Tests – · 1 test Owners 82 · 10 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 Toyo Open Country A/T plus — 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 10 + 11 owner reviews. How we score
Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–69
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Tests – · none yet Owners 68 · 11 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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78
Dry
Defender LTX M/S +870Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Open Country A/T plus Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 74 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 83 71 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 83.3 = 78
Open Country A/T plus: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 70.5 = 70
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 Open Country A/T plus. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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81
Wet
Defender LTX M/S +1170Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Open Country A/T plus Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 78 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 84 70 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.2 (est.) + 40% × 84.2 = 81
Open Country A/T plus: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 69.9 = 70
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 Open Country A/T plus. 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
No comparison–Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Open Country A/T plus Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 73 (est.) – Reviews found online 76 – Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 76 = 74
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 0.37).
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75
Comfort
Defender LTX M/S +768Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Open Country A/T plus Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 78 67 Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.7 (est.) + 60% × 77.6 = 75
Open Country A/T plus: 40% × 68.7 (est.) + 60% × 66.9 = 68
No road tests of comfort for Defender LTX M/S or Open Country A/T plus. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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79
Treadwear
Defender LTX M/S +1564Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Open Country A/T plus Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 75 ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 85 62 Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.5 + 40% × 85.1 = 79
Open Country A/T plus: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 61.9 = 64
No road tests of treadwear for Open Country A/T plus. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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80
Handling (owners)
Defender LTX M/S +971Why this score
Source Defender LTX M/S Open Country A/T plus Reviews found online 80 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Defender LTX M/S | Toyo Open Country A/T plus |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 79 | 69 |
| Dry | 78 | 70 |
| Wet | 81 | 70 |
| Snow | 74 | – |
| Comfort | 75 | 68 |
| Treadwear | 79 | 64 |
| Handling (owners) | 80 | 71 |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
79
/ 100
Defender LTX M/S
69
/ 100
Open Country A/T plus
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 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
Tire B Open Country A/T plus
Pros
- Exceptionally low road noise for an all-terrain tire
- Strong traction in off-road conditions such as mud, grass, gravel, and snow
- Good overall value and pricing relative to premium brands
Cons
- Some reports of faster-than-desired tread wear or soft rubber compound
- Occasional complaints about reduced grip or a spongy feel on wet tarmac
- Not optimized for extreme deep snow or heavy-duty mud terrain applications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S | B · Toyo Open Country A/T plus |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | All-Terrain tire |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | — | 54 |
| Rim diameters | — | 15″ – 21″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
79
/ 100
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
69
/ 100
Toyo Open Country A/T plus
Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin Defender LTX M/S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Toyo Open Country A/T plus rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 11 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 64 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 81 vs 70 on wet.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 71 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 70 on dry.
Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire B · Toyo Open Country A/T plus
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Defender LTX M/S or Open Country A/T plus?
Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or Open Country A/T plus?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 81 vs 70 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or Open Country A/T plus?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 78 vs 70 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or Open Country A/T plus?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 68 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or Open Country A/T plus?
Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 64 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