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Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 vs Michelin Defender2 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Defender LTX M/S2 leads, 81–77 Narrow edge

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Tire AMichelin

Defender LTX M/S2

Tests – · none yet Owners 87 · 3,650 reviews

“Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 I’m looking to getting the Defenders as my next tires. As much as I’d like ATs, the unfortunately reality is that my tundra is a pavement princess/road trip vehicle 99% of the time. It will tow a trailer very rarely, and nothing crazy. Looking at the tire options, it gives me the option between the E1 rated Tires or XL tires. From my understanding the E1 rated tires have a higher payload rating, but at the cost of being heavier/harsher ride. The XL tires are better for normal driving without towing. What is your opinion on the difference and what is the better option? Thank you. Read more”

Tire BMichelin

Defender2

All Season

Tests 65 · 2 tests Owners 87 · 11,218 reviews

“I am sick from New Michelin Defender2 tires. Need recommendation of all season tires with less offgassing of toxic chemicals. Short of breath and nasal congestion from 3 brand new Michelin Defender2 tires offgassing on my SUV. Tires consist of approximately 400 chemicals. What is the half life of their offgassing? I am considering replacing them with Hanhook Kinergy tires. Has anyone smelled them? Read more”

Category by category

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

  1. 82

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S2 +2
    80
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Defender2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–73
    Reviews found online9190
  2. 84

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S2 +10
    74
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Defender2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–65
    Reviews found online8988
  3. 72

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S2 +13
    59
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Defender2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–47
    Reviews found online7477
  4. 78

    Comfort

    Defender2 +1
    79
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Defender2
    Reviews found online8788
  5. 75

    Noise

    Defender2 +3
    78
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Defender2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–73
    Reviews found online8985
  6. 80

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S2 +2
    78
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Defender2
    Reviews found online9087
  7. 86

    Handling

    Defender2 +2
    88
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Defender2
    Reviews found online8688
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/S2Michelin Defender2
Relative Score 81 77
Dry 82 80
Wet 84 74
Snow 72 59
Comfort 78 79
Noise 75 78
Treadwear 80 78
Handling 86 88

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Defender LTX M/S2

Defender2

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Defender LTX M/S2

Pros

  • Exceptionally long tread life and high mileage durability
  • Smooth, comfortable, and quiet highway ride quality
  • Improved fuel economy and low rolling resistance compared to factory or all-terrain tires

Cons

  • High upfront premium price point
  • Occasional minor wheel spin or reduced traction on wet surfaces during hard takeoffs
  • Treads can pack with snow, making them mediocre in deep winter conditions
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S2 review

Tire B Defender2

Pros

  • Long-lasting tread life and high mileage capability
  • Confident dry and wet traction with stable handling
  • Quiet and smooth ride quality on specific vehicles and highway surfaces

Cons

  • Stiffer, harder ride compared to original equipment or older models
  • Noticeable road noise and lack of noise absorption on certain pavement types
  • Reduced fuel economy (MPG) reported by multiple users
All owner themes in the Defender2 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2

Positive

Community opinion on the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 is overwhelmingly positive, with users frequently praising its longevity, quiet and smooth ride, and excellent wet and dry traction. Many truck and SUV owners choose them over aggressive all-terrain tires because they excel in highway and daily driving while still managing respectable performance in rain and light snow.

r/Rivian ·75 upvotes ·2026-03-09

“Another vote for Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 Put the 275/60/20 LTX M/S2 on the Dune in January. It’s been ridiculously cold for most of that spell. Today is the first warm day in forever and happened to be headed to Rivian SC for a routine service. Decided to track the Efficiency on my 30 mile drive. It’s from NoVa to Gaithersburg, MD so that means town, windy parkway, and Beltway driving. The efficiency was pretty eye popping. Started with a batter around 65. No precondition. Used conserve once I got to highway. Never seen numbers this good. Read more”
r/GrandCherokee ·2 upvotes ·2025-09-01

“I had the crossclimate on my Avalon. They were noisy. Don't know if vehicle choice matters. Put the Defender LTX M/S2 on my GC Overland. So far I really like them.”
r/GXOR ·3 upvotes ·2026-07-03

“Looking for Pics of GXs with Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 TL;DR - Would love to see pics of trucks with the current Defender LTX M/S2, especially on non-OEM wheels. Longer story - Selected my Conti TerrainContact AT as the ideal mild AT - light, quiet, comfy, but with a tougher looking sidewall and just a enough extra traction. Unfortunately, 3 out of 4 cannot be road forced balanced well enough (2 different shops tried) and they have a very pronounced wobble at multiple speeds. I'm thiiiiiis close to admitting to myself I don't offroad enough to justify even a mild AT, and that the new Defender LTX M/S2 is the perfect for me. These tires are VERY well reviewed here and everywhere else, and yes- plenty say they do well in many off-road situations. But pictures are hard to come by! Please post up if you have these on your ride so I can get a sense of how they look, especially if you have 17" wheels or non-OEM sizes. Thanks! Read more”
Top themes
#Range and Efficiency#Longevity and Treadwear#Snow and Winter Traction#Highway Ride Quality#Noise Levels#Load Ratings and Options

Based on 22 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Defender2

Positive

The Michelin Defender2 is widely praised by the community as a top-tier all-season tire, frequently compared favorably against alternatives like the CrossClimate2 and Continental LX25. Users highlight its exceptional tread life, excellent Consumer Reports rankings, and balanced performance, though minor concerns exist regarding speed rating requirements and rare individual complaints.

r/crv ·6 upvotes ·2025-04-07

“Michelin CC2 or Defender2 or Continental crosscontact LX25?? For 2019 Honda Crv. I heard a lot of pros for these tires in the following order. CC2 --> Defender2 --> LX25 But Cons which i what i like to know about.. CC2 - lots of reviews on mpg hit. Defender2 - Not sure if also has mpg hit. Lx25 - I have a friend who is already 20k on it and tire looks new and didn't mention about any mpg hit for him Thank you. Update: Thank you for all your valuable reviews, I have ordered these from Costco and should get them rolling soon. MICHELIN DEFENDER2 AS 235/60R18 107H XL BSW ALL SEASON TIRE. Read more”
r/tires ·3 upvotes ·2025-02-08

“Michelin Defender2 for handling, comfort, and noise? Vehicle is a 2008 Honda Accord LX Sedan. 215/60/R16. I prefer A/S tires and only drive in a warm dry climate with occasional rain (southern CA) I know that Michelins are generally considered the best tire maker but the main advantage of the Defender2's seems to be their excellent durability and tread life. The thing is I have an older car and although I love it I'll probably be selling it within 4yrs. In addition I only average around 6000 miles per year. So I would rather have tires that are more focused on providing a balance of ride quality, comfort, and handling while I have the car. I can get Turanza Quiettracks for about the same price also from Costco so maybe these or another tire might be better suited for my needs? Thanks for reading. Read more”
Top themes
#long tread life#consumer reports ranking#all season performance#fuel economy impact#tire comparisons

Based on 5 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 B · Michelin Defender2
Category—All Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Tread depth11 - 14/32″10 - 11/32″
UTQG820 B A840 B B
Treadwear warranty—80,000 mi
SidewallBlack Side Wall - Raised Outline White LetteringBlack Side Wall
Max pressure50 - 80 psi50 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2

Michelin Defender2

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 — better snow and wet. Pick the Michelin Defender2 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 72 vs 59 on snow.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 84 vs 74 on wet.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Defender2 scores 78 vs 75 on noise.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
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Tire B · Michelin Defender2
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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

81

Narrow edge

Defender LTX M/S2

Amazon