August 4, 2021
In the past, we’ve discussed the duality of tires in the On-/Off-Road All-Terrain category. Some focus primarily on on-road manners while still providing some degree of off-pavement traction, and others feature more of a true, dual-purpose personality, possibly at the expense of some refinement on the road. Up until now, our testing has focused almost exclusively on the former. Given there is no off-road component to our test protocol, it made sense to omit tires with off-road intentions, but even the more "aggressive" On-/Off-Road All-Terrain tires will spend the vast majority of their lives on the road, facing the daily grind and shuttling people from A to B. Traits like ride and noise comfort, light handling, and wet traction are what drivers will live with every day, so it’s important to know which is the best option based on your priorities.
All four tires in our competitive set were untested before we started, and we were excited to see how things would shake out. The group consisted of the Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT, Firestone Destination X/T, General Grabber A/TX, and the Toyo Open Country ATIII. Our evaluation used 2020 Ford F-150 4x4s fitted with new, full tread depth LT265/70R17 Load Range E tires mounted on 17x7.5 wheels.
Our 6.0-mile loop of expressway, state highway and county roads provides a great variety of road conditions that include city and highway speeds, smooth and coarse concrete, as well as new and patched asphalt. This route allows our team to experience noise comfort, ride quality and everyday handling, just as you would during your drive to school or work.
All four tires in our test featured tread patterns designed to deliver formidable traction in variable conditions and on loose terrain. The resulting, open architecture brings with it unavoidable compromises in the form of increased noise and reduced steering precision and responsiveness. Additionally, the durable, 10-ply-rated construction inevitably led to a stiffer ride over all surfaces. While none of these characteristics were unacceptable, it’s important to properly manage expectations for anyone looking to get into a set of aggressive, On-/Off-Road All-Terrain tires.
The Grabber A/TX led our team’s subjective evaluation on the road, offering a nice blend of traits that were close to the top score in every category. The ride was reasonably cushioned, rounding over impacts to prevent them from feeling overly stiff. At around-town speeds, the tread noise was a medium-volume, low-pitched growl that was always in the background. As speeds increased, though, it brought the sound more to the forefront, which prevented the tire from earning the highest subjective score for noise comfort. Like all the tires in the test, the steering was loose and a little vague, but the General had the best on-center feel and the most natural response to inputs and buildup of effort. With the most comfortable ride over bumps of all sizes, the Destination X/T earned the highest score for ride quality. Noise consisted mostly of a singular tone that was higher in pitch and in volume, and it stood out in the vehicle, regardless of the condition of the road. Compared to the other tires, the Firestone’s steering had a bit more play or dead zone before generating meaningful cornering force, and even while turning, it was still light and somewhat lifeless. Toyo’s Open Country A/T III featured ride quality that was firm, though not overly so. Each bump was concise, and body motions were nicely-controlled. The tread noise created by the Toyo was the highest-volume and most distinctive in the test. It was high-pitched and multi-tonal around town and the most intrusive in the cabin at highway speeds. The steering felt natural and had nice return to center, given the type of tire. The Cooper’s ride felt the stiffest of the group. It didn’t mute small bumps as well as the other tires, and larger hits seemed to upset the vehicle and jostle its occupants more than the rest. Noise quality led the test by a small margin, with a distant, two-tone roar whether at low speeds or on the highway. The steering was vague on-center, which led to a little bit of wandering when driving straight ahead. With some input at the wheel, though, it firmed up to an acceptable level.
Maximum handling on a dry track likely isn’t a performance target during the development of On-/Off-Road All-Terrain tires, nor for the Ford F-150 4x4 used as a test vehicle. Because of this, our dry track testing consisted of 50-0mph braking and lateral traction around our skid pad.
The Discoverer AT3 LT led both disciplines, with a 12 foot gap in braking distance compared to the longest in the test. The Open Country A/T III was only 6 feet behind the Cooper in braking, though it trailed the group in lateral traction by a small amount. The Destination X/T and Grabber A/TX were essentially tied at the back of the pack, with the Firestone barely edging out the General by .4 feet in braking and .01G around the skid pad.
Similar to in the dry, the manufacturers represented in our test likely didn’t focus on wet lap times for the tires in this group. Knowing that, our testing protocol involved our team driving our normal track route in a manner similar to someone driving assertively on the street, as opposed to trying to extract every last tenth of a second from their lap times. Objective figures for 50-0mph braking and lateral traction on the skid pad were also taken for all products.
