Not your average "Who makes the best AT?" thread. This is an above average one!
1) Consumer Reports ranks Cooper AT3 as number 1. Several 4x4 magazines tested the top ATs and ranked Cooper AT3 best. Price is medium. Good value, IMO. The AT3 has a 55,000 mile tread warranty.
Edited in 3 Years Later:Cooper released a new tire called the AT/W. The ATW is AT3 redesigned with softer rubber and way more sipes for more Winter traction. The ATW has a 50,000 mile tread warranty. Size availability is limited at this time, but Cooper is taking size requests for making more sizes of ATW. You can go to Cooper's website to see what sizes of ATW are currently offered by looking in their Sport Utility and Light Truck sections. If the size you want isn't offered in a load rating you want, email Cooper and ask them to start making the size ATW you want.
Edited in 3 Years Later: The rankings below were current when I posted them 3 years ago, but have changed since then. Cooper AT3 and Hankook ATM have dropped from top two rankings, but are still among the top 4. Lack of Winter traction dropped the AT3 ranking. However, Cooper now offers the ATW which is among the top ranked ATs currently, and BFG now offers BFG AT KO2 which is another top ranked tire.
Edited in 4 Years Later: IMO the 3 best AT tires (currently) are (in no particular order): Cooper ATW, BFG AT KO2, and Cooper AT3. Others may have other opinions.
1, 10, or in between?) Tire Rack ranks Firestone Destination AT as number 1, but Consumer Reports ranks it as number 10. There are numerous 4x4 magazines who tested it and liked it, one loved it. So I'm sure it's reasonably good. I think its ranking belongs somewhere around # 5. Price is good.
2) Tire Rack and Consumer Reports both rank Michelin LTX AT2 as number 2. Price is expensive. It is great on dry and wet roads, and Winter roads. Those are high priorities with Tire Rack and especially Consumer Reports. However, I doubt it has any self cleaning ability for mud.
3) Consumer Reports ranks Hankook Dynapro ATM as number 3. Petersons Offroad ranks Hankook Dynapro ATM number 3. Price is expensive, but worth it, IMO.
3 or 5?) Tire Rack ranks Kumho Road Venture SAT KL61 as number 3. Consumer Reports ranked it as number 5. ConsumerSearch.com ranked it the best value priced AT. Price is very very good. Excellent value.
4) Consumer Reports ranks Kumho Road Venture AT KL78 as number 4. Tire Rack ranks it as number 13. I personally like this tire for its exceptional Winter snow AND ICE traction. The only question is how many miles would it last? Price is very good. Good value.
4) Tire Rack rates Goodyear Silent Armor as number 4. Consumer Reports didn't test it or include it in its rankings this time. Price is expensive. I don't know much about this tire, but many professional reviewers and http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f15/...es-best-thread-above-average-one-1527835/user reviewers love this tire.
5) or last place?) Tire Rack ranks General Grabber AT2 as number 5, but Consumer Reports ranks it poorly (far below top 10).
6) Consumer Reports ranks Bridgestone Duelor AT Revo-2 as number 6. I don't know much about this tire, but many professional reviewers and user reviewers love this tire.
7) Tire Rack rates BFG AT as number 7. Consumer Reports didn't test it or include it in its rankings this time. It's no longer the best, but is still good. There are better tires (IMO) that cost less, but don't count out BFG AT. It's still good and very popular. The fact that there are other tires ranked above it is because those other tires are excellent. Rankings reflect tire performance, not popularity. BFG is still the most popular. i.e. - more people buy it than any other.
The on road performance differences are very slight between the top 4. All the top 4 ranked tires are the best, IMO. All the top 7 are excellent, IMO. You can't go wrong with any of the top 7 choices, IMO.
---
Is Winter traction important to you? Some top rated ATs are RMA snow flake rated Winter traction devices. I believe the best for Winter road traction are Kumho Road Venture AT KL78, Nokian Rotiva AT, Michelin LTX AT2, Hankook ATM, Hercules AT2, and Cooper ATW. The Kumho is a good, low cost, value option; the Nokian Rotiva, Michelin LTX AT2, and Hankook ATM are expensive, highend options. The Hercules AT2 is a mid-price option. I prefer Nokian over Michelin because I think the Nokian would be better off road and equally excellent on road. The Hankook ATM and Hercules AT2 are comparable to Nokian and Michelin for Winter traction, but the Hankook and Hercules have more off road ability in regard to traction and toughness. However, the Hankook ATM makes more noise on road. The others mentioned in this paragraph are exceptionally quiet on road. The Hercules AT2 shares same carcass and tread compound as Cooper AT3, and same soft ride as Cooper AT3, but different tread and more sipes than Cooper AT3. The Cooper ATW is to new to have been tested or ranked by reviewers yet, but I think over the next year's time it will prove to be one of the best AT's for Winter traction.
