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Just ordered the Michelin Defenders

31K views 36 replies 22 participants last post by  COFLHTK 
#1 ·
I called my tire guys (whom I've used for years and trust) and gave them my short list and asked what they thought.

At the top of my list was the Hankook H727s. He said they are a good tire but they are hard and maybe not as good in the snow as a softer tire. Also on my list was the Michelin hydroedge. He said that was discontinued but it was replaced by the Defender which he thinks is a great high end tire (which sounds like what I wanted based on my description of my driving).

He put me on hold to help a customer and I had a chance to check the tire rack reviews and although new, this tire is getting great reviews.

Anybody else have them?

Par for the course with Michelin....they are pricey! But I'm excited - I hope it snows a TON in New England this year!
 
#3 ·
Fairly new tire. I look forward to your review as you rack up the miles. Rated to around 90k I think.

I love the Primacy MXV4 I have, but they weren't exactly cheap. however, they are rated to 60k and I'm guessing I'll get in that range from them, they're wearing good.
 
#5 ·
Different vehicle but we replaced the excellent Hydroedge with Defenders. So far so good. Quiet, great in rain, soft on pavement cracks, maybe softer cornering. They have sipes all the way to the casing and it has been my experience or at least opinion that such construction makes for superior tires - especially as they wear down.
 
#6 ·
Another one in the Michelin Defender family. My first set of Michelins, as well.

I bought my set @ Discount Tire yesterday and was given two rebates to send in totaling a $100 ($70 from Michelin and $30 from Discount Tire Care One Card). Pretty good deal, I think.

What do I think of them so far? Smooth and quiet, with very good ride comfort. Other than that, it is too early to tell.
 
#8 ·
Defenders on SNOW and ICE???

Another one in the Michelin Defender family. My first set of Michelins, as well.

I bought my set @ Discount Tire yesterday and was given two rebates to send in totaling a $100 ($70 from Michelin and $30 from Discount Tire Care One Card). Pretty good deal, I think.

What do I think of them so far? Smooth and quiet, with very good ride comfort. Other than that, it is too early to tell.
I called my tire guys (whom I've used for years and trust) and gave them my short list and asked what they thought.

At the top of my list was the Hankook H727s. He said they are a good tire but they are hard and maybe not as good in the snow as a softer tire. Also on my list was the Michelin hydroedge. He said that was discontinued but it was replaced by the Defender which he thinks is a great high end tire (which sounds like what I wanted based on my description of my driving).

He put me on hold to help a customer and I had a chance to check the tire rack reviews and although new, this tire is getting great reviews.

Anybody else have them?

Par for the course with Michelin....they are pricey! But I'm excited - I hope it snows a TON in New England this year!


My balding Contis are currently sucking major @$$ at 38k during a big dump in UT.

I am interested in both the Hankook H727 and the Michi Defender (costco model) but curious about your regular Defender performance on the white snow and black ice.

How are they handling in ice/slush/snow assuming you aren't going through an "unseasonably" warm winter in your neck of the woods?

Any data points will be appreciated.
 
#10 ·
Thinking about buying a set this weekend. Insert, they are getting reasonable reviews compared to other A/S, but now I must read your thrashing of them and further confound my decision. Any other beta out their that is current for OB drivers?
 
#12 ·
I am considering them also(defenders) from all the good reviews so far,but concern is the they might be to soft for a OB and mixed in with some mountain roads eventually also not big on the T rating, would rather have a H rated as they state they come in but still not seeing that rating anywhere in all sizes. My Toyos are still fairly new but looking for a better traction,wet/snow/dry that can handle what a OB is designed for.

When any out there get the Defenders ,post your impressions about them.
 
#14 ·
sent an e mail to michelin inquiring about the defender and defender xt. here is their reply.

The Michelin Defender and the Defender XT tires are very similar in performance and longevity. Both tires provide a quiet comfortable ride. T and H speed rated tires are covered by a 90,000 mile treadwear warranty and the V speed rated tires are covered by an 80,000 treadwear warranty. The Defender and the Defender XT are mixable on the same axle.

Even though the tires are very similar, they are not exactly the same. There are some differences in tread design and tire specifications. The Defender has an asymmetrical tread design and the Defender XT has a symmetrical tread design. The Defender is sold by national retailers and the Defender XT can be purchased at Wholesale Clubs such as Costco, BJ’s and Sam’s. Warranty administration for the Defender XT is handled by the selling Club.


We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Michelin.

It is our goal to ensure that your issue has been resolved or your question answered to your satisfaction. If we can assist you further, please respond to this email or call us at 1-800-642-4354 (toll free) between 8:00AM and 8:00PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday or between 8:30AM and 4:30PM Eastern Time on Saturday.

Sincerely,

John
Consumer Care Department
Certified Michelin Product Expert
 
#17 ·
Slapped the Defender XTs on. Have them at 36PSI Front and 35PSI Rears. They seem fine so far, but after a run to Utah I will know better.
 
#19 ·
Just got a set of Michelins myself, not the defenders, but instead i got the Pilot Exalto a/s on my 01 OBS. Good handling, quiet, and good on wet surfaces. Haven't driven in snow yet, but all the reviews on Tirerack from Subaru owners said they perform well. Very Pleased with this tire.
 
#20 ·
Just had a set of 4 Michelin Defenders installed at Discount Tire. My Michelin Hydroedge tires, that DT installed about 77k miles & 4.5 years ago, had some tread life left, but the side-walls were dry-rotted to the point they needed to be replaced. DT called Michelin and told them my case, and between Michelin & DT, they gave me a large discount towards a new set of tires, provided they are Michelin, of course, which I wanted anyways b/c the Hydroedge were AWESOME tires. I wish the Hydroedge were still available b/c they were that good, but the Defenders are their high-mileage replacement, I was informed.

