Best All

Aidan Pounder is a Motor1.com product tester who has written reviews spanning from car insurance to rooftop cargo boxes. He regularly traveled both cross-country and internationally for cycling throughout his youth, having been awarded multiple state titles and podiuming at national championships across several different disciplines of the sport. He spent his more formative years under the hood of a car making sure he could get to his next bike race and knows the best way to secure all of your gear out on the road. His reviews have appeared in major automotive digital publications such as HotCars and Motor1. Aidan brings road trip know-how and a touch of DIY spirit to our team. If he’s not burning through the clutch on his 2003 Ford Focus Zx3, you’ll find him keeping up with the latest happenings in the world of European football.

Jonathan Benson is an independent tire tester for Motor1.com with more than 15 years of experience in the tire industry. He founded TyreReviews.com / Tire-Reviews.com in 2006, establishing the largest-reaching dedicated tire review source in the world.

Speed Reads:

On- or off-road, it’s hard to beat the performance of this all-terrain tire.

An all-terrain tire that doesn’t struggle for grip in wintery conditions.

A high-quality all-terrain tire that will last, and won’t break the bank.

A fantastic all-terrain tire for those concerned about towing heavy loads.

A top of the line all-terrain tire that’s specifically made for light trucks.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and car makers rarely put all-terrain tires on new vehicles, as most drivers just want all-around performance. However, the best all-terrain tires can improve your pickup truck, crossover, or SUV’s performance both on- and off-road. Don’t rely on all-season tires when all-terrain tires are designed for switching from on-road to off-road driving.

To truly find the best of the best, we’ve extensively tested each all-terrain tire (AT) featured in this article. We highlight options for a variety of budgets and even include a few three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) rated tires for those worried about snow traction.

For this review, our independent tester thoroughly tested and evaluated each all-terrain tire based on each tire’s dry handling, wet handling, dirt handling, gravel handling, and overall comfort. The scores in each category are compiled into a cumulative rating that ranges from 1.0 to 10.0 and is used to rank the best all-terrain tires.

Each all-terrain tire’s ratings, including their scores in each review category, are highlighted below:

Based on these criteria, the top eight all-terrain tires are the Continental Terrain Contact A/T, BFGoodrich Trail Terrain T/A, Firestone Destination A/T2, Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar, Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus, Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015, oyo Open Country A/T III, and Nitto Grappler G2.

The all-terrain tires in this article went through two rounds of reviews. We started by searching retailers like TireRack and Discount Tire for top products, looking at factors such as tread patterns, siping, customer ratings, and prices.

Our independent tire tester, Jonathan Benson of TyreReviews.com, ordered tires from all the top brands on the market. He is internationally renowned for performing some of the most involved and thorough testing in the industry.

Jonathan predominantly tested each all-terrain tire on a 2014 Ford Raptor and a Ford F-150 was used for braking and aquaplaning tests. Testing took place at Continental’s Uvalde Proving Grounds in Texas.

Our tire testing, as always, consisted of a number of timed laps averaged out. Throughout testing, Benson utilizes control tires to benchmark the track’s surface evolution and ultimately calculate each all-terrain tire’s rating in every single individual testing category. He took note of the tire’s wet handling, dry handling, dirt handling, gravel handling, and overall comfort.

Each tire was given a rating out of 10.0 based on these criteria.

Wet Handling

On the road, the wet grip of a tire will likely determine your fate in an emergency. Hence the placing of wet handling at the top of our list of all-terrain tire tests. This test involved three timed laps around one of Uvalde Proving Grounds’ tracks in seriously wet conditions.

Dry Handling

Regardless of whether all-terrain tires can perform on- or off-road, they’re mainly going to be used on the road. This test involved three timed laps around one of Uvalde Proving Grounds’ tracks in bone-dry conditions to simulate average road conditions.

Dirt Handling

Dirt handling is one of the most important factors to consider if you’re looking to take your pickup truck off the road on a regular basis. Benson went about testing each all-terrain tire’s dirt handling by averaging out the times of three laps around one of Uvalde Proving Grounds’ off-road tracks.

Gravel Handling

By nature, gravel handling is an important test to run, but especially difficult to do right. For each three-lap run, it takes twenty minutes of combing dirt and rocks to “fix” the track between each all-terrain tire test. As previously explained, this test consisted of three timed laps around one of Uvalde Proving Grounds’ off-road tracks.

Comfort

The “comfort” of each all-terrain tire is a subjective mixture of the tire’s overall comfort on- and off-road as well as their general road noise level. This was tested throughout all other categories of testing and notes were taken throughout.

