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Michelin creates some great tires for drivers to use on the road. Here we tackle the debate between the Michelin Defender T+H and Premier A/S tires.

Both of these tires provide excellent durability, performance features, and overall ride quality. They are all-season tires with excellent winter capabilities too. However, the Michelin Defender T+H and the entire Defender tire family is the superior option when shopping for the next tire for your vehicle.

Ultimately, the perfect tire between these two superb options will be determined by your vehicle and specific driving needs. The Defender T+H claims to be the longest-lasting tire on the market, while the Premier A/S performs better in deeper snow and ice. Both tires give you plenty of features to consider, but determining the best for you depends on what you value most on the road.

Each tire analyzed in the guide has been thoroughly researched and tested based on all of the critical features in a tire. Our experts put tires through a vigorous track test that gauges how well they perform on dry roads and wet roads for accurate braking and handling analysis. Keep reading to learn all about the Defender T+H and Premier A/S tires.

Table of Contents

Michelin Defender T+H vs. Premier A/S: What’s Better?

Michelin has always been known for its quality tires. They were one of the first to introduce radial tire technology and have been a pioneer in the development of innovative tire technologies.

The Michelin Defender T+H tire is the best option for those who are looking for a long-lasting tire. It is not only durable but also provides excellent grip. Compared to the Premier A/S tire, it provides better driving support across all major categories.

The Michelin Defender T+H is a tire with excellent traction on both dry and wet surfaces, as well as better braking capability than its counterpart, the Michelin Premier A/S.

Overall, the Michelin Defender T+H is best for handling rough roads and has great all-season performance. Premier A/S is cheaper than other Michelin models and provides good performance in wet and slippery conditions.

Michelin tires have been a staple in the tire industry for over a century and stand as a leading producer of tires in the world. The Defender T+H is a higher tier tire than Michelin Premier A/S because it provides better durability, road comfort, and everyday performance.

In this review, both the Michelin Defender T+H and Premier A/S are going to be discussed, including an analysis of the features they provide for drivers.  

Michelin Defender T+H

Michelin Defender T+H tires are an excellent choice for drivers who want to get a better ride and control in all weather conditions.

The Michelin Defender T+H tire is designed to give you the most performance, durability, and control in all weather conditions. These tires are made with various innovative technologies that keep you on the road and out of harm’s way. The Michelin Defender T+H tire is designed to last up to 50% longer than other tires because of its advanced materials construction.

Michelin's proprietary technologies maximize your traction, grip, stability, and handling for an exceptional driving experience. This tire is made with a durable rubber compound that makes it flexible yet strong. It also has reinforced patches at high-wear points on the sidewalls to resist tearing and improve durability.

The Michelin Defender T+H tire is also designed to reduce the risks of hydroplaning, which is when water on the road raises the risk of a crash. Michelin has developed this tire to be heavier than other tires and also includes additional grooves that make it more resistant to aquaplaning.

The Michelin Defender T+H provides the ultimate grip and traction for drivers. It was designed with the intention of providing an unparalleled experience for drivers everywhere, which makes it perfect for those who want to get more out of their tires than they've ever gotten before.

The Michelin Defender T+H is available in many wheel sizes, making it suitable for a wide range of vehicles. Michelin also provides excellent warranties across all tires, but the Defender models receive ever better coverage.

Features

Comfort Control Technology

Michelin Comfort Control Technology is a product that has been designed to provide consistent control and stability on wet or dry roads. This is achieved by an electronically controlled, dual-compound built into the tire’s tread.

This new Michelin technology also helps to reduce noise caused by tire tread on pavement surfaces. The Michelin Comfort Control Technology can be found in many different sizes and types of tires for various applications, with better control than traditional driving products out there on the market today.

Intellisipe Technology

The Michelin IntelliSipe technology is a revolutionary new technology that has been developed by Michelin to understand the driving conditions and deliver optimum performance. It does this by using sensors on the tire to measure what is happening on the road, then adapting the by using the zig-zag sipes to release biting edges for better road traction.

This technology is best used in the winter or on wet and slippery roads when you need an added boost to maintain optimal road safety with a better grip on a surface.

Pros

  • Handles on dry roads with accuracy and precision.
  • Wet surface braking and traction are reliable.
  • Highway and traditional street comfort are phenomenal.
  • Treadlife is best in class.
  • Sipe technology adds another element of safety.
  • Improved hydroplaning resistance.

Cons

  • Does not handle great in deep snow.
  • Short-distance braking could be better in harsh conditions.

Michelin Premier A/S

Michelin Premier A/S is made of a proprietary mix of silica, sunflower oil, and rubber compounds that provide good handling in wet, dry, and snow conditions. The Michelin Premier A/S is a luxury all-season tire and handles exceptionally well.

