Michelin Defender T + H Tires Discontinued.

I'm wondering what everyone is going to do for tires now that the T + H is being discontinued by Michelin and the Defender 2's don't come in 15" sizes? My set of Defender T + H's are nearing the end of their life. I have snow tires for the winter, so I only really care about treadwear mileage longevity. CR consistently ranked the Defender T + H as tops for "advertised" tread life. The Defender 2 has an even higher tread life advertised at 100k, but sadly it's not available for the stock Gen 2 15" wheels. What's the best option? Try to find a touring set in good condition? Aftermarket? Possible to ever recoup the money buying a touring set via the Defender 2's 100k tread life? Keep in mind the labor costs associated with any tire problem. I've had some bead seal problems on old high mileage stockers over the years. Is there a new aftermarket option as reliable and solid as Toyota OEM?

Try to find a set of new old stock Defender T + H ASAP and kick the can down the road for a few years? Do you take an MPG hit when upgrading to the 16" wheels? If so that would pretty much be a no go then. It would maybe be worth it spending money on the 16" touring wheels to get the Defender 2's, BUT if there was also an associated MPG hit then I think it would be a bad idea.

 

Hmm interesting, I never considered steelies due to the concerns of long term reliability related to corrosion (rust belt resident), but since I won't use them in the winter maybe it's an option? Are they really lighter than the OEM aluminum?

Nice I guess this is an OK option. According to CR this has a tread life of 75k with price of $166, while the Defender 2's have 100k for $200. Manufacturer advertised the difference is only 80k and 70k. If we take CR tread life as accurate that means the Defender 2's have 33% more of the tread life for 20% of the cost. I feel like that is leaving money on the table.

 

Yeah but only at the 195/65 size. Can those be used reliably and without leaks on a stock gen 2? How much fuel economy would one lose with the wider tires?

Energy savers are also still avail but at 175/65. Could those be used instead?

 

Yes. Nothing has advertised or observed tread life as high as Michelin.

Sorry for checking on a sub forum before i drop $600+. We can most definitely experiment with alt size tire sets on my car if you want to foot the bill. Good to know 195 is doable. What about 175? Energy savers are avail at 175 and defenders avail at 195.

 

I’m thinking I’ve narrowed it down to Defender T+H 195/65 15 vs Energy savers 175/65 15. Both seem available yet. I have not seen a comprehensive cost benefit analysis performed comparing the two though so I’m not sure. Consensus is the ES give better mileage and the defenders last longer. Well yeah…. But what about the bottom line? Which is going to be cheaper in the long run? Only thing I care about is minimizing cost.