Michelin Defender LTX 285/60 R18 on 2021 HE (1 Viewer)

[goodnightnyc]

Just had stock size 285/60 R18 120H XL Michelin Defenders installed on my '21 HE. I debated for a while whether or not to install 285/65 R18 AT tires instead. I was very close to ordering the BFG KO2's in that size. I looked at pics of all the Land Cruisers with the KO2's and must admit they look awesome in that size. But in reality I would have done it only for the looks, since the vast majority of my driving is on road. I didn't feel the compromise in fuel economy, acceleration/braking and potential wear/tear on components would be worth it.

So I kept coming back to the Defenders. Yeah, they're not the sexiest tires but most of the reviews were very positive and they seem to fit my use case well - primarily street driving, highways, rain/snow, and light off-roading. I don't think they look bad actually. Just my opinion but I think they look rugged and refined in a subtle way, sort of like the personality of the Land Cruiser.

I only drove about 50 miles after having them installed today. First impressions are positive. I'm running them at 35 PSI. They are quiet and the truck seems more planted than it did with the stock Dunlops. The ride doesn't feel squishy like it did with the Dunlops, and is more firm in a good way. I'm taking the truck on a road trip from NJ to Maine in a couple of weeks, and will report back afterwards.

Here are some pics of the new shoes...

 

[GOLIGHTLY]

Not much I don’t like about that ride!

 

[MRego]

Just had stock size 285/60 R18 120H XL Michelin Defenders installed on my '21 HE. I debated for a while whether or not to install 285/65 R18 AT tires instead. I was very close to ordering the BFG KO2's in that size. I looked at pics of all the Land Cruisers with the KO2's and must admit they look awesome in that size. But in reality I would have done it only for the looks, since the vast majority of my driving is on road. I didn't feel the compromise in fuel economy, acceleration/braking and potential wear/tear on components would be worth it.

So I kept coming back to the Defenders. Yeah, they're not the sexiest tires but most of the reviews were very positive and they seem to fit my use case well - primarily street driving, highways, rain/snow, and light off-roading. I don't think they look bad actually. Just my opinion but I think they look rugged and refined in a subtle way, sort of like the personality of the Land Cruiser.

I only drove about 50 miles after having them installed today. First impressions are positive. I'm running them at 35 PSI. They are quiet and the truck seems more planted than it did with the stock Dunlops. The ride doesn't feel squishy like it did with the Dunlops, and is more firm in a good way. I'm taking the truck on a road trip from NJ to Maine in a couple of weeks, and will report back afterwards.

Here are some pics of the new shoes...

View attachment 2679719

View attachment 2679720

View attachment 2679721

View attachment 2679722

What is the actual difference from these Michelins to the stock Dunlops? Looking great but why didn’t you go with the Michelins with a 65 profile? IMO the 65 profile “fills”better the wheel well.

 

[goodnightnyc]

I didn’t feel the extra weight and rotating mass of a larger sized tire would be worth it.

The 65 size Defender weighs 51 lbs and only comes in an E rating. The 60 size Defender only weighs 39 lbs and comes in an XL rating.

As far as the benefit over the stock Dunlop’s, the Michelins seem to be a more robust tire with a stronger carcass and better grip. I’m selling the Dunlops and got a good deal on the Michelins so my net cost for the swap is pretty low. I figured a world class vehicle like the Land Cruiser deserves better tires than the Dunlops.

 

[MRego]

I didn’t feel the extra weight and rotating mass of a larger sized tire would be worth it.

The 65 size Defender weighs 51 lbs and only comes in an E rating. The 60 size Defender only weighs 39 lbs and comes in an XL rating.

As far as the benefit over the stock Dunlop’s, the Michelins seem to be a more robust tire with a stronger carcass and better grip. I’m selling the Dunlops and got a good deal on the Michelins so my net cost for the swap is pretty low. I figured a world class vehicle like the Land Cruiser deserves better tires than the Dunlops.

Got it. Didn’t know the 65s Michelins were E rated. Makes sense. Totally agree the LC deserves better tires. Those Dunlops are not very good and they are crazy expensive. Sometimes more than ko2s. Not sure why.

 

[goodnightnyc]

Yeah the price of the Dunlops makes absolutely no sense. I wonder why Toyota specs that tire for the Land Cruiser considering the high price. Unless Toyota gets a screaming deal on them or something.

 

[Madtiger]

These tires are at the top of my list. Thanks for pics!

