Michelin LTX AT or Defender LTX M/S2

Which is the preferred tire that many people rave about? I read a few reviews on these and there is not a lot of difference but I think the Defenders were better for stopping and noise? I am still trying to decide on a tire and looking at 275/70/18's so these would be in the E rated category.

 

Well the tread is slightly different but to me the real difference is the LTX A/Ts have side snipes to help grip in some minor to moderate off-road conditions, like sand, mud, snow - I love those tires but they're making them in less and less sizes and time goes on. Luck.

 

They do get a bit confusing because there is a Defender model and just the LTX model and LTX 2 for a total of 4 different ones.

 

The M/S2 have a lot better handling and braking performance on wet roads. When I was evaluating for my tire replacements a couple of months ago, I figured my ratio of on-road vs off-road driving was about 20:1, so I went with the M/S2's. If I go off-road, I just am careful and make sure I have recovery boards available.

 

I personally don't like the Michelin AT2s for road, wet or snow. Recommend avoiding them and looking at other tires.

 

How many AT tires (across brands) are bought because they “look cool” rather than being the best tire for the application?

If you are like most people and 98%+ of your miles involve nothing more “off road” than a two track, get the M/S 2s and don’t look back. By far a superior on road tire.

 

Can you elaborate as to why you do not like them?

 

Poor traction. Poor stopping behavior. The tire compromises too much in trying to be both a highway tire and a AT tire.

 

There are some terrible reviews of the LT at2 tires online in ice. I used the p rated stockers and they were decent, however when comparing other forums the consensus seems to be that the defebder ltx was an overall superior tire

 

Are you referring to the OE models or the replacements??

I have not had the OE but only replacements and they were fantastic in the wet and snow.
No braking issues either.

If you do no off-roading go with the Defender if you ever get off pavement go with the AT/2s. I liked them very much for mostly pavement and a little off-road.
Excellent road manners.

 

I guess the AT version likes to throw rocks due to the three wide grooves. No worse than any AT tire though I am sure

 

I have the OE version.

 

I did not experience much rock throwing with the oe at2’s

 

There lies the problem.

This is a big downfall to the AT/2s. They are super rock chuckers if you spend much time on gravel.

I am on lots of gravel. I now am riding on Mickey Thompson Baja Boss ATs and they chuck no rocks.

 

I also guess that the oe version of at2 is far softer. My tread blocks got tore up and chunked off

 

And living in AZ this is one of my concerns as there are rocks everywhere even on paved highways. Windshield insurance is nearly mandatory here.

 

Is there a compound difference between the OEM and aftermarket?

If so I can test out my coworker's truck that has a fresh set of new AT2 on them.

Design wise they look identical in tread pattern.

 

Here is some discussion comparing the two tires @IowaGuy :
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/michelin-ltx-a-t2.321943/

 

Michelin has a new Defender Platinum model out that looks interesting. It only comes in a few 20-inch sizes right now and it is really expensive up to $500 apiece depending on the size. I would like to see some performance reviews on it. Supposedly it is a luxury tire for high-end SUVs and trucks. A few reviews said it rides nicer for an E rated tire.

 

Yes, most OE tires are made to a different spec than replacement tires.
The AT/2s are one of them.
It’s all about cost savings for the car manufacturer.

The AT/2s I had in 275/60/20 were great tires. I switch because I went down to 17s and am looking to do a little more difficult off-roading.

Those new Defenders look pretty wild.

The standard defenders are the only tires I will put on my wife and mother’s SUVs.
Granny’s little SUV got the Cross Climates.

 

I put 60k miles.on defender m/s 2 and they are amazing in everything Boston has to offer. Now have 10k on a set of cross climate 2 and they're also really good for an SUV, but not Defender good.

OP, as stated by everyone, figure out your requirements, rank them, and see where you fall.

If the requirements lead you to a road tire, I think you likely have a single front runner in the Defender M/S.

If an AT, you've got about a thousand more threads to read. Looks, if important, should be included in your requirements rack&stack

Good luck!

 

I could see the compound impacting tread life but doubtful it will make a difference in performance.
Still looking forward to testing them on my coworkers Tundra so I can see for myself.
For now I can”t wait to get rid of mine.

 

What psi did you run on your tires?

 

Factory PSI worked on that vehicle. Like the Tundra, frequent rotation is almost more important for any sort of lifespan out of them.

Chalk test is your friend, though.