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Michelin Defender vs Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra — Compared

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

Defender leads, 72–68 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

    Defender +3
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDefenderAlenza AS Ultra
    Reviews found online7672
  2. 73

    Wet

    Defender +1
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDefenderAlenza AS Ultra
    Reviews found online7473
  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDefenderAlenza AS Ultra
    Reviews found online–71
  4. 71

    Comfort

    Defender +2
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDefenderAlenza AS Ultra
    Reviews found online7368
  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    64
    Why this score
    SourceDefenderAlenza AS Ultra
    Reviews found online–61
  6. 69

    Treadwear

    Defender +7
    62
    Why this score
    SourceDefenderAlenza AS Ultra
    Reviews found online7259
  7. 77

    Handling

    Defender +8
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDefenderAlenza AS Ultra
    Reviews found online7769
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin DefenderBridgestone Alenza AS Ultra
Relative Score 72 68
Dry 73 70
Wet 73 72
Snow – 70
Comfort 71 69
Noise – 64
Treadwear 69 62
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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Neutral
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

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

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Defender

Alenza AS Ultra

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 Alenza AS Ultra

Pros

  • Strong traction on both wet and dry road surfaces
  • Improved ride comfort and handling compared to some factory-installed alternatives
  • Capable performance in varied weather conditions for some users

Cons

  • Reports of premature tread wear and short service life
  • Noticeable road noise compared to other premium tires
  • Inconsistent performance in severe winter conditions, particularly on ice and deep snow
All owner themes in the Alenza AS Ultra review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender B · Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra
CategorySummer Premium Touring tiresAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available—46
Rim diameters—16″ – 22″
Tread depth—10/32″
UTQG—800 A A
Treadwear warranty—80,000 mi
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—44 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender

Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra

Winner: Michelin Defender — better handling, treadwear and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender scores 77 vs 69 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender scores 69 vs 62 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender scores 73 vs 70 on dry.

Tire A · Michelin Defender
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra
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