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Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S — 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 94 + 10 owner reviews. How we score

Defender LTX M/S is ahead, 78–73

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Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

± 7Provisional

Tests – · 1 test Owners 82 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 13 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck 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.

  1. 71

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +7
    78
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion All Terrain PlusDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online7383

    Scorpion All Terrain Plus: 60% × 70.2 (est.) + 40% × 73.2 = 71

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 83.3 = 78

    No road tests of dry for Scorpion All Terrain Plus. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

    No road tests of dry for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 78

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +3
    81
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion All Terrain PlusDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 76 (est.)≈ 78 (est.)
    Reviews found online8184

    Scorpion All Terrain Plus: 60% × 76.5 (est.) + 40% × 81.1 = 78

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 78.2 (est.) + 40% × 84.2 = 81

    No road tests of wet for Scorpion All Terrain Plus. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 74

    Snow

    Level
    74
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion All Terrain PlusDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online7676

    Scorpion All Terrain Plus: 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 76 = 74

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 76 = 74

    No road tests of snow for Scorpion All Terrain Plus. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

    No road tests of snow for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 71

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S +4
    75
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion All Terrain PlusDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7278

    Scorpion All Terrain Plus: 40% × 69.7 (est.) + 60% × 72.3 = 71

    Defender LTX M/S: 40% × 70.7 (est.) + 60% × 77.6 = 75

    No road tests of comfort for Scorpion All Terrain Plus or Defender LTX M/S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 67

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion All Terrain PlusDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)–
    Reviews found online67–

    Scorpion All Terrain Plus: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 66.9 = 67

    No road tests of noise for Scorpion All Terrain Plus. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 68

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +11
    79
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion All Terrain PlusDefender LTX M/S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests6775
    Reviews found online7085

    Scorpion All Terrain Plus: 60% × 66.8 + 40% × 69.8 = 68

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.5 + 40% × 85.1 = 79

  7. 75

    Handling (owners)

    Defender LTX M/S +5
    80
    Why this score
    SourceScorpion All Terrain PlusDefender LTX M/S
    Reviews found online7580
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli Scorpion All Terrain PlusMichelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 73 78
Dry 71 78
Wet 78 81
Snow 74 74
Comfort 71 75
Noise 67 –
Treadwear 68 79
Handling (owners) 75 80

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
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
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
Recomputed
Headline score
± 9

Scorpion All Terrain Plus

± 7

Defender LTX M/S

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.

DisciplineCategoryScorpion All Terrain PlusDefender LTX M/SΔHead-to-head
Tested Tread Life (Miles) Treadwear 55% #10/18 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Terrain Truck Tires 84% #2/13 · 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #7/7 2025 Autobild Pirelli All-Terrain Tire Test R19 #3/13 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Scorpion All Terrain Plus

Pros

  • Exceptional wet, mud, and winter/snow traction (3-peak mountain snowflake certified)
  • Surprisingly quiet and smooth ride on the highway compared to aggressive competitors
  • Aggressive, attractive sidewall and tread styling that enhances vehicle appearance

Cons

  • Some users reported persistent balancing issues or vibrations at highway speeds
  • A few drivers noted increased road noise or uneven shoulder wear as the tires aged
  • Minor reduction in fuel economy reported by some truck and SUV owners
All owner themes in the Scorpion All Terrain Plus review

Tire B Defender LTX M/S

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and mileage lifespan
  • Quiet and smooth ride quality at highway speeds
  • Strong year-round traction across dry, wet, and light snow conditions

Cons

  • High upfront purchase price
  • Subpar performance in deep mud, sand, and off-road environments
  • Limited ice and severe winter capability compared to dedicated winter tires
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategoryAll-Terrain tireAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available29—
Rim diameters16″ – 20″—
Tread depth12 - 16/32″—
UTQG640 A B—
Treadwear warranty50,000 mi—
SidewallBlack Side Wall - Raised White Lettering—
Max pressure44 - 80 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, dry and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin Defender LTX M/S rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 79 vs 68 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 78 vs 71 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 75 vs 71 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 81 vs 78 on wet.

Tire A · Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Scorpion All Terrain Plus or Defender LTX M/S?

Which is better in the wet, Scorpion All Terrain Plus or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 81 vs 78 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Scorpion All Terrain Plus or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 78 vs 71 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Scorpion All Terrain Plus or Defender LTX M/S?

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 74 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Scorpion All Terrain Plus or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 75 vs 71 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Scorpion All Terrain Plus or Defender LTX M/S?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S, 79 vs 68 on our treadwear score.

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