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Michelin Defender LTX MS2

Premium Touring All Season Tested by Tire Reviews

The Michelin Defender LTX MS2 is an all-season highway tire with strong snow performance and low rolling resistance. Wet and dry braking repeatedly trail the field, while one test found high external noise and poor warranty-based value.

The quick answer

Owners say 89% from 4 owner reviews Read the reviews
Tests say 4th average finish across 3 independent tests Latest: P3 of 30 · 2026 See every test
Strengths & weaknesses Value, Wet Dry, Comfort Relative to its rivals across every test we hold

Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated October 2026.

  • 4owner reviews
  • 184,500miles driven
  • 3professional tests
Michelin Defender LTX MS2 2 photos

Tire Reviews Score

Michelin Defender LTX MS2

7.3/10

Better than 41% of all-season tires

  • High Confidence
  • 3 tests
  • 4 owner reviews
Scores of the 193 all-season tires we have tested

How this score is built

Better than Weight
Independent tests3 tests · 2 publications · 2024-2026 41% 100%
Owner reviewsFewer than 5 reviews, so they do not count yet – 0%
Combined 41% 7.3

A fixed curve turns the combined figure into the 0 to 10 score, so roughly the top 10% of a group score 9 or more.

Category by category

How it compares with other all-season tires in each area, and how much each area counts. 50 is the middle of the group.

Category Better than Weight Tests
WetBraking, handling and aquaplaning in the wet 52% 42% 2
DryBraking and handling on dry roads 30% 33% 2
ValueWear, efficiency and cost 99% 9% 1
SnowBraking, traction and handling on snow 51% 9% 3
ComfortNoise and ride comfort 8% 7% 1

Faded bars rest on one or two tests. This tire does not carry the 3PMSF snowflake mark, so Snow counts for less and Ice not at all against all-season tires that do.

By discipline

The same results grouped by what the tire was doing. They are not counted a second time.

TractionEvery traction test, on any surface 98% 1
HandlingEvery handling test, on any surface 90% 3
BrakingEvery braking test, on any surface 15% 3

Confidence

  1. Limited
  2. Medium
  3. High

Its own test results decide 92% of the test figure. The other 8% is the average for its group, and it shrinks as more tests arrive.

High needs at least 3 tests, with its own results deciding 90% or more. Medium needs 2 tests and 70%. Anything less is Limited: expect the number to move as tests arrive.

The tests behind it

  1. 2026 2026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tire Snow Test Tire Rack · 265/70 R17 P3 / 30
  2. 2026 Best HT All Season Tires for 2026 Tested! Tire Reviews · 265/65 R18 P5 / 7
  3. 2024 2024 Tire Rack Highway All Season Tire Test Tire Rack · 265/70 R17 P3 / 9
All Tests
View Test Results

Tested 3 times by independent publications, the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 averages a finish of 4th.

3 Tests
0 Test Wins
4th Average
3rd Best
5th Worst
Finishing position in each test1stLast20242026

Finishing position in each test

The latest test

2026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tire Snow Test P3 of 30

The Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 was the best highway all-season in this comparison and shared third place overall. It out-gripped most of the all-terrains on snow without the 3PMSF mark, a clear sign that the symbol is not the whole story.

Strong: Snow Braking Winner: Cooper Discoverer Stronghold AT

YearTestResultAward
20262026 Tire Rack All Terrain Tire Snow TestTire Rack · 265/70 R17P3 / 30
2026Best HT All Season Tires for 2026 Tested!Tire Reviews · 265/65 R18P5 / 7Tested by Tire Reviews Recommended
20242024 Tire Rack Highway All Season Tire TestTire Rack · 265/70 R17P3 / 9

On the full record: Record by disciplineHead-to-head recordEvery published verdict

Videos

I Tested 7 Highway Tires in Wet, Dry, Snow & Dirt

I Tested 7 Highway Tires in Wet, Dry, Snow & Dirt

Awards
Recommended
Best HT All Season Tires for 2026 Tested!
2026 · 265/65 R18
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Snow21Test scores
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Dry9.3Wet9.0Comfort9.3Wear9.8Owner ratings
Running Costs
View Test

In 265/65 R18, the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 is projected to cost $15.95 per 1,000 miles to buy and run - about $399 over 25,000 miles - based on its US price and the manufacturer's treadwear warranty, from the Best HT All Season Tires for 2026 Tested!.

