Michelin Defender Vs Premier Tire: Which Is Better?

In case you are wondering which car tires brand to have for your vehicle, the answer is always Michelin. With various comments and options from drivers around the world, the French company is still one of the best tire manufacturers in the world, and they also play a crucial role in the automotive industry. 

In the year of 1934, Michelin created the first run-flat tire. From the beginning of the 20th century, the creators of Michelin invented the pneumatic tire. And this invention changed the world of automotive from then. After that, they also invented the radial tires. These tires raise the performance capacity of cars, as well as dramatically grow the tires longevity. Few years ago, the invention of airless tires from this company shook the world again. And we think that these are enough to prove that Michelin is really good at making tires. Now, we move on to the main question: Which Michelin tire is the best? 

There are two famous tire lineups from the company, the Premier, as well as the Defender. The debate around these two tires has been going on for decades. Today, we will give you more information about the Michelin Defender Vs Premier Tire competition to make it easy for you to pick.     

Michelin Defender Vs Premier Tire: Which Is Better?

As we all know, both of these come in the same sizes as well as cover the similar car’s types. Another thing in common for these tires is that car owners can never go wrong with any. Purchasing tires from Michelin is never a mistake since the product from this French company is always one of the best in the categories. In other words, you are investing your cash in the safety of your family and guaranteed performance from your times. 

Apart from that, they are totally different, from the types of customers as well as the time they last. This is the aim when Michelin design and create these products. And we will go from aspect to aspect: 

Overview

As we all know, tires are created to serve many different purposes. We will divide them into two aspects: SUV, truck tires and touring tires. 

SUV and Truck Tires

In order to serve the truck as well as SUV, Michelin provides us with two special tires: Premier LTX and Defender LTX. And they have clear differences. 

Defender Tire

As many of us already knew, the Defender LTX is an all-season highway tire. The manufacturers create these tires in order to serve heavy-duty works. To be more specific, they are perfect fit for owners of off road focused SUVs, as well as heavy-duty trucks. The great vehicles for a set of Defender LTX tires are Jeep Wrangler along with Ford F-150.   

Premier Tire

On the other hand, the Premier LTX is an all-season crossover/SUV touring tire. They are designed for crossovers  and road-focused SUVs. This means that these tires cannot apply for heavy-duty automobiles like towing trailers. However, they provide car owners with much better comfort as well as on-road performance. The Premier LTX is a suitable tire for Honda CR-V and Toyota Sequoia. 

Car owners can still put these tires on the Ford F-150 and the Defenders LTX on Honda CR-V, however, it might not be as good as designed. 

Touring Tires

Of course, both Premier and Defender lineups have been prepared for touring tasks. They are Premier A/S and Defender T+H

Defender T+H 

The Defender T+H is a regular all-season touring tire. The touring tire has around 18-inch wheel diameter and mainly focuses on touring. Also, these tires are for normal speed rating vehicles. 

Premier A/S

while the Premier A/S is considered an all-season grand touring tire. These tires are created for cars with fast speeds. For that reason, they have around 19-inch wheel diameter, which is larger than standard touring tires. 

In short, if you have faster premium automobiles, the grand-touring tires are your cup of tea.

Durability

Durability is the key factor when it comes to comparison between two tires. And to compare them, we also add the tread life aspect into the competition.

Defender Tires

As all drivers know, the Defender lineup is designed with cost, along with longevity in mind. For that reason, these tires can reach 80,000-mile treadwear warranty, a respectable number for tires. The Defender tire really lives with its name.

Premier Tires

On the other hand, the Michelin’s creator aims to create the Premier lineup to bring performance and comfort in mind. However, that reduces its durability. To be more specific, it is only 60,000-miles for the Premier A/S.

When we compare the number, the Defender is 20,000 miles more than the Premier. If you are looking for the tires with stronger durability, the Defender is your selection.

Dry Traction

In the Michelin Defender Vs Premier Tire competition, normal roads and weather conditions are the essential factors to compete. And in fact, dry roads are actually the best terrain for both the Defender and Premier tires. In fact, the differences are so small that even if a car expert tries them side by side, it is really difficult to notice. 

