7 All-Terrain A/T Tires Review - Best in Snow & Ice (by Tyre Reviews)

[ilDiavel]

And now we have the A/T test in the snow with out truck!



Summary via AI:

Test Overview & Methodology

Host Jonathan Benson evaluated 7 light-truck (LT) all-terrain (A/T) tires (all carrying the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake / 3PMSF rating) alongside 1 non-winter-rated standard all-season tire in snow and ice conditions to find the top performer for winter climates.

• Vehicle Setup & Drive Modes: Initial handling tests were conducted in Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) on a flat, sweeping track to establish baseline data. A secondary test was run in All-Wheel Drive (AWD) on a demanding technical course featuring inclines, declines, heavy braking zones, fast sweepers, and a jump to push the top tires to their limit.
• Ice Testing: Evaluated across a 26°F night session and a 1°F morning session. Due to mid-test snowfall altering ice grip levels, ice traction data was discarded, leaving ice braking trends as the primary data point.

Tested Tires

1. Pirelli Scorpion XTM A/T (New release being evaluated)
2. BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3
3. Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac RT
4. Nokian Outpost NAT (Previous test winner)
5. Falken WildPeak A/T4W
6. Nitto Recon Grappler A/T
7. Westlake SL369 (Budget option)
8. Benchmark: Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 (Non-winter-rated all-season tire)

Detailed Performance Breakdown by Category

1. Snow Handling & Track Performance

• Handling Course 1 (RWD – Flat Track):
  • Pirelli Scorpion XTM A/T & Nokian Outpost NAT: Offered a smooth, rounded grip circle, immediate turn-in bite, excellent front-end control, and a wide recovery window when past the limit of traction. The Pirelli had a slightly sharper front-end response.
  • Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac RT: Felt somewhat clunky to drive subjectively, but set surprisingly fast lap times due to its massive raw lateral grip.
  • BFGoodrich KO3: Great straight-line acceleration and braking grip, but hesitated at corner entry and suffered from weak lateral stability under rear wheelspin, causing the vehicle to tail-slide.
  • Nitto Recon Grappler & Westlake SL369: Offered surprising subjective control and progressive breakaway, though their raw grip lagged behind the group leaders. The budget Westlake slightly out-gripped the Nitto.
  • Falken WildPeak A/T4W: Struggled significantly with overall bite, finishing as the weakest A/T tire in snow handling.
• Handling Course 2 (AWD – Technical & Uphill Course):
  • Evaluated on the top 4 contenders (Pirelli XTM, Goodyear DuraTrac RT, Nokian NAT, and BFG KO3):
  • Pirelli Scorpion XTM A/T: Tied for the fastest overall lap time while delivering high driver confidence, allowing aggressive corner entry and controllable slides on exit.
  • Goodyear DuraTrac RT: Matched the Pirelli's overall pace with immense raw grip, despite offering slightly less precision at the steering wheel.
  • Nokian Outpost NAT: Displayed smooth handling, though telemetry logged slight wheelspin and bouncing during steep uphill acceleration compared to Pirelli and Goodyear.
  • BFGoodrich KO3: Lack of turn-in bite hurt its lap times more noticeably on the faster, tighter layout.

2. All-Terrain vs. All-Season Tire Benchmark

• The non-winter-rated Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 (All-Season) performed remarkably well in snow.
• Its softer carcass handled bumpy, rutted icy sections with less harshness than the stiffer LT all-terrain tires.
• In snow traction (straight-line acceleration), the all-season tire beat every all-terrain tire in the test except the Pirelli Scorpion XTM A/T.

3. Snow Acceleration & Braking

• Snow Traction: Pirelli Scorpion XTM A/T finished first, closely followed by the Goodyear DuraTrac RT and the Pirelli AS Plus 3 All-Season.
• Snow Braking: Goodyear DuraTrac RT stopped in the shortest distance, followed closely by the Pirelli Scorpion XTM A/T. Every A/T tire (except the Falken A/T4W) outbraked the all-season benchmark.

