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Michelin Defender2 vs BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A — Compared

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

Defender2 is ahead, 77–71

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Tire AMichelin

Defender2

All Season

Tests 65 · 2 tests Owners 87 · 11,218 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 7 in Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) (dry braking)

“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”

Tire BBFGoodrich

Trail-Terrain T/A

All Season

Tests – · none yet Owners 74 · 100 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2025 ADAC All Terrain Tyre Test (snow braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 80

    Dry

    Defender2 +7
    73
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Trail-Terrain T/A
    Professional tests (TWG score)73–
    Reviews found online9076
    Dry Braking (% of best)100%93%
  2. 74

    Wet

    Defender2 +5
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Trail-Terrain T/A
    Professional tests (TWG score)65–
    Reviews found online8869
    Wet Braking (% of best)84%81%
    Wet Circle (% of best)95%93%
  3. 59

    Snow

    Trail-Terrain T/A +18
    77
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Trail-Terrain T/A
    Professional tests (TWG score)47–
    Reviews found online7782
    Snow Braking (% of best)66%100%
    Snow Traction (% of best)90%100%
  4. 79

    Comfort

    Defender2 +10
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Trail-Terrain T/A
    Reviews found online8869
  5. 78

    Noise

    Defender2 +10
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Trail-Terrain T/A
    Professional tests (TWG score)73–
    Reviews found online8570
  6. 78

    Treadwear

    Defender2 +7
    71
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Trail-Terrain T/A
    Reviews found online8775
  7. 88

    Handling

    Defender2 +19
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Trail-Terrain T/A
    Reviews found online8869
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender2BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A
Relative Score 77 71
Dry 80 73
Wet 74 69
Snow 59 77
Comfort 79 69
Noise 78 68
Treadwear 78 71
Handling 88 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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Recomputed
Headline score

Defender2

Trail-Terrain T/A

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryDefender2Trail-Terrain T/AΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) 93% #8/8 · 2025 ADAC All Terrain Tyre Test +6.7 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 50% #2/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 13% #8/8 · 2025 ADAC All Terrain Tyre Test +37.5 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 66% #11/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2025 ADAC All Terrain Tyre Test −34.0 Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 90% #8/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2025 ADAC All Terrain Tyre Test −10.2 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 84% #3/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 81% #8/8 · 2025 ADAC All Terrain Tyre Test +3.0 Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 95% #3/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 93% #8/8 · 2025 ADAC All Terrain Tyre Test +1.2 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Defender2

Pros

  • Long-lasting tread life and high mileage capability
  • Confident dry and wet traction with stable handling
  • Quiet and smooth ride quality on specific vehicles and highway surfaces

Cons

  • Stiffer, harder ride compared to original equipment or older models
  • Noticeable road noise and lack of noise absorption on certain pavement types
  • Reduced fuel economy (MPG) reported by multiple users
All owner themes in the Defender2 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

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Michelin Defender2

Positive

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.

r/crv ·6 upvotes ·2025-04-07

“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”
r/tires ·3 upvotes ·2025-02-08

“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”
Top themes
#long tread life#consumer reports ranking#all season performance#fuel economy impact#tire comparisons

Based on 5 community posts

Tire B

BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender2 B · BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available150
Rim diameters18″15″ – 22″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″11 - 13/32″
UTQG840 B B660 A A - B
Treadwear warranty80,000 mi—
SidewallBlack Side WallBlack Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure50 - 51 psi44 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender2

BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A

Winner: Michelin Defender2 — better handling, comfort and noise. Pick the BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender2 scores 88 vs 69 on handling.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A scores 77 vs 59 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender2 scores 79 vs 69 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Defender2 scores 78 vs 68 on noise.

Tire A · Michelin Defender2
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Tire B · BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A
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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.

77

Leads

Defender2

Amazon