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 + 1 road tests and 11,304 + 0 owner reviews. How we score
Defender2 leads, 78–75 Narrow edge
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
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 75 · 1 test Owners – · none yet
Best test result: #1 of 7 in 2024 Classic Car Tyre Test (dry handling)
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Defender2 | Cinturato P5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests | 73 | 76 |
| Reviews found online | 92 | ≈ 71 (est.) |
Defender2: 60% × 72.7 + 40% × 91.5 = 80
Cinturato P5: 60% × 75.6 + 40% × 71.1 (est.) = 74
No owner ratings of dry for Cinturato P5. The owner half is estimated from its road-test score, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
| Source | Defender2 | Cinturato P5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests | 64 | 86 |
| Reviews found online | 92 | ≈ 79 (est.) |
Defender2: 60% × 64 + 40% × 92.4 = 75
Cinturato P5: 60% × 86.4 + 40% × 79.3 (est.) = 84
No owner ratings of wet for Cinturato P5. The owner half is estimated from its road-test score, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
| Source | Defender2 | Cinturato P5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests | 46 | – |
| Reviews found online | 79 | – |
Defender2: 60% × 46.5 + 40% × 79.4 = 60
| Source | Defender2 | Cinturato P5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 72 (est.) | – |
| Reviews found online | 88 | – |
Defender2: 40% × 72.5 (est.) + 60% × 87.5 = 81
No road tests of comfort for Defender2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
| Source | Defender2 | Cinturato P5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests | 73 | 31 |
| Reviews found online | 87 | ≈ 66 (est.) |
Defender2: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 86.8 = 79
Cinturato P5: 60% × 31 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 45
No owner ratings of noise for Cinturato P5. 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 | Cinturato P5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 75 (est.) | – |
| Reviews found online | 89 | – |
Defender2: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 89 = 80
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 | Cinturato P5 |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 89 | – |
| Source | Defender2 | Cinturato P5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests | – | 48 |
| Category | Michelin Defender2 | Pirelli Cinturato P5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 78 | 75 |
| Dry | 80 | 74 |
| Wet | 75 | 84 |
| Snow | 60 | – |
| Comfort | 81 | – |
| Noise | 79 | 45 |
| Treadwear | 80 | – |
| Handling (owners) | 89 | – |
| Efficiency | – | 48 |
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.
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.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Defender2
Cinturato P5
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 | Cinturato P5 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 96% #3/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 98% #2/7 · 2024 Classic Car Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 84% #3/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/7 · 2024 Classic Car Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 95% #3/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 100% #2/7 · 2024 Classic Car Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% #5/7 · Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) | 99% #2/7 · 2024 Classic Car Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #2/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | #3/7 2024 Classic Car Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
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 community generally views the Michelin Defender2 as a top-tier, long-lasting all-season tire, praised for tread life (60–80k miles reported on Teslas), efficiency, comfort, and its 80k warranty, and it is frequently recommended and cited as top-rated by Consumer Reports. Criticisms are minor and include some road noise, that it is not a performance tire, a speed-rating (H vs V) mounting restriction at Costco, and one report of discomfort from tire off-gassing. Buyers often compare it with the CrossClimate2, Continental LX25, and Primacy Tour, and it is seen as a value pick when rebates or Costco sales apply.
“I have put Michelin Defender2 on my Model Y P right when I got it. I have driven 62k miles on them and they have plenty life left. Very impressed with their longevity. I didn't drive the Pilot Sport enough to really be able to compare, but the Defender2 is definitely not a performance tire. Efficiency is pretty amazing. I just drove from Dallas to Orlando and my average was 268 Wh/m going at the speed limit of 65 to 75. Road noise could be better, but part of it is that the Y is so well sound insulated from other noises that tire noise is the loudest thing left. It is far less noisy overall than my Model S was. So it might appear noisier only because the other noises are so reduced.”
“I have them on my 2024 'conventional' Mustang, and really like them.”
“I have Mercedes GLE 350 2018 with Scorpion Verde 255/50/19 R 107H. Drove 45 K miles in 4 years on it and still have 35% left. Got it slightly damaged on the side but still driveable so i am thinking about changing tires. For the same size, what would be better Michelin Defender2 or Primacy Tour A/S? Prefer quiet/smooth ride/noise isolation/safety.Never accelerate too fast/slalom or overusing breaks. Driving in Los Angeles. Max 80 mph/no quick turns. Thought that Primacy Tour A/S should be better for my needs as above, but read bad reviews (very low usable tire mileage ~ 35000 miles, wobbly, bad when raining) vs great for Defender2”
Based on 25 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender2 | B · Pirelli Cinturato P5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | — |
| Tread depth | 10 - 11/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 840 B B | — |
| Treadwear warranty | 80,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | — |
Michelin Defender2
Pirelli Cinturato P5
Narrow edge: Michelin Defender2 — better noise and dry. Pick the Pirelli Cinturato P5 if wet matters most to you. Pirelli Cinturato P5 rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 0 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Michelin Defender2 scores 79 vs 45 on noise.
Pirelli Cinturato P5 scores 84 vs 75 on wet.
Michelin Defender2 scores 80 vs 74 on dry.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Pirelli Cinturato P5, 84 vs 75 on our wet score.
Michelin Defender2, 80 vs 74 on our dry score.
Michelin Defender2, 79 vs 45 on our noise 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
