All-terrain Tires

Pirelli Scorpion AT best for off-roading

The Pirelli Scorpion ATR (*Est. $125) is easily 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 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-roading most drivers will attempt. A photo in Petersen's 4 Wheel & 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 bother the Pirelli Scorpion ATR, Canadian Driver reviewer Jil McIntosh finds when she tests the tire on 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 gets off the gravel, but McIntosh points out that neither do most light truck and SUV drivers.

Critics do find some flaws in the Pirelli Scorpion ATR. Its rolling resistance is among the worst in one test, a weakness 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 say the Scorpion ATR's winter traction worsens as the tire ages. Still, no all-terrain tire really does a great job in harsh winters, experts say. A dedicated winter tire is a better choice.

Consumers who post at Tire Rack prefer a different all-terrain tire, the Michelin LTX A/T2 (*Est. $160). They say it handles snow and ice much better than the Pirelli Scorpion ATR, although expert tests indicate otherwise. Owners admit the Scorpion ATR drives and corners better than the Michelin on dry roads. Although the Michelin LTX A/T2's government treadwear rating is slightly lower than the Scorpion ATR's, owners and experts both find the Michelin lasts longer (although the Michelin, like the other runner-up all-terrain tires, lacks the Scorpion ATR's treadwear warranty). As for off-roading, CanadianDriver.com reviewer James Bergeron finds the LTX A/T2 can ford small streams and climb rocky hills during a Michelin media tour in Alabama, but he says the LTX A/T2 isn't targeted toward enthusiasts who want to off-road for hours -- not like a BFGoodrich tire.

The BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO (*Est. $160) is a favorite at consumer sites. It averages a perfect five stars at Epinions.com, where more than 50 owners have posted reviews. Consumers at Offroaders.com also call it good in snow and off-road, but they say it gums up and slides in heavy mud.

That disappoints Off-Road.com reviewer Rob Sutter, who bought BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KOs upon advice from other Hummer owners. Mud is a problem where he lives in New England, and it's also the T/A KO's main weakness. Sutter switches to the Hankook DynaPro MT RT03 (*Est. $180) and then tries his Hummer H3 on slippery New England mud and on the rocky Golden Stairs slope at Moab, Utah.

The Hankook handles them both with ease, he says -- as well as smoothly and fairly quietly covering the 5,000 highway miles 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," Sutter writes. The Hankook DynaPro MT RT03 performs well enough on mud and rocks to satisfy reviewers at Petersen's 4 Wheel & Off Road and Four Wheeler magazines -- who usually favor ultra-aggressive, specialty mud-bogging and rock-climbing tires -- while retaining its highway manners.