July 11, 2022
The argument could be made that On-/Off-Road All-Terrain tires are expected to deliver the most disparate blend of characteristics in the tire world. Consumers want a rugged, muscular appearance and substantial off-road prowess and durability. Simultaneously, the expectation is that they will provide satisfying on-road comfort and keep tread noise to a relatively subdued level. Of course, they must have confident wet traction, and nowadays it would be very unusual if an On-/Off-Road All-Terrain tire didn’t have enough light snow capability to earn the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol.
Delivering on these varied expectations and managing the balance of performance tradeoffs is a challenging task for tire manufacturers. Even within the single category of On-/Off-Road All-Terrain, we see a wide variety of strategies and philosophies. Some tires lean more to the "aggressive" side of the equation, favoring off-road expertise and oftentimes light snow traction. Others are nearly "cosmetic all-terrain" tires, those that focus primarily on ride and noise comfort, with just enough visual appeal and off-road capability to pass muster. Then there are those that fall somewhere in between, like the tires in our test group. While they may not be the first choice for the enthusiastic off-roader, they possess significantly more than just a modicum of traction for variable terrain. Importantly, they are also designed to provide much more on-road refinement than more aggressive options, and all three are branded with the 3PMSF symbol.
The competitive set for our evaluation is headlined by the new-for-2022 Kumho Road Venture AT52. As competitors, we selected the consumer-favorite Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S and the previously-untested General Grabber APT. We used 2022 Ford Explorer ST test vehicles fitted with new, full tread depth 265/60R18 tires mounted on 18x8.0 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.
It was an extremely close matchup in the Road Ride portion of our evaluation, and the Discoverer AT3 4S managed to walk away with the highest subjective score, though only by one one-hundredth of a point. The Cooper’s ride was the firmest of the group, and while it controlled the vehicle’s body motions very well, it also transmitted more impacts to the cabin than the other options. It wasn’t overly stiff, but our team would have liked some additional cushion over bumps. The noise comfort was test-leading. On coarse concrete or asphalt, the pattern created a singular, broad tone with no distinct notes. When the surface was smooth, some minor cavity noise barely stood out over the sound of the wind and vehicle. Steering feel was solid, and the effort built in a nicely linear fashion with input, but it also felt a little dull. Our drivers wanted some additional responsiveness to make the experience a little more engaging. Closely behind the Cooper, the Road Venture AT52 also had a lot to offer drivers. The ride was more compliant, taking the edge off larger bumps and filtering out some of the minor imperfections and undulations. The pattern created some multi-tonal sounds over coarse surfaces, with a light, higher-pitched tone plus a lower, underlying tread growl. On smooth roads, there was some high-pitched reverberation that could be heard over ambient noise. The steering was a high point, thanks to the tire’s linear, responsive nature. While it didn’t have as much heft as the Cooper, the Road Venture AT52 felt alert and almost sporty in the way it reacted to the driver’s inputs. The Grabber APT was less than two-tenths of a point behind the leaders, thanks in part to ride quality that was the best in the test. The General managed to combine satisfying composure with the most compliance over imperfections. While it was very close to the Kumho, the Grabber APT took the edge off bumps slightly better than the runner-up without any apparent tradeoff in motion control. In noise comfort, it trailed by a small amount due to its varied, low-pitched tones over all surfaces. They were slightly higher in volume and more distinctive than either competitor, and there was a light, higher-pitched whine on smooth roads, as well. The steering was acceptable for an On-/Off-Road All-Terrain tire, though it didn’t stand out in the test. It had a rather larger dead spot on-center, requiring the most input before it would respond. Once loaded up, it was reasonably linear, but overall, the feel wasn’t as satisfying as the other options.
Our 1/3-mile per lap test track course includes 90-degree street corners, a five-cone slalom and simulated expressway ramps. Run in both dry and wet conditions, the test track allows our team to experience the traction, responsiveness, handling, and drivability normally only encountered during abrupt emergency avoidance maneuvers or competition events.
