Tests – · none yet Owners 74 · 4 reviews
Michelin Defender looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Defender 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 0 + 0 road tests and 4 + 42 owner reviews. How we score
Defender is ahead, 72–60
Add your size for an exact match
/R
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
73
Dry
Defender +1855Why this score
Source Defender Energy Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 60 (est.) Reviews found online 76 48 Defender: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 76.4 = 73
Energy: 60% × 60 (est.) + 40% × 48.4 = 55
No road tests of dry for Defender. 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).
-
73
Wet
Defender +1261Why this score
Source Defender Energy Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 72 (est.) ≈ 63 (est.) Reviews found online 74 57 Defender: 60% × 72.2 (est.) + 40% × 74.1 = 73
Energy: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 57.4 = 61
No road tests of wet for Defender. 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).
-
71
Comfort
Defender +665Why this score
Source Defender Energy Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 73 60 Defender: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 73.4 = 71
Energy: 60% × 67.6 (est.) + 40% × 60.2 = 65
No road tests of comfort for Defender or Energy. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
69
Treadwear
Defender +267Why this score
Source Defender Energy Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 72 67 Defender: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 71.6 = 69
Energy: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 67.3 = 67
No road tests of treadwear for Defender. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
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).
-
77
Handling (owners)
Defender +2651Why this score
Source Defender Energy Reviews found online 77 51
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Defender | Michelin Energy |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 60 |
| Dry | 73 | 55 |
| Wet | 73 | 61 |
| Comfort | 71 | 65 |
| Treadwear | 69 | 67 |
| Handling (owners) | 77 | 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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
72
/ 100
Defender
60
/ 100
Energy
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
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 | B · Michelin Energy |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Premium Touring tires | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Michelin Defender
60
/ 100
Michelin Energy
Winner: Michelin Defender — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin Defender rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 4 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Defender scores 77 vs 51 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender scores 73 vs 55 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender scores 73 vs 61 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender scores 71 vs 65 on comfort.
Tire A · Michelin Defender
Tire B · Michelin Energy
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Defender or Energy?
Which is better in the wet, Defender or Energy?
Michelin Defender, 73 vs 61 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Defender or Energy?
Michelin Defender, 73 vs 55 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Defender or Energy?
Michelin Defender, 71 vs 65 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Defender or Energy?
Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 67 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