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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender vs BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A — Compared

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

Defender leads, 72–71 Narrow edge

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Tire AMichelin

Defender

Summer Premium Touring tires

Tests – · none yet Owners 75 · 4 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 73

    Dry

    Level
    73
    Why this score
    SourceDefenderTrail-Terrain T/A
    Reviews found online7676
  2. 73

    Wet

    Defender +4
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDefenderTrail-Terrain T/A
    Reviews found online7469
  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    77
    Why this score
    SourceDefenderTrail-Terrain T/A
    Reviews found online–82
  4. 71

    Comfort

    Defender +2
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDefenderTrail-Terrain T/A
    Reviews found online7369
  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDefenderTrail-Terrain T/A
    Reviews found online–70
  6. 69

    Treadwear

    Trail-Terrain T/A +2
    71
    Why this score
    SourceDefenderTrail-Terrain T/A
    Reviews found online7275
  7. 77

    Handling

    Defender +8
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDefenderTrail-Terrain T/A
    Reviews found online7769
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin DefenderBFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A
Relative Score 72 71
Dry 73 73
Wet 73 69
Snow – 77
Comfort 71 69
Noise – 68
Treadwear 69 71
Handling 77 69

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.

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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

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Less important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Defender

Trail-Terrain T/A

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

Pros

  • Excellent ride comfort and quiet operation
  • Strong tread life and durability over several years
  • Reliable grip on dry pavement

Cons

  • Susceptibility to hydroplaning in heavy rain
  • Limited traction in deep or severe snow
  • Audible squealing during aggressive dry-pavement acceleration
All owner themes in the Defender review

Tire B Trail-Terrain T/A

Pros

  • Surprisingly low road noise for an all-terrain tire
  • Excellent traction and predictability in snow and winter conditions
  • Good ride comfort and smoothness on paved roads

Cons

  • Some users report poor wet weather traction and rear-wheel slippage
  • A minority of reviewers noted high noise levels on paved tarmac
  • Concerns regarding longevity with some users experiencing faster tread wear
All owner themes in the Trail-Terrain T/A review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender B · BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A
CategorySummer Premium Touring tiresAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available—50
Rim diameters—15″ – 22″
Tread depth—11 - 13/32″
UTQG—660 A A - B
Sidewall—Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure—44 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender

BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A

Too close to call: Michelin Defender and BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A are within 2 points overall. Michelin Defender is stronger on handling and wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender scores 77 vs 69 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender scores 73 vs 69 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Defender
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A
Check price on Amazon

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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.

72

Narrow edge

Defender

Amazon