All-season tire Updated October 2026

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 review

Name: Michelin Defender LTX M/S2
Brand: Michelin

± 7

Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners

Better than 93% of the all-season tires we score.

Owners 88 · 3,699 reviews analysed Road tests 65 · 1 test

How scores work

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Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 has a Relative Score of 77 out of 100 among all-season tires. In 2 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 0 times and in the top three 2 times. 3,699 owner reviews rate it 88 out of 100.

Weak point: Dry 52 — 9th of 9 (2024 Tire Rack Highway All Season tire Test)

Community sentiment Positive Read the buzz

#highway ride comfort#wet weather traction#low road noise#fuel and range efficiency#light snow performance

Two scoring systems, side by side

Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.

How scores work

Relative score: 0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
Road tests: 0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
Owner reviews: 0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.

Full methodology

By owner reviews

88/100

From 3,699 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.

Would recommend 98%

Dry

Overall dry

Wet

Overall wet

Snow & ice

Overall snow & ice

Comfort

Overall comfort

Noise

Overall noise

Treadwear

Overall treadwear

Handling

Overall handling

Own these tires? Write a review →

By road tests

65/100

Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.

Dry

Wet

Snow

What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 3,699 owner reviews found online.

The Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 is widely praised as a premium, long-lasting highway tire that significantly improves ride comfort, cabin quietness, and fuel efficiency compared to factory or all-terrain alternatives. While the vast majority of users report exceptional longevity, stable handling, and smooth highway performance, a small number of reviewers experienced balancing challenges or noted that noise can increase as the tire ages.

Pros

Exceptionally quiet and smooth highway ride
Outstanding tread life and long-term durability
Improves fuel economy and lowers rolling resistance
Confident handling and stability in dry and wet conditions

Cons

High upfront purchase price
Occasional difficulty with balancing and high-speed vibrations
Can pick up small rocks and struggles in deep snow compared to dedicated winter tires
Road noise can increase as the tread wears down

Worth knowing

Heavy-duty truck owners (such as Ford F-350 and Silverado) noted stable towing performance, though some experienced early dry rot or sidewall flex.
EV owners (like the F-150 Lightning) observed a minor 5% range hit initially, but still rated the overall tire performance highly.
Drivers replacing aggressive all-terrain tires on vehicles like the Toyota Tundra and Land Cruiser reported massive improvements in ride comfort and fuel economy.

2 published test appearances (1 in the score)

Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.

2026 Tire Rack All Terrain tire Snow Test · 265/70 R17

3rd of 30

Best: Snow Braking · 2nd Weakest: Ice Traction · 11th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Snow Braking	2nd of 30
Snow Traction	3rd of 30
Ice Braking	9th of 30
Ice Traction	11th of 30
Snow Handling (tester's mark)	3rd of 30

Source: Tire Rack

2024 Tire Rack Highway All Season tire Test · 265/70 R17

3rd of 9

Best: Dry Circle · 2nd Weakest: Dry Braking · 9th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	6th of 9
Wet Handling	5th of 9
Wet Circle	4th of 9
Dry Braking	9th of 9
Snow Handling	3rd of 9
Road Rating (tester's mark)	3rd of 9
Dry Circle	2nd of 9

Source: Tire Rack

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 specs & sizes

Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.

Specifications
Tread depth	11 - 14/32″
UTQG	820 B A
Sidewall	Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure	50 - 80 psi

Size	Retailer
275/50 R22	Amazon

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What owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of the scores above.

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.

landcruiserforum.com ·5 upvotes

“The tires are over inflated for transport. The dealership should set them to the proper PSI during PDI but that's not always the case. I had 55 PSI in mine which explained the rough ride.”

2024-08-12

r/ram_trucks ·4 upvotes

“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”

2025-06-29

r/Rivian ·30 upvotes

“275/50R22 Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 At about 15k miles the front 2 Pirelli Scorpions were pretty much worn out/down to the wear bar. I wanted to try something different and always liked Michelin tires so I went with the Defender LTX M/S2. Replaced the front two. If I like them I'll get another 2 next year and shuffle these to the rears. It seems the truck has had to relearn how to drive after putting new tires on. It's been 5 days and it seems that it's almost back to normal. The steering felt a little too loose is how I'd describe it. Otherwise they feel great and I like how they look. A little more meatier than the Pirellis. I'll be measuring the wear to see how it compares and will post some data in the future.”

2023-11-22

r/ToyotaTundra ·2 upvotes

“I have the same truck. I love my Defender LTX M/S2 tires. Very good on the rroadand in rain and snow. I haven't towed with them but have had no issues on forest service roads in Washington state. I would definitely get them again.”

2026-01-18

r/tires ·1 upvote

“The Defender LTX M/S2s are the best tires I've ever run. They last forever. Great dry and wet traction. Quiet. Had them on a LR Disco and a fwd RX350z. Got around easily in ten inches of snow with the Lexus. I used to like Bridgestone but I've had better experiences with Michelins.”

2025-12-12

tahoeyukonforum.com ·5 upvotes

“Defender LTX M/S2 275/50/22 on Fuel 22’s Coming off the Allenzas the quiet smooth ride is very noticeable. A section of paved road that has roots underneath but not really washboard - on the Allenzas it was noisy and bumpy and with the Defenders it is barely noticeable. They are that good”

2026-03-06

Sentiment breakdown

Positive58%

Mixed13%

Negative10%

Neutral19%

Top themes

#highway ride comfort#wet weather traction#low road noise#fuel and range efficiency#light snow performance#all-terrain comparison

From 83 threads and comments.