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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender2 vs Bridgestone Ecopia H/L 422 Plus — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Defender2 is ahead, 77–57

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Tire AMichelin

Defender2

All Season

Tests 66 · 2 tests Owners 87 · 11,218 reviews

“Michelin CC2 or Defender2 or Continental crosscontact LX25?? For 2019 Honda Crv. I heard a lot of pros for these tires in the following order. CC2 --> Defender2 --> LX25 But Cons which i what i like to know about.. CC2 - lots of reviews on mpg hit. Defender2 - Not sure if also has mpg hit. Lx25 - I have a friend who is already 20k on it and tire looks new and didn't mention about any mpg hit for him Thank you. Update: Thank you for all your valuable reviews, I have ordered these from Costco and should get them rolling soon. MICHELIN DEFENDER2 AS 235/60R18 107H XL BSW ALL SEASON TIRE. Read more”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 81

    Dry

    Defender2 +23
    58
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Ecopia H/L 422 Plus
    Professional tests (TWG score)74–
    Reviews found online9152
  2. 75

    Wet

    Defender2 +16
    59
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Ecopia H/L 422 Plus
    Professional tests (TWG score)66–
    Reviews found online8756
  3. 59

    Snow

    Ecopia H/L 422 Plus +2
    61
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Ecopia H/L 422 Plus
    Professional tests (TWG score)47–
    Reviews found online7855
  4. 79

    Comfort

    Defender2 +19
    60
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Ecopia H/L 422 Plus
    Reviews found online8851
  5. 78

    Noise

    Defender2 +16
    62
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Ecopia H/L 422 Plus
    Professional tests (TWG score)73–
    Reviews found online8554
  6. 79

    Treadwear

    Defender2 +23
    56
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Ecopia H/L 422 Plus
    Reviews found online8849
  7. 88

    Handling

    Defender2 +40
    48
    Why this score
    SourceDefender2Ecopia H/L 422 Plus
    Reviews found online8848
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender2Bridgestone Ecopia H/L 422 Plus
Relative Score 77 57
Dry 81 58
Wet 75 59
Snow 59 61
Comfort 79 60
Noise 78 62
Treadwear 79 56
Handling 88 48

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

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.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Defender2

Ecopia H/L 422 Plus

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Defender2

Pros

  • Outstanding dry and wet traction with confident handling in various weather conditions
  • Exceptional treadwear longevity and long-lasting mileage potential
  • Firm, stable road feel and planted cornering capabilities

Cons

  • Stiffer and harsher ride quality compared to original equipment or previous generations
  • Higher than expected road noise and humming on specific highway surfaces
  • Occasional complaints regarding reduced fuel economy (MPG)
All owner themes in the Defender2 review

Tire B Ecopia H/L 422 Plus

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Michelin Defender2

Positive

The Michelin Defender2 is widely praised by the community as a top-tier all-season tire, frequently compared favorably against alternatives like the CrossClimate2 and Continental LX25. Users highlight its exceptional tread life, excellent Consumer Reports rankings, and balanced performance, though minor concerns exist regarding speed rating requirements and rare individual complaints.

r/tires ·3 upvotes ·2025-02-08

“Michelin Defender2 for handling, comfort, and noise? Vehicle is a 2008 Honda Accord LX Sedan. 215/60/R16. I prefer A/S tires and only drive in a warm dry climate with occasional rain (southern CA) I know that Michelins are generally considered the best tire maker but the main advantage of the Defender2's seems to be their excellent durability and tread life. The thing is I have an older car and although I love it I'll probably be selling it within 4yrs. In addition I only average around 6000 miles per year. So I would rather have tires that are more focused on providing a balance of ride quality, comfort, and handling while I have the car. I can get Turanza Quiettracks for about the same price also from Costco so maybe these or another tire might be better suited for my needs? Thanks for reading. Read more”
r/tires ·1 upvote ·2025-10-02

“That's a great deal on the Defender2 and it's the top rated All Season tire on Consumer Reports. Only thing better is Michelin CrossClimate2.”
r/tires ·2024-01-30

“I am sick from New Michelin Defender2 tires. Need recommendation of all season tires with less offgassing of toxic chemicals. Short of breath and nasal congestion from 3 brand new Michelin Defender2 tires offgassing on my SUV. Tires consist of approximately 400 chemicals. What is the half life of their offgassing? I am considering replacing them with Hanhook Kinergy tires. Has anyone smelled them? Read more”
Top themes
#long tread life#consumer reports ranking#all season performance#fuel economy impact#tire comparisons

Based on 5 community posts

Tire B

Bridgestone Ecopia H/L 422 Plus

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender2 B · Bridgestone Ecopia H/L 422 Plus
CategoryAll Season—
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available119
Rim diameters18″15″ – 20″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″9/32″
UTQG840 B B600 A A
Treadwear warranty80,000 mi—
SidewallBlack Side WallBlackwall
Max pressure50 - 51 psi51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender2

Bridgestone Ecopia H/L 422 Plus

Winner: Michelin Defender2 — better handling, dry and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender2 scores 88 vs 48 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender2 scores 81 vs 58 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender2 scores 79 vs 56 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender2 scores 79 vs 60 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Defender2
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Tire B · Bridgestone Ecopia H/L 422 Plus
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How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

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

77

Leads

Defender2

Amazon