My personal favorite ATs for combination on and off road, and Winter roads, are Hankook ATM and Hercules AT2.
Those are your best AT choices for traction on snow AND ICE. Several other top ranked ATs are rated excellent on snow, but only fair on ice (Cooper AT3, BFG AT, and Firestone AT for examples).
---
Is mud traction important to you? My Cooper AT3 have taken me uphill in 4" deep mud in 2wd (open diffs) without spinning. I never intend to go mudding. I like trail riding, but in a rain forest trail riding usually involves some mudding. I usually do it in 2wd. Occasionally I need 4wd, but not often. I haven't even needed to air down the tires because they ride soft enough and have good traction at street pressure.
It's not yet known how the Cooper ATW will do in mud. I suspect it might do well since it's essentially a Cooper AT3 modified with a slightly softer tread compound, more sipes, and slightly smaller voids. The smaller voids won't be helpful in mud, but even though the ATW voids are smaller than AT3 voids, the ATW still has larger voids than most other ATs. So I'm hopeful the ATW will be reasonably decent in mud. It will certainly be an improvement for Winter conditions.
---
Observations... I notice most highly rated ATs have 5 rows of tread blocks. Silent Armor is an exception with 6 rows of tread blocks. Kumho Road Venture AT KL78 is an exception with 4 rows of tread blocks. I suspect more rows of tread blocks might be more stable at high speeds, and might hydroplane less (more rows = more circumferential grooves.)
===
Edited in Later: Later in this thread, respect for Hankook ATM rises, and Hercules AT2 and Mastercraft AXT (cousins of Cooper AT3) are introduced. The Hankook ATM and Hercules AT2 are reputed to be exceptionally good on Winter roads. Also introduced later is Hercules Avalanche Xtreme LT, which is an excellent Winter tire that's rated for year round use. The Avalanche might also serve as an AT year round, which will be discussed.
Edited in Later: I just saw an XJ with new Multi-Mile Wild Country XTX Sport LT that looked like really good AT to my eye. A great mix of large and small treadblocks and large and small voids, and lots of sipes for wet pavement and ice traction. Looks like a great AT to me, but I haven't seen any reviews of it. For what it's worth, I'd buy it.
Edited in Later: Later in thread we look at specific sizes. Sometimes the best tire in a given size is NOT the best in another size. Choose your favorite tires and sizes, then compare their weights, heights, load rating, tread depth, and other attributes in each size you are interested in. You may find you prefer a certain tire best in one size, but prefer another tire best in another size.
Edited in Later: Don't get a load E tire for a Jeep. The thing I don't like about Hankook is not enough load C choices. Personally, if I couldn't get a Hankook ATM in a size I want and load C, then I'll look for another brand that offers that size in C. Load E and D are to much for a Jeep - ruins gas mileage and ride quality. P are fine for on road and gravel roads, but aren't tough enough when you start doing trails or tougher. C are the right amount of toughness for a daily driver that does off road. C are intended for a 1/2 ton truck. Your Jeep is a 1/4 ton truck. So C is the right amount of overkill to give you some insurance against flats when you go off road. Also, LT tires in C (or D or E) have deeper tread than P tires. The deeper tread helps traction off road, especially in mud and snow, and it helps prevent hydroplaning on wet highway. If you're forced to choose between P or E, get the P, but C would be a better all purpose choice if you go off road.
Edited in Later: I noticed at Cooper's website in the Sport Utility section in ATW section that there are new load ratings called STD and XL. I'm not sure what those mean. I think they're something in between the old P and C ratings. If so, that provides some additional good options for a daily driver that goes off road. My impression is the STD and XL offer toughness in between P and C. The STD and XJ have the same tread depth as P rated tires, from what I've read in the specs. At this point, it seems to me that STD and XL may offer more tire options for daily drivers that sometimes go off road.
However, those two new load ratings (STD and XL) are new to me. So if anyone has more info on them, please post it.
===
Edited in a year later:
1) Consumer Reports ranks Cooper AT3 as number 1. Several 4x4 magazines tested the top ATs and ranked Cooper AT3 best. Price is medium. Good value, IMO. The AT3 has a 55,000 mile tread warranty.
I have Cooper AT3 and love them. I like them much better than the BFG AT and General Grabber AT2 I previously owned. Cooper AT3 is much better on road than BFG AT and Grabber AT2; and Cooper AT3 is better off road too. The Cooper AT3 even has decent mud ability off road!
