86
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
86/100
30 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated May 2026
Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT 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.
VS
95
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
95/100
109 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
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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
Score (0–100)
Defender LTX M/S leads by 7
Why this score
| Source | Wrangler Fortitude HT | Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 75 | 92 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 94 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Defender LTX M/S leads by 11
Why this score
| Source | Wrangler Fortitude HT | Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 60 | 83 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 63 | 91 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Wrangler Fortitude HT leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Wrangler Fortitude HT | Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 83 | 94 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 85 | 80 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Defender LTX M/S leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | Wrangler Fortitude HT | Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 58 | 84 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 93 | 87 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Defender LTX M/S leads by 4
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Defender LTX M/S leads by 10
Why this score
| Source | Wrangler Fortitude HT | Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 83 | 92 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 97 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Defender LTX M/S leads by 27
Why this score
| Source | Wrangler Fortitude HT | Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 85 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT | Michelin Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 86 | 95 |
| Dry | 91 | 98 |
| Wet | 85 | 96 |
| Snow | 84 | 82 |
| Comfort | 90 | 96 |
| Noise | 91 | 95 |
| Treadwear | 87 | 97 |
| Handling | 70 | 97 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
86
/ 100
Tire A
95
/ 100
Tire B
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude H/T is generally regarded as a comfortable, quiet, and long-lasting highway tire, making it a popular choice for daily commuting and light-duty truck use. While users frequently praise its smooth ride and fuel efficiency, it is widely considered unsuitable for off-road conditions, snow, or ice, where traction performance is notably lacking.
Pros
- Excellent tread life and durability
- Quiet and smooth highway ride quality
- Improved fuel economy compared to all-terrain alternatives
- Strong value proposition for factory-replacement needs
Cons
- Poor traction in snow, ice, and heavy rain
- Inadequate performance for off-road or mud environments
- Reports of vibration and balancing issues in some units
- Mediocre dry pavement grip under acceleration
Observations
- Owners of full-size trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado Z71 noted that while the tire excels on pavement, it is ill-suited for the off-road capabilities expected of the Z71 trim.
- Some users reported uneven tread wear on larger SUVs like the Ford Expedition, even when maintaining proper inflation pressures.
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 · Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT | B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Premium Touring All Season tire | Premium Touring All Season tire |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | 7 | — |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 18″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10 - 15/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 680 A B | — |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall - Vertical Serrated Band | — |
| Max pressure | 50 - 83 psi | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
86
/ 100
Goodyear
95
/ 100
Michelin
Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better handling, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 97 vs 70 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 96 vs 85 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 97 vs 87 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 98 vs 91 on dry.
Tire A · Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT
Tire B · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
More comparisons
Also compared with
Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT also compared with
Michelin Defender LTX M/S also compared with
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.