All-season tire Updated October 2026

Michelin Defender2 review

Name: Michelin Defender2
Brand: Michelin

Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners

Owners 87 · 11,218 reviews analysed Road tests 64 · 3 tests

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The Michelin Defender 2 receives a mixed-to-positive response from users, with many praising its exceptional longevity, solid dry-and-wet traction, and confident handling on crossovers and SUVs. However, a notable subset of drivers report disappointment regarding a stiffer ride, unexpected road noise, and lower-than-expected fuel economy or tread wear compared to previous Michelin iterations.

Community sentiment Positive Read the buzz

#tread life longevity#80k mileage warranty#EV efficiency and range#road noise trade-off#comparison to CrossClimate2

Owners rate it 22.7 points higher than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.

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.

By owner reviews

87/100

From 11,218 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.

Would buy again 100%

Dry

Overall dry

90.2

Wet

Overall wet

88.2

Snow & ice

Overall snow & ice

77.2

Comfort

Overall comfort

88.2

Noise

Overall noise

84.8

Treadwear

Overall treadwear

87.3

Handling

Overall handling

88.1

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By road tests

64/100

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

Dry

72.5

Wet

63.9

Snow

46.2

Noise

Michelin Defender2 specs & sizes

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

Specifications
Tread depth	10 - 11/32″
UTQG	840 B B
Treadwear warranty	80,000 mi
Sidewall	Black Side Wall
Max pressure	50 - 51 psi

Size	Retailer
235/60 R18	Amazon

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What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 11,218 owner reviews found online.

Pros

Long-lasting tread life and high mileage capability
Confident dry and wet traction with stable handling
Quiet and smooth ride quality on specific vehicles and highway surfaces
Strong performance under heavy loads for vans and larger vehicles

Cons

Stiffer, harder ride compared to original equipment or older models
Noticeable road noise and lack of noise absorption on certain pavement types
Reduced fuel economy (MPG) reported by multiple users
Inconsistent traction in winter weather and light snow for some drivers

Worth knowing

Heavier vehicles like the Honda Odyssey and Kia Sorento handled well under heavy loads with the Defender 2.
Some Crossover and SUV owners in snowy regions felt the tire lacked sufficient winter grip, occasionally switching to specialized tires like the Michelin CrossClimate 2.

3 published test appearances

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

2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter tire Test · 215/55 R17

2nd of 10

Best: Subj. Noise · 1st Weakest: Wet Braking · 3rd

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	3rd of 10
Wet Circle	3rd of 10
Dry Braking	3rd of 10
Snow Braking	3rd of 10
Snow Handling	3rd of 10
Ice Braking	2nd of 10
Subj. Comfort	3rd of 10
Ice Traction	2nd of 10
Subj. Noise	1st of 10
Subj. Road Score	3rd of 10
Subj. Snow Handling	3rd of 10
Dry Circle	2nd of 10

Source: Tire Rack

Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) · 215/55R17

4th of 7

Best: Dry Braking · 1st Weakest: Snow Braking · 6th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	2nd of 7
Wet Handling	5th of 7
Dry Braking	1st of 7
Snow Braking	6th of 7
Snow Handling	6th of 7
Ice Braking	2nd of 7
Subj. Comfort	5th of 7
Subj. Noise	2nd of 7
Subj. Road Score	4th of 7
Dry Circle	1st of 7

Source: Tire Rack

2024 TireRack All Season and Weather tire Test · 215/55 R17

10th of 11

Best: Dry Braking · 5th Weakest: Snow Braking · 11th

Discipline	Placement	Field position
Wet Braking	7th of 11
Wet Handling	10th of 11
Dry Braking	5th of 11
Snow Braking	11th of 11
Snow Traction	8th of 11
Snow Handling	11th of 11
Ice Braking	8th of 11
Subj. Dry Handling	9th of 11
Subj. Wet Handling	10th of 11

Source: Tire Rack

What owners are saying

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

Community sentiment toward the Michelin Defender2 is strongly positive, with owners widely praising its exceptional tread life, durability, and 80k-mile warranty. Many drivers and EV owners report excellent longevity and efficiency, though some note elevated road noise compared to premium touring tires or question its necessity for low-mileage driving.

teslamotorsclub.com ·5 upvotes

“Swapped the OEM 19s for the 18" TSportLine wheels I had on our 2022 MYP. I installed new Michelin Defender2 tires sized 235/55s last June and they have 9K miles on them and look brand new. The complement the Stealth Gray nicely. I do miss the RED clippers the MYP had. The car was PERFECT at delivery and continues to amaze us with each mile. Just turned 167 miles. HW4 is a game changer.”

2026-03-19

bobistheoilguy.com

“I’m having a set of four 235/65R18 Michelin Defender2’s installed on the Cadillac as I’m typing this post. I’m at America’s Tire. I’m replacing the OEM Michelin Primacy Tour AS tires that only lasted 25,500 miles. I’m hoping that the Defender2’s will last longer, be quieter and smoother riding. We’ll see!”

2026-02-19

r/crv ·6 upvotes

“Michelin CC2 or Defender2 or Continental crosscontact LX25?? For 2019 Honda Crv. I heard a lot of pros for these tires in the following order. CC2 --> Defender2 --> LX25 But Cons which i what i like to know about.. CC2 - lots of reviews on mpg hit. Defender2 - Not sure if also has mpg hit. Lx25 - I have a friend who is already 20k on it and tire looks new and didn't mention about any mpg hit for him Thank you. Update: Thank you for all your valuable reviews, I have ordered these from Costco and should get them rolling soon. MICHELIN DEFENDER2 AS 235/60R18 107H XL BSW ALL SEASON TIRE. Read more”

2025-04-07

silveradosierra.com ·1 upvote

“Michelin Defender2 LTX M/S are excellent tires IMO. Quiet and good all around. Or the KO3 but there have a more aggressive look.”

2025-03-19

r/tires ·3 upvotes

“Michelin Defender2 for handling, comfort, and noise? Vehicle is a 2008 Honda Accord LX Sedan. 215/60/R16. I prefer A/S tires and only drive in a warm dry climate with occasional rain (southern CA) I know that Michelins are generally considered the best tire maker but the main advantage of the Defender2's seems to be their excellent durability and tread life. The thing is I have an older car and although I love it I'll probably be selling it within 4yrs. In addition I only average around 6000 miles per year. So I would rather have tires that are more focused on providing a balance of ride quality, comfort, and handling while I have the car. I can get Turanza Quiettracks for about the same price also from Costco so maybe these or another tire might be better suited for my needs? Thanks for reading. Read more”

2025-02-08

subaruoutback.org ·1 upvote

“I just ordered Michelin Defender 2 for our 15 Outback . We've had 2 sets of Yokohama YK-CTX after OEM which only lasted about 20k (first set) and 25k (second set). I've had Michelin Defender (orig) and Michelin Defender2 on our Ford Taurus. Very comfortable and great tread life.”

2026-01-15

Sentiment breakdown

Positive58%

Mixed33%

Negative8%

Top themes

#tread life longevity#80k mileage warranty#EV efficiency and range#road noise trade-off#comparison to CrossClimate2#speed rating fitment issues#ride comfort

From 24 threads and comments.