I'm especially impressed with Cooper AT3's soft ride, excellent steering feel, and silence on road. It's like a car tire on road, but still has excellent traction and is reasonably tough. It's really an amazing tire.
Edited in 3 Years Later: I'm still very impressed with on road (especially wet highways where it never hydroplanes), gravel roads, trails and mud. Sand performance is mediocre. Snow performance is mediocre. Ice performance is poor. I reported my lack of Winter traction to Cooper and was told that others had complained of the same. Cooper has a solution: The new Cooper ATW.
I'm especially impressed with Cooper AT3's soft ride, excellent steering feel, and silence on road. It's like a car tire on road, but still has excellent traction and is reasonably tough. It's really an amazing tire.
Edited in 3 Years Later: I'm still very impressed with on road (especially wet highways where it never hydroplanes), gravel roads, trails and mud. Sand performance is mediocre. Snow performance is mediocre. Ice performance is poor. I reported my lack of Winter traction to Cooper and was told that others had complained of the same. Cooper has a solution: The new Cooper ATW.
Edited in 3 Years Later:Cooper released a new tire called the AT/W. The ATW is AT3 redesigned with softer rubber and way more sipes for more Winter traction. The ATW has a 50,000 mile tread warranty. Size availability is limited at this time, but Cooper is taking size requests for making more sizes of ATW. You can go to Cooper's website to see what sizes of ATW are currently offered by looking in their Sport Utility and Light Truck sections. If the size you want isn't offered in a load rating you want, email Cooper and ask them to start making the size ATW you want.
Edited in 3 Years Later: The rankings below were current when I posted them 3 years ago, but have changed since then. Cooper AT3 and Hankook ATM have dropped from top two rankings, but are still among the top 4. Lack of Winter traction dropped the AT3 ranking. However, Cooper now offers the ATW which is among the top ranked ATs currently, and BFG now offers BFG AT KO2 which is another top ranked tire.
Edited in 4 Years Later: IMO the 3 best AT tires (currently) are (in no particular order): Cooper ATW, BFG AT KO2, and Cooper AT3. Others may have other opinions.
My personal favorites for a Northern climate to use year round including cold, wet, snowy, icy Winters are the ATW and KO2. Both are great for snow. The KO2 is better on ice, but the ATW is better on wet pavement because it doesn't hydroplane. The KO2 has a tendency to hydroplane at high speed on wet highways, as does the KO. I base that on a combination of reviews I've read and my personal experiences.
ATW is my most favorite because it is highly resistant to hydroplaning, which is important to me in my super wet climate. AT3 is also highly resistant to hydroplaning. ATW has more wet traction than AT3 because ATW has more sipes.
ATW is my most favorite because it is highly resistant to hydroplaning, which is important to me in my super wet climate. AT3 is also highly resistant to hydroplaning. ATW has more wet traction than AT3 because ATW has more sipes.
1, 10, or in between?) Tire Rack ranks Firestone Destination AT as number 1, but Consumer Reports ranks it as number 10. There are numerous 4x4 magazines who tested it and liked it, one loved it. So I'm sure it's reasonably good. I think its ranking belongs somewhere around # 5. Price is good.
2) Tire Rack and Consumer Reports both rank Michelin LTX AT2 as number 2. Price is expensive. It is great on dry and wet roads, and Winter roads. Those are high priorities with Tire Rack and especially Consumer Reports. However, I doubt it has any self cleaning ability for mud.
3) Consumer Reports ranks Hankook Dynapro ATM as number 3. Petersons Offroad ranks Hankook Dynapro ATM number 3. Price is expensive, but worth it, IMO.
3 or 5?) Tire Rack ranks Kumho Road Venture SAT KL61 as number 3. Consumer Reports ranked it as number 5. ConsumerSearch.com ranked it the best value priced AT. Price is very very good. Excellent value.
4) Consumer Reports ranks Kumho Road Venture AT KL78 as number 4. Tire Rack ranks it as number 13. I personally like this tire for its exceptional Winter snow AND ICE traction. The only question is how many miles would it last? Price is very good. Good value.
4) Tire Rack rates Goodyear Silent Armor as number 4. Consumer Reports didn't test it or include it in its rankings this time. Price is expensive. I don't know much about this tire, but many professional reviewers and http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f15/...es-best-thread-above-average-one-1527835/user reviewers love this tire.
5) or last place?) Tire Rack ranks General Grabber AT2 as number 5, but Consumer Reports ranks it poorly (far below top 10).
