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Michelin Defender 2

Replaces the Defender T + H

The Defender® 2 is a tyre for Crossover Utility Vehicles (CUVs) and passenger vehicles, offering an 80,000 mile warranty. The Defender 2 tire is designed to handle the extra weight and torque of small SUVs, minivans and electric vehicles.

The quick answer

Owners say 91% from 3 owner reviews Read the reviews
Tests say 5th average finish across 4 independent tests Latest: P2 of 3 · All Season · 2026 See every test
Strengths & weaknesses Ice, Dry Wet, Snow Relative to its rivals across every test we hold

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

  • 3owner reviews
  • 120,120miles driven
  • 4professional tests

Tyre Reviews Score

Michelin Defender 2

7.0/10

Better than 34% of all-season tyres

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

How this score is built

Source Better than Weight
Independent tests4 tests · 2 publications · 2025-2026 34% 100%
Owner reviewsFewer than 5 reviews, so they do not count yet – 0%
Combined 34% 7.0

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 tyres 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 32% 46% 4
DryBraking and handling on dry roads 66% 36% 4
SnowBraking, traction and handling on snow 5% 10% 4
ComfortNoise and ride comfort 59% 8% 3
IceBraking, traction and handling on ice 83% – 3

This tyre does not carry the 3PMSF snowflake mark, so Snow counts for less and Ice not at all against all-season tyres that do.

By discipline

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

TractionEvery traction test, on any surface 65% 3
BrakingEvery braking test, on any surface 32% 4
HandlingEvery handling test, on any surface 12% 4

Confidence

  1. Limited
  2. Medium
  3. High

Its own test results decide 86% of the test figure. The other 14% 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-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test Tire Rack · 215/55 R17 · All Season P2 / 3
  2. 2026 The BEST High Mileage All Season Tyres in 2026 Tested Tyre Reviews · 215/55 R17 P5 / 5
  3. 2025 Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025) Tire Rack · 215/55R17 · All Season P4 / 6
  4. 2025 2024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre Test Tire Rack · 215/55 R17 P10 / 11

Tested 4 times by independent publications, the Michelin Defender 2 averages a finish of 5th.

4 Tests
0 Test Wins
5th Average
2nd Best
10th Worst
Finishing position in each test1stLast20252026

Finishing position in each test

The latest test

2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test P2 of 3All Season

The Defender 2 shows what a standard touring all-season tyre offers when it is asked to work in winter. It is good in the dry, sound in the wet and quiet with it, but on snow and ice it is plainly out of its element and needs to be driven with real caution.

Strong: Dry Circle, Subj. Road Score, Subj. Snow Handling, Ice Braking, Ice Traction, Subj. Comfort, Subj. Noise Weak: Dry Braking, Wet Braking, Wet Circle, Snow Braking, Snow Handling Winner: Vredestein Quatrac

Every independent test of the Michelin Defender 2, newest first
YearTestResultAward
20262026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre TestTire Rack · 215/55 R17P2 / 3All Season
2026The BEST High Mileage All Season Tyres in 2026 TestedTyre Reviews · 215/55 R17P5 / 5Tested by Tyre Reviews Recommended
2025Tire Rack Touring All-Season Tire Test (November 2025)Tire Rack · 215/55R17P4 / 6All Season
20252024 TireRack All Season and Weather Tyre TestTire Rack · 215/55 R17P10 / 11

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

Videos

The BEST 80,000 Mile All-Season Tire? Bridgestone vs Conti vs Dunlop vs Goodyear vs Michelin

The BEST 80,000 Mile All-Season Tire? Bridgestone vs Conti vs Dunlop vs Goodyear vs Michelin

Awards
Running Costs
View Test

In 215/55 R17, the Michelin Defender 2 is projected to cost $13.08 per 1,000 miles to buy and run - about $327 over 25,000 miles - based on its US price and the manufacturer's treadwear warranty, from the The BEST High Mileage All Season Tyres in 2026 Tested.

Tyre life here is the manufacturer's treadwear warranty, NOT measured wear - treat it as the maker's promise, not a test result.
Tyre purchase + fittingExtra fuel vs the most efficient tyrecost per 1,000 miles
Tyre life is the manufacturer's treadwear warranty, not measured wear. Assumes a typical car using 8 l/100km (rolling resistance causing 20% of fuel use), fuel at $0.95 per litre and $80 fitting per set of four. US prices are from the time of the 2026 test; financing costs are excluded.
Dimensions & Label Scores
View All

Size Range49 sizes available

205-255Width40-65Profile16-20Rim2022First On Market

US ratingsUTQG grade and the maker's mileage warranty

840UTQG treadwearBTractionBTemperature10.5/32"Tread depth (new)80,000milesMileage warranty