 

[TXMeatball]

Defenders are great tires. Probably the best "offroad" street tire you could get as well.

 

[spazzyfry123]

Same on ours. Ride great! Leave the knobbies for the “other” LC.

 

[BrownDog09]

I have those in 285/65. Wonderful tire. Every time I stray from Michelin I am disappointed.

 

[Madtiger]

I didn’t feel the extra weight and rotating mass of a larger sized tire would be worth it.

The 65 size Defender weighs 51 lbs and only comes in an E rating. The 60 size Defender only weighs 39 lbs and comes in an XL rating.

As far as the benefit over the stock Dunlop’s, the Michelins seem to be a more robust tire with a stronger carcass and better grip. I’m selling the Dunlops and got a good deal on the Michelins so my net cost for the swap is pretty low. I figured a world class vehicle like the Land Cruiser deserves better tires than the Dunlops.

Any difference in road noise between Dunlop’s and Michelin?? Someone else on this forum noted that Defender is noisier.

 

[Sandroad]

Excellent choice! Unless you’ve already sold the OEM tires, keep your expectations low on what they are worth. When I did the same thing (Michelin for Dunflop) I eventually had to let the Dunlop’s go for about $100. They are not a popular tire or size.

 

[Madtiger]

Excellent choice! Unless you’ve already sold the OEM tires, keep your expectations low on what they are worth. When I did the same thing (Michelin for Dunflop) I eventually had to let the Dunlop’s go for about $100. They are not a popular tire or size.

I got $400 for them when i traded in the Dunlops for BFG KO2 at Discount Tire…Dunlops had about 1000 miles on them.

 

[Mixelplix]

I have had the same tire in 20" on my LX for three summers now (I run snows in the winter). Fantastic tire!

They're surprisingly good offroad too. I didn't expect them to be any good.

 

[Madtiger]

Read: Review: New Michelin Defender LTX M/S Tires - https://tractionlife.com/michelin-defender-ltx-ms-review/

Hmmmmm……looks boring but no doubt impressive tire!

 

[goodnightnyc]

BrownDog - do you have any pics of your rig with the 285/65?

Madtiger - Yes, I did notice slightly more road noise compared to the Dunlops which are whisper quiet. But the noise is minimal and not bothersome to me.

 

[Madtiger]

BrownDog - do you have any pics of your rig with the 285/65?

Madtiger - Yes, I did notice slightly more road noise compared to the Dunlops which are whisper quiet. But the noise is minimal and not bothersome to me.

Yeah, that is what i am afraid of. Unfortunately, at least with my experience with my wife’s MDX with Defender, the noise gets worst fairly rapidly as it ages…and she rotates them every 5k.

 

[goodnightnyc]

Not sure about increasing road noise as the tires age. My experience with Michelins has been pretty good though.

Maybe others can chime in that have run the Defenders for more miles?

 

[liv2bike]

I had the Defenders on two prior vehicles. One was a company truck and one was personal. As they aged I can confirm they got loud on the road. Especially on the pickup. The road noise definitely got loud. I was really surprised at how loud they got. Rotated them with every oil change and ran correct psi. Additionally I ran them pretty hard on the work truck. I actually used them off-road quite a bit to access some remote sites. They did ok off-road. But they weren’t durable enough. They would lose chunks of rubber. Ended up ditching them for KO2s. On the personal vehicle I didn’t keep it long enough. I won’t go back to them based on previous experience.

 

[Madtiger]

I had the Defenders on two prior vehicles. One was a company truck and one was personal. As they aged I can confirm they got loud on the road. Especially on the pickup. The road noise definitely got loud. I was really surprised at how loud they got. Rotated them with every oil change and ran correct psi. Additionally I ran them pretty hard on the work truck. I actually used them off-road quite a bit to access some remote sites. They did ok off-road. But they weren’t durable enough. They would lose chunks of rubber. Ended up ditching them for KO2s. On the personal vehicle I didn’t keep it long enough. I won’t go back to them based on previous experience.

Damnit…i guess that i will stick to my stock sized KO2s. I wanted Michelin because of its lightweight, low noise, and better MPGs…but i hate road noise! At least for my ears, the KO2s are pretty quiet, even after 27k miles. And if Michelins are not quieter than KO2 significantly, then there is no point For me.

On my wife’s MDX, the road noise is pronounced on the highway…even louder than my Land Cruiser. The MDX has that audio-negating feature to counteract road noise…i can still hear lots of road noise.