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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Sumitomo Encounter AT — 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 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
Check price on Amazon

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Sumitomo

Sumitomo Encounter AT

Sumitomo Encounter AT tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
82/100
Owner ratings
Dry
88
Wet
88
Snow
85
Comfort
86
Noise
86
Treadwear
79
Handling
85
Check price on Amazon

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, handling and dry. Pick the Sumitomo Encounter AT if snow matters most to you.
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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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 10
A
98
B
88
Why this score
SourceDefender LTX M/SEncounter AT
Tire Rack owners 92 –
Tyre Reviews owners 94 –
SimpleTire owners – 98

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 8
A
96
B
88
Why this score
SourceDefender LTX M/SEncounter AT
Tire Rack owners 83 –
Tyre Reviews owners 91 –
SimpleTire owners – 95

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Encounter AT leads by 3
A
82
B
85
Why this score
SourceDefender LTX M/SEncounter AT
Tire Rack owners 94 –
Tyre Reviews owners 80 –
SimpleTire owners – 90

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 10
A
96
B
86
Why this score
SourceDefender LTX M/SEncounter AT
Tire Rack owners 84 –
Tyre Reviews owners 87 –
SimpleTire owners – 92

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 9
A
95
B
86
Why this score
SourceDefender LTX M/SEncounter AT
SimpleTire owners – 89

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 18
A
97
B
79
Why this score
SourceDefender LTX M/SEncounter AT
Tire Rack owners 92 –
Tyre Reviews owners 97 –
SimpleTire owners – 89

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 12
A
97
B
85
Why this score
SourceDefender LTX M/SEncounter AT
Tyre Reviews owners 85 –

Scores at a glance

CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SSumitomo Encounter AT
Relative Score 95 85
Dry 98 88
Wet 96 88
Snow 82 85
Comfort 96 86
Noise 95 86
Treadwear 97 79
Handling 97 85

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.

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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 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.
Tire B Sumitomo Encounter AT

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Sumitomo Encounter AT
CategoryPremium Touring All Season tire—
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4—
Sizes available—15
Rim diameters—16″ – 20″
Tread depth—13/32″
UTQG—660 A B
Treadwear warranty—60,000 mi
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin

Sumitomo

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better treadwear, handling and dry. Pick the Sumitomo Encounter AT if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 97 vs 79 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 97 vs 85 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 98 vs 88 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 96 vs 86 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
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Tire B · Sumitomo Encounter AT
Check price on Amazon

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.