4. Ice Braking Trends

• Shortest Stopping Distance: Pirelli Scorpion XTM A/T and Goodyear DuraTrac RT.
• Mid-Pack (5–10% longer stopping distance): BFGoodrich KO3 and Nokian Outpost NAT.
• Longest Stopping Distance: Westlake SL369 (further back) and Falken WildPeak A/T4W (longest overall).
• Nitto Recon Grappler A/T: Results remained inconclusive due to changing ice surface conditions.

Summary Table & Recommendations

Tire Model	Snow Handling	Straight-Line Snow Grip	Ice Braking	Final Verdict	Lowest price found for 315/70R17 as of 11/10/2026
Pirelli Scorpion XTM A/T	Sharp turn-in, linear grip balance	1st in Traction	Top Tier	Overall Winner (Host's pick for his vehicle)	Not available; closest size is LT285/70R17 @ $393.46 each; Tire Rack
Goodyear DuraTrac RT	Fastest lap times, massive raw grip	1st in Braking	Top Tier	Best High-Grip Alternative	$398.99; Tire rack
Nokian Outpost NAT	Smooth, progressive handling	High	Mid-Pack	Solid All-Around Performer	$328.46; Walmart online
BFGoodrich KO3	Good straight-line grip, weak turn-in bite	High	Mid-Pack	Balanced road/winter choice with minor front-end lag	$359.99; Summit Racing after rebate
Westlake SL369	Predictable handling limit	Moderate	Below Average	Respectable performance for a budget option	$227.78; SimpleTire
Nitto Recon Grappler A/T	Progressive breakaway	Moderate	Inconclusive	Fine handling, but outclassed by top-tier options	$372; Tire Rack (currently out of stock tho)
Falken WildPeak A/T4W	Weakest snow grip in test	Low	Longest Distance	Skip for heavy snow/ice climates	$343.70; Z1 Offroad

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[CaptAngry]

It is kind of disappointing that the new Falken A/T4W is so much worse than the old A/T3W. I had the 3W on my Tacoma and it was an excellent snow and ice tire (and wore like iron on that lighter truck).

 

[mrmike7189]

When I had my Toyota 4 runner I had Yokohama Geolander AT's that kicked butt in the snow. They were 3 peak snow rated and rode nice on the road too. That would be my choice.

 

[Lion77]

The Pirelli is hard to beat, if I end up staying with stock tire size, there's only one choice for me, Pirrelli XTM AT. I've been preaching it for quite some time now and the more testing that gets done, the more that lines up, but alas, they don't make the XTM in anything bigger than 285/70R17's for 17" wheels right now. DARN YOU PIRRELLI!!!!

But, the KO3's are still a good tire, maybe not quite as good as the Pirrelli in the snow, but for deep snow, the tire size is going to matter more and the forward / braking grip is about the same between the two, so tire size / clearance wins on that one.

If ONLY Pirrelli would make at least a 285/75R17 XTM....I'd be all over that! Decisions, decisions....KO3 35x11.5 or XTM 285/70R17....one is noticeable better off-road while preserving stock-like handling on-road, the other is just as good off-road as the stock truck while dramatically improving its on-road characteristics. Can't go wrong either way.

 

[spellchek]

Would have liked to see the Nitto Terra Grappler G3 included.

Man, the Pirelli tires seem to score well but is it weird that I just don’t like the way the sidewalls look???

 

[TGG!]

It would have been more meaningful to see how those tires perform compared to a dedicated snow and ice tire like the Nokias Hakkapelita for example.
My experience in winter driving in Québec on snow and ice is that, particularly when it comes to braking on snow and Ice, there is no substitute for a dedicated winter tire. If icy conditions are often encountered (and the are permitted in the province/territory/state), then nothing beats a quality studded winter tire.
I have 2 sets of tires, one set used in the warmer month (May through October) and a pair of studded winter tires that go on in early November and stay until the end of April.

 

[Caneman88]

I just swapped my KO3's for some Bridgestone I am very happy with the ride and the quietness

ess

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