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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Toyo Open Country H/T — 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 + 40 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 78–52

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Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire AMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

± 7Provisional

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))

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 +25
    53
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country H/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 74 (est.)≈ 58 (est.)
    Reviews found online8345

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 83.3 = 78

    Open Country H/T: 60% × 58.2 (est.) + 40% × 44.6 = 53

    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 H/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 81

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +35
    46
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country H/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 78 (est.)≈ 52 (est.)
    Reviews found online8437

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.2 (est.) + 40% × 84.2 = 81

    Open Country H/T: 60% × 51.8 (est.) + 40% × 36.5 = 46

    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 H/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 74

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +23
    51
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country H/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 59 (est.)
    Reviews found online7639

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 76 = 74

    Open Country H/T: 60% × 58.8 (est.) + 40% × 38.8 = 51

    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).

    No road tests of snow for Open Country H/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 75

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +24
    51
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country H/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7842

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.7 (est.) + 60% × 77.6 = 75

    Open Country H/T: 40% × 64.1 (est.) + 60% × 41.5 = 51

    No road tests of comfort for Defender LTX M/S or Open Country H/T. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    64
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country H/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online–61

    Open Country H/T: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 61.2 = 64

    No road tests of noise for Open Country H/T. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 79

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +14
    65
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country H/T
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests75≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online8564

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.5 + 40% × 85.1 = 79

    Open Country H/T: 60% × 65.2 (est.) + 40% × 63.6 = 65

    No road tests of treadwear for Open Country H/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 80

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +40
    40
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country H/T
    Reviews found online8040
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SToyo Open Country H/T
Relative Score 78 52
Dry 78 53
Wet 81 46
Snow 74 51
Comfort 75 51
Noise – 64
Treadwear 79 65
Handling (owners) 80 40

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
± 7

Defender LTX M/S

± 8

Open Country H/T

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
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S review

Tire B Open Country H/T

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and durability
  • Very low noise levels for a quiet, comfortable highway ride
  • Strong dry pavement handling and stability

Cons

  • Subpar wet weather traction, with complaints of slipping and understeer
  • Soft or wallowly sidewalls leading to vague cornering feedback
  • Poor winter/snow performance for some users, described as feeling like 'cinder-blocks' in freezing conditions
All owner themes in the Open Country H/T review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Toyo Open Country H/T
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available—6
Rim diameters—16″ – 20″
Tread depth—9 - 16/32″
UTQG—300 - 400 A A
Treadwear warranty—50,000 mi
Sidewall—Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure—51 - 80 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Toyo Open Country H/T

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, wet and dry. 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.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 40 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 81 vs 46 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 53 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 75 vs 51 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · Toyo Open Country H/T
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Defender LTX M/S or Open Country H/T?

Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S or Open Country H/T?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 81 vs 46 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S or Open Country H/T?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 78 vs 53 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Defender LTX M/S or Open Country H/T?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 51 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S or Open Country H/T?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 51 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S or Open Country H/T?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 65 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