So I think the Michelin Defender is the perfect all-terrain tire... (For most of us) (21 Viewers)

[chriscosta416]

I read the thread. I think lots of people are perfectly fine on HTs, and would likely be better served by them, yet they buy ATs (or even MTs) for many reasons. ATs are generally built differently and will, albeit marginally in some cases, outperform an HT. This thread and embedded video talks to this idea in more detail: Why there is no “best” All-Terrain Tire,… - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/why-there-is-no-best-all-terrain-tire.1315377/

Other threads are actively comparing it to an HT: Tire Rack Michelin Defender vs. Continental HT - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/tire-rack-michelin-defender-vs-continental-ht.1301324/

Can tell you for certain that bolting these up to a Blue trail-capable truck will immediately render it less capable in my area.

I can hike a path in dress shoes and not suffer any consequences - doesn't mean they were the right choice.

I based all of this on using them in the conditions in the post - I am surprised by how well they did and think they for most folks out there this is a great tire for those who do a lot of highway driving and go offroad every month of so. Of course it all depends on the terrain - I would not take these tires on very technical trails but I did some moderate technical stuff, rocky stuff, snow and sand and they did well.

I sadly sold my 200 series but these tires will be going on whatever 4wd I buy next unless I decide to build a truck for the Rubicon

 

[RT Cruiser]

I love G015. But reviews have tanked it for bad fuel economy. Interesting that you are getting good mileage!

I've had Michelins. Some of their tires are designed to be "soft" to give a "better" ride. But they wear faster. This is why I didn't get the Defenders. I'm not saying the Defenders are soft tires. But if they indeed last their "stated" mileage, then great. The Yoko G015 are 60k mile tires. They'll go at least 55k.

Drivers need to remember that hard cornering, hard braking, fast acceleration from a stop, and not rotating every 3-5k miles are the fastest ways to wear down a tire.

MPG: this has been discussed a lot on this board. I live in CO. So, at a natural higher altitude, I'm going to get better MPG than those in FL with all things equal. I drive very conservatively and push the tach above 4k about 7 times a year. I don't have any added components - it's 100% stock. I use the OEM tire size. I keep my tires inflated to 33psi.

 

[chriscosta416]

I've had Michelins. Some of their tires are designed to be "soft" to give a "better" ride. But they wear faster. This is why I didn't get the Defenders. I'm not saying the Defenders are soft tires. But if they indeed last their "stated" mileage, then great. The Yoko G015 are 60k mile tires. They'll go at least 55k.

Drivers need to remember that hard cornering, hard braking, and fast acceleration from a stop are the fastest ways to wear down a tire.

MPG: this has been discussed a lot on this board. I live in CO. So, at a natural higher altitude, I'm going to get better MPG than those in FL with all things equal. I drive very conservatively and push the tach above 4k about 7 times a year. I don't have any added components - it's 100% stock. I use the OEM tire size. I keep my tires inflated to 33psi.

Defenders wear great and last a long time - I had G015s on a AWD crossover and they lasted 60-65k for me, great tire as well

 

[jeguth1s]

I've had Michelins. Some of their tires are designed to be "soft" to give a "better" ride. But they wear faster. This is why I didn't get the Defenders. I'm not saying the Defenders are soft tires. But if they indeed last their "stated" mileage, then great. The Yoko G015 are 60k mile tires. They'll go at least 55k.

Drivers need to remember that hard cornering, hard braking, fast acceleration from a stop, and not rotating every 3-5k miles are the fastest ways to wear down a tire.

MPG: this has been discussed a lot on this board. I live in CO. So, at a natural higher altitude, I'm going to get better MPG than those in FL with all things equal. I drive very conservatively and push the tach above 4k about 7 times a year. I don't have any added components - it's 100% stock. I use the OEM tire size. I keep my tires inflated to 33psi.

I love that you know how many times a year you push it above 4k!

 

[bloc]

That depends... does it make me look cooler on pavement if I am running in the hiking boots?

Literally the reason 95% of people run more aggressive ATs, even if they won’t admit it.

So I'm going with 285/60/18 on some HE wheels (have to keep truck height low to park in garage with ski rack on top) and been debating the XL Defender vs the XL Toyo AT3. I'm likely to go with the Defender, but mainly wondering if the slightly heavier/burlier AT3 would have any tangible benefits to make me go that route? My needs in no particular order are light offroad use, snow performance, low noise on hwy, and fuel economy.

I’ve had both. For your uses the defenders, all day long.

I've had Michelins. Some of their tires are designed to be "soft" to give a "better" ride. But they wear faster. This is why I didn't get the Defenders. I'm not saying the Defenders are soft tires. But if they indeed last their "stated" mileage, then great. The Yoko G015 are 60k mile tires. They'll go at least 55k.

Drivers need to remember that hard cornering, hard braking, fast acceleration from a stop, and not rotating every 3-5k miles are the fastest ways to wear down a tire.

MPG: this has been discussed a lot on this board. I live in CO. So, at a natural higher altitude, I'm going to get better MPG than those in FL with all things equal. I drive very conservatively and push the tach above 4k about 7 times a year. I don't have any added components - it's 100% stock. I use the OEM tire size. I keep my tires inflated to 33psi.

Didn’t the G015s do poorly in the big AT tire review discussed a few months back?

Also the internet is full of reports of defenders wearing like iron.. 80-100k out of a set routinely.

 

[chriscosta416]

Literally the reason 95% of people run more aggressive ATs, even if they won’t admit it.



I’ve had both. For your uses the defenders, all day long.



Didn’t the G015s do poorly in the big AT tire review discussed a few months back?

