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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 (comfort 40/60). Based on 1 + 0 road tests and 11 + 5 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S leads, 79–77 Narrow edge

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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 WT
Tire BToyo

Open Country WT

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 80 · 5 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 +3
    76
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country WT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 75 (est.)≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online8481

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

    Open Country WT: 60% × 73.2 (est.) + 40% × 80.5 = 76

    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 WT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 82

    Wet

    Level
    82
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country WT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 79 (est.)≈ 79 (est.)
    Reviews found online8686

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 79 (est.) + 40% × 85.7 = 82

    Open Country WT: 60% × 79.1 (est.) + 40% × 85.9 = 82

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

  3. 74

    Snow

    Level
    74
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country WT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7777

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.4 (est.) + 40% × 76.5 = 74

    Open Country WT: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.7 = 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 0.32).

    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 0.32).

  4. 75

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +1
    74
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country WT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7877

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.6 (est.) + 60% × 77.7 = 75

    Open Country WT: 40% × 70.5 (est.) + 60% × 77 = 74

    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 WT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 80

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    73
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country WT
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests75≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online8678

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

    Open Country WT: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 77.5 = 73

    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 0.36).

  6. 82

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +2
    80
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SOpen Country WT
    Reviews found online8280
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SToyo Open Country WT
Relative Score 79 77
Dry 79 76
Wet 82 82
Snow 74 74
Comfort 75 74
Treadwear 80 73
Handling (owners) 82 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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Defender LTX M/S

± 8

Open Country WT

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 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 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″
UTQG720 - 800 B A—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Toyo Open Country WT

Narrow edge: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear and dry. 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. 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 80 vs 73 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 76 on dry.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · Toyo Open Country WT
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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: 82 vs 82 on the wet score, within 3 points.

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

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 76 on our dry score.

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

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 74 on the snow score, within 3 points.

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

Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 74 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

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

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 80 vs 73 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