Defender Tires

Both of them offer you with traction, sometimes even more than you need. Not to mention, they have the best stopping distances as well as cornering grip compared to other brands. For that reason, Defender is a good tire to use and perform on dry roads, especially if drivers want tires for daily driving. 

Premier Tires

On the other hand, when car owners push the limit of each tire to the max, Premier tire is the better selection. The Premier lineup provides control and has much higher grip. Along with that, car owners can easily stop and accelerate. For that reason, if you need tires to serve the sporty and high speed driving experience’s purpose, the Premier tire is your cup of tea.

Wet Traction

Michelin is the best brand when it comes to tires, both on dry traction and wet traction. When there is rain, the tires of this French Company are at the top of the list. However, in the Michelin Defender Vs Premier Tire competition, the differences are quite clear. If the Defender lineups are considered good, the Premier lineups are considered excellent.

Defender Tires

Compared with other brands, the Michelin’s Defender tires are really amazing in the rain. It has stunning hydroplaning resistance so car owners cannot lose control in rainy conditions. It also offers grip and traction. Along with that, they also have EverTread Compound, which keeps the wet traction for quite a long period of time. 

The Defender lineup is also excellent for rainy conditions. However, it’s evident that it has less traction and grip overall. The hydroplaning resistance is excellent, though, and overall, you won’t be disappointed.

Premier Tires

As much as we love the Defender, this is not a fair fight for it. The Premier tires are dominating when it comes to wet traction. This type of tire defeats all competitors when the tread is worn to 50%. Just like the Defender tires, the resistance with water of the Premier is the best, no matter if it is small rain or heavy rain. It also provides much better traction, cornering grip and stopping power.

When driving under the rain with Premier tires, car owners are much more confident and have more control. 

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Snow and Ice Traction

Unlike wet traction, the two tires are quite equal in the snow and ice traction. The main reason is that they are created not to serve the purpose of harsh winter weather. Both of them offer usable traction when car owners drive on light snow. With icy surfaces, they are both equally not that great due to all-season tread compound. 

So if you are living in snow areas, it is a good idea to have Michelin winter tires.

Defender Tires

The Defender provides decent braking distances, as well as control in the snow terrain. Even though it cannot compare to winter tires, the Defender can still manage in the light snow event.

Premier Tires

Between Premier and Defender, though, the Premier still has advantages. The control and braking distance from the Premier is a bit better. However, the differences are quite small.

Driving Experience

The next aspect we will discuss in the Michelin Defender Vs Premier Tire competition is the driving experience. Most tires from Michelin can satisfy all car owners. Providing a positive driving experience along with good steering feel as well as responsiveness, these two tires are the pride of Michelin.

Premier Tires

According to Michelin, the lineup of Premier has much better reviews from car drivers around the globe. The feeling of the grip as well as turning is one of the best tires in history. 

Defender Tires

Meanwhile in the respective categories, Defender tires also did really well with the positive responsiveness. If you are a big fan of Defender, it is not a bad selection. However, if you want the best experience, the Premier lineup is your choice.

Ride Quality and Noise

When we mentioned ride quality in Michelin Defender Vs Premier Tire competition, both of these tires are the best. 

Defender Tires

Not only providing just a slight tread growl that is easily drowned by wind noise and engine, the Defender tires are really smooth. These Michelin’s tires boost the driving experience of the owners, especially when they drive on smooth highway roads. 

Premier Tires

On the other hand, Premier Tires are still a bit better than the Defender. When you drive on roads with potholes and bump, the Premier has the benefits. 

Price

Last but not least, we need the price to compare. And without a doubt, the Defender family is the winner in this aspect. All Defender tires are cheaper than the Premier Tires with the cost of around 20%. The reason for this is because the Premier lineups are created for utilizing modern technology as well as luxury automobiles. 

Conclusion

In order to pick the right tire for your vehicles, it is important to choose the priorities you want first, then follow each aspect to pick. There is no winner here, since one type of tires might work better for you, but it is not suitable for others.

If you are looking for joy, value, stable performance driving, we suggest you the Premier lineups. On the other hand, if you want safe traction, value durability and good cost, the Defender family is your pick.