Tests – · none yet Owners 71 · 81 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Yokohama AVID Ascend 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 0 + 1 road tests and 81 + 1 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: AVID Ascend and Defender T+H are level at 70.
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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.
-
71
Dry
AVID Ascend +269Why this score
Source AVID Ascend Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 73 70 AVID Ascend: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.6 = 71
Defender T+H: 60% × 68.8 (est.) + 40% × 70 = 69
No road tests of dry for AVID Ascend. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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 0.41).
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75
Wet
AVID Ascend +372Why this score
Source AVID Ascend Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 74 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 77 73 AVID Ascend: 60% × 73.9 (est.) + 40% × 76.6 = 75
Defender T+H: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.8 = 72
No road tests of wet for AVID Ascend. 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 T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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63
Snow
Defender T+H +265Why this score
Source AVID Ascend Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 58 61 AVID Ascend: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 58.1 = 63
Defender T+H: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 61.1 = 65
No road tests of snow for AVID Ascend. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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).
-
71
Comfort
AVID Ascend +467Why this score
Source AVID Ascend Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 73 66 AVID Ascend: 40% × 69.4 (est.) + 60% × 72.5 = 71
Defender T+H: 40% × 68.1 (est.) + 60% × 66 = 67
No road tests of comfort for AVID Ascend. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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70
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source AVID Ascend Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) – Reviews found online 74 – AVID Ascend: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 74.4 = 70
No road tests of noise for AVID Ascend. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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68
Treadwear
Defender T+H +573Why this score
Source AVID Ascend Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 76 Reviews found online 68 68 AVID Ascend: 60% × 67.1 (est.) + 40% × 68.2 = 68
Defender T+H: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 67.9 = 73
No road tests of treadwear for AVID Ascend. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
72
Handling (owners)
No comparison–Why this score
Source AVID Ascend Defender T+H Reviews found online 72 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Yokohama AVID Ascend | Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 70 | 70 |
| Dry | 71 | 69 |
| Wet | 75 | 72 |
| Snow | 63 | 65 |
| Comfort | 71 | 67 |
| Noise | 70 | – |
| Treadwear | 68 | 73 |
| Handling (owners) | 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
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
AVID Ascend
70
/ 100
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 AVID Ascend
Pros
- Exceptionally low road noise and quiet ride
- High level of ride comfort and shock absorption
- Strong wet and dry traction, inspiring confidence in heavy rain
Cons
- Isolated reports of premature tread wear or not meeting expected mileage
- Slightly spongy initial feel requiring a brief break-in period
- Occasional minor wheel slip during hard acceleration in wet or dry conditions
Tire B Defender T+H
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Yokohama AVID Ascend | B · Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | Premium Touring All Season tire |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
| Tread depth | 12/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 740 A A | 820 A - B B |
| Treadwear warranty | 75,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
70
/ 100
Yokohama AVID Ascend
70
/ 100
Michelin Defender T+H
Too close to call: Yokohama AVID Ascend and Michelin Defender T+H are within 2 points overall. Yokohama AVID Ascend is stronger on comfort and wet. Michelin Defender T+H is stronger on treadwear. Michelin Defender T+H rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 68 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 71 vs 67 on comfort.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 75 vs 72 on wet.
Tire A · Yokohama AVID Ascend
Tire B · Michelin Defender T+H
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AVID Ascend or Defender T+H?
Which is better in the wet, AVID Ascend or Defender T+H?
Yokohama AVID Ascend, 75 vs 72 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, AVID Ascend or Defender T+H?
Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 69 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is better in snow, AVID Ascend or Defender T+H?
Neither, by our numbers: 63 vs 65 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, AVID Ascend or Defender T+H?
Yokohama AVID Ascend, 71 vs 67 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, AVID Ascend or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 73 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