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Michelin Defender2 vs Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 — Compared

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

Defender2 leads, 77–76 Narrow edge

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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 BGoodyear

Assurance WeatherReady 2

All Weather

Tests 74 · 2 tests Owners 79 · 129 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 11 in 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test (subj. dry handling)

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 +3
    77
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Assurance WeatherReady 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)7375
    Reviews found online9081
    Dry Braking (% of best)100%96%
    Dry Circle (% of best)100%100%
  2. 74

    Wet

    Assurance WeatherReady 2 +5
    79
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Assurance WeatherReady 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)6574
    Reviews found online8887
    Wet Braking (% of best)98%92%
    Wet Handling (% of best)95%99%
  3. 59

    Snow

    Assurance WeatherReady 2 +17
    76
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Assurance WeatherReady 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)4779
    Reviews found online7772
    Snow Braking (% of best)66%78%
    Snow Handling (% of best)90%96%
    Snow Traction (% of best)90%92%
  4. 79

    Comfort

    Defender2 +4
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Assurance WeatherReady 2
    Reviews found online8881
  5. 78

    Noise

    Defender2 +10
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Assurance WeatherReady 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)7363
    Reviews found online8575
  6. 78

    Treadwear

    Defender2 +5
    73
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Assurance WeatherReady 2
    Reviews found online8777
  7. 88

    Handling

    Defender2 +13
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Assurance WeatherReady 2
    Reviews found online8875
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender2Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2
Relative Score 77 76
Dry 80 77
Wet 74 79
Snow 59 76
Comfort 79 75
Noise 78 68
Treadwear 78 73
Handling 88 75

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

Assurance WeatherReady 2

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.

DisciplineCategoryDefender2Assurance WeatherReady 2ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 100% #1/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) 96% #7/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) +3.7 Same test
Dry Circle Dry 100% #1/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) 100% #7/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) 0.0 Same test
Ice Braking Ice 95% #2/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) 95% #7/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) +0.4 Same test
Overall Ranking Overall 10% #10/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test 14% #7/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) −4.3 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 66% #11/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test 78% #7/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) −12.0 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 90% #6/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) 96% #7/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) −6.5 Same test
Snow Traction Snow 90% #8/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test 92% #6/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test −2.7 Same test
Subj. Comfort Subj 94% #3/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #7/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) −6.3 Different tests
Subj. Dry Handling Subj 91% #9/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test 100% #1/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test −8.5 Same test
Subj. Noise Subj 97% #2/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) 85% #7/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) +12.1 Same test
Subj. Road Score Subj 85% #3/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 88% #7/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) −2.7 Different tests
Subj. Wet Handling Subj 81% #10/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test 98% #3/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test −16.9 Same test
Wet Braking Wet 98% #2/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) 92% #4/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test +6.6 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 95% #10/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test 99% #3/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test −4.4 Same test

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 Assurance WeatherReady 2

Pros

  • Exceptional wet weather grip and performance
  • Strong traction and handling in snow and winter conditions
  • Smooth and comfortable ride quality over rough pavement

Cons

  • Noticeable reduction in fuel economy or EV range
  • Potential for mild tread hum or road noise as mileage increases
  • Higher initial purchase price compared to standard all-season tires
All owner themes in the Assurance WeatherReady 2 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

Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender2 B · Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2
CategoryAll SeasonAll Weather
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available178
Rim diameters18″16″ – 22″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″11/32″
UTQG840 B B700 A A
Treadwear warranty80,000 mi60,000 mi
SidewallBlack Side WallVertical Serrated Band
Max pressure50 - 51 psi50 - 51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender2

Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2

Too close to call: Michelin Defender2 and Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 are within 2 points overall. Michelin Defender2 is stronger on handling, noise and treadwear. Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 is stronger on snow and wet.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 scores 76 vs 59 on snow.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender2 scores 88 vs 75 on handling.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Defender2 scores 78 vs 68 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender2 scores 78 vs 73 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin Defender2
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2
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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

Narrow edge

Defender2

Amazon