I had them installed, then went straight to the Subie dealership, where they replaced a bushing on each control arm and then did an alignment. The separated bushings did not currently effect driving, but they would soon, so I went ahead and had them done.

After a few days, the Defenders ride great. There is a little road noise, depending on speed and road surface type, but so far so good. The Hydroedge whined a little bit when new, as well. Gas mileage seems to be about the same, which is a good thing b/c mileage seemed above average with the Hydroedge.

The car does drive a little bit differently, and actually seems to shift a little bit differently as well, as confirmed by my gf as well when she drove it. They are prob a little bit more heavy, as they have 100% of the tread, as compared to about 15% on my Hydroedge. The trans ECU learns driving habits, so it will learn and adapt to these tires. Or, I can see if my Subie dealership will reset that data for me.
 
#21 ·
Just had a set (4) of Defenders installed at Discount Tire. The price was right and there's a rebate happening now too. The shop was kind enough to make the rebate an instant rebate rather than the mail-in type that it is being promoted as!

As for the the tires and the ride - 15 miles in and they're good! LOL
 
#22 ·
Just had a set (4) of Defenders installed at Discount Tire. The price was right and there's a rebate happening now too. The shop was kind enough to make the rebate an instant rebate rather than the mail-in type that it is being promoted as!

As for the the tires and the ride - 15 miles in and they're good! LOL

Excellent! Thank you for your purchase! :29:
 
#23 ·
May go to these when I get tired of the Continentals.

Always love Michelin on the Porsche. Got rid of the P-Zero Rosso's when they got noisy.

Seems so many have changed to the Michelin's after the Conti's wear down and when the OB does not see too much off-road, mostly street/highway use.

Thanks and keep us posted on how they do along with any observations. :29:

Deanski
 
#24 ·
I have had the Costco Defenders on for about 10k now. At first, it seemed that fuel mileage might have been effected by about 2-3%, but then I noticed that the speedo now matches the GPS almost exactly, where it was about 3% high before. So, I believe the Defenders have a slightly taller rolling profile than the Conti's, giving the same fuel mileage, but slightly taller overall gearing.

Overall, they are better tires.......Quiet, good ride, great in the wet. Have not had an opportunity to see how they do in the snow. I will be back to review that in about 3 months.
 
#25 ·
Okay Defender folks - What tire pressures are you running? The sticker on the door says 32 and the tire says max 44. Mine currently have 34 but the TPMS indicator light came on today. These are new Defenders and I had the TPMS "rebuild kits" installed when I got the tires. I never saw the TPMS indicator light prior to this...

Thanks in advance!
 
#30 ·
defend or not to defend

need new tires on our 2012 outback, partly because we just don't like the handling of the oems. reviews say defenders BUT, we don't want to drop 3 mpg. anybody had the defenders long enough to verify whether or not the mpg is affected? if so how much? we're going into retirement and plan on doing some sightseeing, mostly in the fall of the year,so not sure what conditions we'll be driving in. dropping mpg from 30 to 26-27 would not make us happy. if not defenders what?
 
#31 ·
need new tires on our 2012 outback, partly because we just don't like the handling of the oems. reviews say defenders BUT, we don't want to drop 3 mpg. anybody had the defenders long enough to verify whether or not the mpg is affected? if so how much? we're going into retirement and plan on doing some sightseeing, mostly in the fall of the year,so not sure what conditions we'll be driving in. dropping mpg from 30 to 26-27 would not make us happy. if not defenders what?
No mileage drop for me. The defenders did correct the odometer, speedometer and the mileage readout to just about perfect. I am still averaging just over 30mpg in normal use, 32 on highway trips. And the speedo now matches the GPS exactly......Not 3% high, as with the Contis.
 
#32 ·
Just drove uphill to 10.5 k feet and over 450 miles on the first defender road trip. Got 28.9 mpg with the 3.6 R at speeds averaging around 65-70. Second Leg in Utah over 360 miles with speeds up to 85 in sections (most of the 15 Interstate is 80 MPH) got 26.7 mpg and these are both hand calculated numbers. The OB computer was telling me 31 mpg and 29 respectively.
So I guess the LRR claims for the Defender are true for highway runs. Not too shabby I would say. They have handled well for 6 months though the wife and baby get most of the OB time these days.

Had the tires in mud and snow and Friday and the traction was fine on the Forest Service roads in high altitude southern UT.

I have waited to post till I had a reasonable amount of time on the meats. The mileage might suffer around town, but seems to be great on long highway runs.
 
#33 ·
I can't speak to the Defenders, but I have 40,000 miles on a set of Michelin Hydroedge. Good handling, good in snow and they still look new. I was worried at first when I got a defective tire, but Tire Rack made it good. I've had a lot of Michelin tires in the past and they've become my "go to" brand when I replace OEM tires.
 
#34 ·
Now that some of you have gone through another winter with the Defender tires, would you mind providing an update as to the snow/ice peformance?

I need a new set all season tires for a 2012 2.5i Outback. This is a 2nd vehicle that doesn't get used as often as our other 2012 Outback (that will have dedicated winter tires for commuting). However, I live in Calgary, Alberta where we get 7 months of winter, snow, ice and it's common to have weeks or months of -20* cold snaps.

I'm not overly concerned about drops in gas mileage as it will be used for short trips around the city on occasion. The top priority for me is something that is good in snow/ice. Costco has the Defender XT's on sale right now and the internet reviews seem good.

Thanks
James
 
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