Michelin Defender T+H Sizes & review

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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.

SIZEUTQGMAX.
LOAD
Max. Inflation PressureTread DepthTire WeightRim Width RangeMeas. Rim WidthSect. WidthTread WidthOverall Diam.Revs. Per Mile
185/65R14
86H
820 A B1,168 lbs44 psi10/32"16 lbs5-6.5"5.5"7.4"5.7"23.5"887
185/70R14
88H
820 A B1,235 lbs44 psi10/32"17 lbs4.5-6"5.5"7.4"5.5"24.3"858
195/70R14
91H
820 A B1,356 lbs44 psi10/32"18 lbs5-6.5"6"7.9"5.7"24.8"839
185/65R15
88H
820 A B1,235 lbs44 psi10/32"17 lbs5-6.5"5.5"7.4"5.7"24.5"851
195/60R15
88H
820 A B1,235 lbs44 psi10/32"17 lbs5.5-7"6"7.9" 24.2"859
195/65R15
91H
820 A B1,356 lbs44 psi10/32"18 lbs5.5-7"6"7.9" 25"832
205/65R15
94H
820 A B1,477 lbs44 psi10/32"20 lbs5.5-7.5"6"8.2"6.5"25.5"817
205/55R16
91H
820 A B1,356 lbs44 psi10/32"23 lbs5.5-7.5"6.5"8.4"6.8"24.9"836
205/60R16
92H
820 A B1,389 lbs44 psi10/32"23 lbs5.5-7.5"6"8.2"6.4"25.7"810
205/65R16
95H
820 A B1,521 lbs44 psi10/32"22 lbs5.5-7.5"6"8.2"6.7"26.5"786
215/60R16
95H
820 A B1,521 lbs44 psi10/32"24 lbs6-7.5"6.5"8.7"7"26.1"796
215/65R16
98H
820 A B1,653 lbs44 psi10/32"23 lbs6-7.5"6.5"8.7"6.5"27"770
225/60R16
98H
820 A B1,653 lbs44 psi10/32"25 lbs6-8"6.5"9"7.2"26.6"782
225/65R16
100H
820 A B1,764 lbs44 psi10/32"25 lbs6-8"6.5"9"7.3"27.5"757
235/60R16
100H
820 A B1,764 lbs44 psi10/32"25 lbs6.5-8.5"7"9.5"7.3"27.1"768
235/65R16
103H
820 A B1,929 lbs44 psi10/32"27 lbs6.5-8.5"7"9.5"7.7"28"742
215/55R17
94H
820 A B1,477 lbs44 psi10/32"24 lbs6-7.5"7"8.9"7.3"26.3"791
215/60R17
96H
820 A B1,565 lbs44 psi10/32"24 lbs6-7.5"6.5"8.7"6.6"27.2"766
215/65R17
99H

SL


Eco:
Michelin Total Performance


 


820 A B1,709 lbs44 psi10/32"24 lbs6-7.5"6.5"8.7"6.5"28"742
225/50R17
94H
820 A B1,477 lbs44 psi10/32"24 lbs6-8"7"9.2"7.6"25.9"803
225/55R17
97H

SL


Eco:
Michelin Total Performance


 


820 A B1,609 lbs44 psi10/32"25 lbs6-8"7"9.2"7.7"26.8"777
225/60R17
99H

SL


Eco:
Michelin Total Performance


 


820 A B1,709 lbs44 psi10/32"26 lbs6-8"6.5"9"7.3"27.6"753
225/65R17
102H

SL


Eco:
Michelin Total Performance


 


820 A B1,874 lbs44 psi10/32"27 lbs6-8"6.5"9"7.3"28.5"730
235/50R17
96H
820 A B1,565 lbs44 psi10/32"24 lbs6.5-8.5"7.5"9.7"7.8"26.3"791
235/55R17
99H

SL


Eco:
Michelin Total Performance


 


820 A B1,709 lbs44 psi10/32"26 lbs6.5-8.5"7.5"9.7"7.8"27.2"766
235/60R17
102H

SL


Eco:
Michelin Total Performance


 


820 A B1,874 lbs44 psi10/32"27 lbs6.5-8.5"7"9.5"7.6"28.1"740
215/55R18
95H

SL


Eco:
Michelin Total Performance


 


820 A B1,521 lbs44 psi10/32"24 lbs6-7.5"7"8.9"7.2"27.3"762
235/60R18
103H
820 A B1,929 lbs44 psi10/32"28 lbs6.5-8.5"7"9.5"7.6"29.1"715
Imported from Manual Input

7 COMMENTS

  1. 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!

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

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