The Defender T+H tire is Michelin’s Standard Touring All-Season tire developed for the drivers of coupes, family sedans, minivans and small crossover vehicles looking for a long-lasting, comfortable tire that delivers all-season traction in the dry, wet and light snow.
Defender T+H tires utilize a new, all-season tread compound focused on improving durability and longevity compared to the previous-generation Defender. The asymmetric pattern is designed for smooth and quiet operation and utilizes Michelin’s IntelliSipe technology of zigzag sipes that interlock below the surface, increasing tread block rigidity while also optimizing the tire’s contact with the road. The new generation compound features a high silica content to aid wet traction, and lateral notches and circumferential grooves effectively channel water away from the footprint to reduce the risk of hydroplaning. The independent tread blocks and zigzag sipes together create the necessary biting edges for traction on slippery surfaces encountered during winter months, including light snow.
Internally, two wide steel belts are reinforced by a single ply of polyamide to stabilize the tread, improving steering response and tire life. The two-ply body casing is constructed of polyester cord to balance durability and ride comfort.
| SIZE | UTQG | MAX. LOAD | Max. Inflation Pressure | Tread Depth | Tire Weight | Rim Width Range | Meas. Rim Width | Sect. Width | Tread Width | Overall Diam. | Revs. Per Mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 185/65R14 86H | 820 A B | 1,168 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 16 lbs | 5-6.5" | 5.5" | 7.4" | 5.7" | 23.5" | 887 |
| 185/70R14 88H | 820 A B | 1,235 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 17 lbs | 4.5-6" | 5.5" | 7.4" | 5.5" | 24.3" | 858 |
| 195/70R14 91H | 820 A B | 1,356 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 18 lbs | 5-6.5" | 6" | 7.9" | 5.7" | 24.8" | 839 |
| 185/65R15 88H | 820 A B | 1,235 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 17 lbs | 5-6.5" | 5.5" | 7.4" | 5.7" | 24.5" | 851 |
| 195/60R15 88H | 820 A B | 1,235 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 17 lbs | 5.5-7" | 6" | 7.9" | 24.2" | 859 | |
| 195/65R15 91H | 820 A B | 1,356 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 18 lbs | 5.5-7" | 6" | 7.9" | 25" | 832 | |
| 205/65R15 94H | 820 A B | 1,477 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 20 lbs | 5.5-7.5" | 6" | 8.2" | 6.5" | 25.5" | 817 |
| 205/55R16 91H | 820 A B | 1,356 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 23 lbs | 5.5-7.5" | 6.5" | 8.4" | 6.8" | 24.9" | 836 |
| 205/60R16 92H | 820 A B | 1,389 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 23 lbs | 5.5-7.5" | 6" | 8.2" | 6.4" | 25.7" | 810 |
| 205/65R16 95H | 820 A B | 1,521 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 22 lbs | 5.5-7.5" | 6" | 8.2" | 6.7" | 26.5" | 786 |
| 215/60R16 95H | 820 A B | 1,521 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 24 lbs | 6-7.5" | 6.5" | 8.7" | 7" | 26.1" | 796 |
| 215/65R16 98H | 820 A B | 1,653 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 23 lbs | 6-7.5" | 6.5" | 8.7" | 6.5" | 27" | 770 |
| 225/60R16 98H | 820 A B | 1,653 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 25 lbs | 6-8" | 6.5" | 9" | 7.2" | 26.6" | 782 |
| 225/65R16 100H | 820 A B | 1,764 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 25 lbs | 6-8" | 6.5" | 9" | 7.3" | 27.5" | 757 |
| 235/60R16 100H | 820 A B | 1,764 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 25 lbs | 6.5-8.5" | 7" | 9.5" | 7.3" | 27.1" | 768 |
| 235/65R16 103H | 820 A B | 1,929 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 27 lbs | 6.5-8.5" | 7" | 9.5" | 7.7" | 28" | 742 |
| 215/55R17 94H | 820 A B | 1,477 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 24 lbs | 6-7.5" | 7" | 8.9" | 7.3" | 26.3" | 791 |
| 215/60R17 96H | 820 A B | 1,565 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 24 lbs | 6-7.5" | 6.5" | 8.7" | 6.6" | 27.2" | 766 |
| 215/65R17 99H SL Eco:
| 820 A B | 1,709 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 24 lbs | 6-7.5" | 6.5" | 8.7" | 6.5" | 28" | 742 |
| 225/50R17 94H | 820 A B | 1,477 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 24 lbs | 6-8" | 7" | 9.2" | 7.6" | 25.9" | 803 |
| 225/55R17 97H SL Eco:
| 820 A B | 1,609 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 25 lbs | 6-8" | 7" | 9.2" | 7.7" | 26.8" | 777 |
| 225/60R17 99H SL Eco:
| 820 A B | 1,709 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 26 lbs | 6-8" | 6.5" | 9" | 7.3" | 27.6" | 753 |
| 225/65R17 102H SL Eco:
| 820 A B | 1,874 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 27 lbs | 6-8" | 6.5" | 9" | 7.3" | 28.5" | 730 |
| 235/50R17 96H | 820 A B | 1,565 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 24 lbs | 6.5-8.5" | 7.5" | 9.7" | 7.8" | 26.3" | 791 |
| 235/55R17 99H SL Eco:
| 820 A B | 1,709 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 26 lbs | 6.5-8.5" | 7.5" | 9.7" | 7.8" | 27.2" | 766 |
| 235/60R17 102H SL Eco:
| 820 A B | 1,874 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 27 lbs | 6.5-8.5" | 7" | 9.5" | 7.6" | 28.1" | 740 |
| 215/55R18 95H SL Eco:
| 820 A B | 1,521 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 24 lbs | 6-7.5" | 7" | 8.9" | 7.2" | 27.3" | 762 |
| 235/60R18 103H | 820 A B | 1,929 lbs | 44 psi | 10/32" | 28 lbs | 6.5-8.5" | 7" | 9.5" | 7.6" | 29.1" | 715 |
Founder at Tiresout. Used to be working as an engineer at Bridgestone Tires Akron Technical Center. The responsibilities included but were not limited to technical computing, indoor & outdoor testing of new tires.