I previously owned this tire. IME, it's a great performing aggressive AT, except that it rides ROUGH. Every bump hits hard. Otherwise a great tire. Is is an exceptionally tough tire with strong, thick sidewalls. Price is good. Good value. It's a great tire if you don't mind a rough ride.
6) Consumer Reports ranks Bridgestone Duelor AT Revo-2 as number 6. I don't know much about this tire, but many professional reviewers and user reviewers love this tire.
7) Tire Rack rates BFG AT as number 7. Consumer Reports didn't test it or include it in its rankings this time. It's no longer the best, but is still good. There are better tires (IMO) that cost less, but don't count out BFG AT. It's still good and very popular. The fact that there are other tires ranked above it is because those other tires are excellent. Rankings reflect tire performance, not popularity. BFG is still the most popular. i.e. - more people buy it than any other.
The on road performance differences are very slight between the top 4. All the top 4 ranked tires are the best, IMO. All the top 7 are excellent, IMO. You can't go wrong with any of the top 7 choices, IMO.
I personally think Cooper ATW, Nokian Rotiva AT, and Toyo Open Country AT2 are also among the best ATs., but they didn't get tested, reviewed, or ranked by any major professional reviewers because these tires are new. I think it's likely they will be highly ranked after next year's testing. I suspect the new Cooper ATW might be number one ranked tire after next year's testing.
Toyo Open Country AT2 is so new that there is only one professional review of it by a truck magazine that tested the P version on road and loved it. There are 3 tread versions of this tire: P, LT, and X-Treme, and user reviews often don't specify which tread version they own and are reviewing. I have only read one professional review done by a pick-up truck magazine that reviewed the P version on road and loved it. I think the LT version is probably among the best ATs. I think the Xtreme version is a hybrid tire, not an AT. A hybrid is more aggressive than AT, but less aggressive than MT. A hybrid is between AT & MT.
I cannot include Nokian Rotiva AT in the rankings because (at this time) it's not been reviewed by any professional sources that I've seen, and not been compared to other tires. However, I think it is probably among the best ATs. I hope new tests and reviews are done soon, and next time include this tire. I expect this would be an excellent AT on snow and ice, and good at everything else.
I cannot include Nokian Rotiva AT in the rankings because (at this time) it's not been reviewed by any professional sources that I've seen, and not been compared to other tires. However, I think it is probably among the best ATs. I hope new tests and reviews are done soon, and next time include this tire. I expect this would be an excellent AT on snow and ice, and good at everything else.
---
Is Winter traction important to you? Some top rated ATs are RMA snow flake rated Winter traction devices. I believe the best for Winter road traction are Kumho Road Venture AT KL78, Nokian Rotiva AT, Michelin LTX AT2, Hankook ATM, Hercules AT2, and Cooper ATW. The Kumho is a good, low cost, value option; the Nokian Rotiva, Michelin LTX AT2, and Hankook ATM are expensive, highend options. The Hercules AT2 is a mid-price option. I prefer Nokian over Michelin because I think the Nokian would be better off road and equally excellent on road. The Hankook ATM and Hercules AT2 are comparable to Nokian and Michelin for Winter traction, but the Hankook and Hercules have more off road ability in regard to traction and toughness. However, the Hankook ATM makes more noise on road. The others mentioned in this paragraph are exceptionally quiet on road. The Hercules AT2 shares same carcass and tread compound as Cooper AT3, and same soft ride as Cooper AT3, but different tread and more sipes than Cooper AT3. The Cooper ATW is to new to have been tested or ranked by reviewers yet, but I think over the next year's time it will prove to be one of the best AT's for Winter traction.
My personal favorite ATs for combination on and off road, and Winter roads, are Hankook ATM and Hercules AT2.
Those are your best AT choices for traction on snow AND ICE. Several other top ranked ATs are rated excellent on snow, but only fair on ice (Cooper AT3, BFG AT, and Firestone AT for examples).
---
Is mud traction important to you? My Cooper AT3 have taken me uphill in 4" deep mud in 2wd (open diffs) without spinning. I never intend to go mudding. I like trail riding, but in a rain forest trail riding usually involves some mudding. I usually do it in 2wd. Occasionally I need 4wd, but not often. I haven't even needed to air down the tires because they ride soft enough and have good traction at street pressure.
It's not yet known how the Cooper ATW will do in mud. I suspect it might do well since it's essentially a Cooper AT3 modified with a slightly softer tread compound, more sipes, and slightly smaller voids. The smaller voids won't be helpful in mud, but even though the ATW voids are smaller than AT3 voids, the ATW still has larger voids than most other ATs. So I'm hopeful the ATW will be reasonably decent in mud. It will certainly be an improvement for Winter conditions.
