for Pilot HX MXM4. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
82
Handling (owners)
Defender LTX M/S +3448Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Pilot HX MXM4 Reviews found online 82 48
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Defender LTX M/S | Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 80 | 55 |
| Dry | 79 | 57 |
| Wet | 82 | 56 |
| Snow | 74 | – |
| Comfort | 75 | 58 |
| Treadwear | 80 | 50 |
| Handling (owners) | 82 | 48 |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
80
/ 100
Defender LTX M/S
55
/ 100
Pilot HX MXM4
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
Tire B Pilot HX MXM4
Pros
- Acceptable tread life for some users under specific driving conditions
- Generally comfortable ride quality when new
- Reliable performance for moderate, dry-weather driving
Cons
- Poor traction and safety concerns on wet surfaces
- Inadequate performance in winter conditions despite M+S rating
- Reports of sidewall tearing and tread delamination
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S | B · Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | All Season |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| UTQG | 720 - 800 B A | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
80
/ 100
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
55
/ 100
Michelin Pilot HX MXM4
Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, treadwear and wet. 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. Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 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 82 vs 48 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 50 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 56 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 57 on dry.
Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire B · Michelin Pilot HX MXM4
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Defender LTX M/S or Pilot HX MXM4?
Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or Pilot HX MXM4?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 56 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or Pilot HX MXM4?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 57 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or Pilot HX MXM4?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 58 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or Pilot HX MXM4?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 50 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