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BySamantha Catalano/
Different styles of tire come with different purposes. Mud-terrain tires are ideal for off-roading and all-season tires are great for standard conditions that come year-round, like rain and light winter conditions. However, there's a tire that does the work of both of these tire types and is great for vehicles that you would use for your daily driver and your fun mudding vehicle.
All-terrain tires are exactly as they sound — tires prepared to take your vehicle on all types of terrain. Whether youroff-the-dealership-lotoff-roading vehicle needs a new set of tires, or you're considering trading in the stock street tires for something more aggressive, all-terrain will have you covered on every area of the road — literally. Based on professional reviews, personal experience, and positive user ratings, here are five great all-terrain tire options to consider to comfortably and confidently take your vehicle from the streets to the dirt roads. A more thorough explanation of how we selected these tires will be explained at the end of this article.
Toyo Open Country A/T III
Depending on where you plan to drive, whether to work on the highway or to play in the backcountry if the area gets a lot of snow, a noticeable feature to consider for your tires is the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake rating. This rating ensures that the tire has been acceleration tested in medium-packed snow, which means you have a better chance of not getting stuck in a snowstorm. However, this rating does not cover braking or cornering. The Toyo Open Country A/T III has the perks of an all-terrain tire with the safety feature of the Three-PeakMountain Snowflake rating.
Gear Junkie, a professional reviewer of all things camping and motor, claims this tire has one of the best all-terrain tires on the market. Open Country III's traction, steering precision, and towing abilities make it on the pro list. In its real-world testing, the review stated that the grip was excellent, which caused there to be no slips or sideways. Additionally, they do well in wet conditions and have long-lasting tread life.
According to Gear Junkie, deep mud and snow can get packed into the lugs and the noise level on street roads is a bit high. However, from personal experience, these tires on a Tacoma did great towing a camper down a hill out of over six inches of Colorado Snow and are much quieter than KO2 tires. When first put on, the noise was hardly different from the Tacoma's stock tires.
BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2
One of the most popular all-terrain tire options is by far the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2, and for good reason — it's on the list for both Car and Driver's and Gear Junkie's professional reviews for best all-terrain tires, along with many other top-list articles out there. These tires are snow-rated and have tough sidewalls made for an overlanding experience and to prevent objects from splitting it open. Think of it as extra rubber insurance because once the sidewall has been compromised, there's no fixing it — you have to buy a new tire. Additionally, these tires are designed to be driven at a lower PSI — a good idea if you'll be driving over sand, rocks, and other challenging terrains — and the sidewalls will provide the traction you need to keep moving.
As stated, it's a popular choice, so the user reviews are plentiful and positive. It's known that a more rugged tire can cause your miles per gallon to drop. However, on Reddit, a reviewer states that theirs only dropped around 0.5 mpg going from street tires to the BFGs — remember, though, that every vehicle is different and it depends on how the driver drives.
However, if you like to keep up with the newest technology in tires, it may be worth looking into the new BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3. For the remainder of 2024 and 2025, the company will continuously launch new sizes for purchasing.
Nitto Terra Grappler G2
If you're looking for an all-terrain tire that gives the appearance of your standard all-weather tires, the Nitto Terra Grappler G2 is fairly low-key while doing the work it's rated to do. These tires have what are called "coupling joints" in the tread which means that the outermost tread blocks connect to the center blocks allowing for rigidity without the tread being obnoxiously large. This also means that the road noise tends to be lower. However, according to Gear Junkie, they aren't the best for the snow, which personally can be attested. Although, they do well on wet roads and for towing, especially on dirt and rocky back roads.
What you'll notice about these tires compared to all-terrain tires is the less bulky tread. They look like they don't have much meat on them. However, don't let that fool you. When Motor Trend tested these tires off-road and with the psi around 10-12, they still gripped to loose sand and silt and even with the shorter sidewalls, could take in the bumps and get over rocks with ease. Although, keep in mind that these tires aren't to be used for rock crawling.
Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac
Though some tire manufacturers try to lower the toughness of their all-terrain tires to accommodate street driving comforts, Goodyear went the opposite direction with its Wrangler DuraTrac tires. According to Gear Junkie, these tires are stable on dry roads and work well on slippery terrains, while having the toughness to handle heavy loads and towing. Along with enhanced traction for deep mud and snow, these tires also have off-road traction that allows them to self-clean and clear the tread of debris. They also have rim protection for those accidental curb run-ins and Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake.
However, with all those durable features, these tires are known by users to be loud. In some web forums, it is said that all these tires wear down and the howl will get louder, especially at highway speeds and if not rotated regularly. With that being said, many who have bought them, love them. It's been said that they do well in the snow, and some have even gotten 50k miles out of one set, which explains the long limited tread life warranty offered by Goodyear.
General Grabber A/TX
If you're looking for an affordable yet highly-rated tire from professional reviewers, the General Grabber A/TX is a good option. Not only do they have a fairly aggressive look, but the tread is considered to be long-lasting and comes with up to a 60,000-mile limited treadwear warranty. They also come in many different sizes, so even if your wheels are oddly sized, you should be able to find some that fit.
The aggressive tread isn't just for looks. Motor Trend tested these tires climbing over rocks and in the snow, and they were nothing short of impressed. They tested the tires both aired down and at street pressure, and according to the review, the tires performed well on all types of terrain in both states. The tires are Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake rated and have several sipes, the smallest grooves on a tire, to help the tread blocks flex and stay connected to the ground. This helps keep contact when the terrain starts to become slippery, so you can easily dig yourself out of sketchy situations.
How we chose these all-terrain tires
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These tires were selected based mainly on professional reviews. Each tire has been reviewed by a professional website or publication that is well-respected in the motor community and knowledgeable about tires. These professionals are simply there to educate the public and offer honest feedback from their real-world testing. However, personal experience on some of these tires was also taken into consideration as well as positive reviews from users on forums such as Reddit and within the rating and review section on product pages.
Each of these tires is under the price of $300 at tire shops like Discount Tire. However, be aware that based on the wheel size, the price can fluctuate. For example, BFGoodrich KO2 tires cost $282 per tire at Discount Tire to fit an 18-inch rim but only $244 per tire on a 17-inch rim. A good note to remember, though, is if you're getting your tires, wheels, TPMS sensors, or even window wipers at Discount Tire, the company does price match. It's always a good idea to know the average price of tiresand make sure you're getting a good deal before paying hundreds of dollars for a set.
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