Head-to-head Updated

Toyo A23 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. Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 11 + 1 owner reviews. How we score

Defender T+H is ahead, 72–56

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Toyo A23
Tire AToyo

A23

All Season

Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 50 · 11 reviews

Michelin Defender T+H
Tire BMichelin

Defender T+H

Premium Touring All Season tire

Provisional

Tests – · 1 test Owners 71 · 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.

  1. 58

    Dry

    Defender T+H +14
    72
    Why this score
    SourceA23Defender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online5274

    A23: 60% × 61.4 (est.) + 40% × 51.9 = 58

    Defender T+H: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 74.1 = 72

    No road tests of dry for A23. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    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 0.40).

  2. 57

    Wet

    Defender T+H +17
    74
    Why this score
    SourceA23Defender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 60 (est.)≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online5375

    A23: 60% × 60.3 (est.) + 40% × 52.8 = 57

    Defender T+H: 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 74.9 = 74

    No road tests of wet for A23. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    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 0.56).

  3. 56

    Snow

    Defender T+H +10
    66
    Why this score
    SourceA23Defender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 62 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online4863

    A23: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 47.5 = 56

    Defender T+H: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 63.3 = 66

    No road tests of snow for A23. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

    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 0.33).

  4. 59

    Comfort

    Defender T+H +11
    70
    Why this score
    SourceA23Defender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online4870

    A23: 60% × 65.5 (est.) + 40% × 48.3 = 59

    Defender T+H: 60% × 69.3 (est.) + 40% × 70.1 = 70

    No road tests of comfort for A23 or Defender T+H. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    69
    Why this score
    SourceA23Defender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online–71

    Defender T+H: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 70.5 = 69

    No road tests of noise for Defender T+H. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 54

    Treadwear

    Defender T+H +19
    73
    Why this score
    SourceA23Defender T+H
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 59 (est.)75
    Reviews found online4670

    A23: 60% × 59.5 (est.) + 40% × 45.6 = 54

    Defender T+H: 60% × 74.8 + 40% × 70 = 73

    No road tests of treadwear for A23. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 49

    Handling (owners)

    Defender T+H +23
    72
    Why this score
    SourceA23Defender T+H
    Reviews found online4972
Scores at a glance
Toyo A23 vs Michelin Defender T+H: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryToyo A23Michelin Defender T+H
Relative Score 56 72
Dry 58 72
Wet 57 74
Snow 56 66
Comfort 59 70
Noise – 69
Treadwear 54 73
Handling (owners) 49 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 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.

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.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score

A23

Defender T+H

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

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A A23

Pros

  • Solid grip and stability in dry conditions and on the highway
  • Capable off-road and in muddy tracks for 4x4 vehicles
  • Reasonable comfort and low road noise for some drivers

Cons

  • Dangerous and slippery performance on wet surfaces and roundabouts
  • Disappointing tread life and rapid wear reported by multiple users
  • High road noise noted by some drivers
All owner themes in the A23 review

Tire B Defender T+H

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Toyo A23 B · Michelin Defender T+H
CategoryAll SeasonPremium Touring All Season tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4

Which one should you actually buy?

Toyo A23

Michelin Defender T+H

Winner: Michelin Defender T+H — better handling, treadwear and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Toyo A23 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 11 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Michelin Defender T+H rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender T+H scores 72 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 54 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender T+H scores 74 vs 57 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender T+H scores 72 vs 58 on dry.

Tire A · Toyo A23
Tire B · Michelin Defender T+H

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A23 or Defender T+H?

Which is better in the wet, A23 or Defender T+H?

Michelin Defender T+H, 74 vs 57 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, A23 or Defender T+H?

Michelin Defender T+H, 72 vs 58 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, A23 or Defender T+H?

Michelin Defender T+H, 66 vs 56 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, A23 or Defender T+H?

Michelin Defender T+H, 70 vs 59 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, A23 or Defender T+H?

Michelin Defender T+H, 73 vs 54 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