Michelin Showdown: Defender T+H vs Premier A/S

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Michelin is one of the most established tire manufacturing brands in the world. The company has been on the top 5 list for decades for a good reason. All of their models and product lines are made with expertise and with the best state-of-the-art technologies, which ensure their first-rate performing safety and durability.

Today, we will take a look at two of their popular all season models. The Defender T+H and the Premier A/S tires are among their best-sellers when it comes to passenger vehicles and SUVs.

Michelin Premier A/S

Michelin Defender T+H

What Type of Tires are They?

Both the Defender T+H and the Premier A/S are touring, all season tires manufactured for passenger vehicles and SUVs. They cover a wide range of tire sizes. These tires provide a secure all weather performance and exceptional controllability, but they utilize different technologies to achieve it. Additionally, they offer high driving comfort levels throughout their performance.

To truly understand how these tires are different, we need to take a closer look at the similarities and the differences between them.

Defender T+H vs Premier A/S – Similarities

Michelin has a wide range of versatile technologies they have developed over the years. However, they tend to overlap in some models. In this case, the Total Performance Technology and the Comfort Control Technology were used with both models. Let’s take a look at what they are.

Total Performance Technology

This technology optimizes the tire’s performing capability. Not only that, but it is done without compromising on other areas of its performance. What do we mean by that?

Well, the Total Performance Technology uses the tire’s shape, tread pattern and construction to enhance the controllability, high speed performing capability through the model’s lifetime. However, this is done without sacrificing the driving comfort or the tread life. The combination of the previously mentioned designs enables the tire to evenly distribute the driving pressure along the tread area. This helps to increase the traction, resist irregular wear formations and effectively minimizes the overall tread wear rate. It is not called TOTAL Performance technology for nothing!

Comfort Control Technology

The Defender T+H and the Premier A/S do not compromise when it comes to their driving comfort. Both models were made with the Comfort Control Technology, which helps to minimize the road noise and vibrations levels while the tires are in motion.

This technology utilizes a computer-optimized tread pattern and the precision manufacturing work together to actively reduce the soundwave formations, while also decreasing the vibrations felt in the vehicle’s cabin. As a result, the road disturbances cannot ruin the passengers’ driving enjoyment. These high levels of driving comfort are achieved as this technology guarantees superb tire uniformity and an optimized tread design to combat any and all discomfort during the drive.

Defender T+H vs Premier A/S – Differences

As these tires are from different product lines – Defender and Premier – the similarities end there. When it comes to their speed durability, tread design, controllability and tread life, the Defender T+H and the Premier A/S are quite separate.

Our Favorite: Michelin Premier A/S

• All-weather tire
• Enhanced wet traction
• Shortened braking distance
• Precise steering responsiveness

Speed Durability

All passenger vehicle and SUV tires must be marked with speed ratings. They represent the maximum speed specific tires can handle. Anything more than the maximum speed pressure affecting the tires will put the tires at risk of failure or a blowout. To prevent this, it is important to not exceed the tires’ greatest speed durability. If you are interested in reading more about speed ratings, check out our blog post.

When it comes to their high speed durability, these tires are similar, but not the same. The Defender T+H offers sizes with only H speed rating, which means these tires can handle speeds up to 130 mph. On the other hand, the Premier A/S has both H and V speed rated sizes, where the V speed rated ones promote a performance up to 149 mph. Therefore, we can say that the Premier A/S has better speed durability compared to the Defender H+T, but only if the specific size is a V speed rated one.

Tread Design and Compound

A tire’s tread design and compound determine their weather performance and safety. In this aspect, the Defender T+H and the Premier A/S tires are quite different.

The Defender T+H utilizes the IntelliSipe Technology. This is a tread pattern design which significantly increases the siping detail along the tread area, in order to boost the number of biting edges gripping the road surface. As a result, the Defender T+H’s asymmetric pattern features a higher number of zigzag sipes which optimize its dry, wet and winter weather traction. The tread’s special expending rain grooves help resist hydroplaning by dispersing water and slush from the footprint and maintaining the tire’s surface contact in such weather conditions.

The Premier A/S uses a different technology to optimize its all season traction. It was manufactured with the EverGrip Technology, which places focus on the tire compound. This technology greatly increases the amount of silica in the compound and adds sunflower oil to further enhance the rubber flexibility. In this manner, the optimized compound is able to retain its flexibility in versatile temperatures, including freezing winter ones. The tread design also features a high number of biting edges thanks to the detailed siping placement, while the expanding rain grooves combat hydroplaning.

Controllability and Maneuvering

As tires are the only part of a vehicle which are actually in contact with the road surface, the vehicle’s controllability relies on them. They must provide adequate driving stability and steering responsiveness to guarantee a secure performance.

The Defender T+H was made with the MaxTouch Construction, to optimize its road contact. This technology enhances the tire’s surface contact by giving the tire a flat footprint. Furthermore, the tread allows the tire to evenly distribute the driving pressure along the footprint, which enables the tire to closely follow the road surface at all times. This boosts the steering responsiveness and the driving stability, upgrading the driver’s control over the vehicle during the drive. The tire also utilizes its high-density siping placement to increase the braking power and the cornering ability by providing additional biting edges with the IntelliSipe Technology.

The Premier A/S uses its continuous center rib to maintain the surface contact throughout its performance. The maintained road contact increases the model’s controllability and maneuvering capability. However, this model places more emphasis on its braking capability. Michelin’s EverGrip wet-braking technology is used to significantly improve the driving safety levels. This technology enhances the tire’s braking capability and enables its reduced braking distance, even when driving on wet and slippery road surface conditions.

Tread Life

Most first-rate tire brands will offer mileage warranties with their tire models, as they back their products with versatile technologies to ensure their lasting performance. Michelin is no different. Both the Defender T+H and the Premier A/S come with excellent mileage warranties, but how are they different.

Switching up the order, let’s talk about the Premier A/S first. As we have mentioned before, this model comes with H and V speed rated sizes. Typically speaking, tires with higher speed durability have shorter treadwear warranties as they face stronger driving pressures during their lifetime. Due to this, the Michelin Premier A/S comes with a 60,000 mile treadwear warranty.

However, when looking at the H rated sizes of the Defender T+H, we see that its warranty stands at 80,000 miles. Why is there such a difference?

The Defender T+H only comes in H speed rated sizes. Additionally, it was manufactured with MaxTouch Construction which optimizes the tire footprint. The ideal footprint and the close surface contact enable the tire to equally circulate the forces of acceleration, cornering and braking in order to combat irregular wear formations. This model was molded from the durable EverTread compound which utilizes wear-resistant rubber materials to extend the tread wear rate. A slower and even wear is guaranteed with the Defender T+H, which has earned its 80,000 mile warranty.

Please keep in mind that the tires of staggered vehicles – vehicles with differently sized tires on their front and rear axles – cannot be rotated. Due to this, Michelin will cover half of the previously mentioned warranties for such models. In other words, with staggered vehicles, the Premier A/S offers a 30,000 mile treadwear warranty, while the Defender T+H comes with a 40,000 mile treadwear warranty.

CHECK AVAILABLE PREMIER A/S SIZES

CHECK AVAILABLE DEFENDER H+T SIZES