20" Michelin Defender LTX Platinum Tires review -- For all of you thinking about a 20" tire! Your wait is over!

[Whataboykie!]

I recently bought a set of EV Sportline 20" wheels. I started looking for a tire that would look good and ride good. I opted for a cheap set of 285/60/20 tires from China, no doubt. Cost me all of about $800, and they looked great!

Come to find they were noisy. I realized that a big knobbly tire might be noisy, and they were. Much more than the factory 21" Pirelli's.

I started some research, and found that Michelin was about to launch a whole new tire for trucks and large SUV's, called the Michelin Defender LTX Platinum.

These were just released in November 2023! Michelin is actively producing this tire and many sizes aren't available yet! Like a 275/60R20, the Rivian recommended size.

Seeing that I already had a 285/60/20 tire on my truck with no rubbing or any issues whatsoever, I went for them again, and they were available.

Costco's website still shows these tires as "unavailable, temporarily out of stock".

I only had them for a day now. Driving out of the Costco parking lot I could tell, even at these low speeds, that this was a great tire.

They're as quiet as my factory 21's.

On the freeway at speed these were just awsome! By the way the speed rating is "S", 112 mph.

I must say, they don't look as good as some All terrain tires out there, but they have a 70,000 mile warranty!

I never intend to take my truck off road, and these weren't made for rock crawling.

If you're looking for a comfortable great tire that's gonna last a while, these are the one's.

The first picture is of my original "knobbly" tires. The last three are the Michelin's.

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[Whataboykie!]

By the way, the rims aren't damaged, it's just the soapy solution they used to mount the tires. A carwash will take care of that!

 

[Marchin_MTB]

Cool. When you’ve had some time with them, can you let us know what efficiency are you seeing with this setup vs. the more knobby tires?

 

[COdogman]

They look good! Have an AT design on the sidewall that should make people happy.

 

[NY_Rob]

Thanks for the info @Whataboykie!

Looks like "M+S" rated, no "Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake" rating correct, or did I miss that?

 

[krockett]

Definitely not 3 peak, as these are all seasons and not ATs. That said, the regular Defenders do quite well in the snow, I believe better than some 3 peak rated ATs. No numbers on this one yet, but I’d be surprised if it didn’t perform well for an AS.

I was seriously considering these Platinums in this exact 285/60/20 size, but ended up going with some Dynapro AT2 Xtremes during a Black Friday deal for $325 per tire. Wanted a real AT at the end of the day. But, ask me again in a few months when my efficiency drops (I’m coming from 21s), and you’re sitting pretty with near OEM or better.

 

[240vPlug]

Yes please share efficiency numbers. They look great by the way.

 

[rodhx]

Definitely not 3 peak, as these are all seasons and not ATs.

btw, the 3 peak rating does not require an AT tire. There are 3 peak all season tires for all kinds of applications.

 

[COdogman]

Definitely not 3 peak, as these are all seasons and not ATs. That said, the regular Defenders do quite well in the snow, I believe better than some 3 peak rated ATs. No numbers on this one yet, but I’d be surprised if it didn’t perform well for an AS.

I was seriously considering these Platinums in this exact 285/60/20 size, but ended up going with some Dynapro AT2 Xtremes during a Black Friday deal for $325 per tire. Wanted a real AT at the end of the day. But, ask me again in a few months when my efficiency drops (I’m coming from 21s), and you’re sitting pretty with near OEM or better.

Many 3 peak rated tires are all season, not AT.

https://www.tirerack.com/upgrade-ga...!g!!&gclsrc=aw.ds&&affiliate=HM5&gad_source=1

Some important information to remember about 3PMSF branding.

• Testing measures a tire's acceleration traction on medium-packed snow only. Braking and turning on snow, along with ice traction are not components of the test.
• Tires branded with the 3PMSF symbol are expected to provide improved snow traction beyond a standard M+S branded all-season tire, however 3PMSF-branded all-season and all-terrain tires cannot match the traction of dedicated winter / snow tires in all winter weather conditions and should not be considered a replacement for where and when a dedicated winter tire is needed.

 

[Sgt Beavis]

Thanks for the info @Whataboykie!

Looks like "M+S" rated, no "Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake" rating correct or did I miss that?

I guess my wait isn’t over…

 

[ATL_R1S]

I've considered these for when my Pirelli AT's wear out, but my hesitation comes from the significantly heavier weight per tire at 59 lbs for the LTX Platinum vs 48 lbs for the Pirellis in the OEM size of 275/65/20. My personal preference is for the taller 65 sidewall versus the wider section width. Looking forward to hearing your efficiency results.

 

[brancky3]

They look great! I'm debating between these and the Defender LTX M/S2 - curious about your efficiency numbers!

 

[Kdblondie]

By the way, the rims aren't damaged, it's just the soapy solution they used to mount the tires. A carwash will take care of that!

I was just thinking , man he has brand new rims and got curb rash already!

 

[evguy]

Thanks for the info! I'm considering these for when I need to replace my Pirelli AT's, which are quite noisy after 23,000 miles.

 

[racekarl]

Do your research.... Not to burst your bubble but........seems they are great for some applications but also have limitations..
https://drivingpress.com/michelin-defender2-review/

Unless I'm missing something that's a review of a different tire. Not seeing how it's relevant...

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