Why Trust Us

Each year, we test over 350 auto products on vehicles and in our testing lab. Our team of product testers thoroughly researches top products, unboxes and puts our hands on each component, and tests the items on real vehicles before making recommendations to readers.

We publish hundreds of product and service reviews to bring car enthusiasts detailed guides on automotive tools, detailing kits, car seats, pet products, and much more. For more information on our testing methodology and how we evaluate every product, check out our methodology page here.

Because our testing expertise is centered around aftermarket car products and accessories, we decided to leave tire testing in the hands of a true tire expert. That’s why we reached out to Jonathan Benson who has more than 15 years of experience. His insight and hands-on testing, combined with our extensive knowledge of aftermarket car products have been a perfect match.

After testing several options ranging in price, we decided Continental offers the best all-terrain tire because its Terrain Contact A/T is a very easy tire to drive, it has unmatched dirt handling, and produces no road noise at 60.0 miles per hour (mph).

There are many reliable options out there that may be the perfect match for your driving needs. Specifications that may play a deciding factor for many customers are 3PMSF, treadwear, traction, and temperature ratings:

*Because cost data fluctuates, the prices in the table above are approximate values that our team regularly updates.

For those interested in learning more, below are detailed reviews for each of the top five all-terrain tires:

The Continental Terrain Contact A/T is designed for unbeatable performance on the road and in light off-road conditions, making it our choice for the Best All-Terrain Tire on the market in 2023. An aggressive tread pattern paired with a full-depth sipe design ensures you’re well-equipped for slippery on-road conditions as well as rough terrain.

You can see how the Continental Terrain Contact A/T performed in each category below:

Overall, we found that the Continental Terrain Contact A/T is a very easy tire to drive. It offers good steering response, good peak grip, and the tire’s progressive past the limit. It also produces minimal road noise at 60.0 mph.

In terms of dirt handling, the Terrain Contact A/T was the most impressive tire in this specific testing category. It was incredibly easy to drive and offered optimal performance in every direction. To quote our independent tester, Jonathan Benson, the Continental Terrain Contact A/T is “unreal” in dirt.

In terms of gravel handling, the Continental felt okay at the limit – but somewhat fidgety below the limit at approximately 35.0 mph. In general, this tire took a while to turn and the rear wheels moved around a little when on gravel.

Specially developed for drivers of crossovers and SUVs, the BFGoodrich Trail Terrain T/A provides traction in wet, dry, and snowy conditions. The tire’s advanced tread compound is resistant to chipping and tearing, while an optimized footprint promotes even treadwear and limits road noise. Internal construction consists of a two-ply polyester casing to maintain a higher level of reliability during off-road use.

You can see how the BFGoodrich Trail Terrain T/A performed in each category below:

In our experience, the BFGoodrich Trail Terrain T/A had very similar controllability to our choice for the Best All-Terrain Tire in 2023, the Continental Terrain Contact A/T. Compared to the Continental, it reacted better when braking and had more grip everywhere that we tested. It also was significantly better both at the limit and sublimit. However, higher speeds meant the rear would swing out from time to time – but overall this is a fantastic tire.

The balance of this tire was superb, though there was a lot of understeer causing somewhat of a lack of grip in all directions. However, the Trail Terrain T/A did offer good general steering and what understeer there was, was safe and predictable. Additionally, noise levels were similar to that of other all-terrain tires – though we preferred the slightly lower tone of this tire.

It should be noted that impacts over bumps were somewhat harsh and were felt in the cabin

The Firestone Destination A/T2 is designed for drivers who want a tire they can depend on, on- or off-road. A featured symmetric tread design blends off-road capabilities with minimal noise level. This tire also features Firestone’s HydroGrip Technology which limits the likelihood of hydroplaning and improves overall handling in wet weather conditions.

You can see how the Firestone Destination A/T2 performed in each category below:

The Firestone Destination A/T2, on the whole, is a quality all-terrain tire. Steering was eager, though our independent tester did notice some bounceback when straightening up coming out of turns. We found this tire was a little harder to control past the limit, albeit offering good grip.

The Destination A/T2’s gravel handling wandered more than the BFGoodrich, but it performed better than the Continental in this test. Our independent tester also noted that this tire was excellent when wet braking as it offered significant road traction, although he did note he felt a lot of understeer in the balance with low feedback.

It should be mentioned that this was the quietest all-terrain tire that we tested in a straight line, but the Firestone’s tread blocks produced noticeable pattern noise when turning – more than others.

The Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar combines on-road competence with off-road capabilities. Offered in standard load sizes for 0.5-ton vehicles, the All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar is also available in pro-grade load range E sizes for 0.75- and 1.0-ton vehicles that are regularly towing heavy loads.

You can see how the Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar performed in each category below:

Overall, the Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar was a nice tire to drive. It offered well-rounded grip in wet conditions, and its general steering and balance were comparable to that of Continental’s all-terrain tire featured in this review.

It offered good grip in dirt and our independent tire tester found performance to be quite similar to the Firestone Destination A/T2. On gravel, the best compliment we can give Goodyear’s all-terrain tire is that, again, it was quite similar to the Continental Terrain Contact A/T. Handling was less precise below the limit in comparison to the Terrain Contact A/T, but the All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar performed better on the gravel at the limit.

In terms of road noise, the Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar wasn’t the noisiest tire we tested, but it was quite noticeable while turning. If comfort is king in your world, we don’t recommend Goodyear’s all-terrain tire. It was significantly less comfortable than other tires we tested and impacts were almost jarring in the cabin.

The Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus is a light truck (LT) tire designed for drivers looking for an all-terrain tire that balances on-road performance with off-road capabilities. Pirelli’s cut- and chip-resistant New Generation tread compound minimizes the likelihood of a flat tire while the high-void tread pattern itself provides an abundance of traction off-road.

You can see how the Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus performed in each category below:

In our experience, the Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus was a fun tire to drive on wet roads. It offered good steering and its balance was progressive, but our independent tire tester did note a little bit too much oversteer. Benson ultimately compares this tire to the Toyo all-terrain tire in the wet but notes that the Pirelli was much nicer to drive.

On dry roads, the Scorpion All Terrain Plus’s steering fell short of Goodyear’s, but it did outperform the Continental. Overall, the Pirelli was well-balanced and Benson didn’t notice any oversteer when changing lanes. On the track, he felt the Scorpion All Terrain Plus was fun to drive, well-balanced, and ultimately had a hint of oversteer if you were looking for it.

In the dirt, the Pirelli performed quite similarly to the Continental. It handled well and was equally well-balanced. On gravel roads, our independent tire tester notes that tread pattern isn’t everything. He notes this tire was similar to the Continental in terms of overall gravel handling, but with the Pirelli, the rear end of our test vehicle wasn’t quite as loose below the limits of the tire’s grip

In regards to the Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus’s overall comfort, there were mixed feelings. The tire felt firm, yet still well-damped, meaning there were no secondary impacts felt in the cabin of our test vehicle. Subjectively, Benson felt this all-terrain tire wasn’t as rough as tires that aren’t as firm, and overall road noise was just okay.

The Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015’s internal tire construction consists of dual high-tensile steel belts resting on a two-ply polyester cord casing and a spirally wrapped nylon reinforcement. This ultimately stabilizes the Yokohama all-terrain tire and adds to its ride comfort.

A triple polymer tread compound is molded into an aggressive tread design for improved wear, while deep circumferential grooves allow for fluid water evacuation.

You can see how the Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 performed in each category below:

In terms of wet handling, the Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 offered good grip and great traction, as well as nearly optimal performance when Jonathan Benson, our independent tire tester, hit the brakes. However, this all-terrain tire did offer less feedback at the limit than the Continental and required more attentive steering. It also was more prone to understeering early when compared to other all-terrain tires. Ultimately, it’s a good tire, but not as drivable as the Continental.

For dry handling, the Yokohama didn’t oversteer when changing lanes, but it did offer sluggish steering. Grip was reasonable when braking and the tire felt well balanced, but steering was a tad imprecise and the Geolandar A/T G015 felt a little weaker laterally than some of the other all-terrain tires we tested.

In dirt, our independent tire tester felt that braking was a big issue. The front end of our test vehicle felt like it was prone to wandering more than other all-terrain tires, but overall performance still wasn’t bad by any means. For gravel handling, we felt it handled reasonably well sub-limit, but Benson noted difficulty controlling the tire at its limit. Overall grip in gravel was reasonable, but it felt like it was hard-earned.

Overall comfort was incredible. This tire also offered the least amount of road noise of any all-terrain tire that we tested. By some distance, our team believes this is the most comfortable all-terrain tire on the market in 2023.

*It’s worth noting that our independent tire tester felt he had an off lap in terms of his personal driving performance in one lap around the dirt track. Additionally, there was an issue with timing on another lap – so data was limited for this tire’s performance in dirt handling tests.