Staggered fitments: 40,000 miles on the rear

Frequently Asked Questions
How good is the Michelin Defender 2 in the wet?
Across the 4 wet-braking tests it has featured in, the Michelin Defender 2 stops 0.1% longer than premium rivals and 1.3% shorter than mid-range rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews wet score of 32/100, and owners rate it 8.3/10 in the wet from 3 reviews.
How good is the Michelin Defender 2 in the dry?
Across the 4 dry-braking tests it has featured in, the Michelin Defender 2 stops 3.4% shorter than premium rivals and 6% shorter than mid-range rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews dry score of 66/100, and owners rate it 9.3/10 in the dry from 3 reviews.
How good is the Michelin Defender 2 in the snow?
Across the 4 snow-braking tests it has featured in, the Michelin Defender 2 stops 20% longer than premium rivals and 18.1% longer than mid-range rivals. Across the 2 snow-traction tests, it is 5.9% worse than premium rivals and 1.8% better than mid-range rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews snow score of 5/100, and owners rate it 9/10 in the snow from 3 reviews.
How good is the Michelin Defender 2 on ice?
Across the 3 ice-braking tests it has featured in, the Michelin Defender 2 stops 7.1% longer than premium rivals and 1% shorter than mid-range rivals. Across the 1 ice-traction test, it is 9.2% worse than premium rivals and 6.8% worse than mid-range rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews ice score of 83/100, and owners rate it 9/10 on ice from 3 reviews.
How fuel efficient is the Michelin Defender 2?
Across the 1 test measuring rolling resistance, the Michelin Defender 2's rolling resistance is 2.8% higher than premium rivals.
More questions about the Michelin Defender 2 (3)
What treadwear rating and mileage warranty does the Michelin Defender 2 have?
In the US, the Michelin Defender 2 carries a UTQG treadwear grade of 840, with traction B and temperature B. UTQG treadwear is relative: a tyre graded 400 lasted four times as long as the reference tyre, graded 100, on the government test course. Michelin backs it with a 80,000-mile limited treadwear warranty (40,000 miles on the rear of a staggered fitment). New, it has 10.5/32" (8.3 mm) of tread.
How much does the Michelin Defender 2 cost to run?
In 215/55 R17, the Michelin Defender 2 is projected to cost $13.08 per 1,000 miles to buy and run - about $327 over 25,000 miles - based on its US price and the manufacturer's treadwear warranty, from the The BEST High Mileage All Season Tyres in 2026 Tested. The cheapest to run in that test is the Dunlop Blue Response AS, at $10.97.
What does the Michelin Defender 2 replace?
The Michelin Defender 2 is the successor to the Michelin Defender T + H in Michelin's range.
Owner Questions (1)
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Questions and Answers for the Michelin Defender 2

I have 1 question, why is the Michelin Defender 2 categorized a Premium Touring Summer tire here, when I purchased it from a large US Tire chain who sold it as a… Show more I have 1 question, why is the Michelin Defender 2 categorized a Premium Touring Summer tire here, when I purchased it from a large US Tire chain who sold it as a tire in the All-Season category? Show less
November 10, 2023
That's an error from us, it is in fact an all season tyre. The site has now been updated, thanks for letting us know.

Michelin Defender 2 Owner Reviews

Review this tyre

What owners say

Across 3 owner ratings the Michelin Defender 2 averages 91%. Owners rate Dry Grip highest at 9.3 out of 10 and Wet Grip lowest at 8.3. 2 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles.

Owner ratings averaged from 3 ratings

  • Owner score 91%
  • Dry Grip 93%
  • Handling 93%
  • Comfort 93%
  • Wear 90%
  • Snow Grip 90%
  • Ice Grip 90%
  • Road Feedback 87%
  • Wet Grip 83%

All 3 Michelin Defender 2 reviews

Score spread across 3 written reviews
96%
awkc63
Initial Impressions
So these weren't my tires, my fiancée had them on her Honda Odyssey, actually had 2 sets over its lifetime.

I have driven that vehicle likely 10,000 kms myself so I think I can provide some feedback myself.

My fiancée shows dogs for a living, as well as grooming and breeding, so, her van was almost always packed under heavy load. The Defender 2s performed excellent. Probably the best all season tire I've ever used, especially in a bigger vehicle and under heavy load. She's literally drove all across Canada and the US with Defender 2s, and there was never a problem. The only slight negative is during heavy downpours, at higher speeds, and say 25° or more in turns/bends, you need to slow down quite a decent amount. But, that's a pretty specific issue. And also, that's IF your under heavier load than normal. It's not like the tire slips, but you can feel that the stopping power isn't as good as it is under even normal wet conditions. Again, that's a VERY specific sort of circumstances, and aside from a tire like the CrossClimate 2, I wouldn't expect any tire to do any better.

We had a mid tier tire on the Odyssey about a year and a half ago, while we were waiting for our new Defenders to come in, and the differences were pretty crazy, I definitely felt a lot less stable, safe and confident when driving. Even though the Defender 2s aren't really an Ultra Premium Tire, they DO feel like they are on the right vehicle. I haven't driven a lot of SUVs/vans, but the ones I have driven, none of them felt as good as those that didn't have Defenders. Amusingly enough, I didn't know what tires my fiancée had on, but we did a 500 km drive before I thought to look... I said to her, "I don't know what tires you have on, but they feel great to me." I got out, and looked, and wasn't surprised when I saw what they were. Even then, that tire probably had close to 65,000 kms on them... And again, that's under heavy load. So, you'll wesr through tires faster, but it was still going strong.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 10
  • Wet Grip 8
  • Road Feedback 9
  • Handling 10
  • Wear 10
  • Comfort 10
  • Buy again 10
Helpful 88
90%
Member
We 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.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 9
  • Wet Grip 9
  • Road Feedback 8
  • Handling 9
  • Wear 9
  • Comfort 9
  • Buy again 10
  • Snow Grip 9
  • Ice Grip 9
Helpful 896
89%
Member
Replaced all four Hankook tires on my KIA Sorento SUV with Michelin Defender 2. Immediately noticed much quieter tire especially on California's concrete freeways. If these tires give anywhere near the promised mileage I will call them the best tires I've ever purchased.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 9
  • Wet Grip 8
  • Road Feedback 9
  • Handling 9
  • Wear 8
  • Comfort 9
  • Buy again 10
Helpful 1,040

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