Michelin Defender LTX M/S 2 year 20+K mile review

[Merconium]

Originally Posted by camryrolla
This Michelin Defender LTX tire has a 50,000 miles warranty, so why bother with so many reviews (3K, 10K, and 20K miles) when you haven't even reach its half-life mark. People will be more interested in your review when your tires are at the 30K, 40K, and 50K miles marks.


The point, of course, is to report on performance at data points other than halfway. As someone shopping the Defenders against the competition, this kind of reportage is a godsend versus the "best tire, lasted 90k" or "worst ever, always slippery" kinds of singular reviews. Not to mention it is more realistic to reflect on performance over shorter periods than longer.

Keep 'em coming, FlyNavyP3!

 

[Volvohead]

I just replaced a set of six-year-old LTX tires with these new Defenders. This last set were the first Michelins that had really started to develop some severe cracking in their final year, including ominously in the tread grooves. Pretty deep cracks, too. That is a first for me, and I've been running Michelin LTX tires since the 1990s. On vehicles kept outdoors, we don't go much further out than six years regardless of mileage anyway. They were also riding a little harder, which is typical with tires once this old. But they had plenty of rubber left on them, even if hardened and full of tread cracks.

We'll see how this new Defender series does, which I am told has a different compound formula than the last LTX generation. So far, they perform exemplary, just like all LTX tires do . . . but that is no meaningful testimonial after barely 1k.

But the fact that I just replaced a set full of tread cracks with the same line should tell you what I think of the LTX series.

 

[dogememe]

I too have had one set of Michelins in my life and they had plenty of thread and were only a few years old and they did have noticeably dry cracking.

In the mean time I have 30k+ on a set of Hankook Dynapro HTs on my Escape. Never rotated. Wear is even and tread is still excellent. No cracks or anything. Road noise seems fine to me, though this stupid car has so much wind noise I wouldn't notice anyway. They have lousy traction, though!