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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Toyo Open Country M/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 11 + 241 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 79–68

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Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire AMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

± 7Provisional

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))

Toyo Open Country M/T
Tire BToyo

Open Country M/T

Mud-Terrain tire

± 7

Tests – · none yet Owners 67 · 241 reviews

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 79

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +11
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country M/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 75 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8469

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 84.3 = 79

    Open Country M/T: 60% × 68.2 (est.) + 40% × 68.5 = 68

    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 Open Country M/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 82

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +10
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country M/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 79 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online8672

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.8 (est.) + 40% × 85.6 = 82

    Open Country M/T: 60% × 71.3 (est.) + 40% × 71.8 = 72

    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 M/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 +6
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country M/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7767

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.6 = 74

    Open Country M/T: 60% × 69.4 (est.) + 40% × 67.1 = 68

    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 Open Country M/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 75

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +13
    62
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country M/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7858

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.5 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 75

    Open Country M/T: 40% × 66.6 (est.) + 60% × 58.2 = 62

    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 Open Country M/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    64
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country M/T
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online–60

    Open Country M/T: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 59.6 = 64

    No road tests of noise for Open Country M/T. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 80

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +15
    65
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country M/T
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests75≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online8664

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.4 + 40% × 86.3 = 80

    Open Country M/T: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 64.3 = 65

    No road tests of treadwear for Open Country M/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 82

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +19
    63
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country M/T
    Reviews found online8263
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SToyo Open Country M/T
Relative Score 79 68
Dry 79 68
Wet 82 72
Snow 74 68
Comfort 75 62
Noise – 64
Treadwear 80 65
Handling (owners) 82 63

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

± 7

Open Country M/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 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
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S review

Tire B Open Country M/T

Pros

  • Exceptional off-road traction in mud, sand, gravel, and snow
  • Surprisingly low road noise and smooth ride quality for a mud-terrain tire
  • Rugged, durable sidewalls with high puncture resistance

Cons

  • High initial purchase price
  • Negative impact on vehicle fuel economy (MPG)
  • Reduced grip or slight slickness on wet pavement or icy roads
All owner themes in the Open Country M/T review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Toyo Open Country M/T
CategoryAll SeasonMud-Terrain tire
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available—35
Rim diameters—16″ – 24″
Tread depth—18 - 22/32″
UTQG720 - 800 B A—
Sidewall—Black Side Wall
Max pressure—35 - 80 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Toyo Open Country M/T

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, treadwear 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 You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 82 vs 63 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 80 vs 65 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 75 vs 62 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 68 on dry.

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

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

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 82 vs 72 on our wet score.

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

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 68 on our dry score.

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

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 74 vs 68 on our snow score.

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

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 62 on our comfort score.

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

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 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