89
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
82/100
Owner ratings
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated May 2026
Michelin Defender T+H vs Michelin Primacy MXM4 — 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
69
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
63/100
9 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Michelin Defender T+H — better handling, snow and comfort. 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 T+H leads by 17
Why this score
| Source | Defender T+H | Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 92 | 88 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 76 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Defender T+H leads by 21
Why this score
| Source | Defender T+H | Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 88 | 85 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 68 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Defender T+H leads by 25
Why this score
| Source | Defender T+H | Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 73 | 60 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 50 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Defender T+H leads by 23
Why this score
| Source | Defender T+H | Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 88 | 84 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 64 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Defender T+H leads by 11
Why this score
| Source | Defender T+H | Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 88 | 73 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 80 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Defender T+H leads by 28
Why this score
| Source | Defender T+H | Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 64 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Defender T+H | Michelin Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 89 | 69 |
| Dry | 94 | 77 |
| Wet | 91 | 70 |
| Snow | 76 | 51 |
| Comfort | 89 | 66 |
| Noise | 87 | – |
| Treadwear | 90 | 79 |
| Handling | 92 | 64 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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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
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
89
/ 100
Tire A
69
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
The Michelin Primacy MXM4 is generally regarded as a comfort-oriented grand touring tire that excels in ride quality and tread longevity but falls short for performance-minded drivers. While users praise its ability to dampen road vibrations and maintain durability, many report lackluster handling, significant understeer, and underwhelming wet-weather traction when pushed.
Pros
- Exceptional ride comfort and vibration dampening
- Strong tread life and durability
- High fuel efficiency
- Effective resistance to aquaplaning in heavy rain
Cons
- Mediocre dry grip and handling precision
- Noticeable understeer when cornering
- Soft sidewalls that lack steering feedback
- Increased road noise on certain surfaces
Observations
- Drivers of high-torque FWD vehicles report significant wheelspin and traction issues in wet conditions.
- Tesla Model 3 owners noted a decline in handling performance compared to dedicated summer tires, suggesting the tire is better suited for comfort than spirited driving.
- The tire's run-flat variants are noted for maintaining a surprisingly soft and compliant ride despite their reinforced construction.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Defender T+H | B · Michelin Primacy MXM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Premium Touring All Season tire | All Season Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
89
/ 100
Michelin
69
/ 100
Michelin
Winner: Michelin Defender T+H — better handling, snow and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Defender T+H scores 92 vs 64 on handling.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Michelin Defender T+H scores 76 vs 51 on snow.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender T+H scores 89 vs 66 on comfort.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender T+H scores 91 vs 70 on wet.
Tire A · Michelin Defender T+H
Tire B · Michelin Primacy MXM4
More comparisons
Also compared with
Michelin Defender T+H also compared with
Michelin Primacy MXM4 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.