Yahoo Finance Best All-Terrain Tires for Trucks and SUVs
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Miles deep into the wild where pavement and civilization cease, your vehicle is no longer just a conduit for fun, it’s your lifeline. Whether you're challenging the Icelandic void, or sightseeing on a badly rutted mountainous trail in Arizona the ability of your your four-wheel-drive you there and back rests—literally on your choice of all-terrain tires. A Prius can take loose gravel, dirt, and mild inclines without much fuss. It’s when the surface gets gnarly that you need a dedicated off-road tire.
These tires (sometimes designed as A/T or M/T for mud-terrain) generally employ a combination of reinforced sidewalls, tread depth that can range up to twice as deep as a street tire, Kevlar liners, and knobby construction. You may want a tire that’s best suited for biting off rocks and slugging through sand, such as the BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 that has proven worthy in the Baja 1000. Specialized tires like the Nokian Rockproof and Firestone Destination M/T2 are so adept in mud that they feel like paddles. These are the kind of tires that you can bash, squeeze, and shimmy over the rocks and through the dirt without incessantly worrying about punctures. And while no tire is immune to failure, all-terrain tires provide the extra measure of grip and grit required in the toughest conditions.
Back on the road, the most severe all-terrain tires will be noisy with lots of humming on the highway. They don't have the dray road grip of all-season tires. And they will probably wear out more quickly versus the all-season truck tires like the Goodyear Eagle F1 fitted to various Land Rovers or the Bridgestone Dueler H/T found on the Jeep Wrangler Sahara. Such street-tuned tires have more chops than their smoother appearance would suggest (we’ve actually crawled up the Continental Divide in a fleet of stock Range Rovers on those 21-inch Goodyears). In the middle ground are tires like the Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac or All-Terrain Adventure, which provide a worthy off-road upgrade without totally sacrificing on-road comfort. Do your homework and you'll be able to find the right all-terrain shoes that are best for you and your vehicle.
How We Chose The Tires Listed Here
We turned to the vehicle manufacturers that offer trucks and SUVs with serious off-road capability to see which all-terrain tires they use. The automakers' engineers work closely with tire manufacturers to develop all-terrain tires that meet rigorous requirements for off-road performance, on-road ride-and-handling, noise level, resistance to punctures, wear, quality, and cost.
Both auto companies and tire makers test tires extensively before production starts to validate their performance. Vehicle manufacturers can't afford to have their truck's on-road performance or off-road ability undermined by sub-standard tires. If an all-terrain tire is good enough for a manufacturer to put on their production vehicle, then it's a good bet it will perform well on yours. Here are our top picks for all-terrain tires, and the production vehicles that are fitted with them:
Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac Found on: Ram 1500 Rebel, Chvrolet Colorado ZR2, GMC Sierra AT4The do-it-all bunch that can handle 90 percent of all trail work.
BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 Found on: Ford F-150 Raptor, Ford Ranger Raptor, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
The ultimate trucks for rock and dune hopping.
Pirelli Scorpion ATR Found on: Mercedes-Benz G550 4x42
This Benz could crash through your living room and take the stairs to your bedroom. Need we say more?
Firestone Destination A/T
Found on: Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk A worthy off-road tire that won’t complain on pavement.
General Grabber APT
Found on: Nissan Titan XD Pro-4X
An alternative pickup on alternative-brand tires.
Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure
Found on: Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk, Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
Adventure is a fitting adjective for these ultra-capable trucks.
This article originally posted in July of 2022. Before purchasing, we recommend searching Tire Rack for the latest editions and updated models.
For everything you need to know about buying and maintaining tires, see the Car and Driver Tire Guide.
Miles deep into the wild where pavement and civilization cease, your vehicle is no longer just a conduit for fun, it's your lifeline. Whether you're challenging the wilderness or sightseeing on a badly rutted mountain trail, the ability of your four-wheel-drive to get you there and back rests—literally—on your choice of all-terrain tires. If you're looking for an all-terrain tire for your pickup truck, SUV, or Crossover, you've come to the right place.
