August 6, 2021
Off-Road Maximum Traction tires typify the difficult balance All-Terrain focused products are faced with when mixing on-road performance and off-road capability. While there are certainly instances where a vehicle will spend all of its time off-pavement, the majority of drivers spend most of their time on public roads and highways, even when using extremely aggressive off-road-focused products. This leaves tire manufacturers in the precarious position of designing a tire that represents their highest potential in off-road abilities while still satisfying on the street, where the tire will most often find itself. Tire design is a game of give and take, and while no doubt there are off-road-centric features that didn’t make the cut for the sake of on-road manners, Off-Road Maximum Traction tires can have a little less composure and refinement for increased capabilities off the road.
While we’re not able to test loose surface capabilities, our team embarked to find out which Off-Road Maximum Traction tires from a group of well-respected, off-road competitors can satisfy on the road. The impressive lineup consisted of the BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3, Cooper Discoverer STT Pro, General Grabber X3, and the Firestone Destination M/T2. 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 featured in this test have tread patterns designed to deliver excellent traction in extreme off-road environments. 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 leads to a stiffer ride over all surfaces. While none of these characteristics are unacceptable, it’s important to properly manage expectations for anyone looking to get into a set of Off-Road Maximum Traction tires.
During the test, the Grabber X3 led the group in combined subjective scores thanks to its relatively nice manners around town and on the highway. High-volume, variable-pitch tread noise can seem almost unavoidable for drivers of this category of tire and the motorists around them. However, the General managed to blend pattern noise into a consistent tone with only a hint of growl, which pleasantly didn’t have the variable pitches like many of these tires are known for. The Grabber X3 also scored well in ride quality, by being a marked increase in overall comfort relative to the group over both large and smaller imperfections. Steering traits from the General were a little loose and left our team wishing it had more resistance to help tracking and turn-in, particularly at higher speeds. The Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 performed similarly well around our road route with firm but overall balanced road manners. The BFGoodrich impressed our team with each metric seeming well developed, with nothing standing out as unrefined. Impacts along our route were rounded over well, with a mostly consistent, higher-pitched pattern drone that didn’t call too much attention to itself at around town speeds. On the highway though, pitch varying pattern noise did start to make its way into the cabin. Steering feel was well liked by our team, thanks to a smaller dead spot on center with a relatively quick response which firmed up nicely mid corner. The Destination M/T2 also had satisfying steering traits with a solid, well-weighted feel on and off-center that felt nicely metered with a natural change of direction shortly after input. Ride comfort was acceptable, with the Firestone managing to round over sharp impacts and retain the tire’s relative composure very nicely. Our team did take some issue with the road noise from the tire, which exhibited significant two-tone pattern noise that changed pitch dramatically with speed. While certainly not uncommon, or even abnormal for the category, it did seem to stand out among the test group. Rounding out the group on the road was the Discoverer STT Pro with more traditional on-road manners. Like the BFGoodrich, tread noise wasn’t too dramatic at around town speeds, but elevated significantly when speeds increased on the highway. Steering was a little loose when compared to the other tires, and the ride seemed noticeably tuned for off-road durability.
Maximum handling on a dry track likely isn’t a performance target during the development of Off-Road Maximum Traction, 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 Grabber X3 edged out the competition in a very tight group of dry 50-0 mph braking distances. The Discoverer STT Pro and Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 essentially matched each other, coming in right behind the General, with the Destination M/T2 taking less than a foot longer to come to a stop. Overall lateral traction found the Grabber X3 and Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 with identical performances. The Discoverer STT Pro was a step behind the front runners by .03G and the Destination M/T2 a tenth of a G behind the Cooper.
Similar to dry testing, 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.
Once again, the Grabber X3 performed admirably when pushed in the wet and achieved top marks in subjective scores and objective metrics. The tire’s strong traction levels combined nicely for a balanced performance around our handling course that its competitors couldn’t quite match. The Grabber X3 was able to enter corners quicker and accept throttle earlier without crippling understeer or wheel spin. With the team focused more on daily driving traits than outright lap speeds, the General felt significantly more capable around the track than the rest of the group, even if its times were just short of the Discoverer STT Pro. The Cooper’s quick laps were no doubt a result of it matching the highest lateral traction in the test and competitive braking ability. Subjectively, it was just a hair behind the General with a slight step back in handling and balance, but would be certainly capable of satisfying on wet roads. The Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 struggled in comparison to the front runners with more wheel spin and a tendency to make the truck’s rear end step out with relative ease. While a solid step behind in lateral traction, the team found corrections to be relatively easy, which was commendable. Another small step behind the BFGoodrich was the Destination M/T2 pulling .50G on the skidpad and essentially tying the BFGoodrich in 50-0 Mph stopping distance. The small step back in objective traction seemed to result in a significant increase in wheel spin that punished a heavy right foot with a quick loss in traction and an increase in ABS coming into corners. Once calibrated to the lower grip thresholds, the tire was easily manageable, but it felt like a far cry from the two front runners in the test around our handling circuit.
While it’s a common assumption that Off-Road Maximum Traction tires should provide confident traction in the snow due to their aggressive tread patterns, that often isn’t the case. Those off-road-focused designs can sometimes prove effective in deep snow they can "churn" through, but they typically don’t work well in light or compacted snow, and certainly not on ice.
In our light snow testing, the Firestone Destination M/T2 far exceeded the other three tires’ capabilities. Whether discussing objective longitudinal traction in our acceleration and braking evaluation, or lap times and subjective scores around the handling track, the Firestone was dominant in a way that could be measured and felt. The Grabber X3 was the best of the rest, delivering a performance that would likely be satisfactory on the street. Around the track, our team found the steering was quite sluggish, and the breakaway was relatively abrupt when finding the limits of the available traction. The Discoverer STT Pro and Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 were very similar in objective figures, with just two feet separating their acceleration and braking distances and a mere tenth of a second between their lap times. Subjectively, the steering feel of the Discoverer STT Pro was a high point, and the handling was nicely balanced, despite the comparatively low ultimate traction. The Mud-Terrain K/M3 was fairly slow to respond to the driver’s inputs, and rear-axle breakaway was relatively easy to initiate.
Testing on the ice consisted of 12-0 mph braking, and once again the Destination M/T2 was the clear leader. Its 59.1-foot stopping distance was over 20 feet shorter than the last place Discoverer STT Pro. The Grabber X3 and Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 were closely matched in the middle of the pack, with 65.1- and 66.1-foot braking distances, respectively.
Each of the Off-Road Maximum Traction tires we tested performed well for what some might consider a secondary function of their design. The fact is, most will spend their time on solid terrain, ready to leap into action off-road if called upon. The General Grabber X3 delivers essentially everything at a high level with better than expected road manners and wet traction that lead the group in feel and absolute grip. Add its decent grip in the snow, and the result is a well-rounded package. The BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 offers a steady balance of performance, which adds up to a formidable total package, but we would like a big improvement in light snow traction to keep up with the competition. The Cooper Discoverer STT Pro, a staple in off-road circles delivers capable wet grip and overall good on-road performance, combined with mediocre capabilities in the snow. While the Firestone Destination M/T2 just fell short to this top-tier group in our warm-weather testing, it led the group significantly in all aspects of winter performance. Plus, its continued success in the marketplace can’t be overlooked, which would indicate all these tires have what it takes to satisfy the expectations Off-Road Maximum Traction drivers.
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