Also the internet is full of reports of defenders wearing like iron.. 80-100k out of a set routinely.

My personal experience with G015s is tread blocks chipping off.

Same with General Grabbers ATX on rocks

 

[Zill]

So I'm going with 285/60/18 on some HE wheels (have to keep truck height low to park in garage with ski rack on top) and been debating the XL Defender vs the XL Toyo AT3. I'm likely to go with the Defender, but mainly wondering if the slightly heavier/burlier AT3 would have any tangible benefits to make me go that route? My needs in no particular order are light offroad use, snow performance, low noise on hwy, and fuel economy.

My vote is defender, but I would also look at using a 275/65/r18 size tire instead of the stock 285/60/r18.

(Personally) If you aren’t doing heavy off-roading, the compromises would not out weight the on road performance benefits of a set of Defenders.

 

[RT Cruiser]

Literally the reason 95% of people run more aggressive ATs, even if they won’t admit it.



I’ve had both. For your uses the defenders, all day long.



Didn’t the G015s do poorly in the big AT tire review discussed a few months back?

Also the internet is full of reports of defenders wearing like iron.. 80-100k out of a set routinely.

I missed that G015 review. Tks for the info. Maybe I'm the exception. I'll give the Defenders a good consideration in about 55k miles

 

[Madtiger]

My vote is defender, but I would also look at using a 275/65/r18 size tire instead of the stock 285/60/r18.

(Personally) If you aren’t doing heavy off-roading, the compromises would not out weight the on road performance benefits of a set of Defenders.

I don't know if 275/65/18 Defenders are...either LT or P-metric??

BUT Defender at 285/60/18 XL is a PERFECT compromise. XL means that it is tougher tire (and able to carry more weight) than P-metric...Mechelin rep confirmed to me (could be BS) that XL has stronger sidewall than P-metric. BUT, the beautiful thing about XL is that it weighs light as a feather at 39 lbs!!!

So, the XL gives you some of the toughness of LT yet the weight of P-metric. Best of both worlds.

 

[RT Cruiser]

Can anyone testify to the noise level of the Defenders?

 

[chriscosta416]

Can anyone testify to the noise level of the Defenders?

Noise level is lower than any AT. Of course if you have a high offset wheel that sticks the wheel and tire out you’ll get road noise

 

[Madtiger]

Can anyone testify to the noise level of the Defenders?

Mine has been good...285/60/18 XL. Quieter than BFG KO2 that i had before.

 

[bloc]

I missed that G015 review. Tks for the info. Maybe I'm the exception. I'll give the Defenders a good consideration in about 55k miles

It’s all relative. A review somewhere doesn’t preclude them working great for you. Maybe something else could work better.. but most of us can’t reasonably try six different sets and keep the one that is best..

Noise level is lower than any AT.

This.

 

[achillar30]

That depends... does it make me look cooler on pavement if I am running in the hiking boots?

Same reason I keep it locked in H all the way to the mall

 

[tacoduck]

I guess the Defender debate just refuses to die. Michelin was probably aware their boring sidewall design was likely hindering sales. So now they’ve just unveiled a new Defender LTX Platinum with arguably the most agressive sidewall I’ve ever seen on one of their tires. It says available in six 20” sizes, but I don’t know if that’s only for the initial launch. Will be interesting to see how they perform compared to both other ATs and the new Defender LTX M/S2s. While the sidewall looks aggressive, the tread looks like pretty interesting. Wonder how they’ll work off-road compared to the original Defender LTX. Looks like the ride on pavement should be as quiet and compliant.

Michelin Introduces New Defender LTX and LTX M/S2 Tires With Boasts of New Levels in Longevity

Michelin is a top name in tire manufacturing that's got it's eye on light truck buyers. These latest tire compounds could be quite versatile.

www.thedrive.com

View attachment 3446452

They announce pricing? Looks like $450 a tire. Damn I hate inflation.

 

[nautiquelover]

Anyone know what the difference between the defenders and the below tires are? They look the same to me…

 

[Sinister]

I don't know if 275/65/18 Defenders are...either LT or P-metric??

BUT Defender at 285/60/18 XL is a PERFECT compromise. XL means that it is tougher tire (and able to carry more weight) than P-metric...Mechelin rep confirmed to me (could be BS) that XL has stronger sidewall than P-metric. BUT, the beautiful thing about XL is that it weighs light as a feather at 39 lbs!!!

So, the XL gives you some of the toughness of LT yet the weight of P-metric. Best of both worlds.

Do these fit with no rubbing issues??

 

[binhsterbinh]

Do these fit with no rubbing issues??

Not a single chance of rubbing in 275/65R18 being 32.1” tall. Just make sure to get the Defender LTX M/S2 and not the Defender LTX M/S which is the previous gen being phased out at the moment.
Not a rip on the prior gen though. They were great proven tires.

 

[Sandroad]

Anyone know what the difference between the defenders and the below tires are? They look the same to me…View attachment 3453344View attachment 3453345

I have not compared specs, but I know that Michelin makes some of their tire lines with a different name for the big box stores like Costco and Sams Club, etc.

 

[binhsterbinh]

I have not compared specs, but I know that Michelin makes some of their tire lines with a different name for the big box stores like Costco and Sams Club, etc.

Same tire with different branding and possibly slightly different tread pattern for $8 less per tire. Downside is that if you get an Unrepairable flat while traveling without Costco nearby, you’ll have to end up buying the more common Defender LTX M/S2. Assuming they’re nearly identical, it may be a nonissue, but now you’re mismatched having three X LT A/S2 tires and one M/S2 tire. If you had five X LT A/S2 tires including the spare, then you should be fine to wait for a Costco warehouse replacement.