The Grabber A/TX earned the highest score from our team, feeling the most confident through abrupt turns and brake applications in addition to exhibiting the least wheel spin at corner exit or when accelerating aggressively. It also set the shortest 50-0mph braking distance by a foot over the second-place Cooper and nearly 20 feet shorter than the back marker in the test. The Discoverer AT3 LT led the skid pad portion of our objective testing, and it was just a small step behind the General overall. It also felt confident and secure around all the features of our track, particularly during cornering and braking. There was just a touch more wheel spin in a straight line than our team would have liked, which hurt its subjective score a small amount. Taking a medium, but noticeable, step back, the Destination X/T was an acceptable performer in the wet. Our drivers noticed they had to be more careful with brake pedal application to prevent ABS intervention, and they had to be ginger with the throttle to prevent wheel spin because once the tires started spinning, they took a significant amount of time to come back. The Open Country A/T III was another noticeable step behind the Firestone, and it trailed the group in all objective metrics. Subjectively, the truck felt eager to rotate when driving the Toyo. Whether at corner exit, corner entry, or steady-state cornering, the driver had to be conscious of what the rear end of the vehicle was doing. Combined with the relative ease with which the ABS would engage, driving the Toyo briskly was an exercise in patience.
The four tires in our test are branded with the tire industry’s three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol, which indicates they are severe snow service-rated. The test a tire must pass to earn the 3PMSF symbol measures longitudinal acceleration traction in medium-packed snow, and we have repeatedly found significant variance in real-world traction from 3PMSF-branded tires.
Focusing solely on acceleration and braking metrics, the Destination X/T led the test by a healthy margin, comfortably outperforming the rest of the tires in longitudinal traction. Similarly, the confident grip helped it set average lap times that tied for the fastest of the group. Subjectively, our drivers found a noticeable imbalance between longitudinal and lateral grip that hurt the tire’s score, but for normal, street driving it’s most likely to satisfy consumers. The Open Country A/T III tied for the fastest average lap, thanks to an easy-to-drive nature and balanced handling that helped overcome its traction deficit compared to the Firestone. Both its acceleration and braking results were a mere tenth of a foot away from tying for second in the test. The Discoverer AT3 LT trailed the rest of the group by a small amount in objective longitudinal performance, but it earned the second-best subjective score from our team. When driving on the handling track, the tire provided confident front-end authority, satisfying steering, and an even distribution of capabilities. It communicated well with our drivers and presented a well-rounded overall package. Despite longitudinal traction that was second in the test, the Grabber A/TX’s lap times were a somewhat-distant fourth, as was its subjective score from our test team. The steering felt comparatively slow and ponderous, with stubborn understeer that was difficult to avoid. Breakaway at either axle was relatively abrupt, with a steep drop once limits were exceeded.
Our ice testing consisted of 12-0 mph braking, and here the Destination X/T once again set the standard. Its 52.2 foot stopping distance was 8 feet shorter than the second-best Grabber A/TX, and over 15 feet better than the Discoverer AT3 LT at the back of the pack. The Toyo Open Country A/T III stopped in third, though at 65.7 feet was much closer to the Cooper than the Firestone.
Among this group of more "aggressive" On-/Off-Road All-Terrain tires, the General Grabber A/TX stands out thanks to its satisfying blend of balanced performance. On the road it provides reasonable ride and noise comfort combined with steering that feels natural and intuitive. Test-leading wet traction is confidence-inspiring, as well. We would like some additional traction in the snow, but it is likely to satisfy many drivers. The Firestone Destination X/T features the most comfortable ride quality in the test, along with some moderate noise and average wet traction. Where it stands out is in light snow traction, leading the group by a considerable margin in all objective metrics. The Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT offers very good grip in the wet and mild, unobtrusive noise on the road. In the snow, it’s nice to drive and delivers usable traction. The ride is stiff and somewhat unforgiving, and the steering is rather vague, though not unacceptable or even unexpected for the category. The Toyo Open Country A/T III provides good steering characteristics and a controlled, but stiff, ride. It feels confident and has the most fun-to-drive personality in the snow. Tread noise is rather invasive over all surfaces, and the wet traction could use a significant improvement to meet expectations.
Need help choosing the right products for your vehicle? Our team of highly trained experts has the knowledge and passion to help. Just pick up the phone and give us a ring. Or let's chat via email. We love solving problems and lending a hand (or an ear).
Contact Us