Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 vs Michelin Defender 2
- TR Score
- 8.5/10
- Owners say
- 85% · 9
- TR Score
- 7.0/10
- Owners say
- 92% · 3
In the 2 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 finished ahead 2 times and the Defender 2 not once. The Assurance WeatherReady 2 stopped 17.9% shorter on snow.
Data updated
Which should you buy?
Choose the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 if you want the stronger all-round tyre, especially for rain, snow, ice, and year-round safety. Choose the Michelin Defender 2 mainly if your driving is mostly dry, mild-weather commuting and you prioritize a quieter traditional touring feel over severe-weather capability.
Where the Assurance WeatherReady 2 is stronger
- Benchmark all-weather performance across wet, dry, snow, and ice conditions
- Excellent winter security, particularly in snow braking and snow handling
- Confident wet handling with consistent grip and composed emergency behavior
Where the Defender 2 is stronger
- Short dry braking result in one of the shared tests
- Quiet road manners, scoring better than the Goodyear for subjective noise
- Precise, reactive steering in normal road driving
The bullet points are analysis of the shared tests and of owner reviews; the measured wins in each discipline are in the tables below. Where the two disagree, the figures are right.
Assurance WeatherReady 2 vs Defender 2 at a glance
| Category | Assurance WeatherReady 2 | Gap | Defender 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared tests won2 shared tests | 2 | 0 | |
| Dry5 measurements | 3 | 1 | |
| Wet5 measurements | 5 | The Assurance WeatherReady 2 lapped the wet handling course 4.9% faster (2 tests) | 0 |
| Snow5 measurements | 5 | The Assurance WeatherReady 2 stopped 17.9% shorter on snow (2 tests) | 0 |
| Ice2 measurements | 1 | Level between the two. | 1 |
| Comfort2 measurements | 1 | Level between the two. | 1 |
| Tyre Reviews Scoreevery test and review we hold | 8.5/10 | The Assurance WeatherReady 2 by 1.5 | 7.0/10 |
| Owner rating9 and 3 reviews | 85% | The Defender 2 by 7 points | 92% |
Wins count every measurement the shared tests recorded for both tyres; a tick marks the tyre ahead on that line. Subjective driver scores count as wins but are never averaged, because each test uses its own scale.
Head to head in 2 tests in 2025
Each row is one published test in which both tyres ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | Assurance WeatherReady 2 | Field | Defender 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) | P1 of 1All Weather | P4 of 6All Season | |
| 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test | P1 of 11 | P10 of 11 |
Performance profile
6 measurements from the 2 shared tests, each tyre shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Assurance WeatherReady 2
Defender 2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 36 m stop against 34.2 m is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 94%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 7 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
Assurance WeatherReady 2
Defender 2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tyres of the same season and class: 90 means this tyre out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
Assurance WeatherReady 2
Defender 2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
Owners rate the Assurance WeatherReady 2 85% from 9 reviews and the Defender 2 92% from 3. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tyres posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Open a discipline for its measurements, and a measurement for every test's figure.
| Measurement | Assurance WeatherReady 2 | Gap | Defender 2 | Wins | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40.23 | 1.7% | 39.52 | 1-1 | |||||||||
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| scored | 9.3% | scored | 1-0 | |||||||||
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| 0.85 | = | 0.85 | 0-0 | |||||||||
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| scored | 14.3% | scored | 1-0 | |||||||||
|
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| 46.63 | 1.9% | 47.55 | 2-0 | |||||||||
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| 33.61 | 4.9% | 35.35 | 2-0 | |||||||||
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| scored | 20.8% | scored | 1-0 | |||||||||
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| 21.14 | 17.9% | 25.75 | 2-0 | |||||||||
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| 5.99 | 2.9% | 6.17 | 1-0 | |||||||||
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| 56.57 | 7.8% | 61.36 | 2-0 | |||||||||
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| 16.18 | 3.5% | 16.76 | 1-1 | |||||||||
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| scored | 13.3% | scored | 1-0 | |||||||||
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| scored | 14.3% | scored | 0-1 | |||||||||
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Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tyres shared. "Scored" rows are subjective driver ratings: each test uses its own scale, so only the wins are counted.
