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Michelin Defender2 vs Firestone Destination LE3 — Compared

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

Defender2 is ahead, 77–65

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Tire AMichelin

Defender2

All Season

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

Best test result: #10 of 11 in 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test (overall ranking)

“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”

Tire BFirestone

Destination LE3

All Season

Tests – · 1 test Owners 64 · 14 reviews

Best test result: #9 of 13 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires (overall ranking)

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 +13
    67
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Destination LE3
    Professional tests (TWG score)73–
    Reviews found online9066
  2. 74

    Wet

    Defender2 +6
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Destination LE3
    Professional tests (TWG score)65–
    Reviews found online8867
  3. 59

    Snow

    Destination LE3 +3
    62
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Destination LE3
    Professional tests (TWG score)47–
    Reviews found online7757
  4. 79

    Comfort

    Defender2 +17
    62
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Destination LE3
    Reviews found online8855
  5. 78

    Noise

    Defender2 +11
    67
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Destination LE3
    Professional tests (TWG score)73–
    Reviews found online8568
  6. 78

    Treadwear

    Defender2 +13
    65
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Destination LE3
    Professional tests (TWG score)–64
    Reviews found online8766
  7. 88

    Handling

    Defender2 +26
    62
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Destination LE3
    Reviews found online8862
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender2Firestone Destination LE3
Relative Score 77 65
Dry 80 67
Wet 74 68
Snow 59 62
Comfort 79 62
Noise 78 67
Treadwear 78 65
Handling 88 62

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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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

Destination LE3

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.

DisciplineCategoryDefender2Destination LE3ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 10% #10/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test 33% #9/13 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires −23.3 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 Destination LE3

Pros

  • Smooth and quiet highway ride quality
  • Excellent traction in snow, rain, and light off-road conditions
  • Impressive tread life and long-term durability

Cons

  • Potential concerns regarding sidewall durability, with isolated reports of bulges or blowouts
  • May struggle in very deep snow conditions
All owner themes in the Destination LE3 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 ·2024-01-30

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

Based on 5 community posts

Tire B

Firestone Destination LE3

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender2 B · Firestone Destination LE3
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available167
Rim diameters18″15″ – 22″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″10/32″
UTQG840 B B700 A B
Treadwear warranty80,000 mi70,000 mi
SidewallBlack Side WallBlack Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure50 - 51 psi44 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender2

Firestone Destination LE3

Winner: Michelin Defender2 — better handling, comfort and dry. Pick the Firestone Destination LE3 if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender2 scores 88 vs 62 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender2 scores 79 vs 62 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender2 scores 80 vs 67 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender2 scores 78 vs 65 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin Defender2
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Firestone Destination LE3
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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