Our Top Picks
All-Terrain (A/T) tires generally employ a combination of reinforced sidewalls, tread depth that can range up to twice as deep as a street tire, Kevlar liners, and knobby construction. We've consulted with our friends at Tire Rack to examine some of the top all terrain tire options. Tire Rack is notorious for its testing and evaluation procedures, and we trust them to help our readers find the best tire, no matter what style they're after.
See tire rack's testing charts and data for all-terrain tires
All-Terrain Tires Bring Compromises
All-terrain tires aren't for everyone. While they look great, bringing a certain amount of brawn and stature to most pickups, if you rarely drive on gravel or dirt roads then A/T tires are probably more tire than you need.
On the road, the most severe all-terrain tires will be noisy, with lots of humming on the highway, and they'll slightly affect your MPG. Moreover, they don't have the dry road grip of all-season tires, and they will probably wear out more quickly versus the all-season truck tires like the Goodyear Eagle F1 fitted to various Land Rovers or the Bridgestone Dueler H/T found on the Jeep Wrangler Sahara. Such street-tuned tires have more chops than their smoother appearance would suggest (we've actually crawled up the Continental Divide in a fleet of Range Rovers on those 21-inch Goodyears).
In the middle ground are tires like the Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac or All-Terrain Adventure, which provide a worthy off-road upgrade without totally sacrificing on-road comfort. Do your homework and you'll be able to find the right all-terrain shoes that are best for you and your vehicle.
How We Chose The Tires Listed Here
We turned to the vehicle manufacturers that offer trucks and SUVs with serious off-road capability to see which all-terrain tires they use as standard equipment. The automakers' engineers work closely with tire manufacturers to develop all-terrain tires that meet rigorous requirements for off-road performance, on-road ride-and-handling, noise level, resistance to punctures, wear, quality, and cost.
Auto companies and tire makers both test the all-terrain tires that are going on a given vehicle extensively before production starts to validate their performance. Vehicle manufacturers can't afford to have their truck's on-road performance or off-road ability undermined by sub-standard tires. If an all-terrain tire is good enough for a manufacturer to put on their production vehicle, then it's a good bet it will perform well on yours.
Based on the testing of the vehicle manufacturers that put them on as standard equipment, here are the top all-terrain tires—in roughly equivalent sizes for comparison purposes—and the production vehicles that are fitted with them:
Best On and Off Road All-Terrain Tires
Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac
Developed for drivers of multi-purpose, full-sized pickups, vans, sport utility, and commercial vehicles. The Wrangler DuraTrac is designed to be a versatile tire offering off-road competence in dirt, gravel, and mud with on-road composure in dry, wet, and wintry conditions.
Standard equipment on:
• Ram 1500 Rebel
• Chevrolet Colorado ZR2
• GMC Sierra AT4
Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac
amazon.com
$350.12
BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2
Designed to meet the needs of Jeep, pickup truck, and sport utility vehicle drivers who want confidence and control on- and off- road. The All-Terrain T/A KO2 was designed to deliver go-anywhere traction along with outstanding durability, great wear, and year-round traction, even in snow.
See Tire Rack's complete testing results on this tire here.
Standard equipment on:
• Ford F-150 Raptor
• Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2
amazon.com
$261.99
Firestone Destination A/T
For Jeep, sport utility vehicle, and pickup truck drivers who want tires that offer handling on the road and toughness off it, the Firestone Destination A/T is available with three sidewall choices: Outline white letter, traditional Blackwall, and a Special Edition Blackwall featuring a stylish Carbon Black Camo design.
Standard equipment on:
Firestone Destination A/T
amazon.com
$172.97
General Grabber APT
Initially developed for OEM use on the Nissan Titan, with additional sizes for the drivers of pickup trucks, Jeeps, and crossovers, the Grabber APT is made to provide confident traction in all weather conditions.
