Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
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Tests 65 · 2 tests Owners 87 · 11,218 reviews
“I am sick from New Michelin Defender2 tires. Need recommendation of all season tires with less offgassing of toxic chemicals. Short of breath and nasal congestion from 3 brand new Michelin Defender2 tires offgassing on my SUV. Tires consist of approximately 400 chemicals. What is the half life of their offgassing? I am considering replacing them with Hanhook Kinergy tires. Has anyone smelled them? Read more”
Tests – · none yet Owners – · none yet
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Defender2 | Trail-Terrain T/A Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 73 | – |
| Reviews found online | 90 | – |
| Source | Defender2 | Trail-Terrain T/A Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 65 | – |
| Reviews found online | 88 | – |
| Source | Defender2 | Trail-Terrain T/A Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 47 | – |
| Reviews found online | 77 | – |
| Source | Defender2 | Trail-Terrain T/A Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 88 | – |
| Source | Defender2 | Trail-Terrain T/A Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 73 | – |
| Reviews found online | 85 | – |
| Source | Defender2 | Trail-Terrain T/A Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 87 | – |
| Source | Defender2 | Trail-Terrain T/A Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 88 | – |
| Category | Michelin Defender2 | BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 77 | – |
| Dry | 80 | – |
| Wet | 74 | – |
| Snow | 59 | – |
| Comfort | 79 | – |
| Noise | 78 | – |
| Treadwear | 78 | – |
| Handling | 88 | – |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Defender2
Trail-Terrain T/A Plus
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
The Michelin Defender2 is widely praised by the community as a top-tier all-season tire, frequently compared favorably against alternatives like the CrossClimate2 and Continental LX25. Users highlight its exceptional tread life, excellent Consumer Reports rankings, and balanced performance, though minor concerns exist regarding speed rating requirements and rare individual complaints.
“Michelin CC2 or Defender2 or Continental crosscontact LX25?? For 2019 Honda Crv. I heard a lot of pros for these tires in the following order. CC2 --> Defender2 --> LX25 But Cons which i what i like to know about.. CC2 - lots of reviews on mpg hit. Defender2 - Not sure if also has mpg hit. Lx25 - I have a friend who is already 20k on it and tire looks new and didn't mention about any mpg hit for him Thank you. Update: Thank you for all your valuable reviews, I have ordered these from Costco and should get them rolling soon. MICHELIN DEFENDER2 AS 235/60R18 107H XL BSW ALL SEASON TIRE. Read more”
“Michelin Defender2 for handling, comfort, and noise? Vehicle is a 2008 Honda Accord LX Sedan. 215/60/R16. I prefer A/S tires and only drive in a warm dry climate with occasional rain (southern CA) I know that Michelins are generally considered the best tire maker but the main advantage of the Defender2's seems to be their excellent durability and tread life. The thing is I have an older car and although I love it I'll probably be selling it within 4yrs. In addition I only average around 6000 miles per year. So I would rather have tires that are more focused on providing a balance of ride quality, comfort, and handling while I have the car. I can get Turanza Quiettracks for about the same price also from Costco so maybe these or another tire might be better suited for my needs? Thanks for reading. Read more”
Based on 5 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender2 | B · BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | — |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | — |
| Sizes available | 1 | 45 |
| Rim diameters | 18″ | 15″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ | 12.5/32″ |
| UTQG | 840 B B | 660 B A |
| Treadwear warranty | 80,000 mi | 65,000 mi |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | Outlined White Lettering |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | 44 psi |
Michelin Defender2
BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A Plus
Only Michelin Defender2 has enough test and review data for a Relative Score, so there is no head-to-head winner yet.
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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.
