The Best All Terrain Tires tested on the Ranger Raptor!

[Antman450]

Too bad the XTMs don't come in 35x12.5x17. Or at least I can't seem to find them.

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[MarcR]

Isn’t there a big difference between load range C and E? The Pirelli XTM seems only in load E so hopefully a C comes out in the future.

 

[Putz173]

I wanted the Pirelli XTM but they only come in an E rated tire in our size right now

 

[Putz173]

Isn’t there a big difference between load range C and E? The Pirelli XTM seems only in load E so hopefully a C comes out in the future.

E will be heavier, then its C counterpart, but some C are heavier than those E rated

E tend to ride rough, expecially in a smaller , unloaded truck. ok for towing, and Superduty size trucks

 

[MarcR]

E will be heavier, then its C counterpart, but some C are heavier than those E rated

E tend to ride rough, expecially in a smaller , unloaded truck. ok for towing, and Superduty size trucks

The Pirelli XTM in E are still lighter than the BFG K03 Load C by a couple pounds, but I'm wondering if there would be any other differences in feel.

 

[nappy]

Enjoy!

I know what I’m getting next @Lion77

 

[jordantii]

Wonder why it was not included in the test??

 

[Lion77]

From the video, a summary of all tires tested:

Some observations on the XTM AT vs. KO3:

1. Dry track handling of the KO3 is good, but as I mentioned, the Pirelli just out handles the KO3 in precision, making it's traction more accessible even though outright grip in the dirt isn't by any means leaps and bounds above the KO3, which does quite well. The XTM AT is simply more precise and predictable while delivering the same or better traction on hard packed dirt, making it a better drivers tire and well suited to the RR's Rally nature.

2. Wet handling on pavement, which is where most people on this forum tend to ding the KO3, is massively better with the Pirelli XTM AT, in fact it's nearly on part with on road focused All Season tires which is quite a feat. This comes down to tread compounds and Pirelli clearly are able to leverage some of their performance car tire knowledge here and put it into an AT tire, which is a boon for us truckies!

3. Subjective comfort and noise is not quite as good as the KO3, but the differences are very minor and again, subjective. The XTM AT seems to deliver slightly sharper on road imperfections (more like a high-performance summer tire for cars) but doesn't oscillate (bounce / vibrate) like the KO3 which I find insanely irritating. I'd rather have a slightly more perceptible one and done over impacts vs. a more dampened but lingering reverberation. Different strokes for different folks though!

4. All three metrics of snow handling the XTM is in one of the top three of all tires tested, often trading places with the Nokian Outpost and in some cases handily beating both the Outpost and KO3. Overall, it is better than either of the other two as an average, making it consistently good. This is also a boon for AT tires that often see harsh winter conditions. I'm in NE Ohio region and we get a lot of lake effect snow in the winter, so my RR serves double duty on snowy days when my little FWD Mazda 3 is out of it's element and I need to drive 35 miles into work across poorly plowed back country roads!

5. While the XTM AT doesn't score so well in outright value, I would argue that metric is highly subjective because avoiding an accident adds immense value that's not factored into that calculation. What's cheaper? Buy expensive high-performance tires or buy cheaper tires and crash you truck into a ditch because you slid off the road in the winter going around a corner or rear ended another vehicle that could stop quicker than you because they were running dedicated snow tires and you weren't? I lost a spouse to a car accident in icy winter conditions in 2017, so I've learned the value of high-quality tires on vehicles and why it matters, it can save lives!

Sorry Falken AT4W fans, but that tire just SUCKs in terms of raw performance in the snow and it's wet handling isn't stellar either. Durable? Yes. Performance in dirt? Pretty decent. But snow and water? Forget it!!! I find it quite hilarious how people were switching to the AT4W because they thought the KO3 was so horrible in the wet and snow...switching to the AT4W for better traction in those conditions over the KO3 is like shooting yourself in the face . I stated that several times the KO3's are not as bad as some people claim on-road and actually are pretty good overall.

Still, I'm going to replace my KO3's with XTM AT's once I'm due for tires, no question the XTM AT is the drivers tire for performance uses both on-road and off-road. It's also one of the safest on-road AT tires because it's handling is predictable and it recovers from traction loss much better than the KO3, making emergency maneuvers more likely to succeed.

 

[got3fords]

Wow, Wildpeaks suck! I see those everywhere.

 

[Lion77]

I had the on-road focused wild peak ATs on my wife's CX-9 and they lasted forever. 70k and they still had 5/32nd tread, but their wet traction had degraded severely. They were ok at first but quickly lost their when-new-grip in wet / snow. And I'm not talking hydroplaning resistance due to tread depth loss, just wet roads with little standing water, they would easily break traction.

So yah, they do last quite a while, but you pay for it in traction and I'd rather replace tires sooner and get the traction than have tires that last forever but pose safety risks in adverse conditions! 40k~50k lifespan is reasonable if I get better performance.

Just my opinion, but it depends on where you live, how you drive and the weather / terrain in your area. If you're in sunny California, AT4W's dry performance and durability may be more important than wet grip and clearly no snow there, so it might make for a good option for some people. If your more cost conscious, the durability / price point is also a high mark for the AT4W. If you want a tire that looks bigger, the AT4W has the widest tread width and seems to give a bigger presence visually, especially compared to the OE spec KO3's. So it's not all demerits, but it's not as fabled as some claim!

For me, I want performance, bar none, especially in the rain, snow, dirt and light mud. And I want a tire that allows me to fully exploit the RR's excellent chassis tuning as a Rally / Baja truck at higher speeds but is also still durable on gravel / trails / rougher terrain. Slow is for Jeeps and Bronco's. I got a Ranger Raptor for speed / hoonigan bliss!

 

[RRaptorscallion0331]

When the time comes, if I can find them, I want to see how the older model KO2s feel and perform. I’ve run them on TJs and Suburbans and never had anything bad to say about them.. Newer doesn’t ALWAYS mean better, right?

 

[stemplar]

Finally, a real test with the Outpost nAT! I’ve been running them since I got my Ranger last spring and my overall subjective opinion and reaction has been very much like those of the tester’s, but it’s nice to see objective data to back them up. I guess when they wear out (years from now) I’ll have to consider the Pirelli they tested, but as for all of the other tires available last spring when I bought mine, it looks like I made the right choice.

 

[Lion77]

From the testing, any of the top 3 are good choices. I don't think anyone can really go "wrong" with XTM AT, Outpost or KO3. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, but there is no question that the XTM AT is the off-road "driver's tire" for those looking to maximize performance without compromise.

Ride quality is more or less about the same as the other two as well (subjective), but the scoring differences are pretty small on ride quality and none of the top 3 are miserable to live with in terms of ride quality.

 

[Lion77]

Basically, the XTM matches or exceeds the KO3's in off-road, matches or exceeds the Nokians in snow and completely outperforms either in wet conditions, rivaling on-road all seasons. I personally don't see a reason to run any other tire on the RR aside from sizing limitations since it's new and in limited sizes or unless you want something highly specialized like a MT and are willing to live with all the trade offs.

 

[Chuck2001]

Basically, the XTM matches or exceeds the KO3's in off-road, matches or exceeds the Nokians in snow and completely outperforms either in wet conditions, rivaling on-road all seasons. I personally don't see a reason to run any other tire on the RR aside from sizing limitations since it's new and in limited sizes or unless you want something highly specialized like a MT and are willing to live with all the trade offs.

Looks ?

I'd probably choose the XTMs when the KO3s are done.

But can't wait to see what the RR looks with the XTMs.

Who's going to be the first ?

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