Tire life here is the manufacturer's treadwear warranty, NOT measured wear - treat it as the maker's promise, not a test result.
Firestone Destination LE3$15.88
Michelin Defender LTX MS2$15.95
General Grabber HT$18.28
Cooper Endeavor Plus$18.45
Tire purchase + fittingExtra fuel vs the most efficient tirecost per 1,000 miles
Tire life is the manufacturer's treadwear warranty, not measured wear. Assumes a typical car doing 29 mpg (rolling resistance causing 20% of fuel use), fuel at $3.60 per gallon and $80 fitting per set of four. US prices are from the time of the 2026 test; financing costs are excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions
How good is the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 in the wet?
Across the 2 wet-braking tests it has featured in, the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 stops 7.7% longer than premium rivals, 3.2% longer than mid-range rivals and 0.5% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews wet score of 52/100, and owners rate it 8.8/10 in the wet from 4 reviews.
How good is the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 in the dry?
Across the 2 dry-braking tests it has featured in, the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 stops 5.9% longer than premium rivals, 4.3% longer than mid-range rivals and 3% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews dry score of 30/100, and owners rate it 8.8/10 in the dry from 4 reviews.
How good is the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 in the snow?
Across the 2 snow-braking tests it has featured in, the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 stops 7.8% shorter than premium rivals, 7.9% shorter than mid-range rivals and 7.7% shorter than budget rivals. Across the 2 snow-traction tests, it is 10.1% better than premium rivals, 13.4% better than mid-range rivals and 17% better than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews snow score of 51/100, and owners rate it 8.3/10 in the snow from 4 reviews.
How fuel efficient is the Michelin Defender LTX MS2?
Across the 1 test measuring rolling resistance, the Michelin Defender LTX MS2's rolling resistance is 16% lower than mid-range rivals and 25.6% lower than budget rivals.
How much does the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 cost to run?
In 265/65 R18, the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 is projected to cost $15.95 per 1,000 miles to buy and run - about $399 over 25,000 miles - based on its US price and the manufacturer's treadwear warranty, from the Best HT All Season Tires for 2026 Tested!. The cheapest to run in that test is the Firestone Destination LE3, at $15.88.
Owner Questions
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Michelin Defender LTX MS2 Owner Reviews

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What owners say

Across 4 owner ratings the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 averages 89%. Owners rate Wear highest at 10 out of 10 and Ice Grip lowest at 7.3. 3 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles.

Owner ratings averaged from 4 ratings

  • Owner score 89%
  • Wear 100%
  • Comfort 93%
  • Dry Grip 88%
  • Wet Grip 88%
  • Road Feedback 88%
  • Handling 88%
  • Snow Grip 83%
  • Ice Grip 73%

All 3 Michelin Defender LTX MS2 reviews

Score spread across 3 written reviews
86%
Member
Initial Impressions

Have 60k mi on this current set but I have put various versions of the Michelin LTX on all my SUVs since 1999. Have hundreds of thousands of miles on probably 8 sets over the years. Great handling, great in winter weather, have never let me down. Lowest rolling resistance for better gas mileage. Highly recommended.

This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 8
  • Wet Grip 8
  • Road Feedback 8
  • Handling 9
  • Wear 10
  • Comfort 9
  • Buy again 10
  • Snow Grip 8
  • Ice Grip 7
Helpful 0
93%
trentv
Initial Impressions
  • 265/65 R18
  • 42,000 miles
40% highway, 40% city, 20% ranch road driving, these tires are the best. They give 95% the performance of the premium Conti Terrain Contact AT but last, literally, twice as long. I'm at 40k miles and the tread depth says these are going to go 80k, which is crazy. I've never had a tire last that long, because I have a huge entitlement attitude when it comes to corners - I just don't think I should necessarily have to slow down for them, if I don't feel like it. I hit 70mph on a gravel road yesterday, four wheel slide into my driveway. Usually the inner edge of the side lugs on my tires gets rounded off in the first 20k miles, but these LTX MS2 are still looking pretty good. If they're $300/tire, but they last twice as long, then they're actually a $100 tire in my book because I don't have to rotate or balance them as often. So these tires are some of the cheapest you can run. Good job Michelin.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 9
  • Wet Grip 9
  • Road Feedback 9
  • Handling 9
  • Wear 10
  • Buy again 10
Helpful 102
82%
Member
Initial Impressions
Just a really solid all round tire, great snow grip considering it's not 3pmsf marked, lasted ages, comfortable.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 8
  • Wet Grip 8
  • Road Feedback 8
  • Handling 7
  • Wear 10
  • Comfort 9
  • Buy again 10
  • Snow Grip 7
  • Ice Grip 7
Helpful 177

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