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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072 — 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

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
67/100
1 owner review
Dry
–
Wet
90
Snow
90
Comfort
80
Noise
–
Treadwear
–
Handling
–

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better comfort and wet. Pick the Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072 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)
A — Michelin Defender LTX M/S
98
B — Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072
–
Why this score
SourceDefender LTX M/SGeolandar I/T G072
Tire Rack owners 92 –
Tyre Reviews owners 94 –

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 6
A — Michelin Defender LTX M/S
96
B — Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072
90
Why this score
SourceDefender LTX M/SGeolandar I/T G072
Tire Rack owners 83 –
Tyre Reviews owners 91 90

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Geolandar I/T G072 leads by 8
A — Michelin Defender LTX M/S
82
B — Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072
90
Why this score
SourceDefender LTX M/SGeolandar I/T G072
Tire Rack owners 94 –
Tyre Reviews owners 80 90

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Defender LTX M/S leads by 16
A — Michelin Defender LTX M/S
96
B — Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072
80
Why this score
SourceDefender LTX M/SGeolandar I/T G072
Tire Rack owners 84 –
Tyre Reviews owners 87 80

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Michelin Defender LTX M/S
95
B — Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072
–

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100)
A — Michelin Defender LTX M/S
97
B — Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072
–
Why this score
SourceDefender LTX M/SGeolandar I/T G072
Tire Rack owners 92 –
Tyre Reviews owners 97 –

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Michelin Defender LTX M/S
97
B — Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072
–
Why this score
SourceDefender LTX M/SGeolandar I/T G072
Tyre Reviews owners 85 –

Scores at a glance

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SYokohama Geolandar I/T G072
Relative Score 92 87
Dry 98 –
Wet 96 90
Snow 82 90
Comfort 96 80
Noise 95 –
Treadwear 97 –
Handling 97 –

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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Important
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

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.

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 Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072

The Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072 is regarded as a competent winter tire that offers reliable performance in snow and ice, though it falls slightly short of the elite-tier winter tire segment. While it provides a noticeable improvement in traction compared to all-terrain alternatives, users note that lateral grip can feel somewhat limited during more demanding winter maneuvers.

Pros

  • Superior snow and ice traction compared to standard all-terrain tires
  • Reliable performance for off-road winter driving
  • Consistent grip in challenging cold-weather conditions

Cons

  • Lacking lateral grip on snow and ice
  • Performance is outclassed by top-end dedicated winter tires
  • Not considered a class-leading option for extreme winter conditions

Observations

  • Users specifically utilizing the tire for off-road winter applications report it as a functional upgrade over aggressive all-terrain tires like the Hankook Dynapro AT M.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072
CategoryPremium Touring All Season tire—
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4—
Tread depth—14/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin

Yokohama

Winner: Michelin Defender LTX M/S — better comfort and wet. Pick the Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072 if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 96 vs 80 on comfort.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072 scores 90 vs 82 on snow.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Defender LTX M/S scores 96 vs 90 on wet.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Tire B · Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072

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.