Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 69 · 137 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test (wear)
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Energy Saver vs Michelin Defender T+H — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 1 + 1 road tests and 137 + 1 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: Energy Saver 70, Defender T+H 71.
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 69 · 1 review
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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69
Dry
Defender T+H +170Why this score
Source Energy Saver Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 71 ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 67 70 Energy Saver: 60% × 70.6 + 40% × 67.2 = 69
Defender T+H: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 70.4 = 70
No road tests of dry for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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68
Wet
Defender T+H +472Why this score
Source Energy Saver Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 69 ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 67 73 Energy Saver: 60% × 69.2 + 40% × 66.5 = 68
Defender T+H: 60% × 72.1 (est.) + 40% × 73.1 = 72
No road tests of wet for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.54).
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–
Snow
No comparison65Why this score
Source Energy Saver Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online – 61 Defender T+H: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 61.4 = 65
No road tests of snow for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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68
Comfort
Energy Saver +167Why this score
Source Energy Saver Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 68 67 Energy Saver: 40% × 68.8 (est.) + 60% × 67.6 = 68
Defender T+H: 40% × 68.7 (est.) + 60% × 66.7 = 67
No road tests of comfort for Energy Saver or Defender T+H. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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70
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Energy Saver Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 72 – Reviews found online ≈ 67 (est.) – Energy Saver: 60% × 72.2 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 70
No owner ratings of noise for Energy Saver. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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74
Treadwear
Energy Saver +173Why this score
Source Energy Saver Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests 74 76 Reviews found online 75 68 Energy Saver: 60% × 74.4 + 40% × 74.5 = 74
Defender T+H: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 68.3 = 73
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64
Handling (owners)
No comparison–Why this score
Source Energy Saver Defender T+H Reviews found online 64 – -
75
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Energy Saver Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 75 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Energy Saver | Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 70 | 71 |
| Dry | 69 | 70 |
| Wet | 68 | 72 |
| Snow | – | 65 |
| Comfort | 68 | 67 |
| Noise | 70 | – |
| Treadwear | 74 | 73 |
| Handling (owners) | 64 | – |
| Efficiency | 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.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
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Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
70
/ 100
Energy Saver
71
/ 100
Defender T+H
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
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 | Energy Saver | Defender T+H | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #5/20 2018 Auto Bild 15 inch Summer Tyre Test | #1/8 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires | – | 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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Premium Touring All Season tire |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | 4 | — |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 16″ | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
70
/ 100
Michelin Energy Saver
71
/ 100
Michelin Defender T+H
Too close to call: Michelin Energy Saver and Michelin Defender T+H are within 2 points overall. Michelin Defender T+H is stronger on wet. Michelin Defender T+H rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender T+H scores 72 vs 68 on wet.
Tire A · Michelin Energy Saver
Tire B · Michelin Defender T+H
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Energy Saver or Defender T+H?
Which is better in the wet, Energy Saver or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 72 vs 68 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Energy Saver or Defender T+H?
Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 70 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Energy Saver or Defender T+H?
Neither, by our numbers: 68 vs 67 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, Energy Saver or Defender T+H?
Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 73 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.
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.
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