This tire has large circumferential grooves to help evacuate water from the tread blocks when driving on wet or snowy roads. It also has three distinct tread patterns to ensure stability on all terrains and ranks as a popular choice among car enthusiasts because of its quality and durability.

One thing to note about this tire is that it handles deeper snow better than the Defender T+H and other similar Michelin branded tires. They use a few different features to make it possible, but the handling is above average in harsh conditions.

The winter traction and handling characteristics of this tire are solid overall. The tread pattern of this tire has deep, aggressive grooves that provide a reliable grip on snow and ice.

These tires are engineered for performance and safety and are designed to take on any driving condition.

Just like other Michelin products, these tires provide excellent handling while they offer great stability at high speeds. Drivers can also expect minimal noise from these tires on the road, which is always a plus.

The Premier A/S tire also comes with Michelin's 3D Sipes technology which provides great traction in wet weather conditions or even snow so drivers won't have to worry about slipping on ice or snow during winter months.

Features

EverGrip Technology

The EverGrip technology is one of the most famous inventions over the past few years by Michelin. It has completely changed the way these tires perform on the road with better handling in rain and snow because of the increased tread depth.

The tires are able to cut through things like ice, slush, snow, and rain with ease without sacrificing any grip. The braking also has improved significantly because of the EverGrip technology upgrade.

Sunflower Oil Compound

The tread is composed of a few different elements, including sunflower oil. This is a popular change in the composition of tires recently led by the innovative minds at Michelin. Sunflower oil is able to create a more fuel-efficient tire with reduced rolling resistance.

Sunflower oil also contributes to the traction capability on the tire. It pairs well with sipes and assists in making a tire that provides more accuracy in snow.  

Pros

  • Handles deep snow better than most all-season Michelin tires.
  • Dry road performance is solid.
  • The design of this tire includes most of the new technologies launched by Michelin.
  • Riding is extremely comfortable and quiet.
  • Softer tread to handle freezing temperatures.  

Cons

  • The softer tread does not hold up as well as a daily tire choice.
  • Braking could be better.

What’s Different Between These Two Tires?

Dry Traction

The Michelin Defender T+H tire provides better traction and stability on dry roads than the Premier A/S tire.

The Michelin Defender T+H tire is a new innovative product that provides better traction and stability on dry roads. This tire is designed to be more responsive than other tires, providing a uniform contact patch with the ground for an extended time. It is also designed with optimal tread patterns and materials to provide a smoother ride while still having excellent water evacuation capability.

The Michelin Defender T+H tire has an advanced rubber compound that helps provide for superior grip in wet weather conditions, as well as snow or ice. This means that this type of tire is more resistant to tearing because it can handle these slippery conditions without developing a hole from the pressure exerted by cars moving over it.

Wet Traction

The Michelin Defender T+H is a tire that is designed to work well in the wet. The Michelin Premier A/S tire also has good wet traction but provides more of it.

The Michelin Premier A/S will have better-wet road performance than the Defender T+H because it has more tread blocks with high-density rubber. This design makes sure that enough of the tread surface is in contact with the road for traction on wet roads.

Both tires are good for driving on wet roads, but the Premier A/S will perform better because of its higher density rubber.

Winter Traction

The Michelin Premier A/S tire provides more traction in winter conditions than the Michelin Defender T+H. The primary reason for this is because of the softer rubber compound that makes up the Premier A/S allowing it to remain more flexible in freezing temperatures.

The Michelin Premier A/S tire is a high-performance tire that is created for drivers who routinely drive in harsh winter conditions. The tire provides more snow traction than the Michelin Defender T+H because it has an advanced tread compound that optimizes its winter ability.

Road Noise and Comfort

The Michelin Defender T+H tire is quieter than the Premier A/S because it is designed with a different tread pattern. The Defender T+H tire can be considered an improvement on the Premier A/S because it has a different design for the treads that reduces road noise.

With this tread design, drivers can hear less of the sound of their tires against the asphalt. The less sound that drivers hear, the better they will be able to concentrate on other things while driving.

The Defender T+H tire is also more comfortable than the Premier A/S tire because of its tread pattern because the way it distributes pressure and creates more constant contact with the pavement.

Durability

The Michelin Defender T+H tire is more durable than the Premier A/S tire. This is because the Defender has a stronger tread construction and stronger sidewall construction. The Defender has a better tread construction because it is made from a patent-protected, silica-reinforced rubber compound.

This improves durability by adding extra protection since the rubber compound is more resistant to wear and tear. The reason why the Defenders have better sidewall construction, on the other hand, is because they are made from stronger steel cord that helps to improve puncture resistance and cut resistance.

Michelin Defender T+H vs Premier A/S

About The Author

Charles Redding

Charles Redding

I've spent many years selling cars, working with auto detailers, mechanics, dealership service teams, quoting and researching car insurance, modding my own cars, and much more.

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