With most On-/Off-Road All-Terrain tires spending the majority of their lives on paved roads, wet traction is an essential component of their performance attributes, and the Discoverer AT3 4S led our wet testing. With 50-0 mph braking distances that were more than 10 feet shorter than the next-closest competitor, plus best-in-test lateral traction and average lap times, the Cooper swept all objective metrics. Subjectively, our drivers liked the tire’s braking behavior and cornering traction. The steering was a little dull, and the handling balance leaned toward safe, controllable understeer. Even though the Road Venture AT52 couldn’t quite keep up on the objective traction side of the equation, it was close to the leader in subjective scoring. It couldn’t slow as abruptly or carry as much speed through turns, but the alert steering combined with the adequate traction to provide satisfying front end authority that made the vehicle feel eager to change direction. A touch of controllable, engaging oversteer off-throttle and under braking helped rotate around turns and increased the fun-to-drive factor. The Grabber APT essentially tied with the Kumho in 50-0 mph braking and lateral traction on the skid pad, but it struggled to utilize the modest traction when hustled around the track. The steering felt nice, with quick responses and reasonable precision. The overall balance was where our team took objection, as it wanted to oversteer in most situations. Abrupt breakaway at the rear required quick hands and attentive driving, whether through fast transitions, under braking, or under power at the limit of grip. Trying to carry too much speed through 90 degree turns resulted in steady understeer, but in general, the natural behavior on our test platform was strong oversteer.
Dry track capability isn’t really a design focus for On-/Off-Road All-Terrain tires, but emergency braking and accident avoidance are key attributes for any driver. In that regard, all three tires proved capable, with the Road Venture AT52 leading the test in 50-0 mph braking and coming in a close third in our skid pad testing. The Grabber APT took a mere .8 feet longer to come to a stop and also tied for the highest lateral gs in the test. The Discoverer AT3 4S required two feet more than the Kumho in braking, and it was the other half of our tie on the skid pad.
Snow and ice are some of the most demanding terrain that tires can be put through, and even a top-tier dry or wet tire may find itself struggling through in frigid weather. The Discoverer AT3 4S demonstrated good acceleration, braking, and grip. It isn’t a perfectly balanced tire, as the longitudinal traction slightly exceeded its lateral grip, but it kept our team in command. Our drivers were able to rotate into turns and maintain controllability, and even when the tire felt pushy, our testers were able to catch and bring it back in line. The Grabber APT was a different story: once it reached the limit of traction the front end produced significant understeer and a sluggish return to forward progress. Kumho’s Road Venture AT52 proved to be slightly faster than the General, but it also struggled a little laterally. Since the front and rear axles would typically break away at the same time, the vehicle had a tendency to push wide through turns, especially under throttle. This required our drivers to make their inputs to "set the course" well before approaching each corner.
On the ice, the Road Venture AT52 did post the best stopping distance of the tires in this test, followed closely by the Grabber APT and Discoverer AT3 4S, with only a foot separating the latter two.
Our group of On-/Off-Road All-Terrain tires all follow a similar strategy to manage the difficult balance of meeting highly-varied consumer demands. As a result, they are very closely-matched in many respects. The Kumho Road Venture AT52 delivers impressive ride comfort and surprisingly sporty steering feel on the road, combined with acceptable levels of noise for an On-/Off-Road All-Terrain tire. Its wet traction is a step off the leader objectively, and its performance in the snow is further back still, though its balance and athleticism make it feel stronger in execution than the numbers would indicate. The Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S is firm and composed on the street, with commendably low tread noise and direct, if a little dull, steering. Its objective wet traction is a noticeable step above the competition, and it leads the way in the dry and winter conditions as well, with strong, consistent behavior in snow. General’s Grabber APT leads the group in ride quality, with only slightly elevated levels of tire noise compared to the other tires in the group. The steering is vague on-center, but overall not out of place for the category. Its wet traction is a perceptible step back from the best in the test, and some undesirable handling traits hurt its subjective results, as well. The Grabber APT’s cold weather performance is a step behind the competition.
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