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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 vs Michelin Primacy 4 ST — 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 0 + 1 road tests and 3,650 + 1 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S2 is ahead, 84–73

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Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
Tire AMichelin

Defender LTX M/S2

All-Season tire

± 7

Tests – · none yet Owners 89 · 3,650 reviews

“The tires are over inflated for transport. The dealership should set them to the proper PSI during PDI but that's not always the case. I had 55 PSI in mine which explained the rough ride.”

Michelin Primacy 4 ST
Tire BMichelin

Primacy 4 ST

Summer

± 7Provisional

Tests 75 · 1 test Owners 73 · 1 review

Best test result: #1 of 6 in 2023 APAC Tyre Test (dry braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 84

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S2 +8
    76
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Primacy 4 ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 78 (est.)78
    Reviews found online9273

    Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 78.2 (est.) + 40% × 92.1 = 84

    Primacy 4 ST: 60% × 78 + 40% × 73.4 = 76

    No road tests of dry for Defender LTX M/S2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 87

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S2 +12
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Primacy 4 ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 83 (est.)73
    Reviews found online9377

    Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 83 (est.) + 40% × 92.8 = 87

    Primacy 4 ST: 60% × 73.4 + 40% × 76.6 = 75

    No road tests of wet for Defender LTX M/S2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 74

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Primacy 4 ST
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)–
    Reviews found online76–

    Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 72.8 (est.) + 40% × 76.1 = 74

    No road tests of snow for Defender LTX M/S2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 82

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S2 +12
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Primacy 4 ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 73 (est.)71
    Reviews found online8869

    Defender LTX M/S2: 40% × 72.7 (est.) + 60% × 88.3 = 82

    Primacy 4 ST: 40% × 70.8 + 60% × 69.2 = 70

    No road tests of comfort for Defender LTX M/S2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 76

    Noise

    Defender LTX M/S2 +6
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Primacy 4 ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 67 (est.)73
    Reviews found online89≈ 67 (est.)

    Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 89.3 = 76

    Primacy 4 ST: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 70

    No road tests of noise for Defender LTX M/S2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

    No owner ratings of noise for Primacy 4 ST. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 80

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S2 +11
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Primacy 4 ST
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 74 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8971

    Defender LTX M/S2: 60% × 74 (est.) + 40% × 88.9 = 80

    Primacy 4 ST: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 70.6 = 69

    No road tests of treadwear for Defender LTX M/S2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for Primacy 4 ST. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 87

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S2 +16
    71
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Primacy 4 ST
    Reviews found online8771
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/S2Primacy 4 ST
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–75
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/S2Michelin Primacy 4 ST
Relative Score 84 73
Dry 84 76
Wet 87 75
Snow 74 –
Comfort 82 70
Noise 76 70
Treadwear 80 69
Handling (owners) 87 71
Efficiency – 75

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

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Defender LTX M/S2

± 7

Primacy 4 ST

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/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 Primacy 4 ST

Pros

  • Exceptional durability and tread life
  • High levels of wet and dry grip
  • Superior ride comfort

Cons

  • Slightly higher noise levels compared to the segment-leading quiet tire (Continental CC6)
  • Fuel efficiency is competitive but not class-leading
All owner themes in the Primacy 4 ST 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

The community widely views the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 as an outstanding highway and daily driving tire, praising its smooth ride, low road noise, and reliable wet traction. While considered an ideal replacement for noisy all-terrain or OEM tires, some users question its performance in severe winter or deep mud conditions compared to dedicated off-road tires. A few owners also raised minor concerns regarding warranty differences, balancing, and tread life compared to prior generations.

bobistheoilguy.com ·5 upvotes ·2025-06-04

“Got them last month. Did road trip to Vegas and back. Astonishing tire. You almost don’t know they are there. They just provide feedback necessary to have good control. No noise, no uncomfortable transfer of impact. Excellent in rain. Went through several downpours. As expected from 12/32 depth and this design, hydroplaning resistance is excellent. But what I pay attention is braking and handling, and they are excellent there. Did by now 3,000mls no any noticeable wear.”
landcruiserforum.com ·5 upvotes ·2024-08-12

“The tires are over inflated for transport. The dealership should set them to the proper PSI during PDI but that's not always the case. I had 55 PSI in mine which explained the rough ride.”
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
#highway ride comfort#wet weather traction#low road noise#fuel and range efficiency#light snow performance#all-terrain comparison

Based on 83 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Primacy 4 ST

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 B · Michelin Primacy 4 ST
CategoryAll-Season tireSummer
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available17
Rim diameters22″16″ – 20″
Tread depth11 - 14/32″—
UTQG820 B A—
SidewallBlack Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering—
Max pressure50 - 80 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2

Michelin Primacy 4 ST

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 — better handling, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin Primacy 4 ST rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 87 vs 71 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 87 vs 75 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 82 vs 70 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 80 vs 69 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
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Tire B · Michelin Primacy 4 ST
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Defender LTX M/S2 or Primacy 4 ST?

Which is better in the wet, Defender LTX M/S2 or Primacy 4 ST?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, 87 vs 75 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Defender LTX M/S2 or Primacy 4 ST?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, 84 vs 76 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Defender LTX M/S2 or Primacy 4 ST?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, 76 vs 70 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Defender LTX M/S2 or Primacy 4 ST?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, 82 vs 70 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Defender LTX M/S2 or Primacy 4 ST?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, 80 vs 69 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