Well, not what he was asking abt, but.. is what prob 1/2 of us are driving around on currently..
Thoughts on Michelin Defender LTX M/S2?
- Thread starter Dominus
- Start date
Defenders are in my opinion the best tire on the market for any vehicle that doesn’t need a specialty tire. On this forum, specialty = all-terrain and everyone can make their own choices whether they need that.
I just got 70,000 miles on a set of Defenders on my 2016 Tahoe. I replaced them with Falken Wildpeaks to get a 3-mtn snowflake rating, but if I’m honest after one winter season on the Falkens it’s not clear how much better they are on snow than the Defenders. Obviously the Defenders were quieter and I might have given up a couple MPG with the Falkens. They look cool though.
I very much recommend Defenders in that tire segment.
I just got 70,000 miles on a set of Defenders on my 2016 Tahoe. I replaced them with Falken Wildpeaks to get a 3-mtn snowflake rating, but if I’m honest after one winter season on the Falkens it’s not clear how much better they are on snow than the Defenders. Obviously the Defenders were quieter and I might have given up a couple MPG with the Falkens. They look cool though.
I very much recommend Defenders in that tire segment.
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #23
This was really helpful feedback, thank you for sharing your insight! I decided to pull the trigger on the Defenders — I’m looking forward to the next 60-70k miles on them.
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #25
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #27
Absolutely— glad to help! These TRD wheels are 45mm, which seems like a nice balance between factory and full aftermarket.
Dominus it's been a few months since your post here and I'm wondering how this setup has done for you over the long run now? Off-road? Gas mileage ? Highway ? Now snow ?...
Also some feedback on what PSIs you've experienced with would be great.
I was about to get the Nitto g3s then I learned about the Michelin defenders.
I have read on other forums the defenders have done extremely well off-road and those convos get heated sometimes with the owners of the defenders pretty much saying they are capable off road and everyone else hating.
After seeing the G3s on the dealer lot LCs. I'm starting to think the LC may not be the greatest look with aggressive AT tires.
The 265s come in XL load and 275s are E load. So I'm wondering if there are ride quality differences between the two sizes and load ratings for this particular tire. The 275s fill the wheel wells nice though.
PS we're talking Michelin defender ltx m/s2 not the OEM Michelins ltx trails. The OEM Michelins are cheaper for good reason.
Last edited:
Another option is Michelin LTX AT2s. I had them on my truck and loved them. They are great on dirt, gravel and wet roads. I got very close to the advertised mileage. I bought them twice because of how nice they were.
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #31
@neema2k— sorry for the delay!
I have been very pleased with the LTX m/s2’s on my LC. First they are very quiet on the highway (which was important due to my commute and roadtrips). I have found them to be excellent in snow and sand thus far. Not much additional off-roading, however they feel confident paired with the LC’s 4x4 system. I think they are well suited for 90% of trails most people are realistically taking a new $70k rig on.
I put on the 275 E rated, and in the first week gave it a lot of thought if I should have gone 265 XLs. However I am running 35 PSI and do not feel like the ride quality has diminished from the stock 20” wheels. My gas mileage for me is hovering around 21-22mpg. With that said theoretically both gas mileage and ride should improve with 265 XLs.
Hope this is helpful— let me know if you have more questions!
Dominus, I think you have made a wise choice with those tires. I did think about the 265s XLs but I want the extra height and a filled up wheel well. So I'm going to get the 275/70/18 E load which would be a little off your 20" setup.
I'm taking them on a 60 mile car hike mid April. With 900 miles on road and 60 off road for that trip, why sacrifice the highway comfort. I'll take the necessary tools and a good spare in case.
I wanted to get the tires now but I got some JAOS wheels ordered from Nengun and held up till April. So I'm gonna wait and see if I get the wheels before the trip. If not, I'm gonna mount the M/S2s on the stock wheels which is fine. The wheel upgrade is an overkill but so is dropping $70k and COUNTING on a badass Toyota.
After years of running AT tires on my 5th gen 4runner, I want to experience something different. I've done a lot of reading on other forums and these tires seem like they hold up real well on the trails. The snow handling is a bonus which outside of Duratracs Ive never been impressed with AT tires on ice and snow.
I'm taking them on a 60 mile car hike mid April. With 900 miles on road and 60 off road for that trip, why sacrifice the highway comfort. I'll take the necessary tools and a good spare in case.
I wanted to get the tires now but I got some JAOS wheels ordered from Nengun and held up till April. So I'm gonna wait and see if I get the wheels before the trip. If not, I'm gonna mount the M/S2s on the stock wheels which is fine. The wheel upgrade is an overkill but so is dropping $70k and COUNTING on a badass Toyota.
After years of running AT tires on my 5th gen 4runner, I want to experience something different. I've done a lot of reading on other forums and these tires seem like they hold up real well on the trails. The snow handling is a bonus which outside of Duratracs Ive never been impressed with AT tires on ice and snow.
Last edited:
Now that I'm getting close to pulling the trigger on new tires the AT2s are starting to look pretty intriguing. I just hear they spray a lot of gravel.
I ran those on my Xterra. They did well in mud and snow as well
I always run Michelins. Tend to get about 50K miles on them. My theory is that our highways in MT are chip sealed, much rougher than plain asphalt. Most people i know that run Michelins around here do not get the 75K miles warranted. Michelin makes an adjustment for me. Michelins sold at Costco are under a different warranty than those sold at a Toyota store or Discount Tire so I did not get the adjustment last time at the Toyota store.
I have found getting tire service at Costco is a pita. Too much wait time for rotations.
I am getting 20-23 mpg at 70mph with 18" LTX Trails and with stock Dunlop 20" tires. Defenders are pretty good insurance for driving on slushy/icey roads. Don't know much about off roading though.
I was just talking to my neighbor's son that's here for a few days from out of town about his series 80 LC and he was running the M/S2s
He bought the car brand new in 1997 and the M/S series are pretty much the only tires he has ever run on that truck, 450,000 miles.
He said that they are incredible on the highway and he goes off-road a lot to hunt. He said that they're not great in mud but they still work. Said one time he got stuck in some deep mud and the MS2s kept digging but once he engaged the diff lockers it climbed right out.
He didn't even know the AT2s existed and said he will actually consider those for his next set when that time comes and said to put the beefier Michelin AT2s on the 250 if the highway compromise is negligible.
P.S.
He was complaining about not being able to find parts for his series 80. So I told him about nengun and whatnot. He got excited but the shipping cost and the lead up time dampened that. So I let him drive my 1958 around the neighborhood and he said it's time for him to upgrade. Maybe we'll see him here on the forum soon.
He bought the car brand new in 1997 and the M/S series are pretty much the only tires he has ever run on that truck, 450,000 miles.
He said that they are incredible on the highway and he goes off-road a lot to hunt. He said that they're not great in mud but they still work. Said one time he got stuck in some deep mud and the MS2s kept digging but once he engaged the diff lockers it climbed right out.
He didn't even know the AT2s existed and said he will actually consider those for his next set when that time comes and said to put the beefier Michelin AT2s on the 250 if the highway compromise is negligible.
P.S.
He was complaining about not being able to find parts for his series 80. So I told him about nengun and whatnot. He got excited but the shipping cost and the lead up time dampened that. So I let him drive my 1958 around the neighborhood and he said it's time for him to upgrade. Maybe we'll see him here on the forum soon.
I had them on my Ram 1500. They are probably the best tire I've ever owned. Quiet, handled well, good in snow and when I traded in my truck, they had 50k on them and still looked great.
Similar threads
