Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 2 + 27 road tests and 11,304 + 6,639 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 4 S is ahead, 85–79
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Tests 64 · 2 tests Owners 89 · 11,304 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test (noise (tester's mark))
“I just ordered Michelin Defender 2 for our 15 Outback . We've had 2 sets of Yokohama YK-CTX after OEM which only lasted about 20k (first set) and 25k (second set). I've had Michelin Defender (orig) and Michelin Defender2 on our Ford Taurus. Very comfortable and great tread life.”
Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 86 · 6,639 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 15 in 2021 Auto Bild 19 inch Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)
“A note about the pilot sport 4 S: in cold weather (below 5 degrees) even if it isn't icy, the tyre compound hardens and has dramatically reduced grip. They are excellent summer tyres though, good in the wet too. These days I run Uniroyal rainsport 5 and they're very good.”
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Defender2 | Pilot Sport 4 S |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 25 tests | 73 | 95 |
| Reviews found online | 92 | 92 |
Defender2: 60% × 72.7 + 40% × 91.5 = 80
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 94.6 + 40% × 91.5 = 93
| Source | Defender2 | Pilot Sport 4 S |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 26 tests | 64 | 86 |
| Reviews found online | 92 | 90 |
Defender2: 60% × 64 + 40% × 92.2 = 75
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 85.9 + 40% × 90.3 = 88
| Source | Defender2 | Pilot Sport 4 S |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests | 46 | – |
| Reviews found online | 79 | – |
Defender2: 60% × 46.4 + 40% × 79.4 = 60
| Source | Defender2 | Pilot Sport 4 S |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests | ≈ 72 (est.) | 70 |
| Reviews found online | 88 | 83 |
Defender2: 40% × 72.4 (est.) + 60% × 87.5 = 81
Pilot Sport 4 S: 40% × 70.4 + 60% × 83.4 = 78
No road tests of comfort for Defender2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | Defender2 | Pilot Sport 4 S |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 20 tests | 73 | 70 |
| Reviews found online | 87 | ≈ 66 (est.) |
Defender2: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 87 = 79
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.3 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 69
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 4 S. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
| Source | Defender2 | Pilot Sport 4 S |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests | ≈ 75 (est.) | 70 |
| Reviews found online | 89 | 74 |
Defender2: 60% × 74.6 (est.) + 40% × 89 = 80
Pilot Sport 4 S: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 74 = 72
No road tests of treadwear for Defender2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
| Source | Defender2 | Pilot Sport 4 S |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 89 | 90 |
| Source | Defender2 | Pilot Sport 4 S |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 23 tests | – | 72 |
| Category | Michelin Defender2 | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 79 | 85 |
| Dry | 80 | 93 |
| Wet | 75 | 88 |
| Snow | 60 | – |
| Comfort | 81 | 78 |
| Noise | 79 | 69 |
| Treadwear | 80 | 72 |
| Handling (owners) | 89 | 90 |
| Efficiency | – | 72 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Defender2
Pilot Sport 4 S
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
| Discipline | Category | Defender2 | Pilot Sport 4 S | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 96% #3/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 94% #8/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 91% #9/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test | 98% #4/10 · 2025 Tire Rack UUHP Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 84% #3/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 90% #7/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 95% #3/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 87% #7/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% #5/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) | 90% #6/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 81% #10/11 · 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test | 84% #8/10 · 2025 Tire Rack UUHP Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 94% #3/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 84% #6/8 · 2026 Autobild Sports Cars Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Noise (tester's mark) | Noise | 100% #1/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 98% #2/7 · 2024 EVO Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Road Rating (tester's mark) | Other | 85% #3/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 90% #5/10 · 2025 Tire Rack UUHP Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #2/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | #1/10 2026 ACE Summer Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Community sentiment toward the Michelin Defender2 is strongly positive, with owners widely praising its exceptional tread life, durability, and 80k-mile warranty. Many drivers and EV owners report excellent longevity and efficiency, though some note elevated road noise compared to premium touring tires or question its necessity for low-mileage driving.
“I’m having a set of four 235/65R18 Michelin Defender2’s installed on the Cadillac as I’m typing this post. I’m at America’s Tire. I’m replacing the OEM Michelin Primacy Tour AS tires that only lasted 25,500 miles. I’m hoping that the Defender2’s will last longer, be quieter and smoother riding. We’ll see!”
“I just ordered Michelin Defender 2 for our 15 Outback . We've had 2 sets of Yokohama YK-CTX after OEM which only lasted about 20k (first set) and 25k (second set). I've had Michelin Defender (orig) and Michelin Defender2 on our Ford Taurus. Very comfortable and great tread life.”
“Michelin Defender2 LTX M/S are excellent tires IMO. Quiet and good all around. Or the KO3 but there have a more aggressive look.”
Based on 24 community posts
The community widely regards the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S as a benchmark max-performance summer tire, praising its outstanding dry and wet grip, stability, and daily driving refinement. Common criticisms focus on its premium price, rapid tread wear on high-powered heavy vehicles or hot track sessions, and significantly reduced grip in cold weather. Many enthusiasts consider it an ideal street tire, though some note softer sidewalls compared to predecessors or recommend dedicated track tires for hard circuit driving.
“I just went 12k on PSS for mixed use weekend and HDPE. 275/35 19x10 front and 305/30 19x11rear stagger. I replaced the PS4s from stock purchased PP1. I immediately noticed the PSS seemed a little louder and the concrete joints were felt and heard. Now after putting on 285/35 and 325/30 MP4S I'm enjoying a better ride. I have a track event this weekend so I'll get to test the 4S in track duty.”
“I had a similar experience with Discount Tire and brand new Michelin PS4S's. I clipped a large lane marker (not a dot, a turtle) with both driver's side tires and pinch-flatted them both. I had driven them less than 10 miles so Discount Tire replaced them for only $50 without me even asking for a discount. I had purchased them for about $450 each and didn't buy a road hazard warranty, so I was very pleased with Discount Tire.”
“My 2023 20th AE Golf R came with Hankook tires , and I've been very pleased with them. I'm a fairly aggressive driver and frequent the twisty roads in the Santa Monica Mountains. I also have a mildly modded Mk VI Golf R shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4s tires on factory 18" rims, and the Hankooks seem to perform almost as well in the dry, but outshine the PS4s in the wet. I will most likely need new tires next year, but I am undecided between the Hankooks and the Michelin PS4AS tires . As for Continental tires ... I use Continental tubular tires on my road bicycle, but have experienced many problems, including massive chunking with them on my 1974 BMW 2002Tii and my 1979 Scirocco Gti , so I am not going to use them on my cars again.”
Based on 208 community posts
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender2 | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 1 | 110 |
| Rim diameters | 18″ | 17″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 840 B B | 300 A - AA A |
| Treadwear warranty | 80,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | — |
Michelin Defender2
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S — better dry and wet. Pick the Michelin Defender2 if noise, treadwear and comfort matter most to you.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 93 vs 80 on dry.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S scores 88 vs 75 on wet.
Michelin Defender2 scores 79 vs 69 on noise.
Michelin Defender2 scores 80 vs 72 on treadwear.
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Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 88 vs 75 on our wet score.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, 93 vs 80 on our dry score.
Michelin Defender2, 79 vs 69 on our noise score.
Michelin Defender2, 81 vs 78 on our comfort score.
Michelin Defender2, 80 vs 72 on our treadwear score.
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
