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))
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Michelin Premier A/S — 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 + 7 owner reviews. How we score
Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–61
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Tests – · none yet Owners 55 · 7 reviews
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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79
Dry
Defender LTX M/S +1564Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Premier A/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 75 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 84 63 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.8 (est.) + 40% × 84.4 = 79
Premier A/S: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 62.5 = 64
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 Premier A/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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82
Wet
Defender LTX M/S +1468Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Premier A/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 79 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 86 67 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 79 (est.) + 40% × 85.7 = 82
Premier A/S: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 66.6 = 68
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 Premier A/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
Defender LTX M/S +1460Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Premier A/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 72 (est.) ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 77 52 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.6 = 74
Premier A/S: 60% × 64.7 (est.) + 40% × 51.9 = 60
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 Premier A/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 +1461Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Premier A/S Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 78 58 Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.6 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 75
Premier A/S: 40% × 66.5 (est.) + 60% × 57.9 = 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 Premier A/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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80
Treadwear
Defender LTX M/S +3347Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Premier A/S Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 75 ≈ 55 (est.) Reviews found online 86 34 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 86.3 = 80
Premier A/S: 60% × 55 (est.) + 40% × 34.3 = 47
No road tests of treadwear for Premier A/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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82
Handling (owners)
Defender LTX M/S +2260Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Premier A/S Reviews found online 82 60
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Defender LTX M/S | Michelin Premier A/S |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 79 | 61 |
| Dry | 79 | 64 |
| Wet | 82 | 68 |
| Snow | 74 | 60 |
| Comfort | 75 | 61 |
| Treadwear | 80 | 47 |
| Handling (owners) | 82 | 60 |
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
79
/ 100
Defender LTX M/S
61
/ 100
Premier A/S
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 Premier A/S
Pros
- Comfortable ride quality with effective bump damping
- Predictable and precise handling in dry conditions
- Good center-line tracking and steering feedback
Cons
- Disappointing tread life and premature wear
- Poor traction and confidence in snow and ice
- Susceptibility to hydroplaning at highway speeds
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S | B · Michelin Premier A/S |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | All Season |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| UTQG | 720 - 800 B A | 640 A A |
Which one should you actually buy?
79
/ 100
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
61
/ 100
Michelin Premier A/S
Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, handling 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. Michelin Premier A/S rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 47 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 60 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 64 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 68 on wet.
Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire B · Michelin Premier A/S
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Defender LTX M/S or Premier A/S?
Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or Premier A/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 68 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or Premier A/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 64 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or Premier A/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 60 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or Premier A/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 61 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or Premier A/S?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 47 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