Scores beyond the shared tests
On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Assurance WeatherReady 2 scores 8.5 and the Defender 2 7 out of 10.
| Assurance WeatherReady 2 | Category | Defender 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86 | Dry | 66 | ||
| 79 | Wet | 32 | ||
| 27 | Comfort | 41 | ||
| 0 | Value | - | ||
| 43 | Snow | 5 | ||
| 58 | Ice | 83 | ||
Category scores are percentiles among tyres of the same season and class: 90 means this tyre out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
What owners say
| Assurance WeatherReady 2 | Category | Defender 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.7 | Dry Grip | 9.3 | ||
| 9.1 | Wet Grip | 8.3 | ||
| 8 | Road Feedback | 8.7 | ||
| 6.9 | Handling | 9.3 | ||
| 8.6 | Wear | 9 | ||
| 8.6 | Comfort | 9.3 | ||
| 8.6 | Snow Grip | 9 | ||
| 8 | Ice Grip | 9 | ||
Owners rate the Assurance WeatherReady 2 85% from 9 reviews and the Defender 2 92% from 3. Reviews are vetted by hand before publication; ownership is not verified.
Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2
- 85%from 9 reviews
- 78%would buy again
- 74,600 milesdriven by reviewers
Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 is widely praised for strong all-weather traction, with drivers consistently highlighting confident wet grip, solid dry handling, and generally capable snow performance. Ride comfort and steering response are frequently described as improved versus prior tyres, and several reviewers note good braking feel. The main repeated downside is reduced fuel economy/range, which multiple drivers report as a noticeable MPG hit compared with prior all-season or eco-focused tyres.
- Excellent wet-road grip and confidence in rain
- Strong dry handling/steering response and responsive feel
- Good all-weather capability including snow (especially light-to-moderate conditions)
- Comfortable ride and good braking performance
- Noticeable reduction in fuel economy/EV range compared with previous tyres
Summarised by AI from 9 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tyre page.
All 9 Assurance WeatherReady 2 reviewsThey tires are great. They handle well in all aspects, dry, wet, and snow. They are very responsive to steering input and I feel confident all the time I am driving.
Michelin Defender 2
- 92%from 3 reviews
- 120,120 milesdriven by reviewers
All 3 Defender 2 reviewsWe own a Dodge Challenger GT AWD. We dive the challenger year round. The OEM tires were Michelins and were touring tires. They were super comfortable and offered great handling. When we went lookng for our next tires we found out that the OEM tires were no longer available. They spec'd the Defender 2 at Costco and we extremely pleased with them. We have summer and winter rims and are so happy with the Defenders that we are buying them again for the summer rims. and they came with a rebate, too! Happy customers! Thanks, Michelin.
Sizes, EU label and lineage
| Category | Assurance WeatherReady 2 | Defender 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Season | All Weather | All Season |
| Replaced | Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady | Michelin Defender |
Reading the results
Written from the test results and owner reviews above. It is analysis, not a measurement: where it and the tables disagree, the tables are right.
This comparison puts two premium touring tyres with different priorities head to head: the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2, an all-weather tyre designed to deliver year-round security, and the Michelin Defender 2, a conventional all-season touring tyre focused on comfort, durability, and everyday road manners. Both target passenger-car drivers looking for dependable daily performance, but the test data shows they are not aimed at quite the same conditions.
Conclusion
Across the shared Tire Rack testing, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 is the clear performance leader. It won both overall tests, placing 1st out of 7 and 1st out of 11, while the Michelin Defender 2 finished 5th and 10th respectively. The difference is most meaningful in poor-weather performance: the Goodyear was consistently stronger in wet handling, snow braking, snow handling, and, in the larger all-weather test, ice braking as well. Its snow braking advantage was especially notable, cutting the stop from 25.76 m to 18.71 m in one test - a very significant real-world safety margin.
Assurance WeatherReady 2 vs Defender 2: your questions
Is the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 or the Michelin Defender 2 the better tyre?
In the 2 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 finished ahead 2 times and the Defender 2 not once. On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Assurance WeatherReady 2 scores 8.5 and the Defender 2 7 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Assurance WeatherReady 2 or the Defender 2?
The Assurance WeatherReady 2 led 5 of the 5 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it lapped the wet handling course 4.9% faster across 2 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The Assurance WeatherReady 2 led 3 of the 5 dry measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in snow?
The Assurance WeatherReady 2 led 5 of the 5 snow measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 17.9% shorter on snow across 2 tests.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 8.6/10 for the Assurance WeatherReady 2 and 9.3/10 for the Defender 2.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Assurance WeatherReady 2 85% from 9 reviews and the Defender 2 92% from 3.
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Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tyres ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tyre Reviews Score rates each tyre out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tyres can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tyre Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tyres independently since 2007.
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