Two-Year Wrap-Up and Conclusion - With Over 30,000 Hard Miles On Them, Our Michelin Defender2 A/S Test Tires Are Barely Worn and Still Performing Like New - See the Proof and Hear Our Opinions On This Tire

We tested Michelin’s Defender2 tires for two years and over 30,000 miles. Here are the results that we found. This is the fourth in our series of long-term review reports. You can find the prior three here:
May 2023 - Michelin Defender2 Tire Review - “Just Get the Michelins”
September 2023 - Michelin Defender2 Long-Term Test- Wet Weather, Mileage, Silence Updates
May 2024 - Michelin Defender2 Tire Review - 1-Year Update and the News Is All Good

In May of 2023, Torque News began testing the Michelin Defender2 tire on a Honda Accord. Michelin says the Defender2 is “Engineered to go the distance” and offers an impressive 80,000-mile treadwear warranty on this all-season tire. After two hard years in service and over 30,000 miles driven, we can now report with confidence that the tires live up to the promise of long life and lasting performance.

Initial Measurements and Impressions May 2023
When the Defender2 tires first arrived, we took initial measurements of the tread depth. We recorded a depth of about 8.64 mm. That is a generous tread depth, and it is part of why these tires have such a long life rating. 

Two Hard New England Winters - Potholes, Snow, Ice, and Freezing Rain
The Accord that these tires were mounted on was used as a commuter car, road trip car, and daily driver in Massachusetts. Ean Goreham, the primary investigator on this review project says:

I traveled on day-long road trips to Pennsylvania and Ohio in some pretty bad weather. These tires outperformed all of my expectations.

To say it has seen a lot of potholes would be an understatement. Winters are hard in New England, and the Defender2s slammed into some real whoppers over the past 22 months. Some so harsh we checked for damage. No sidewall or tread damage has occurred. Ean reported:

During some night-time trips in wet weather when potholes are invisible, I slammed into some "monstah" potholes. The Defender2 tires took the abuse and showed no signs of damage.

In snow, the Defender2 tires were very good. Particularly considering these are all-season, not winter-rated tires. Wet-weather capability was vastly improved when we mounted them, and they retained their wet grip over the period of testing. Ean says of the snow capabilities:

In the snow, I took it easy and played it safe. Still, the Defender2 tires gave me the confidence to drive the Accord even in some moderate storms. Be smart, and these tires will get you home safely. I had Michelin X-Ice tires in the past, and they are the gold standard. With that benchmark, I'd rate the Defender2 all-season tire very good for its class in snow. 

If you are seeking an all-weather tire that is outstanding in snow, please see our 3-year review of the Michelin CrossClimate2. 

The Defender2 tires are also very quiet and smooth. We did routine balancing and rotations throughout the test period, and the tires have worn evenly. 

Final Measurements and Impressions March 2025
After over 30,000 miles in service, we recorded a tread depth of 7.04mm. So, over 30,000 miles, about 1.6mm of the tread has worn off. Based on this result, we feel that the tires will easily meet or exceed the 80,000 tread life expectation. If the tread wear were to continue in a linear fashion, we’d expect about 4mm of tread remaining at 80,000 miles. Tires are fully worn after about 2mm. 

Although we’ve driven for two years on the tires, we have detected no reduction in grip, snow handling capability or braking distances. The tires seem “as good as new.” Michelin clearly knows how to develop a tire compound that can retain its properties year in and year out. 

Conclusions and Observations
Michelin is a premium tire brand trusted by automakers and drivers to deliver trouble-free, long-lasting performance. It is expected that Michelin tires will score well in every appropriate category in testing. Our two-year, 30,000-mile testing has proven this to be true. The Defender2 tires were excellent in all four seasons. They withstood brutal impacts from broken roads and potholes. Most importantly, in our measurements of tread depth, they held up very well, indicating that they will indeed match their very high life expectancy. We would recommend the Defender2 tire to anyone seeking a high-quality, long-lasting, all-season tire. 

Post-Testing Note By Torque News Contributor Ean Goreham: "The Defender2s will be serving a new owner. The Accord is now being passed along to a friend of mine in need of a car. I'm starting over with a GR86, wearing Michelin Pilot Sport4 summer-only high-performance tires that Toyota trusted as the best choice for this sports car." Watch for an upcoming review. 

Test Note: Michelin provided the tires in this review. However, Torque News paid for alignment, mounting, balancing, and routine rotations. 

Images of Michelin Defender2 tires by Ean Goreham.

John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ grammar and punctuation software when proofreading and he also uses image generation tools.