Skip to content
Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Dunlop Grandtrek ST30 vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S — Compared (May 2026)

Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.

Tire A Dunlop

Dunlop Grandtrek ST30

All Season Premium Touring tires

Dunlop Grandtrek ST30 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
67/100
26 owner reviews
Dry
82
Wet
71
Snow
61
Comfort
71
Noise
68
Treadwear
68
Handling
68

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Michelin

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Premium Touring All Season tire

Michelin Defender LTX M/S tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
95/100
109 owner reviews
Dry
98
Wet
96
Snow
82
Comfort
96
Noise
95
Treadwear
97
Handling
97

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, handling and noise. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made via links on this page.

Category breakdown

7 categories, side by side

Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.

Dry

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 16
A — Dunlop Grandtrek ST30
82
B — Michelin Defender LTX M/S
98
Why this score
SourceGrandtrek ST30Defender LTX M/S
Tire Rack owners 78 92
Tyre Reviews owners 84 94
SimpleTire owners 72 –

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 25
A — Dunlop Grandtrek ST30
71
B — Michelin Defender LTX M/S
96
Why this score
SourceGrandtrek ST30Defender LTX M/S
Tire Rack owners 77 83
Tyre Reviews owners 71 91
SimpleTire owners 72 –

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 21
A — Dunlop Grandtrek ST30
61
B — Michelin Defender LTX M/S
82
Why this score
SourceGrandtrek ST30Defender LTX M/S
Tire Rack owners 87 94
Tyre Reviews owners 60 80
SimpleTire owners 60 –

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 25
A — Dunlop Grandtrek ST30
71
B — Michelin Defender LTX M/S
96
Why this score
SourceGrandtrek ST30Defender LTX M/S
Tire Rack owners 70 84
Tyre Reviews owners 71 87
SimpleTire owners 72 –

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 27
A — Dunlop Grandtrek ST30
68
B — Michelin Defender LTX M/S
95
Why this score
SourceGrandtrek ST30Defender LTX M/S
SimpleTire owners 68 –

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 29
A — Dunlop Grandtrek ST30
68
B — Michelin Defender LTX M/S
97
Why this score
SourceGrandtrek ST30Defender LTX M/S
Tire Rack owners 76 92
Tyre Reviews owners 70 97
SimpleTire owners 60 –

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 29
A — Dunlop Grandtrek ST30
68
B — Michelin Defender LTX M/S
97
Why this score
SourceGrandtrek ST30Defender LTX M/S
Tyre Reviews owners 68 85

Scores at a glance

Dunlop Grandtrek ST30 vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop Grandtrek ST30Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Relative Score 70 95
Dry 82 98
Wet 71 96
Snow 61 82
Comfort 71 96
Noise 68 95
Treadwear 68 97
Handling 68 97

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Personalize

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Dunlop Grandtrek ST30

The Dunlop Grandtrek ST30 receives highly polarized feedback, often serving as polarizing original equipment on popular SUVs like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. While some users praise its dry-road stability, longevity, and value, a significant portion of owners report dissatisfaction regarding wet-weather confidence, excessive road noise, and inconsistent tread wear.

Pros

  • Strong dry-pavement grip and straight-line stability
  • Competitive price point and value for money
  • High mileage potential for some drivers
  • Capable performance on light unpaved or rural roads

Cons

  • Poor wet-weather performance and susceptibility to aquaplaning
  • High levels of road noise on various surfaces
  • Inconsistent tread life, with reports of rapid wear
  • Lack of confidence in winter conditions, including snow and ice

Observations

  • Users of AWD vehicles like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 report highly variable experiences, ranging from excellent longevity to premature wear and poor wet-traction handling.
  • The tire is frequently criticized for its lack of winter capability, with many owners noting it is unsuitable for anything beyond light, dry conditions.
Tire B Michelin Defender LTX M/S

The Michelin Defender LTX M/S is widely regarded as a premier all-season tire for trucks and SUVs, consistently praised for its exceptional tread longevity and balanced performance across various weather conditions. While the vast majority of users report superior ride comfort, stability, and fuel efficiency, a small minority of owners have noted issues with increased road noise as the tires age or inconsistent traction in specific wet-weather scenarios.

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life often exceeding 60,000–80,000 miles
  • Strong all-weather traction, particularly in dry and light snow conditions
  • Improved fuel efficiency due to low rolling resistance
  • High level of ride comfort and stability for heavy vehicles
  • Reliable performance that often outperforms original equipment (OE) tires

Cons

  • Increased road noise reported by some users as the tire tread wears down
  • Higher price point compared to competitors
  • Occasional reports of reduced wet-weather grip or traction loss during turns
  • Limited off-road capability in mud or deep sand

Observations

  • Heavy-duty truck owners (RAM 2500/3500) report high satisfaction with durability, even under heavy usage or towing conditions.
  • SUV owners (Expedition, Highlander) frequently cite the tire as a significant upgrade over factory-installed rubber, specifically noting improvements in cabin quietness and fuel economy.
  • Users recommend running higher tire pressures (40-45 psi) to optimize performance and handling on certain truck platforms.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Grandtrek ST30 B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
CategoryAll Season Premium Touring tiresPremium Touring All Season tire
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG360 A A—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

Michelin

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, handling and noise. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 97 vs 68 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 97 vs 68 on handling.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 95 vs 68 on noise.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 96 vs 71 on wet.

Tire A · Dunlop Grandtrek ST30
Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.