I ordered these tires for my wife’s Kia Sorrento(2014) so far she loves them! We live in Rhode Island so we get all four seasons, they handle very well in light snow and ice and they handle extremely well in the rain and dry conditions! There is almost no road noise from these tires. We only have about 5000 miles on the tires but it looks like no tread wear at all. These tires have already saved us from a close call on the highway with their superior grip and cornering ability. Thanks Tire Rack and Michelin!
So far these tires have been the best set I’ve ever owned. I live in Vegas so it’s always hot and dry, so I can’t speak to their performance in wet or icy conditions, but here they’ve been fantastic. Excellent grip, quieter than my previous set of Yokohamas and they feel like I’m driving on pillows. I see why Michelin is so highly rated, they are definitely worth it. I will update this review in the future regarding tread wear as well.
Excellent tires. This is my second set and I have no complaints whatsoever!
So, here’s the deal. My OEM Yokohama G91’s wore out at 24,000 miles on my 2016 Subaru Forester. Limped along another pathetic 3,000 miles before I couldn’t stand it any longer. Just installed a complete set of ‘Michelin Defender T+H’ tires, and my Forester is a completely different car now. Handles better, takes rough road 10x better, everything better. Plus, add the fact they’re made in the USA, have a 80,000 mile warranty and have the highest tread grading available at 820. Get them, now. Spend the money for a quality tire, you won’t regret it.
I’m at 7/32 at 65k miles. As far as wear goes you can’t get much better. Had pirelli p7 before and got 80k out of them looks like these will do better. The defender t+h appears to get better mileage than the first defenders according to reviews I’ve read. The pirelli p7’s were quieter but not by much. The pirelli p7 isn’t as good in the rain. But it’s still a good tire. The defender gives more confidence in the rain. Living in Florida this car won’t see any snow or ice. The civic recommends 32 psi and I put them at 35 psi so I don’t have to air them up as much. I rotate every 5k with my oil change. You can’t go wrong with these tires if you keep an eye on the air pressure and rotate them every 5k.
Having had Michelin tires for the past 25+ years. I chose these tires because The Guardians are no longer made. I am very disappointed in these tires. Although the traction is good in the rain at highway speeds, they ride hard and are quite noisy. They are nowhere as nice as the other Michelin brand tires that I have had. I gave these tires 5000 miles before I made this review just to give them a fair chance. I even had my Struts replaced because I thought that that was why the ride was so hard, but nothing changed.I have Michelin tires on my 2003 Silverado and 2010 Prius and have had no problems with noise or ride, but I do not recommend that you buy these tires.
These tires replaced a set of Continental ProContact Eco Plus tires on my Civic. Those tires were OK when new but gradually got very noisy as they approached 50k miles. They still had some tread life left but the tire noise was grating on me so after reading reviews of the Michelin Defender T+H and also having them on my 2009 Camry XLE, where ride and quietness are great, I opted to put them on my Civic. Sad to say this was a bad choice. The tire road noise is almost equal to the worn Continentals I removed and, worse, the ride has stiffened so I feel every bump and crack in the road, much more so than the old Continentals. A stiff ride. These tires seem to have less flexibility are not made for a light vehicle such as a Civic but perform admirably on heavier ones that are also better insulated than the smaller cars like Civics. I would definitely recommend these tires for a bigger or heavier car but I do not recommend them for lighter cars due to the above.