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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender T+H vs Yokohama AVID Ascend — 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 1 + 81 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Defender T+H and AVID Ascend are level at 70.

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Michelin Defender T+H
Tire AMichelin

Defender T+H

Premium Touring All Season tire

± 8Provisional

Tests – · 1 test Owners 69 · 1 review

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))

Category by category

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

  1. 69

    Dry

    AVID Ascend +2
    71
    Why this score
    SourceDefender T+HAVID Ascend
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7073

    Defender T+H: 60% × 68.8 (est.) + 40% × 70 = 69

    AVID Ascend: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.6 = 71

    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 0.41).

    No road tests of dry for AVID Ascend. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 72

    Wet

    AVID Ascend +3
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDefender T+HAVID Ascend
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online7377

    Defender T+H: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.8 = 72

    AVID Ascend: 60% × 73.9 (est.) + 40% × 76.6 = 75

    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 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for AVID Ascend. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 65

    Snow

    Defender T+H +2
    63
    Why this score
    SourceDefender T+HAVID Ascend
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6158

    Defender T+H: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 61.1 = 65

    AVID Ascend: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 58.1 = 63

    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).

    No road tests of snow for AVID Ascend. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 67

    Comfort

    AVID Ascend +4
    71
    Why this score
    SourceDefender T+HAVID Ascend
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6673

    Defender T+H: 40% × 68.1 (est.) + 60% × 66 = 67

    AVID Ascend: 40% × 69.4 (est.) + 60% × 72.5 = 71

    No road tests of comfort for Defender T+H. 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 AVID Ascend. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDefender T+HAVID Ascend
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online–74

    AVID Ascend: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 74.4 = 70

    No road tests of noise for AVID Ascend. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 73

    Treadwear

    Defender T+H +5
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDefender T+HAVID Ascend
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests76≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6868

    Defender T+H: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 67.9 = 73

    AVID Ascend: 60% × 67.1 (est.) + 40% × 68.2 = 68

    No road tests of treadwear for AVID Ascend. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. –

    Handling (owners)

    No comparison
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDefender T+HAVID Ascend
    Reviews found online–72
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender T+HYokohama AVID Ascend
Relative Score 70 70
Dry 69 71
Wet 72 75
Snow 65 63
Comfort 67 71
Noise – 70
Treadwear 73 68
Handling (owners) – 72

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
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

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Defender T+H

± 7

AVID Ascend

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 AVID Ascend

Pros

  • Exceptionally low road noise and quiet ride
  • High level of ride comfort and shock absorption
  • Strong wet and dry traction, inspiring confidence in heavy rain

Cons

  • Isolated reports of premature tread wear or not meeting expected mileage
  • Slightly spongy initial feel requiring a brief break-in period
  • Occasional minor wheel slip during hard acceleration in wet or dry conditions
All owner themes in the AVID Ascend review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender T+H B · Yokohama AVID Ascend
CategoryPremium Touring All Season tireAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger Car / Crossover
Tread depth—12/32″
UTQG820 A - B B740 A A
Treadwear warranty—75,000 mi
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender T+H

Yokohama AVID Ascend

Too close to call: Michelin Defender T+H and Yokohama AVID Ascend are within 2 points overall. Michelin Defender T+H is stronger on treadwear. Yokohama AVID Ascend is stronger on comfort and wet. Michelin Defender T+H rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 68 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 71 vs 67 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 75 vs 72 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Defender T+H
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Tire B · Yokohama AVID Ascend
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Defender T+H or AVID Ascend?

Which is better in the wet, Defender T+H or AVID Ascend?

Yokohama AVID Ascend, 75 vs 72 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Defender T+H or AVID Ascend?

Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 71 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, Defender T+H or AVID Ascend?

Neither, by our numbers: 65 vs 63 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Defender T+H or AVID Ascend?

Yokohama AVID Ascend, 71 vs 67 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Defender T+H or AVID Ascend?

Michelin Defender T+H, 73 vs 68 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