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 Nitto Neo Gen — 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 + 51 owner reviews. How we score
Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–59
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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 +1861Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Neo Gen Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 75 (est.) ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 84 57 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 84.3 = 79
Neo Gen: 60% × 63.6 (est.) + 40% × 57.3 = 61
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 Neo Gen. 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 +2062Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Neo Gen Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 79 (est.) ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 86 58 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.8 (est.) + 40% × 85.6 = 82
Neo Gen: 60% × 63.9 (est.) + 40% × 58.2 = 62
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 Neo Gen. 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 +2648Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Neo Gen Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 72 (est.) ≈ 59 (est.) Reviews found online 77 33 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.6 = 74
Neo Gen: 60% × 58.6 (est.) + 40% × 33 = 48
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 Neo Gen. 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 Neo Gen Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 78 54 Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.5 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 75
Neo Gen: 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 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for Neo Gen. 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 comparison62Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Neo Gen Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online – 56 Neo Gen: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 55.6 = 62
No road tests of noise for Neo Gen. 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 +2060Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Neo Gen Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 75 ≈ 63 (est.) Reviews found online 86 56 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 86.3 = 80
Neo Gen: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 55.5 = 60
No road tests of treadwear for Neo Gen. 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 +2458Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Neo Gen Reviews found online 82 58
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Defender LTX M/S | Nitto Neo Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 79 | 59 |
| Dry | 79 | 61 |
| Wet | 82 | 62 |
| Snow | 74 | 48 |
| Comfort | 75 | 58 |
| Noise | – | 62 |
| Treadwear | 80 | 60 |
| Handling (owners) | 82 | 58 |
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
79
/ 100
Defender LTX M/S
59
/ 100
Neo Gen
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 Neo Gen
Pros
- Exceptional wet weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
- Strong dry grip and cornering stability for spirited driving
- Great value and affordable price point
Cons
- Increased road noise at highway speeds
- Firm or unrefined ride comfort
- Soft sidewalls reported by some users affecting initial turn-in response
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S | B · Nitto Neo Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | All Season Ultra High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 28 |
| Rim diameters | — | 15″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | — | 9.7/32″ |
| UTQG | 720 - 800 B A | 280 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
79
/ 100
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
59
/ 100
Nitto Neo Gen
Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better snow, handling 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 drive through snowy winters
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 74 vs 48 on snow.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 58 on handling.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 62 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 60 on treadwear.
Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire B · Nitto Neo Gen
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Defender LTX M/S or Neo Gen?
Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or Neo Gen?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 62 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or Neo Gen?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 61 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or Neo Gen?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 48 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or Neo Gen?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 58 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or Neo Gen?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 60 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