---
Observations... I notice most highly rated ATs have 5 rows of tread blocks. Silent Armor is an exception with 6 rows of tread blocks. Kumho Road Venture AT KL78 is an exception with 4 rows of tread blocks. I suspect more rows of tread blocks might be more stable at high speeds, and might hydroplane less (more rows = more circumferential grooves.)
===
Edited in Later: Later in this thread, respect for Hankook ATM rises, and Hercules AT2 and Mastercraft AXT (cousins of Cooper AT3) are introduced. The Hankook ATM and Hercules AT2 are reputed to be exceptionally good on Winter roads. Also introduced later is Hercules Avalanche Xtreme LT, which is an excellent Winter tire that's rated for year round use. The Avalanche might also serve as an AT year round, which will be discussed.
Edited in Later: I just saw an XJ with new Multi-Mile Wild Country XTX Sport LT that looked like really good AT to my eye. A great mix of large and small treadblocks and large and small voids, and lots of sipes for wet pavement and ice traction. Looks like a great AT to me, but I haven't seen any reviews of it. For what it's worth, I'd buy it.
Edited in Later: Later in thread we look at specific sizes. Sometimes the best tire in a given size is NOT the best in another size. Choose your favorite tires and sizes, then compare their weights, heights, load rating, tread depth, and other attributes in each size you are interested in. You may find you prefer a certain tire best in one size, but prefer another tire best in another size.
Edited in Later: Don't get a load E tire for a Jeep. The thing I don't like about Hankook is not enough load C choices. Personally, if I couldn't get a Hankook ATM in a size I want and load C, then I'll look for another brand that offers that size in C. Load E and D are to much for a Jeep - ruins gas mileage and ride quality. P are fine for on road and gravel roads, but aren't tough enough when you start doing trails or tougher. C are the right amount of toughness for a daily driver that does off road. C are intended for a 1/2 ton truck. Your Jeep is a 1/4 ton truck. So C is the right amount of overkill to give you some insurance against flats when you go off road. Also, LT tires in C (or D or E) have deeper tread than P tires. The deeper tread helps traction off road, especially in mud and snow, and it helps prevent hydroplaning on wet highway. If you're forced to choose between P or E, get the P, but C would be a better all purpose choice if you go off road.
Edited in Later: I noticed at Cooper's website in the Sport Utility section in ATW section that there are new load ratings called STD and XL. I'm not sure what those mean. I think they're something in between the old P and C ratings. If so, that provides some additional good options for a daily driver that goes off road. My impression is the STD and XL offer toughness in between P and C. The STD and XJ have the same tread depth as P rated tires, from what I've read in the specs. At this point, it seems to me that STD and XL may offer more tire options for daily drivers that sometimes go off road.
However, those two new load ratings (STD and XL) are new to me. So if anyone has more info on them, please post it.
===
Edited in a year later:
Consumer Reports has substantially changed it's AT rankings a year later. See post 967 for new rankings.
Both years Consumer Reports didn't test or rank BFG AT KO or KO2, which I think is an egregious omission on their part since that's the tire experienced people are used to comparing other tires too. Consumer Reports also has not tested or reviewed the Toyo AT2, which is another serious omission.
Both years Tire Rack has not tested or ranked any Cooper tires because tire rack doesn't sell Cooper tires.
So I have to question the impartiality and/or competence of the Consumer Reports and Tire Rack reviews and rankings, and 4x4 magazines are an unreliable source of information because the same concerns often apply to them. So take any reviews from any of those sources with a grain of salt. User reviews aren't always reliable either because once people buy something they are often biased and determined to prove they made the right choice. So any reviews must be taken with a grain of salt no matter the source. Also, remember that all user reviews and some professional reviews are based on performance in a specific climate, which might not apply to your climate.
Both years Consumer Reports didn't test or rank BFG AT KO or KO2, which I think is an egregious omission on their part since that's the tire experienced people are used to comparing other tires too. Consumer Reports also has not tested or reviewed the Toyo AT2, which is another serious omission.
Both years Tire Rack has not tested or ranked any Cooper tires because tire rack doesn't sell Cooper tires.
So I have to question the impartiality and/or competence of the Consumer Reports and Tire Rack reviews and rankings, and 4x4 magazines are an unreliable source of information because the same concerns often apply to them. So take any reviews from any of those sources with a grain of salt. User reviews aren't always reliable either because once people buy something they are often biased and determined to prove they made the right choice. So any reviews must be taken with a grain of salt no matter the source. Also, remember that all user reviews and some professional reviews are based on performance in a specific climate, which might not apply to your climate.