Michelin Defender LTX M/S Pictures?

I see a lot of people really endorsing the Michelin Defender LTX M/S as a very capable all-season tire, but not much in the way of pictures.

For those riding on these can you share some pics of how they look on your 4Runner?

Thanks!

 

It really is a fantastic tire!

I wish Michelin did a more aggressive AT tire. I'd be all in if they did.

 

I see there's a light truck Michelin AT tire that's recommended by Consumer Reports (not that I particularly value their opinion). I think it's called the LTX A/T2. But based on the real world use reviews on Tire Rack, it may not be among the best. Its reviews are good but not nearly as good as for the Defender.

I'm waiting on more experience with the Toyo A/T3. That tire looks really intriguing. As things stand, I'm torn between this and the Defender for my next set, depending on if/where I move (I'm not doing serious off roading, but often end up in snow and may end up in the country with dirt roads etc.)

 

A family member is on his second set of Defenders on an Audi Q5. The look is Plain Jane in the extreme, but they sure seem excellent in use. A really surprising combination of long tread life and capability in all kinds of conditions. And not heavy, either. An all-season tire that actually deserves the name. I can't see a reason to go with anything else unless you spend a lot of time off road or in the snow. Occasional off roading and snow doesn't seem to phase them.

 

Yeah, that Michelin AT2 just doesn't quite do it for me personally. I'm sure its a fine tire, but I just assume get the LTX M/S.

Everyone seems to really like the Toyo A/T3's. Don't think you could go wong with those.

 

Yeah, thanks Nimby. If my craptastic Duelers died today I'd get the Defenders. But if I move to the country up north, which I'm planning on eventually, then I'd be doing a lot more snowy drives and possible driving around my property (I dream of a small farm...). In that situation I'd be very tempted by the Toyos as a do-it-all tire that is biased more towards snow and off road.

Of course, two or three wheel sets would also be nice -- let's see, Defenders on the stock rims, AT3s on a set of TRD rims, and Blizzaks on a set of steelies...

Or better yet.... One 4Runner with Defenders, one with AT3s and one with Blizzaks (plus the sports car with summer Pilot 4Ss). Yeah, THAT's the ticket...

 

I like the way you think!

 

Good tip, thanks. I hadn't seen them either. The reviews are based on much fewer miles of use than for the Defenders (300K vs 12 Million), so they may drop in rating as people get more experience with them. Also, alas, they don't come in the stock size for the Limited. But they do look promising! One reviewer said he went to these after 50,000 miles on the Defenders and found them very comparable, but these better in the wet. Again though, that's one person and he only had 5000 miles on them at the time of his review.

I see also that they're pretty heavy and designed for big trucks/vans/commercial vehicles. On the plus side, I guess that means they'd be tougher.

 

I’ve been using LTX M/S for years on my Tacomas. I was off road at work every day with them, never an issue. Great in snow, better in the wet. Smooth and comfortable on road manners.
The new Defenders are just as good.

 

I almost went with these since they have an even better winter rating than the Defenders (Agilis has the "severe snow duty" rating or whatever it's called) but after a good talk with the young man at the tire shop I learned the Agilis is a ten-ply tire that would likely give up some on-road comfort to the Defenders and I didn't want harsh tires so went with the Defenders. No regrets, they took me through snow drifts over a foot deep on a local farm to get to my canoe put-in over the winter.

 

My dad has a set of the Defenders on his `98 Jeep Grand Cherokee that he keeps at his winter home in Yuma, AZ. He often takes the GC out into the desert on some pretty challenging trails and says they do great. I looked at them and they were in great shape with no cuts or chunks missing due to the sharp rocks down there. I never would have guessed that those tires would do so well on the trails. They look awfully useless for off-road use.

 

True.

As an example, this tread pattern wouldn't strike me as the most successful for offroad race wins, but it is.



I always did fine with Michelin LTX M/S's offroad.

 

The LTX A/T 2 is a great tire. I ran them on my Tacoma and now my Sequoia. They last longer than other Michelins I have tried.

 

Can you comment on road noise with the AT2?

How about wet/snow traction vs the Defender?

 

No more noise than any other all season I guess.