Tire Test Results

Tires Tested

• What We Liked: Its cushioned ride over rough impacts and good winter performance.
• What We'd Improve: It needs a significant increase in dry and wet traction to stay competitive.
• Conclusion: It is a comfortable option for the daily drive if wet traction isn't a priority.

• What We Liked: Its relaxed, poised performance on the road and in the wet was impressive.
• What We'd Improve: We'd like some more winter traction to compete with other 3PMSF options.
• Conclusion: It's a well-executed On-Road All-Terrain that exemplifies the category.

• What We Liked: Its sharp, hefty steering at all speeds and situations was satisfying.
• What We'd Improve: We'd soften the ride and find some additional winter grip.
• Conclusion: It's another good example of how the right tool for the job satisfies expectations.

What We Learned on the Road

Our 6.0-mile loop of expressway, state highway and county roads provide 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.

With on-road civility being the focused differentiator for the On-Road All-Terrain category, our team knew each tire should be capable of delivering a respectable performance around our driving loop. While each tire achieved satisfying road manners, the WildPeak A/T Trail edged the competition out in every subjective category. Road imperfections felt nicely cushioned with good control after impacts, allowing the Falken to maintain a nice ride quality over even the roughest sections of our route. Tread noise was also very impressive with the lowest volume of nicely blended tones on coarse surfaces like crosscut concrete, which all but disappeared on smooth asphalt. Turns and on-ramps were met with nice feedback from the steering wheel and a natural ramp up in resistance and response. The Nomad Grappler matched the Falken's subjective steering by taking a slightly different approach with a solid on-center feel at highway speeds with a hefty, quick response. Noise from the Nitto was more pronounced, with slightly more articulated pattern sounds at a higher volume. Over bumps and breaks in the road, the Nomad Grappler was firm but very well composed and concise, with our team finding the Nitto's one-and-done approach to impacts satisfying. They were equally pleased by the Trail-Terrain T/A's ultimately more cushioned ride. While the BFGoodrich did the best job absorbing the initial impact, it lost some composure right after the jolt, in contrast to the Nitto, where it quickly recovered and stabilized the ride. It felt like two different approaches to the same problem but with equally acceptable answers. The BFGoodrich had some higher volume noise but it managed to stay mostly blended. The steering however could have used a bit more linearity and accuracy. Inputs were quick to respond right off center but lacked some precision which made it feel like constant, small corrections were needed in certain scenarios.

What We Learned on the Test Track

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.

On-Road All-Terrain drivers will, and most rightly so, put an emphasis on wet traction since they are built for the daily drive. The Falken proved up to the task navigating our wet testing with poised precision. Clinching lateral traction by a commanding four hundredths of a g and matching its closest competition in braking distances from fifty miles per hour, the Falken felt capable and confident from corner entry to exit. The WildPeak A/T Trail's excellent handling balance let our drivers engage all four tires at once with their direct communication allowing the driver to lean into the outside of turns with more assurance that they weren't overestimating grip levels, holding it at the limit with ease. The Nomad Grappler's approach to wet cornering was in stark contrast to the Falken. The Nitto was less about delicate communication and utilizing all four tires in unison, and more apt to beat the corner into submission with a hefty, quick response that felt dramatically faster and more responsive than the other tires in the test. The Nitto lacked some of the poise of the Falken and could easily push beyond its own capabilities, but in its own right, it was satisfying to drive and certainly an effective method of getting around the track quickly. The Trail-Terrain T/A straggled behind the others as the obvious third wheel of the group. Lateral traction was substantially lower than the other two, with braking distances a significant twenty-one precent longer than its next closest competitor. The lower levels of objective grip translated to dramatically slower corners and subsequently longer lap times. Braking required a conscious effort from our drivers to start the process earlier and they quickly learned to temper grip expectations mid-corner, otherwise massive understeer increased distance and necessitated wasted movement to correct, which quickly sucked any momentum from the lap.

Dry laps, even in an on-road focused all-terrain tire are far from their chief purpose, but a tire that responds more predictably to aggressive inputs will be advantageous during emergency maneuvers on public roads. Our team found that the Nomad Grappler's bright and authoritative steering felt sharp and responsive now that it had more traction in the corner to support the input. Objective grip from the Nitto was essentially on par with the Falken, with the Falken having a slight three-foot braking advantage that wasn't noticed around the course. The WildPeak A/T Trail once again displayed nicely balanced handling that is sure to satisfy in most situations. The Trail-Terrain T/A was again at a traction disadvantage objectively, although the overall increase in grip helped mask some disparity. While the BFGoodrich was inherently slower to respond and understeer was less pervasive than before, combining inputs would result in slow, but safe understeer which would be advantageous in unexpected dynamic maneuvers on the street.

Driving in Winter Conditions

Each of these three On-Road All-Terrain tires is rated for severe snow service, so naturally our team's expectations were unabashedly high for the group in our winter testing. Now in the snow, the Trail-Terrain T/A had a real advantage in acceleration and braking traction. Zero to twelve miles per hour was accomplished three feet sooner and braking down from twenty five miles per hour was a significant fourteen feet shorter than its closest competitor. This substantial advantage also translated to the handling loop where our drivers felt confident to push harder through turns. The tire's strong longitudinal grip was complemented by equally strong lateral traction that made the whole package feel like a significant jump in capability over the other two competitors. The WildPeak A/T Trail lagged behind the leader in acceleration and braking but our team found it mostly adequate as long as inputs and trajectories were set well ahead of time and last-minute corrections were avoided. Steering inputs were delayed and not easily compensated for, and our drivers had more apex misses due to the lack of “bite”. The Nomad Grappler scored similarly in subjective marks as the Falken with a similar longitudinal grip but a little more lateral traction felt in steering inputs. The Nitto however felt a little disconnected between axles at times, swinging out the rear with little provocation from the front. While the additional rotation was helpful on the handling loop, our team agreed it might not be as welcome if unexpected on public roads.

On the ice, the BFGoodrich once again found an advantage in braking. It brought the test vehicle to a stop from twelve miles per hour almost six feet sooner than the Nomad Grappler, which was itself about a foot in front of the WildPeak A/T Trail.

Summary

Throughout this test, a theme emerged: how products can take different paths to the same destination. Similar ride quality can be achieved with stiffer, more concise tires, or by more compliant but less succinct impacts. Noise comfort can be a tradeoff of volume and distinct tones whereas a pleasing mix can be different mixtures of both, not just an overall decibel reading. In this test, we found ride and steering personalities were significantly different, but each tire frankly achieves the same goal but in different ways. The WildPeak A/T Trail consistently impresses on the road and track with a highly refined feel under and at the limit. Nitto's Nomad Grappler is an excellent introduction from the brand to our testing team. Its taut, hefty feel on the road and track is starkly different, but mostly, just as pleasing as the Falken. For drivers who want a more engaging driving experience, it's an exciting, excellent choice in the category. The Trail-Terrain T/A struggles with absolute traction in the dry and wet but excels in the winter. This trade off seems somewhat glaring and ultimately might hurt its positioning but is still able to satisfy on the road. How each tire manages design constraints and performance metrics is important to the personality of the tire, and by extension, what is important to the driver for where, how, and what they drive. On-Road All-Terrain tires have differentiated themselves from the traditional all-terrains of the past and have evolved to suit modern vehicles and meet modern consumer demands. Even still, this test proves that there can be significantly different approaches to how they ultimately achieve the category's objective.