I had been reading here and elsewhere about tire choices, having now had two misfit sets on my Gen4 07 2wd. The Nitto's were bad, but on rear only, tolerable. based on readings I then bought 2 Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus for the front and they are intolerable. Roaring noise like a jetliner: exactly what I HATE. so punting them at a big loss.

many LOVE the now-retired Michelin LTX MS/2. The replacement for it IS DIFFERENT - I read what Michelin said about it and it is quite different from the old MS/2. What is the noise factor, and what other CURRENT tire should I have on the shortlist for QUIET cushion-y ride? Cooper AT3? I see sharp divisions in the online reviews for the coopers: some 4runner folk say they are too loud to tolerate... Read the same about the Pirelli Scorpions [I"ve had Pirelli touring tires on my old camry and they were the best ever]

advice?

Didn't know the LTX MS/2s were retired. That sucks. Don't know what to tell you, I would rely on reviews on tirerack.com. That's how I figured out what to do get. Most here take their rigs off roading, so that is a huge factor (unlike me where I don't).

My BFG KO2's are very quiet. Not sure if you want or need an AT tire, but just a data point.

Been running the Defender M/S for a couple weeks now, and I really like them. I've been running the Michilen M/S on my trucks since my first set of the originals. Currently have the M/S2 on my pickup, and the Defender version on the 4R. The defenders are slightly louder around 50-60mph, but still quieter than any other A/T I have run over the years. The defenders have better grip on soft and packed snow also. The M/S2 set seemed to have a little less grip on the packed snow compared to the original version, and the current defenders. I still like them, but I like the newer defenders better. Highly recommend!

On my 4th gen 4runner and GX470, the Defender LTX MS are significantly quieter and offer smoother ride quality compared to MS2 tires previously on both vehicles. Family members all were surprised how much quieter they were. They are not very Offroad looking but are great in wet, dry, beach sand, forest roads, snow and ice. Just ordered a set for the 91 4runner SR5 22RE 5spd and very happy they still make that size (Aged out, not worn out). Costco tire sale price and service a giant plus!