Customer reviews for Michelin Defender2 - 215/60R16 95H Tire forDefender is a quality tire for New England conditions
This is my 2nd set of Defender tires. The Defender 1 or original gave me more than 85k safe miles and performed expertly in snow and rain. The Defender 2 allowed my car to hydroplane in a CT flash flood on I-84 at 40 mph. The Defender 1 gave me about 2% better gas mileage.
Not What I expected
These are not like the Defender LTX. Disappointed in the ride and look. The side walls look like something you would put on a SUV or Truck that would be trail riding. The side wall is not a smooth design like the LTX. The Defender 2 seem like they are pushing my crossover. In fact I looked at the tire wondering was it one directional. It is not. I would not recommend for small Crossovers. Note: I have Defender LTX on our 4 Runner and FJ Cruiser. The Defender LTX is a 5 Star. The Defender 2 definitely not a 5 Star.
Fox, we're sorry to read of your disappointment in the Defender2. Remember, as part of the Michelin Promise Plan, there is a 60 day satisfaction guarantee of this tire. Simply return to the selling retailer for the tires to be swapped out. Give us a call at 866-866-6605 with any questions.
Extremely Comfortable and Quiet
This year, it was time to buy new tires for my Honda CR-V 2018. I researched a lot and came to the idea that Michelin Defender 2 is the best choice. I bought them and I could not believe how fantastic they are. Defender 2 is very quiet and comfortable on both highways and roads. In addition to comfort which was my first priority, they are excellent at handling and maintaining vehicle stability, even compare to the factory-installed tires which were not Michelin. I realized why Michelin is the number 1 brand trie in the world. As a friendly reminder, tire is the most important part of a vehicle and they must be the best. Spend your money wisely, buy Michelin, and enjoy your everyday ride. I never go with any other brands. I highly recommend Defender 2. Rest assured you will never regret your purchase.
Bring back the OLD Defender MS
I’m a 58 year old man and I drive commercially about 100,000 miles a year between two half ton trucks and one 3500 one ton truck, Ram and Ford. I have tried many different tire manufacturers from Bridgestone, Toyo, BFG and Goodyear to name a few, I always seem to come back to Michelin Tires. I know many of you are going to say there too expensive but, when you drive the interstate system threw out the USA I want something quite and comfortable and dependable. I was very sorry to here that Michelin was phasing out this tire, I have currently on the Ram a set of defender M/S 2 which are louder at 75 mph by 15% and rougher riding by about 20% over the plain Defender M/S. I fully believe these are the best tires for driving the interstate system by far. Michelin needs to bring back this tire and increase the load range by 200lbs each to reach the manufacturer’s who suggest a rating of 118H on their trucks instead of the old 112T rating.
Defender2 has poor traction
The Defender2 tires were a safety problem for my Rav4 Prime SE. The cars ABS periodically began to engage shortly after the Defender2 was mounted. Reference Michelin case numbers 03727059, 03673882 and others. I cannot recall the ABS ever engaging with the OEM tire (not Michelin) nor since replacing the Defender2 with Michelin Primacy Tour A/S tires. I've now had the Primacy Tour A/S tires mounted for nearly a thousand miles, no ABS engagements or dashboard warnings, I am happy with the Primacy Tour, but the Defender2 seems defective to me. The Defender2 would easily skid on dry roads, hence the ABS, dash lights and warning sounds from the car. First time I have ever used the "Michelin Promise Plan of a 60-day satisfaction guarantee", and am glad Michelin stood behind their product. Note that I did bring the car to a Toyota repair facility, who inspected the car and found it functioning properly. The dealer pointed out the Defender2 only had a B traction rating on the sidewall, suggesting the Defender2 was not a high traction tire and likely the culprit for the ABS activating. Thank you Michelin for standing behind your product and satisfaction guarantee. However, I feel the Defender2 is a bad product, at least for my Rav4 Prime SE. One last note, I tried to contact Michelin after the tires were replaced, to find out if they tested the Defender2 tires that came off my car. I was not successful in getting information. If someone at Michelin can contact me with any failure analysis, I would like to learn what was found. I hope the problem was isolated to the tires I had, not to all Defender2 tires
A Totally Different Michelin Defender 2 Compared To Defender1
Defender 2's have a smooth ride quality that is very noticeable as compared to regular Defenders. Makes my 97 4Runner have a ride it hasn't had using the original Defender. Very pleased with the looks, ride quality, and performance of the tire. Seems the tread design does not make much noise. My only regret after having tires for eleven weeks! Apparently ran over a piece of 1/2" steel that got inserted into the tire tread. Selling dealer, even with a paid protection plan, plug patched tire with only 1345 miles instead of replacing it? Hope the tire is safe with this repair and doesn't start having issues with belts separating and roaring like a snow tire.
