Tests – · 1 test Owners 71 · 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 — 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 1 + 42 owner reviews. How we score
Defender T+H is ahead, 73–60
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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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72
Dry
Defender T+H +1755Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 60 (est.) Reviews found online 74 48 Defender T+H: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 74.1 = 72
Energy: 60% × 60 (est.) + 40% × 48.4 = 55
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 0.40).
No road tests of dry for Energy. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
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74
Wet
Defender T+H +1361Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 73 (est.) ≈ 63 (est.) Reviews found online 75 57 Defender T+H: 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 74.9 = 74
Energy: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 57.4 = 61
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 0.56).
No road tests of wet for Energy. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
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66
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) – Reviews found online 63 – Defender T+H: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 63.3 = 66
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 0.33).
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70
Comfort
Defender T+H +565Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 70 60 Defender T+H: 60% × 69.3 (est.) + 40% × 70.1 = 70
Energy: 60% × 67.6 (est.) + 40% × 60.2 = 65
No road tests of comfort for Defender T+H or Energy. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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69
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) – Reviews found online 71 – Defender T+H: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 70.5 = 69
No road tests of noise for Defender T+H. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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73
Treadwear
Defender T+H +667Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 75 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 70 67 Defender T+H: 60% × 74.8 + 40% × 70 = 73
Energy: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 67.3 = 67
No road tests of treadwear for Energy. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
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72
Handling (owners)
Defender T+H +2151Why this score
Source Defender T+H Energy Reviews found online 72 51
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Defender T+H | Michelin Energy |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 73 | 60 |
| Dry | 72 | 55 |
| Wet | 74 | 61 |
| Snow | 66 | – |
| Comfort | 70 | 65 |
| Noise | 69 | – |
| Treadwear | 73 | 67 |
| Handling (owners) | 72 | 51 |
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
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
73
/ 100
Defender T+H
60
/ 100
Energy
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 T+H
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Tire B Energy
Pros
- Exceptional tread life and durability
- Noticeable improvements in fuel economy
- Low road noise and comfortable ride quality
Cons
- Lack of steering feedback and road feel
- Inconsistent or poor grip in wet conditions
- High price point relative to competitors
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender T+H | B · Michelin Energy |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Premium Touring All Season tire | Summer |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
73
/ 100
Michelin Defender T+H
60
/ 100
Michelin Energy
Winner: Michelin Defender T+H — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin Defender T+H 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 T+H scores 72 vs 51 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender T+H scores 72 vs 55 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender T+H scores 74 vs 61 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 67 on treadwear.
Tire A · Michelin Defender T+H
Tire B · Michelin Energy
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Defender T+H or Energy?
Which is better in the wet, Defender T+H or Energy?
Michelin Defender T+H, 74 vs 61 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Defender T+H or Energy?
Michelin Defender T+H, 72 vs 55 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Defender T+H or Energy?
Michelin Defender T+H, 70 vs 65 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Defender T+H or Energy?
Michelin Defender T+H, 73 vs 67 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