tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Toyo Open Country WT — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 1 + 0 road tests and 10 + 5 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Defender LTX M/S 76, Open Country WT 75.

Check price on Amazon · Defender LTX M/S Check price on Amazon · Open Country WT
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire AMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

Provisional

Tests – · 1 test Owners 78 · 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. 76

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country WT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online8179

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 73.2 (est.) + 40% × 81.3 = 76

    Open Country WT: 60% × 72.3 (est.) + 40% × 79.1 = 75

    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 0.40).

    No road tests of dry for Open Country WT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 78

    Wet

    Open Country WT +1
    79
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country WT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 76 (est.)≈ 77 (est.)
    Reviews found online8183

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.9 (est.) + 40% × 80.7 = 78

    Open Country WT: 60% × 77.1 (est.) + 40% × 82.9 = 79

    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 0.56).

    No road tests of wet for Open Country WT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 72

    Snow

    Level
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country WT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7374

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 73.2 = 72

    Open Country WT: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 73.6 = 72

    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 0.33).

    No road tests of snow for Open Country WT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 73

    Comfort

    Level
    73
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country WT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7677

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 76.1 = 73

    Open Country WT: 60% × 70.4 (est.) + 40% × 76.6 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for Defender LTX M/S or Open Country WT. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 70

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country WT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)–
    Reviews found online75–

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 74.7 = 70

    No road tests of noise for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 76

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +5
    71
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country WT
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests74≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7875

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 78 = 76

    Open Country WT: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 74.5 = 71

    No road tests of treadwear for Open Country WT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 79

    Handling (owners)

    Open Country WT +1
    80
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country WT
    Reviews found online7980
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SToyo Open Country WT
Relative Score 76 75
Dry 76 75
Wet 78 79
Snow 72 72
Comfort 73 73
Noise 70 –
Treadwear 76 71
Handling (owners) 79 80

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

Defender LTX M/S

Open Country WT

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryDefender LTX M/SOpen Country WTΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #3/13 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires #5/8 2010 Auto Bild Winter 4x4 Tyre Test – Different tests

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 WT

Pros

  • Exceptional performance and traction in snow, ice, slush, and wet weather
  • Surprising longevity and slow tread wear over high mileage (20,000 to 30,000 miles)
  • Good versatility and capability for light off-road use, unmade tracks, and muddy fields

Cons

  • Slightly increased road noise compared to standard road tires, though not overly intrusive
All owner themes in the Open Country WT review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Toyo Open Country WT
CategoryAll SeasonWinter
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available—8
Rim diameters—16″ – 19″

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Toyo Open Country WT

Too close to call: Michelin Defender LTX M/S and Toyo Open Country WT are within 2 points overall. Michelin Defender LTX M/S is stronger on treadwear. Michelin Defender LTX M/S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Toyo Open Country WT rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 5 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 76 vs 71 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Toyo Open Country WT
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Defender LTX M/S or Open Country WT?

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

Neither, by our numbers: 78 vs 79 on the wet score, within 3 points.

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

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 75 on the dry score, within 3 points.

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

Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 72 on the snow score, within 3 points.

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

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 73 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

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

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 76 vs 71 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