Great Tires
I only use Michelin Tires on both of my vehicles, and have for many years, Michelin Defenders in the summer & Michelin X-Ice in the winter. I have always received great service, traction & ride, and highly recommend Michelin Tires to my Family & anyone who has asked.,
Excellent handling and quiet
With only 10,500 miles on our 2024 Honda CRV Sport Touring AWD Hybrid, we picked up a nail in a non-repairable spot (I spent 25+ years in automotive repair and tires so I know when I have to replace and not repair). Unfortunately it was going to take about a week to ge the same exact Michelin tire to replace this one, but my daughter has to leave to go back to college in the early morning. The option was to buy another set of tires and keep the 3 good ones. So that is what we did. The Michelin Defender 2 is a great tire with an 80,000 mile life expectancy. It handles well and provides a nice smooth and quiet ride. If there is one thing I cannot stand, it is a noisy ride on my car (looking in the direction of other major tire brands that sponsors variations of auto races and monster trucks). Back to these specific tires though, the handling is great and my daughter that drives this car even mentioned that she likes these tires better than the orignial ones that came on the car. The tires are responsive and flex the way they should to provide a smooth and quiet drive. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for an excellent tire.
A mixed bag ...
Put these on my 2019 Honda Accord, 225/50/17. They Mileage actually increased by 1.5mpg, they are quiet, and ride decently. But, they have poor on center feel. The tires wander so much on the highway that it feels like the car is being blown around by wind. The tires are perfectly balanced, the car has perfect alignment, and pressures are right on 32psi. I'm guessing it is tread squirm. Regardless, it is fatiguing to drive due to the constant corrections required. The lane keep and assist feature of my car is MUCH busier trying to keep the car centered. The ride is generally smooth, especially over more rounded bumps. But on square edge, sharper bumps (like 1" high peaked cracks), there is a harsh spike transmitted to the cabin. Super weird. I'm also a little concerned about wet and snow traction in SE Michigan. Interestingly, the same tires on my wife's 17 CRV feel brilliant. We've had 6 sets of Defenders over the years, and they were always a great choice. I'm a former master mechanic, and have never considered returning tires before. I have 1 more week left on the 30 day trial period, and I'm not sure I'm going to keep them. May have to try Pirelli or Continental.
Roberto, thanks for taking the time to submit a review. We're sorry to hear of your disappointment in the Defender2 tires. As part of the Michelin Promise, we do offer the satisfaction guarantee.
Not as quiet as the Michelin Energy Saver
i recently purchased the Defender 2 for my Toyota Camry LE. My original tires were the Michelin Energy Saver. These tires seem to perform well, but they are not as quiet as the Energy Saver. I'm considering swapping them out for the Energy Saver because of this. Have you heard this from any other reviews?
MaryAnn, sorry to read you are experiencing noise with the Defender 2 tires. There are many factors involved in harmonics of all vehicle/tire combinations. Remember, as part of the Michelin Promise Plan, we have a 60 day satisfaction guarantee. Have your retailer contact us with any questions.