tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Energy Saver vs Michelin Defender T+H — Compared

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

Defender T+H leads, 72–68 Narrow edge

Check price on Amazon · Defender T+H or Energy Saver on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Tire AMichelin

Energy Saver

Summer

Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 66 · 137 reviews

Best test result: #5 of 5 in 2010 Auto Bild Eco Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BMichelin

Defender T+H

Premium Touring All Season tire

Tests – · 1 test Owners 71 · 1 review

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season 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. 69

    Dry

    Defender T+H +3
    72
    Why this score
    SourceEnergy SaverDefender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online6674
  2. 68

    Wet

    Defender T+H +6
    74
    Why this score
    SourceEnergy SaverDefender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
    Reviews found online6675
  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    66
    Why this score
    SourceEnergy SaverDefender T+H
    Reviews found online–63
  4. 68

    Comfort

    Defender T+H +2
    70
    Why this score
    SourceEnergy SaverDefender T+H
    Reviews found online6670
  5. 68

    Noise

    Level
    68
    Why this score
    SourceEnergy SaverDefender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)72–
    Reviews found online6270
  6. 71

    Treadwear

    Defender T+H +2
    73
    Why this score
    SourceEnergy SaverDefender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)7375
    Reviews found online6870
  7. 63

    Handling

    Defender T+H +9
    72
    Why this score
    SourceEnergy SaverDefender T+H
    Reviews found online6372
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Energy SaverMichelin Defender T+H
Relative Score 68 72
Dry 69 72
Wet 68 74
Snow – 66
Comfort 68 70
Noise 68 68
Treadwear 71 73
Handling 63 72

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.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Energy Saver

Defender T+H

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

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.

DisciplineCategoryEnergy SaverDefender T+HΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 20% #5/5 · 2010 Auto Bild Eco Tyre Test 100% #1/8 · 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires −80.0 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Energy Saver

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and long-lasting durability
  • Noticeable improvements in fuel economy and low rolling resistance
  • Low road noise and high levels of driving comfort

Cons

  • Subpar wet-weather grip and traction, especially as the tires age
  • Prone to dry rotting, cracking, and hardening after a few years
  • Poor performance and sliding in cold or winter conditions
All owner themes in the Energy Saver review

Tire B Defender T+H

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Energy Saver B · Michelin Defender T+H
CategorySummerPremium Touring All Season tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available4—
Rim diameters15″ – 16″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Energy Saver

Michelin Defender T+H

Winner: Michelin Defender T+H — better handling, wet and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender T+H scores 72 vs 63 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender T+H scores 74 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender T+H scores 72 vs 69 on dry.

Tire A · Michelin Energy Saver
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Defender T+H
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

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.

72

Narrow edge

Defender T+H

Amazon