All-terrain Tires

Pirelli Scorpion ATR best for off-roading

The Pirelli Scorpion ATR (*Est. $155) is the best all-terrain tire, according to reviews. Experts say it handles both wet and dry roads very well, and it doesn't balk at the introduction of loose dirt or gravel. Tests show the Scorpion ATR is one of the longest-wearing all-terrain tires you can buy (backed up by its 50,000-mile tread-life warranty), and it's less expensive than other quality all-terrain tires.

Testers say the Scorpion ATR is quiet and comfortable on the highway, and it's aggressive enough for any off-road excursions most drivers will attempt. A photo in Petersen's 4Wheel & Off-Road magazine shows a Jeep fitted with Scorpion ATRs negotiating a nearly vertical slope in the Nevada desert. At Four Wheeler magazine, reviewer Jimmy Nylund notes that the Scorpion ATR isn't great on sand or real mud. However, he praises its "impeccable road manners" and says it can handle tougher situations than most of the pickups and SUVs that will wear it.

A freak hail and ice storm doesn't faze the Pirelli Scorpion ATR, CanadianDriver.com reviewer Jil McIntosh finds when she tests the tire at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Pirelli has no problem holding a Hummer on a steep, muddy hill, either. McIntosh's trail test through Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada never really strays from the gravel, but McIntosh points out that for the most part, neither do most light truck and SUV drivers.

While they have mostly good things to say, critics do find some flaws with the Pirelli Scorpion ATR. Its rolling resistance is among the worst in one test, a quality that could hurt gas mileage. The Scorpion ATR is also not the best on winter roads; tests show it gets good snow traction, but it's only fair at braking on ice. Some owners also say that the Scorpion ATR's winter traction worsens as the tire ages. Still, experts say no all-terrain tire really distinguishes itself in harsh winters. Dedicated winter tires are a better choice.

Consumers posting user reviews at TireRack.com prefer a different roadworthy all-terrain tire, the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 2 (*Est. $145). They rate it slightly higher than the Pirelli Scorpion ATR in every on-road category (wet, dry and winter performance, comfort and noise) except treadwear. This tire hit the market in late summer 2009, however, and experts had not yet tested it as of this update. Its predecessor, the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo, ranks just below the Pirelli Scorpion ATR in one on-road expert test, with slightly better snow performance than the Pirelli, but falling a bit behind on wet and dry roads. The A/T Revo 2 features new sidewall and tread designs that Bridgestone says will improve wet, snow and off-road traction, as well as rolling resistance and quietness. Passenger-metric sizes carry a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty, but light truck-metric sizes (which use a different tread compound designed to resist off-road damage) include no treadwear warranty. Unlike the Pirelli, we found no expert tests that take either of the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revos off-road.

Other runner-up all-terrain tires carry no treadwear warranty, and they cost a lot more than the top-rated Pirelli. Reviews indicate that two of them -- the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar (*Est. $200) and Hankook Dynapro MT RT03 (*Est. $190) -- are especially good choices in sand and deep mud, two relatively weak areas for the Pirelli.

The new Goodyear Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar proves to be a good all-around off-road tire in tests conducted by Petersen's 4Wheel & Off-Road magazine. Its predecessor, the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R, was a favorite of experts at Off-Road.com and owners at Epinions.com. Goodyear reinforces the new model's sidewalls with Kevlar, the same material that's in bulletproof vests. Petersen's finds it performs "exceptionally well" in deep mud and soft sand, and it crawls sharp rocks with ease: "Not one of our new Wrangler tires failed or experienced a sidewall tear after a day of wheeling tough terrain in the Mojave Desert." Despite the aggressive tread pattern, testers say the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar doesn't punish vehicle occupants with loud highway drone.

Likewise, the Hankook Dynapro MT RT03 handles slippery New England mud and the rocky Golden Stairs slope at Moab, Utah, in a test at Off-Road.com -- as well as smoothly and fairly quietly covering the 5,000 highway miles stretched in between. "To put it in perspective, you can talk on your cell phone at 80 mph with the windows up and still hear who you're talking to," reviewer Rob Sutter writes. The Hankook Dynapro MT RT03 performs well enough on mud and rocks to satisfy reviewers at Petersen's 4Wheel & Off-Road and Four Wheeler magazines -- which usually favor ultra-aggressive, specialty mud-bogging and rock-climbing tires -- while retaining its highway manners.

Unlike these aggressive off-roaders, the Nitto Terra Grappler (*Est. $165) is better suited to highway use with only occasional off-roading, reviews say. The Terra Grappler is designed to be quieter and more comfortable on-road than other all-terrain tires, with better wet and dry traction. Epinions.com users say the Nitto Terra Grappler grips well in snow, ice and rain as a commuter tire, while holding its own in occasional jaunts through the dirt and mud. Petersen's 4Wheel & Off-Road magazine's Ali Mansour likes it -- not as an off-road tire, but as a highway tire on the truck he uses to haul his off-road rig. Ultimately, however, reviews prefer the top-rated Pirelli Scorpion ATR overall; it's slightly cheaper than the Nitto, capable on- and off-road, and it's backed by a strong treadwear warranty while the Nitto has none.

Mud tires

Mud tires are best for extreme driving on large rocks and deep mud. Mud tires are not suitable for most drivers, because they're louder and ride more harshly than all-season or all-terrain tires on paved roads. Some are greatly oversized to increase their ability to go over rocks and ruts, which raises a vehicle's center of gravity and makes the vehicle more prone to tipping over in normal driving. Among the mud tires on the market that also get high marks for on-road behavior is the Firestone Destination M/T (*Est. $175). This specialized Firestone tire handles mud, rocks, snow and rain, according to owner reviews at TireRack.com and Offroaders.com. David Freiburger of Petersen's 4Wheel & Off-Road magazine, runs Destination M/Ts on his own Dodge Ram 2500 and reports no problems on dirt, gravel, mud, snow or mild rocks. The Destination M/T is also less expensive than other highly rated mud tires. Although it gets compliments for looking tough, the Firestone Destination M/T comes in normal (not monster) sizes.

For a truly extreme mud tire, Petersen's 4Wheel & Off-Road magazine gives its highest honors to the Interco Super Swamper Bigger LTB (*Est. $485). In a head-to-head test of seven extreme off-road tires, editors found the Bigger LTB (so named because its 47-inch diameter is bigger than Interco's regular LTB) the best of the pack for all-around performance on big rocks, loose rocks and deep mud. If you need a normal-sized mud tire for your daily driver, the Interco TrXus MT (*Est. $160) wins a five-tire shootout at Petersen's 4Wheel & Off-Road, although the top-rated Firestone Destination M/T is not included in that test.