The Toyo Open Country A/T III utilizes a wet-traction-focused compound and 3D multi-wave sipes to optimize wet traction both on- and off-road. A symmetric tread pattern and increased block rigidity help this all-terrain tire’s dry handling, while still balancing that with quiet on-road performance. A large number of lateral grooves minimize the likelihood of hydroplaning.

You can see how the Toyo Open Country A/T III performed in each category below:

In our experience, the Toyo Open Country A/T III inspired mixed feelings from our team on wet roads. Below the limit, this all-terrain tire felt good. However, at the tire’s limit driving became difficult. Understeer was present in abundance and one slight driver error cost a lot of time. Looking at the numbers, the tire performed surprisingly well but its test results ultimately cost the Toyo points.

On dry roads, the Open Country A/T III wasn’t as direct as Benson thought it would be. Despite a slight delay in steering and some imprecision with our test vehicle’s front end, this tire was quite stable at the back and offered good grip.

Our independent tire tester had a great time on dirt roads. Benson said the Toyo is a “very enjoyable tire to drive” due to a number of reasons. This tire offered lots of front-end bite, it was progressive past the limit, it was good on the brakes, and it was just downright fast.

If you ask us, the Toyo Open Country A/T III was up there with the BFGoodrich Trail Terrain T/A in terms of its predictability, controllability at the limit, and overall grip in the gravel. Below the limit, it just fell short of the BFGoodrich’s gravel performance, but there was little difference between the two. Even though Benson felt he made a few small driving errors during this specific test, it was still the fastest.

In terms of overall comfort, the Open Country A/T III didn’t wow us. If we had to compare this tire’s comfort to another all-terrain tire in this review, it was most similar to the Nitto. However, Benson did say that he felt this tire was quite noisy on the road.

The Nitto Terra Grappler G2 is designed to last without giving up any grip on or off the road. These off-road tires are meant to be installed on crossovers, Jeeps, SUVs, and pickup trucks. Coupling joints are molded into the outermost tread elements to ensure off-road performance. Zig-zag circumferential grooves ensure traction in light snow. As with all Grappler tires, the G2 features two unique sidewall designs.

You can see how the Nitto Terra Grappler G2 performed in each category below:

The Nitto Terra Grappler G2 offered quick, direct steering and plenty of road grip when dry braking. Our independent tester noted that steering felt okay in wet conditions, but he struggled with finding grip. When tested for dirt handling, the Terra Grappler G2’s steering was encouraging but eventually began to pick up either over- or under-steer as the test went on. Peaky sliding at the rear and a lack of grip sub-limit means you’d likely be better off with mud-terrain tires for improved dirt handling.

We were disappointed with Nitto’s performance in gravel. While it was controllable past the limit, it was by no means snappy in its response. The Nitto’s overall comfort matches that of most all-terrain tires, but it was noticeably noisier in a straight line and when turning left. Strangely enough, our independent tester noted it was relatively quiet when turning right and that it may be a clever design decision.

Regardless of which tire manufacturer or brand you purchase your tires from, there are a few things you should keep in mind. It’s important to understand a tire’s Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG) and how to read a tire’s sidewall. Lastly, knowing how to maintain your tires is of utmost importance.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the governing body that enforces federal safety standards for all tires sold in the United States. The NHTSA created the UTQG standards to allow customers to make more informed purchasing decisions. Specific categories of UTQG ratings include:

The myriad of markings and numbers on a tire’s sidewall can make it difficult to find information by simply looking at a tire. Below is an explanation of the types of information you can find from your tire’s sidewall:

Regardless of your tire’s brand or price, if you don’t take care of your tires then you’ll end up spending a lot more than you need to. Below are three simple steps you can take to get the best out of your tires:

In this article, along with sharing helpful purchasing tips for those interested in purchasing all-terrain tires, we reviewed the top five all-terrain tires in 2023:

Below are some common frequently asked questions about all-terrain tires:

There is no one longest lasting all-terrain tire, as driving habits play a huge role in the overall durability of your tires. While responsible driving will elongate your tire’s tread life, a simple puncture could mean prematurely replacing your tires.

According to our independent tire tester, the most comfortable all-terrain tire is the Yokohama Geolander AT G015. The Geolander AT G015 was best in class for our overall comfort and road noise tests.

There isn’t one specific tire brand that makes better all-terrain tires than the rest. However, we found the Continental Terrain Contact A/T to be the Best All-Terrain Tire on the market in 2023.

*Data accurate at time of publication.