Overland Journal all-terrain tire test
Some members have mentioned the Overland Journal summer 2014 review of all-terrain tires. I thought I’d post a summary for those who don’t have a copy.
They tested 7 tires – BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO, **** Cepek Fun Country, Falken WildPeak A/T, General Grabber AT2, Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure, Toyo Open Country A/T II, and Cooper Discoverer A/T3 – in size LT265/70R17E on two 10th anniversary Jeep Wrangler Rubicons. For on-road performance, they compared handling limits, braking, slalom, skidpad and wet cornering performance, and conducted a highway test. For on-trail performance, they used a dirt oval, a rut test and a rock climb. The trick was to make everything repeatable, controllable and objective as possible.
They gave all-around summaries of each tire’s performance, and then listed the general pros and cons of each:
Bf Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO -
Pros: Three-ply sidewall
Good damping and deflection on dirt
Classic all-terrain design
Cons: Poor adhesion
Poor wet traction performance
Excessive lug chipping and tearing
Did not complete rock climb
**** Cepek Fun County –
Pros: Good lateral on-pavement grip
Mechanical keying on rock from large tread lugs
Deep tread
Cons: Did not complete rock climb
Unpredictable at high speeds on dirt and pavement
Poor straight-line braking performance
Falken WildPeak A/T –
Pros: Class-leading dry rock traction
Excellent initial grip on dry pavement
Smooth and quiet on the highway
Cons: Vague on-center feel
Trends toward oversteer on dirt
Fast wearing due to soft compound and lug pattern depth
General Grabber AT2 –
Pros: Good lateral on-pavement grip
Direct and accurate at speed
Excellent grip at speed on dirt
60,000 mile warranty
Cons: Did not complete rock climb
Firm ride quality
Poor straight-line braking performance
Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure –
Pros: Quiet and stable on the road
Fastest slalom average
Highest lateral g on skid pad
Excellent braking characteristics
Cons: Limited grip in all dirt conditions
Did not complete rock climb
Overshoot after countersteer
Toyo Open County A/T II –
Pros: Good line-holding on dirt oval
Excellent carcass and lug deformation
Smooth and quiet on-highway
Excellent on- and off-pavement braking performance
Cons: Lowest overall pavement performance
Poor wet traction performance
Shallow tread depth
Cooper Discoverer A/T3 –
Pros: High-speed control and predictability on dirt
Greatest range of performance
Best wet pavement traction
Cons: Lacks three-ply sidewall
“Editor’s Choice and Value Award: The Cooper Discoverer A/T3 was the overwhelming winner and a genuine value. The cost saving is no doubt a result of the company being one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers. The A/T3 was the second fastest through the slalom and wet corner, third fastest through the skid pad, and had the third shortest braking distance. On the highway the Cooper was direct, quiet, and smooth – a tester favorite for long-distance cruising. One would think that all of this pavement performance would result in a lackluster dirt showing, but the Discoverer was an animal on the dirt oval and provided huge driver confidence. This directly translates to improved safety for an overland traveler. The Cooper was also one of the three tires that climbed the rock face successfully.”
