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Last updated 8/08/2024 - Originally published 8/08/2024
Written by SimpleTire
There was a time when a 4WD vehicle, whether it was a light truck, Jeep, or SUV, meant a rough bucking-bronco ride, handling that was squirrelly and primitive, jittery road manners, and a generally noisy and challenging experience all around for driver and passengers both. Today’s 4WDs are far more refined, with the kind of comfort and amenities you used to only find in luxury sedans and driving dynamics that are way more sophisticated and capable on or off the highway.
All-terrain tires used to be just as rough as those vehicles, but as every generation of trucks, Jeeps, and SUVs gets a little more civilized, all-terrain tires have had to evolve with them. The best premium all-terrain tires are designed in conjunction with automakers and are centered around the power, torque, handling, weight, center of gravity, and overall driving dynamics of today’s vehicles. And in turn, the best all-terrain tires around today deliver a great balance of durability and surefooted traction in mud, rocks, sand, loose dirt or snow, along with a quiet and accommodating ride, solid road manners, long tread life, and precise handling on pavement. In other words, the best of both worlds, with highway performance that rivals some of the best Grand Touring and all-season passenger tires. We’re going to do a quick roundup of some of the best examples of premium all-terrain tires that SimpleTire has to offer:
1. Continental TerrainContact A/T
The TerrainContact A/T from Continental is a pretty good example of the kind of all-terrain tire we’re talking about here. The TerrainContact A/T has great wear properties and is backed by a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty from Continental. The TerrainContact A/T is loaded with innovations and features for off-road performance, such as its damage-resistant +Silane tread formulation and TractionPlus package that includes open shoulder blocks with notches, circumferential grooves, and angled grooves toward the center tread blocks for stability and dependable grip. On the highway, Continental’s ComfortRide design includes a tread pitch that’s randomized and computer-tuned to keep highway noise muted by canceling certain frequencies and overtones. The shoulder noise blockers work to keep the ride quiet, and the full-depth sipes deliver great wet-weather or winter performance while enhancing tread rigidity for great cornering and handling. Highway-speed stability gets a boost from the TerrainContact A/T’s internal construction of a 2-ply casing supported by twin high-tensile steel belts and a spiral wound polyamide cap layer. For a touch of rugged style, select sizes of the TerrainContact A/T feature a great-looking outlined white letter sidewall. The TerrainContact A/T”s SimpleScores are 9.3 for traction, 9.1 for handling, 8.4 for longevity, and an overall average SimpleScore of 8.8.
2. Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018
The Geolandar A/T4 G018 is designed for versatility, above all, with outstanding durability for off-road or highway use with Yokohama’s Enduro tread compound, Geo-Shield construction that includes a full nylon cap, multiple sidewall plies, dual rim protectors, full nylon cap, and a high-turnup cap ply. Aggressive center blocks work as a system with the Geolandar’s Edgetec grooves and mud and stone ejectors that easily rid the grooves of debris. With its zigzag grooves and 3D sipes, the Geolandar A/T4 G018 has the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake rating for severe winter service. On the highway, the Geolandar A/T4 G018 is sedate and composed, with internal construction that’s optimized for on-road comfort and a single-pitch shoulder block that’s tuned to keep road noise down. Select sizes of the Geolandar A/T4 G018 are available with a great-looking outlined white letter sidewall. Yokohama backs the Geolandar A/T4 G018 with a 55,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty.