Standard equipment on:
General Grabber APT
amazon.com
$225.43
Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure
Goodyear's premium A/T tire was developed for light trucks, but it's also offered in Standard Load sizes for half-ton vehicles, as well as Pro-Grade Load Range E sizes for three-quarter and one-ton pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs that regularly haul or tow heavy loads.
Standard equipment on:
• Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk
• Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure
amazon.com
$246.10
Pirelli Scorpion ATR
If you want the best, it'll cost you. Designed for pickups, crossovers, and SUVs that want to combine on-road civility with off-road capability, the Scorpion ATR features a silica-enhanced tread compound molded into a quiet-running, symmetric all-terrain type tread pattern.See Tire Rack's complete testing results on this tire here.
Standard equipment on:
Pirelli Scorpion ATR
amazon.com
$238.91
FAQs
Which all-terrain tires are best for your vehicle?
In the past, pickup trucks were made for work: hauling, towing—and getting dirty. It's no secret, though, that today's pickup truck is far more than a simple workhorse. With stylish design packages, gas-saving powerplants, and plush interiors, trucks have become far more useful than ever—while still being able to work hard when you need them to.
Today's SUVs and crossovers are no different. Initially packaged as a more comfortable and driveable utilitarian option to the passenger van, they can tote around groups of passengers in comfort while still providing the cargo capacity and rugged ability that severe weather, urban driving, and the occasional dirt road can bring—with a lot more style than an old Econoline could ever offer.
Both pickups and SUVs thrive on doing everything well, no matter what's asked of them. To fully achieve that ability, though, an all-terrain tire is essential.
You may want an all-terrain tire you can trust in extreme weather or occasional rough terrain. When you're the family driver, that trust is critical. Alternatively, you may need a tire for biting off rocks and slugging through sand, such as the BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 that has proven worthy in the Baja 1000. Specialized tires like the Nokian Rockproof and Firestone Destination M/T2 are so adept in mud that they feel like paddles.
All-terrain tires deliver on both counts. These are the kind of tires that you can bash, squeeze, and shimmy over the rocks and through the dirt without incessantly worrying about punctures. They're also the kind of tire that can ride in relative quiet and comfort for everyone inside the cabin. And while no tire is immune to failure, all-terrain tires provide the extra measure of grip and grit required in the toughest conditions.
No matter what kind of all-terrain tire you want for your truck, SUV, Jeep, crossover, or, yes, beloved passenger van, there's one at TireRack that will suit your needs.
What are all-terrain tires good for?
All-terrain (A/T) tires are somewhere between highway tires (H/T) and mud tires (M/T). A/T tires are great for daily driving, most weather conditions, and some dirt or mud. A/T tires might be the perfect choice if you regularly navigate paved, gravel, and dirt roads.
Do all-terrain tires affect gas mileage?
Some test data demonstrates that a +/-3% drop in fuel economy should be expected when comparing all-terrain tires to all-season truck/SUV tires. Mud-terrain tires will compromise fuel efficiency even further.
Are all-terrain tires good for daily driving?
If you spend equal amounts of time on paved and unpaved roads, A/T tires are a great choice. If you do more street and road driving, consider all-season or touring tires.
Why Trust Us?
With a combined 206 years of automotive publishing experience, Hearst Autos—Car and Driver, Road & Track, and Autoweek—knows cars better than just about anyone, and the Gear Team delivers honest evaluations, hands-on tests, and product reviews driven by decades of knowledge and experience. We get our hands on almost every product, tool, and piece of gear we feature; we evaluate gear on its own merits, and tell you the truth.
If we can’t get our hands on the gear, we rely on the combined wisdom of our writers and editors, as well as auto experts we trust. We’ll never say anything is “the best” if we wouldn’t recommend it to our friends or buy it ourselves, and we won’t tell you we’ve tested something if we haven’t. Learn more about our product testing here.
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