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Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Michelin Primacy 3 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 77–70

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Tire AMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

Tests – · 1 test Owners 79 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 13 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires (overall ranking)

Tire BMichelin

Primacy 3

Summer

Tests 74 · 2 tests Owners 67 · 195 reviews

Best test result: #9 of 11 in 2018 Ace 235/45 R18 Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)

“By far the biggest determinant in road noise will be the road surface, as you found, and no tire will overcome that basic fact. That is so obvious in my area where there are new sections of highway interspersed with old sections. Having said that, I'm running the older Michelin Primacy 3 ST tires on 17 inch wheels on my 2021 ES300h and they are great, compared to the Turanza I was running on 19 inch wheels on the same car. The Michelin Primacy Tour A/S should be even better in this regard. Not sure, but perhaps the higher profile of the 17 inch tires (215/55R17 vs 235/40R19) also helps reduce road noise.”

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 +4
    74
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SPrimacy 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)–76
    Reviews found online8371
  2. 77

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +6
    71
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SPrimacy 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)–72
    Reviews found online8070
  3. 73

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SPrimacy 3
    Reviews found online74–
  4. 73

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +4
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SPrimacy 3
    Reviews found online7668
  5. 70

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SPrimacy 3
    Reviews found online75–
  6. 77

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +9
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SPrimacy 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)7673
    Reviews found online7959
  7. 79

    Handling

    Defender LTX M/S +11
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SPrimacy 3
    Reviews found online7968
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SMichelin Primacy 3
Relative Score 77 70
Dry 78 74
Wet 77 71
Snow 73 –
Comfort 73 69
Noise 70 –
Treadwear 77 68
Handling 79 68

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.

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Important
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Neutral
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Less important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Defender LTX M/S

Primacy 3

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

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryDefender LTX M/SPrimacy 3ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 83% #3/13 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires 11% #9/11 · 2018 Ace 235/45 R18 Summer Tyre Test +72.2 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 Primacy 3

Pros

  • Exceptional ride comfort and low noise levels
  • Strong dry grip and confident handling
  • Smooth, refined high-speed stability and cruising capability

Cons

  • Higher than average purchase price
  • Faster-than-expected tread wear reported by many users
  • Mixed feedback on wet weather performance, with some noting a lack of grip in standing water or snow
All owner themes in the Primacy 3 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 Primacy 3

Positive

Community discussions regarding the Michelin Primacy 3 generally view it as a reliable, cost-effective, and comfortable touring tire option compared to alternatives like Bridgestone Ecopias or Turanzas. Users frequently compare its efficiency and comfort attributes against sportier options like the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 or Goodyear Eagle F1, noting its balanced performance.

r/BMWi3 ·7 upvotes ·2022-04-22

“So I have decided there is no way I am paying for the Bridgestone Ecopias at over £200 a tyre, and as such, I have come across the Michelin Primacy 3 on Costco, which I can get fitted for approx £93 a tyre (I only need two on the rear) They seem to have good reviews. My actual tyre size for my i3S should be 195/50 R20, but getting 195/55 R20 instead should only add up to another inch or so in height, so I'm reckoning I should be okay. What are people's thoughts?”
Top themes
#Cost and value#Ride comfort#Fuel efficiency#Road noise reduction#Comparison with sport tires#Size availability

Based on 7 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Michelin Primacy 3
CategoryAll SeasonSummer
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Michelin Primacy 3

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, treadwear and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

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

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 77 vs 68 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 77 vs 71 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 74 on dry.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Primacy 3
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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

77

Leads

Defender LTX M/S

Amazon