Tire that offers softest ride?

[Sonoran_Desert]

Does anyone have any experience with Michelin Defenders LTX M/S2 265/70R17 vs Bridgestone H/T Duelers for softest ride? No off road performance or weather conditions to consider, just looking for the tire that best absorbs road bumps. I am currently running and have been happy with the original Bridgestone Duelers H/T that came on my 2017 SR5 premium when new but possibly the Michelin Defenders will offer an even softer ride?

 

[T4R2014]

You aren't going to get very much objective data. Shocks, bushings, and wear will all contribute too. That being said the Michelin LTX is generally regarded as the best your-round light truck tire if off roading isn't the priority.

 

[Humble Leader]

You aren't going to get very much objective data. Shocks, bushings, and wear will all contribute too. That being said the Michelin LTX is generally regarded as the best your-round light truck tire if off roading isn't the priority.

agree

defenders are better than the bridgestones and I've had both. I had the duellers at 20" but swapped the rims to 17s and went with michelin

if you do light to medium difficulty offroading, basically just for fun and not pushing your rig to the limits, that tire will be just fine too

 

[5thToy]

I would guess most agree the Michelin is a superior tire to the OEM Dueler.

As far as a soft ride goes, I don't think you are likely to find softer than OEM rubber and suspension. As any tire ages (hardens) and loses tread depth it will ride firmer so a new tire should feel softer than the tires you are replacing.

 

[Yamahamer]

My 4Runner is sporting a set of Michelin LTX A/T2 tires which is very similar to the M/S Michelins. About 20,000 miles on them now and I've been very happy with them. I chose them mainly because they are rated as having just about the lowest "rolling resistance" of any tires of that size (P265/70R17). My fuel mileage over the life of the vehicle is 22.68 mpg as calculated by an Excel spreadsheet.

As far as softest ride, that will be mainly controlled by the air pressure in your tires. If you run 36 psi in the tires the ride will be harsh. My 4Runner has to spend a lot of time on dirt roads so when I know I'll be on dirt for 100+ miles I air down to ~ 26 psi. MUCH smoother ride. And you can set your TPMS system so it won't give a low air alert at that pressure - method is outlined in your owner's manual. DO NOT run low air pressure at highway speeds!

 

[Hungryhawk]

Great information provided here.
Tire age, tread thickness (both related) and tire pressure are important. Sidewall & tread flex is related to tire type -touring, all season (stock), highway etc.
Are you seeking a smooth highway ride on smooth road surfaces or are the roads you use rough with repaired sections?

 

[97BlackAckCL]

My car came stock with the Bridgestone Duelers and they are crap, definitely Michelin are a better brand and option IMO

 

[Sonoran_Desert]

Great information provided here.
Tire age, tread thickness (both related) and tire pressure are important. Sidewall & tread flex is related to tire type -touring, all season (stock), highway etc.
Are you seeking a smooth highway ride on smooth road surfaces or are the roads you use rough with repaired sections?

I don't do much highway driving and my focus is normal street roads that are rough with repaired sections and small divots. The OEM Bridgestone Duelers factory installed were fantastic in giving a smooth ride over rougher roads. Duelers are now almost bald (my fault for not regular rotating and alignment). I am now looking for the softest ride possible on street roads.

 

[Ripper238]

Michelin will be a good alternative and probably much better than the terrible Duelers.

Michelin is known to have thin side walls so it should definitely give you a softer ride.

 

[Bmnorm2]

Does anyone have any experience with Michelin Defenders LTX M/S2 265/70R17 vs Bridgestone H/T Duelers for softest ride? No off road performance or weather conditions to consider, just looking for the tire that best absorbs road bumps. I am currently running and have been happy with the original Bridgestone Duelers H/T that came on my 2017 SR5 premium when new but possibly the Michelin Defenders will offer an even softer ride?

I use tire racks ratings to make my tire purchase decisions. They are based on objective data (real world testing with instrumentation) as well as subjective data (customer reviews).

The OE Bridgestone H/T Duelers are actually pretty shitty. If you want to stick with Bridgestone and highway all season go with Destination LE3s

The Michelin Defenders LTX M/S2 is the BEST tire in this category and naturally is highly recommended.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surv...toYear=2021&autoModel=4Runner&autoModClar=SR5

The list is in order of best to worst left to right. If you open the “comfort” rating you will see ‘noise’ and ‘ride quality’. The ‘ride quality’ is the metric for your question.

The Duelers H/T scored a 6.8 in ride quality. The Defender LTX M/S2 scored a 9.4! The Destination LE3s scored a 9.1

 

[Sonoran_Desert]

I use tire racks ratings to make my tire purchase decisions. They are based on objective data (real world testing with instrumentation) as well as subjective data (customer reviews).

The OE Bridgestone H/T Duelers are actually pretty shitty. If you want to stick with Bridgestone and highway all season go with Destination LE3s

The Michelin Defenders LTX M/S2 is the BEST tire in this category and naturally is highly recommended.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surv...toYear=2021&autoModel=4Runner&autoModClar=SR5

The list is in order of best to worst left to right. If you open the “comfort” rating you will see ‘noise’ and ‘ride quality’. The ‘ride quality’ is the metric for your question.

The Duelers H/T scored a 6.8 in ride quality. The Defender LTX M/S2 scored a 9.4! The Destination LE3s scored a 9.1

Tire Rack site is excellent and thank you. Thanks also for the hint to open the "Comfort" rating to see ride quality.

 

[Sonoran_Desert]

I bought the Michelin Defenders LTX MS/2 (OEM size). Very very smooth and comfortable ride. Steering is so unbelievably light and easy. Vehicle corners/turns like a passenger car. I am one happy camper. :thanks:

 

[eurowner]

No joke, dedicated winter tires are the softest riding due to the rubber compound.
Now, the downsides are driving those tires during temps above 40°F, the horrible dry road handling, wearing the tread out very quickly, and a decent drop in MPGs.
:llama:

 

[1Superglide]

I'm on my second set of Michelin's and not only am I happy with the smooth and quiet ride, folks riding with me have commented on how smooth the ride is. I've had a few 4Runners and the Michelin's offer the best overall performance for me.
Highly recommend!