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 Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 — 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 + 35 owner reviews. How we score
Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–65
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Tests – · none yet Owners 64 · 35 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 +1663Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Roadian HTX RH5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 75 (est.) ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 84 60 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 84.3 = 79
Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 63
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).
No road tests of dry for Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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82
Wet
Defender LTX M/S +1666Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Roadian HTX RH5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 79 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 86 65 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.8 (est.) + 40% × 85.6 = 82
Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.7 = 66
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 Roadian HTX RH5. 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 +965Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Roadian HTX RH5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 72 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 77 61 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.6 = 74
Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 61.1 = 65
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 Roadian HTX RH5. 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 Roadian HTX RH5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 78 53 Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.5 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 75
Roadian HTX RH5: 40% × 65.4 (est.) + 60% × 52.7 = 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 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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–
Noise
No comparison68Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Roadian HTX RH5 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online – 70 Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 69.8 = 68
No road tests of noise for Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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80
Treadwear
Defender LTX M/S +1268Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Roadian HTX RH5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 75 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 86 69 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 86.3 = 80
Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 69 = 68
No road tests of treadwear for Roadian HTX RH5. 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)
No comparison–Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Roadian HTX RH5 Reviews found online 82 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Defender LTX M/S | Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 79 | 65 |
| Dry | 79 | 63 |
| Wet | 82 | 66 |
| Snow | 74 | 65 |
| Comfort | 75 | 58 |
| Noise | – | 68 |
| Treadwear | 80 | 68 |
| Handling (owners) | 82 | – |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
79
/ 100
Defender LTX M/S
65
/ 100
Roadian HTX RH5
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 Roadian HTX RH5
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S | B · Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | All-Season tire |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | — | 44 |
| Rim diameters | — | 15″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | — | 11/32″ |
| UTQG | 720 - 800 B A | 640 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | — | 65,000 mi |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
79
/ 100
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
65
/ 100
Nexen Roadian HTX RH5
Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better comfort, dry 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.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 75 vs 58 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 63 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 66 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 68 on treadwear.
Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire B · Nexen Roadian HTX RH5
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Defender LTX M/S or Roadian HTX RH5?
Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or Roadian HTX RH5?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 66 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or Roadian HTX RH5?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 63 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or Roadian HTX RH5?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 65 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or Roadian HTX RH5?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 58 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or Roadian HTX RH5?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 68 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