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 NT01 — 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 + 26 owner reviews. How we score
Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–42
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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 +1960Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S NT01 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 75 (est.) ≈ 63 (est.) Reviews found online 84 56 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 84.3 = 79
NT01: 60% × 63.2 (est.) + 40% × 56.3 = 60
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 NT01. 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 +5527Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S NT01 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 79 (est.) ≈ 38 (est.) Reviews found online 86 10 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.8 (est.) + 40% × 85.6 = 82
NT01: 60% × 37.6 (est.) + 40% × 10 = 27
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 NT01. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
74
Snow
Defender LTX M/S +3935Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S NT01 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 72 (est.) ≈ 51 (est.) Reviews found online 77 10 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.6 = 74
NT01: 60% × 51.3 (est.) + 40% × 10 = 35
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 NT01. 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 +3936Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S NT01 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 59 (est.) Reviews found online 78 21 Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.5 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 75
NT01: 40% × 59.1 (est.) + 60% × 20.9 = 36
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 NT01. 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 comparison45Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S NT01 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online – 13 NT01: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 12.6 = 45
No road tests of noise for NT01. 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 +3545Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S NT01 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 75 ≈ 54 (est.) Reviews found online 86 31 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 86.3 = 80
NT01: 60% × 53.8 (est.) + 40% × 31.4 = 45
No road tests of treadwear for NT01. 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 +3646Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S NT01 Reviews found online 82 46
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Defender LTX M/S | Nitto NT01 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 79 | 42 |
| Dry | 79 | 60 |
| Wet | 82 | 27 |
| Snow | 74 | 35 |
| Comfort | 75 | 36 |
| Noise | – | 45 |
| Treadwear | 80 | 45 |
| Handling (owners) | 82 | 46 |
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
42
/ 100
NT01
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 NT01
Pros
- Exceptional dry grip and traction once warmed up
- Outstanding tread life and durability for a track tire (wears like iron)
- Consistent performance across multiple heat cycles with minimal degradation
Cons
- High risk of hydroplaning and poor performance in heavy rain or standing water
- Loud road noise and harsh ride quality when used for street driving
- Slow to warm up properly on the street, leading to faster wear off-track
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S | B · Nitto NT01 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | Summer |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 17 |
| Rim diameters | — | 14″ – 19″ |
| Tread depth | — | 6.3/32″ |
| UTQG | 720 - 800 B A | 100 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
79
/ 100
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
42
/ 100
Nitto NT01
Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better wet, snow and comfort. 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
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 27 on wet.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 74 vs 35 on snow.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 75 vs 36 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 46 on handling.
Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire B · Nitto NT01
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Defender LTX M/S or NT01?
Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or NT01?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 27 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or NT01?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 60 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or NT01?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 35 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or NT01?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 36 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or NT01?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 45 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