Michelin Defender 2 on VW Atlas.

[BLND1]

Factory Goodyear Assurance Finesse tires were between 3 and 6 /32nds at 30k miles so I bit the bullet and put 4 new Michelin Defender 2 tires on my wife’s 2021.5 Atlas.

Drove it out of Americas tire into a rainstorm and they performed well. 80k tread wear warranty and Same/same load rating as the Goodyears. I’ll be happy if I get 60k.

245/60/18 (stock size)

 

[Johnny248]

Good tires for sure.

 

[Rand]

Probably not what @edyvw would have bought.. but a solid choice for a standard passenger tire.

 

[edyvw]

Probably not what @edyvw would have bought.. but a solid choice for a standard passenger tire.

LOL. You got me. I got Defender LTX yesterday for Atlas, 265/60 R18. Installing in April, end of April.

 

[DirectRejection]

Very happy with my Defender 2's.
At ~ 70k miles on the tires, they still have plenty of life left.
The tires have been quite adequate in other parameters.

 

[Rand]

LOL. You got me. I got Defender LTX yesterday for Atlas, 265/60 R18. Installing in April, end of April.

A solid highway tread truck tire.. Did you consider Continental HT?
I dont know that I would buy tires and not use them for a couple months .. the 30day satisfaction/trial period is important to me.

Very happy with my Defender 2's.
At ~ 70k miles on the tires, they still have plenty of life left.
The tires have been quite adequate in other parameters.

Glad to hear more feedback on the defender "2" model

my standard defender tires were abysmal -- to clarify the first defender that came out for cars and it was a very small tire for a 2011 accent.

 

[edyvw]

A solid highway tread truck tire.. Did you consider Continental HT?
I dont know that I would buy tires and not use them for a couple months .. the 30day satisfaction/trial period is important to me.

Glad to hear more feedback on the defender "2" model

my standard defender tires were abysmal -- to clarify the first defender that came out for cars and it was a very small tire for a 2011 accent.

Yes, it was that or Conti H/T.
However, neighbor had Defenders with 10,000 miles and sold me for $350 with some 11, 11.5/32 thread. Never seen off road etc.
I need tire that would be good on road and gravel, some light off roading.

 

[totegoat]

Nice tires.

 

[burbguy82]

I think that those Michelin would be good on almost anything

 

[dumkid]

I think that those Michelin would be good on almost anything

they pretty much are.

0/10 not for mud bogging in a Honda civic they don't grip in the mud

 

[burbguy82]

they pretty much are.

0/10 not for mud bogging in a Honda civic they don't grip in the mud

Nothing really grips in the mud anyway, they just paddle, and for that you need a mud tire. I have had nothing but good experience with Michelin family of tires. One exception was an AT2 which needed serious weights to balance, even with road force balancing.

I have Michelin, BFG or Uniroyal on every road going vehicle I have.

 

[BLND1]

LOL. You got me. I got Defender LTX yesterday for Atlas, 265/60 R18. Installing in April, end of April.

I put LTX M/S on my truck. They were great.

Felt like a little too much tire for a FWD SUV. The defender 2 seemed like right compromise.

 

[wemay]

Nothing like the look and smell of new tires.

 

[edyvw]

I put LTX M/S on my truck. They were great.

Felt like a little too much tire for a FWD SUV. The defender 2 seemed like right compromise.

We go on gravel a lot. Atlas can fit 30.5” tires and those come on Basecamp. I had 255/50 R20, Pirelli Scorpion Zero, excellent on the road, but over bumps, horrid. Than on some gravel I was really worried I will cut them.
Defnder LTX is good compromise between on road and off road tires.

 

[BLND1]

We are a couple days in with the Defender2 tires. Dry performance has been great, wet performance was certainly better than the worn factory goodyear assurance tires.

I live in the hot Central Valley of CA. The heat really wears tires out quickly. A hard wearing tire l is key, as softer compounds will absolutely get wrecked in short order.