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Yokohama Geolandar H/T G056 vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 — Compared

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

Defender LTX M/S2 is ahead, 81–68

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Tire BMichelin

Defender LTX M/S2

Tests – · none yet Owners 87 · 3,650 reviews

“There’s a new Defender LTX M/S2. I put these on after my Grabbers wore out and the Defender is hands down better. A lot less road noise, feels grippier when cornering, and it handled mixed light snow / ice wonderfully this winter. If you want to go all season these would be my recommendation.”

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/S2 +11
    82
    Why this score
    SourceGeolandar H/T G056Defender LTX M/S2
    Reviews found online7491
  2. 70

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S2 +14
    84
    Why this score
    SourceGeolandar H/T G056Defender LTX M/S2
    Reviews found online6989
  3. 59

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S2 +13
    72
    Why this score
    SourceGeolandar H/T G056Defender LTX M/S2
    Reviews found online5174
  4. 70

    Comfort

    Defender LTX M/S2 +8
    78
    Why this score
    SourceGeolandar H/T G056Defender LTX M/S2
    Reviews found online7087
  5. 69

    Noise

    Defender LTX M/S2 +7
    76
    Why this score
    SourceGeolandar H/T G056Defender LTX M/S2
    Reviews found online7289
  6. 66

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S2 +14
    80
    Why this score
    SourceGeolandar H/T G056Defender LTX M/S2
    Reviews found online6690
  7. 69

    Handling

    Defender LTX M/S2 +17
    86
    Why this score
    SourceGeolandar H/T G056Defender LTX M/S2
    Reviews found online6986
Scores at a glance
CategoryYokohama Geolandar H/T G056Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
Relative Score 68 81
Dry 71 82
Wet 70 84
Snow 59 72
Comfort 70 78
Noise 69 76
Treadwear 66 80
Handling 69 86

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.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Geolandar H/T G056

Defender LTX M/S2

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Geolandar H/T G056

Pros

  • Excellent ride comfort and low road noise
  • Strong dry pavement handling and stability
  • Impressive tread longevity for many users

Cons

  • Inconsistent performance in wet and snowy conditions
  • Reports of premature tread wear in heavy-duty or high-torque applications
  • Occasional complaints regarding road noise or 'growling' sounds as the tire ages
All owner themes in the Geolandar H/T G056 review

Tire B Defender LTX M/S2

Pros

  • Exceptionally long tread life and high mileage durability
  • Smooth, comfortable, and quiet highway ride quality
  • Improved fuel economy and low rolling resistance compared to factory or all-terrain tires

Cons

  • High upfront premium price point
  • Occasional minor wheel spin or reduced traction on wet surfaces during hard takeoffs
  • Treads can pack with snow, making them mediocre in deep winter conditions
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S2 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Yokohama Geolandar H/T G056

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2

Positive

The community widely views the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 as an outstanding highway and daily driving tire, praising its smooth ride, low road noise, and reliable wet traction. While considered an ideal replacement for noisy all-terrain or OEM tires, some users question its performance in severe winter or deep mud conditions compared to dedicated off-road tires. A few owners also raised minor concerns regarding warranty differences, balancing, and tread life compared to prior generations.

r/RivianR2 ·1 upvote ·2026-09-06

“The Michelin Defender LTX m/s2 is available in 255/60/20 and is a fantastic tire. Not severe snow rated but it has a great reputation for being great in the snow. Lasts forever too.”
f150gen14.com ·2 upvotes ·2024-05-02

“I'm likely swapping out the tires that come on my soon-to-be built Lariat when I get it, so I've been doing some research myself. That Conti is a good tire, but I'm not sure I want an AT tire on this one. I'd be more interested in the TerrainContact H/T. But both of them come highly recommended. If I go Michellins, I'm going Defender LTX M/S2. Bit pricey but has really good user reviews overall. On my last F150 (2011 EB FX4) I ran Firestone Destinations and they rode really well, good in the rain, etc, but wore down quick. Then again, I did a lot of towing. The Bridgestone Duelers used to be a great tire but the reviews on these haven't been great lately...not for the price they want.”
r/ram_trucks ·4 upvotes ·2025-06-29

“Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 vs Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 for '21 Ram 1500 Limited Unfortunately I'm having to get my 2nd set of tires in 4 years. I had the OEM Goodyear tires the first two times and only got 20-25K miles each time so I'm looking for something better. I usually get my tires from Sam's Club because I've found they give the best value. I wanted to get the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2's at my last need for tires but they cost more than I could afford at the time. I can afford them now but I've also come across these Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3's that are at a better deal and have consistently decent reviews as well that would cost me about $500 less in total. I wanted to see if anyone here has any experience with both sets or has a recommendation between the two tires and if you can provide reasonings why. TIA! Leer más”
Top themes
#highway ride comfort#wet weather traction#low road noise#fuel and range efficiency#light snow performance#all-terrain comparison

Based on 83 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Yokohama Geolandar H/T G056 B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
CategoryAll Season—
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available561
Rim diameters15″ – 22″22″
Tread depth11/32″11 - 14/32″
UTQG720 A A820 B A
Treadwear warranty70,000 mi—
SidewallBlackwallBlack Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure51 psi50 - 80 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Yokohama Geolandar H/T G056

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 — better handling, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 86 vs 69 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 84 vs 70 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 80 vs 66 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 scores 72 vs 59 on snow.

Tire A · Yokohama Geolandar H/T G056
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Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
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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.

81

Leads

Defender LTX M/S2

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