Tests – · 1 test Owners 69 · 1 review
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Defender T+H vs Michelin Energy Saver — 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 + 1 road tests and 1 + 137 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: Defender T+H 71, Energy Saver 70.
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Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 69 · 137 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test (wear)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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70
Dry
Defender T+H +169Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Saver Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 71 Reviews found online 70 67 Defender T+H: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 70.4 = 70
Energy Saver: 60% × 70.6 + 40% × 67.2 = 69
No road tests of dry for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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72
Wet
Defender T+H +468Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Saver Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 72 (est.) 69 Reviews found online 73 67 Defender T+H: 60% × 72.1 (est.) + 40% × 73.1 = 72
Energy Saver: 60% × 69.2 + 40% × 66.5 = 68
No road tests of wet for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.54).
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65
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Saver Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) – Reviews found online 61 – Defender T+H: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 61.4 = 65
No road tests of snow for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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67
Comfort
Energy Saver +168Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Saver Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 67 68 Defender T+H: 40% × 68.7 (est.) + 60% × 66.7 = 67
Energy Saver: 40% × 68.8 (est.) + 60% × 67.6 = 68
No road tests of comfort for Defender T+H or Energy Saver. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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–
Noise
No comparison70Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Saver Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests – 72 Reviews found online – ≈ 67 (est.) Energy Saver: 60% × 72.2 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 70
No owner ratings of noise for Energy Saver. 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.
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73
Treadwear
Energy Saver +174Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Saver Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests 76 74 Reviews found online 68 75 Defender T+H: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 68.3 = 73
Energy Saver: 60% × 74.4 + 40% × 74.5 = 74
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–
Handling (owners)
No comparison64Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Saver Reviews found online – 64 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison75Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Saver Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests – 75
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Defender T+H | Michelin Energy Saver |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 71 | 70 |
| Dry | 70 | 69 |
| Wet | 72 | 68 |
| Snow | 65 | – |
| Comfort | 67 | 68 |
| Noise | – | 70 |
| Treadwear | 73 | 74 |
| Handling (owners) | – | 64 |
| 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 and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. 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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
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.
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
71
/ 100
Defender T+H
70
/ 100
Energy Saver
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.
| Discipline | Category | Defender T+H | Energy Saver | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #1/8 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires | #5/20 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Defender T+H
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Tire B Energy Saver
Pros
- Exceptional tread life and long-lasting durability
- Noticeable improvements in fuel economy and low rolling resistance
- Low road noise and high levels of driving comfort
Cons
- Subpar wet-weather grip and traction, especially as the tires age
- Prone to dry rotting, cracking, and hardening after a few years
- Poor performance and sliding in cold or winter conditions
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender T+H | B · Michelin Energy Saver |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Premium Touring All Season tire | Summer |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 4 |
| Rim diameters | — | 15″ – 16″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
71
/ 100
Michelin Defender T+H
70
/ 100
Michelin Energy Saver
Too close to call: Michelin Defender T+H and Michelin Energy Saver are within 2 points overall. Michelin Defender T+H is stronger on wet. Michelin Defender T+H rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender T+H scores 72 vs 68 on wet.
Tire A · Michelin Defender T+H
Tire B · Michelin Energy Saver
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Defender T+H or Energy Saver?
Which is better in the wet, Defender T+H or Energy Saver?
Michelin Defender T+H, 72 vs 68 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Defender T+H or Energy Saver?
Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 69 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Defender T+H or Energy Saver?
Neither, by our numbers: 67 vs 68 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, Defender T+H or Energy Saver?
Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 74 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.
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