Great All Terrain Tires for the highway
3. Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3
Here’s a tire you can count on for a comfortable and civilized driving experience on the highway, along with surefooted grip and control when the pavement ends. Off the highway, Bridgestone’s Traction Claw technology kicks in with staggered shoulder lugs, deep tread grooves, and 3D steps to grapple their way through snow, loose dirt, mud, and sand. On the highway, circumferential and angled grooves divert water away from the tire’s footprint to resist hydroplaning and in-block sipes multiply the tread’s surface area and traction with hundreds of hair-thin biting edges. Highway-speed stability is excellent, with a 2-ply polyester casing held together with twin high-tensile steel belts and a spiral wound nylon reinforcement ply. Select sizes of the Dueler A/T Revo 3 feature an outlined white letter sidewall, and Bridgestone covers this tire with a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty. SimpleScore rankings for the Bridgestone are 9.7 for traction, 9.4 for handling, 8.2 for longevity, and an overall average SimpleScore of 9.1
4. Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S
Cooper’s Discoverer AT3 4S is designed for a balance of comfort on the highway and confidence in the rough. The Discoverer AT3 4S is Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified for severe winter service and features an aggressive all-terrain tread with Cooper’s versatile Adaptive Traction Technology. For capable grip on or off the pavement, there’s circumferential grooves with Cooper’s Aqua Vac channels and wide lateral notches to resist hydroplaning. MicroGauge zigzag sipes enhance traction and stability in wet or snowy conditions, and Snow Groove Technology incorporates sawtooth edges in the outboard tread grooves to trap and retain snow, building snow-to-snow friction. On the road, the Discoverer AT3 4S is quiet and forgiving, with a 2-ply polyester casing, twin steel belts and a single-ply nylon reinforcement layer for stability and ride quality. Select sizes of the Cooper feature an outlined white letter sidewall, and Cooper covers the Discoverer AT3 4S with a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty. SimpleScore rankings for the Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S are 8.9 for traction, 8.5 for handling, 9.2 for longevity, and an overall average SimpleScore of 8.5.
Best Budget Friendly All Terrain tires for the highway
As the number of all-terrain tires and brands keeps expanding, some of the most promising tires around are coming from lesser-known, more esoteric brands at affordable prices. These are examples of a couple of budget all-terrain tires that deliver premium brand levels of performance and value, and punch far above their weight class:
5. Atturo Trail Blade A/T
Durable and versatile, the Atturo Trail Blade A/T is designed for environmental sustainability too, with aromatic hydrocarbon-free oils used in the tread compound and manufacturing process. A rim protector flange helps guard the sidewall and expensive wheels against curb scuffs. Wide channels and jagged sipes deliver great grip on or off the road (with the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake rating for severe winter service) and stone ejectors help protect the casing by ridding tread grooves of mud and gravel. On the highway, the Atturo Trail Blade A/T’s large, reinforced shoulder blocks deliver great handling and cornering, and the center tread block’s innovative tread features lock together with the sipes for excellent stability, road manners, and grip in changing weather conditions. Atturo covers the Trail Blade A/T with a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty. SimpleScore numbers for the Trail Blade A/T are solid 8’s all the way across: 8.0 for traction, 8.0 for handling, 8.0 for longevity, and 8.0 for the tire’s overall average SimpleScore.
6. GT Radial Adventuro AT3
We’re wrapping up this roundup of all-terrain tires with the Adventuro AT3 from GT Radial; here at the SimpleTire team, we’ve been consistently impressed with all of the GT Radial lineup and the Adventuro AT3 is no exception. The innovative tread compound of the GT Radial is designed for enhanced grip in wet or dry conditions while providing long, even wear (GT Radial covers the Adventuro AT3 with a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty). Off the highway, the Adventuro AT3 gets phenomenal grip and control with a deep 16/32” tread depth, wide grooves, and chamfered edges for excellent drainage of water and slush, as well as good self-cleaning of mud and debris. On the pavement, road manners are civilized and composed with an interlocked continuous center rib for solid road manners and handling, and a 5-pitch tread pattern that’s tuned to negate certain frequencies and overtones to keep road noise low. The Adventuro AT3 features a great-looking outlined white letter sidewall for select sizes; GT Radial covers the Adventuro AT3 with a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty. SimpleScore numbers for the GT Radial Adventuro AT3 are 8.0 for traction, 8.1 for handling, 8.1 for longevity, and an overall average SimpleScore of 7.9.
FAQ1: What are the best all terrain tires for highway driving?
It’s our opinion here at the SimpleTire team that all the tires mentioned in this roundup would make great choices for a balance of highway comfort and off-road durability and traction. In addition, there are plenty of choices in all-terrain tires from premium brands like Firestone, BFGoodrich, Falken, Toyo, Pirelli, Nitto, and Hankook that would all be great options for your all-terrain tire needs.