Howdy fellow Diesel Drivers! thought I'd share my opinion on Big Red's new shoes!

2011 F250 XLT with the 275/65 20's on all corners, stock lift. The Nitto Terra Grapplers needed replacement after three years and 60K miles. Since the majority of my driving is highway/street with towing in the Spring/Summer, I decided my next tire would favor that type of usage; hence the Michelin's.

I've done about 500 miles on these tires so far. Here are my impressions.

Ride Quality: Much improved. Whereas the Nitto's were "okay", the Michelin's are much more pliable, and absorb road irregularities better.

Road Grip: Since it's Winter in the Land of the D(etroit), we've got low temp's and snow falling every other day. The Nitto's were exemplary in the snow, only defeated by drifts that overcame the ride height of the truck. We haven't had an appreciable snowfall yet, but the 1-2" I've driven in with the Michelin's has proved to be insignificant. Traction is very good at all road speeds. Yes, you can break away the rear's if you try, but with judicious use of the go pedal these tires are great.
In rainy/icy conditions, the Michelin's again live up to expectations, providing assuring traction with minimal slippage of the inside rear tire during tight, low speed turning.

Handling: No contest here; the Michelin's outperform the Nitto's in all manner of road maneuvers. The Nitto's showed a tendency to roll over the sidewall during sharp direction changes; the Michelin's remain tight and composed.

Road Noise: Shh-hear that? of course you don't! the Michelin's are whisper quiet compared to the Nitto's. At highway speeds I can now hear the low grumble of the big mill up front, whereas with the Nitto's I had the radio at ear-splitting levels to drown out the howl emanating from the wheel wells.

I paid $1,280 at Discount Tire for a set of four including mounting, balancing, road warranty and full replacement. So far it's money well spent!
So if you're in the market for a great road tire that can handle all but the worst Mother Nature throws at you, take a look at the Michelin Defender LTX M/S; for me, they are the right tire at the right time!

 

Thanks for the info. I have the OEM Michelin LTX-AT2 and I will file this for future replacement. I see they are M/S rated and my ATs are not. Even better.

 

Great review, I like Smuggs have the LTX-AT2's. I am on my second set. I am actually surprised to see guys on this forum weren't happy with them. I have had nothing but a great experience with them. They lasted 40K miles, were super quiet and consistent the entire time.

 

Another thanks for your review. I'm due for tires as well and will be going back to these Michelins. I waited a little too late though, as I've let my BG KOs wear down too far and now the mid-south is getting hit with snow!

The Michelin LTX series is way overlooked for their off road capabilities, especially when you consider their superior road manners. If there's a decent amount of tread depth and you have 4wd, they will sling dirt and light mud if you need them to. And for dry, rocky terrain they may grip better than any "all terrain" on the market. But no, they won't get you across a swampy river bottom after three inches of rain.

Since my KOs didn't get much better off road grip than LTXs and were generally not a great highway/interstate tire either, I've come to the conclusion that it's best to go with either a tire that handles the road great (LTX, etc.) or handles off roading great (Duratracs, ST Maxx, etc). Because in their attempt to be "everything to everyone", it seems all-terrains don't do one particular thing exceptionally well.