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 Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 — 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 + 35 owner reviews. How we score
Defender is ahead, 72–64
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Tests – · none yet Owners 62 · 35 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
73
Dry
Defender +1162Why this score
Source Defender Roadian HTX RH5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 76 59 Defender: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 76.4 = 73
Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 64.4 (est.) + 40% × 59.4 = 62
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 Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
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73
Wet
Defender +766Why this score
Source Defender Roadian HTX RH5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 72 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 74 64 Defender: 60% × 72.2 (est.) + 40% × 74.1 = 73
Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.1 = 66
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 Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
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–
Snow
No comparison63Why this score
Source Defender Roadian HTX RH5 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online – 59 Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 58.7 = 63
No road tests of snow for Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).
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71
Comfort
Defender +962Why this score
Source Defender Roadian HTX RH5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 73 55 Defender: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 73.4 = 71
Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 66.7 (est.) + 40% × 54.9 = 62
No road tests of comfort for Defender or Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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–
Noise
No comparison68Why this score
Source Defender Roadian HTX RH5 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online – 70 Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 69.8 = 68
No road tests of noise for Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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69
Treadwear
Defender +465Why this score
Source Defender Roadian HTX RH5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 72 65 Defender: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 71.6 = 69
Roadian HTX RH5: 60% × 65.6 (est.) + 40% × 65.4 = 65
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 Roadian HTX RH5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
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77
Handling (owners)
Defender +1859Why this score
Source Defender Roadian HTX RH5 Reviews found online 77 59
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Defender | Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 64 |
| Dry | 73 | 62 |
| Wet | 73 | 66 |
| Snow | – | 63 |
| Comfort | 71 | 62 |
| Noise | – | 68 |
| Treadwear | 69 | 65 |
| Handling (owners) | 77 | 59 |
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
72
/ 100
Defender
64
/ 100
Roadian HTX RH5
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
Tire B Roadian HTX RH5
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender | B · Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Premium Touring tires | All-Season tire |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | — | 44 |
| Rim diameters | — | 15″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | — | 11/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 640 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | — | 65,000 mi |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
72
/ 100
Michelin Defender
64
/ 100
Nexen Roadian HTX RH5
Winner: Michelin Defender — better handling, dry and comfort. 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 59 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender scores 73 vs 62 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender scores 71 vs 62 on comfort.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender scores 73 vs 66 on wet.
Tire A · Michelin Defender
Tire B · Nexen Roadian HTX RH5
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Defender or Roadian HTX RH5?
Which is better in the wet, Defender or Roadian HTX RH5?
Michelin Defender, 73 vs 66 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Defender or Roadian HTX RH5?
Michelin Defender, 73 vs 62 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Defender or Roadian HTX RH5?
Michelin Defender, 71 vs 62 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Defender or Roadian HTX RH5?
Michelin Defender, 69 vs 65 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