Falken Wildpeak AT3W Vs BFG KO2 Which One is the Best in 2023

Falken Wildpeak AT3W Vs BFG KO2 Which one is Better? This is the main Question when we want to update the tires of our Jeeps. Both tires are highly durable, designed to perform both on and off the road.

As both tires have equal footprints, they provide the same performance on dry roads. The AT3W is designed to provide good traction on mud and snow due to its higher tread depth.

Even though KO2 has a relatively low void ratio, it still performs well on muddy terrains. For more information, see the “off road” section below. First, a quick table.

	*KO2*	*Wildpeak AT3W*
Tire type	All terrain	All-terrain
Usage	Off-road, on-road, all-weather	Off-road, on-road, all-weather
Mountain snowflake ratings (3PMSF)	yes	yes
Tested size	LT265/75R16	LT265/75R16
Tread depth	15/32’’	18/32’’
Section width	10.5’’	10.4’’
Maximum inflation pressure	80 psi	80 psi
Maximum load capacity	3415/3085 Ibs	3415/3085 Ibs
Load Range	E – 10 ply	E – 10 ply

Table of Contents

Tread Pattern of Falken Wildpeak AT3W Vs BFG KO2

KO2’s shoulders have almost identical lug shapes. All the lugs have two faces, and every second lug has a deep cut. Round and edgy corners characterize the central tread blocks.

Grooves are wide and almost equal in size, shoulder grooves are a bit wider than others. Slits are placed throughout the tread. The shoulders have long stone emitters while the central part has broad stone emitters.

AT3W has an aggressive tread design with a deeper tread depth than KO2. There are two types of shoulder lugs, almost identical in shape.

The central part has three rows of tread blocks. Blocks come in different shapes, such as Z-shaped and C-shaped. This tire has grooves that are all the same size, either in the shoulders or the center. There are sipes all over the tread, but there are no stone ejectors in this tire.

Comparison of On Road Traction

The on-road dry traction of both tires is very similar because both tires have almost equal footprints. In both tires, the dry grip is improved by the higher contact patch from the center of the tread while the dry handling is good because the shoulder blocks are placed closely together as compared to many other tires in this line.

AT3W’s wet grip is a bit better than its rival’s. Both tires have similar contact patches, so tread depth and number of sipes should be the focus here.

Both tires have the same number of sipes, but AT3W has more tread depth. Therefore, it performs better on wet roads in terms of grip as well as handling.

With a deep tread, more water can pass through and the tire remains in contact with the ground. In terms of performance in the wet, KO2 is also very good, but it can’t compete with its competitor.

When it comes to aquaplaning resistance, AT3W wins. Due to its higher void ratio, more water can pass through the tread, and the contact between the tread and the surface remains firm.

This reduces the likelihood of accidents and improves steering response.

Although KO2 is also good at preventing hydroplaning, it cannot beat its competitor because KO2 has a lower tread depth, allowing less water to pass through.

	*KO2*	*Wildpeak AT3W*
Dry on-road Grip	High	High
Dry on-road handling	High	High

	*KO2*	*Wildpeak AT3W*
Wet on-road Grip	Moderate-high	High
Wet on-road handling	Moderate-high	High
Aquaplaning resistance	Moderate-high	High

Comparison of off-road traction

	*KO2*	*Wildpeak AT3W*
Mud traction	Moderate	High
Snow traction	Moderate	High
Ice traction	High	High
Rock traction	High	Moderate-High

Mud Terrain

To perform well on mud, a tire must have a higher void ratio. As AT3W has a high void ratio, it performs very well on muddy tracks. As the tire accelerates, the higher void ratio allows more mud particles to be captured in the tread and thrown backwards as the tire moves forward.

The path of the wheel is cleared and it moves forward smoothly, similarly, the high voids in shoulder blocks help the tire when cornering since more mud passes through them, allowing better grip and enhancing steering.

While KO2 also provides good traction on mud, it can’t match its counterpart because it has a lower void ratio that allows fewer mud particles to be caught in the tread.

As a result, this tire has a lessened grip, but it does have mud ejectors, which prevent mud from getting stuffed in the tread, improving the tire’s capability. KO2 can also maneuver on any muddy terrain with confidence, but it falls behind AT3W.

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https://jeepshunters.com/best-off-road-tires-for-jeep/

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Snow Terrain

Snow is similar to mud and requires similar features. AT3W again dominates in this section due to its higher void ratio. Soft snow particles can be trapped and thrown backwards in this tire. In addition, its edgy blocks bite into the snow and improve the tire’s grip.

A good contact patch and deeper tread give this tire an edge over its rival on ice. In addition to providing more space for water to escape, the deep tread reduces the chances of losing grip and slipping.

Additionally, the KO2 has several biting edges that help it bite the snow and improve grip, but because its tread depth is relatively lower, it cannot beat its counterpart, since it has a lesser evacuation ability.

KO2 grips well because of its balanced contact patch and frequent siping, which helps wipe away water, but because of its lower tread depth, it cannot beat its opponent in icy conditions. It can be used on any kind of icy road because it will provide decent traction.

Rock Terrain

Compared to other terrains, rocks are very different. Rock particles or pebbles can damage tire treads. A tire that performs well on rocks should have more biting edges and wider grooves.

AT3W has wider grooves that make it easier to crawl over rocks, but it lacks stone ejectors, which could cause problems. Because the stone or rock particles can easily get stuck in its deep grooves and damage the tread.

KO2 has equally wide grooves as its predecessor and performs well on rocks. In terms of stone ejection, this tire is superior to AT3W. In KO2, ejectors are placed all over the tread, and the tread depth is reduced, so there is less chance of rocks or pebbles getting stuck in the grooves.

In addition to protecting the tread from damage, this feature allows the tire to crawl confidently without losing grip.

Noise And Comfort of Falken Wildpeak AT3W Vs BFG KO2

Due to its greater tread depth, AT3W provides greater on-road comfort than its rival. This is because it feels like a lesser-inflated tire. A tire like this acts as an additional suspension and can absorb much of the impact from bumps.

On the other hand, it causes more noise, as more void ratio enables air particles to move back and forth between tread grooves, hitting groove walls and creating noise.

AT3W has a higher void ratio, so it makes more noise. Due to its lower tread depth, KO2 provides less on-road comfort, but it produces less noise as it provides less space for air particles to move, as a consequence KO2 produces less noise.

The ability of a tire to absorb jerks also affects off-road comfort. AT3W has the potential to absorb jerks better than KO2 due to its higher tread depth, whereas the latter cannot top its competitor in this respect. AT3W is therefore a safer tire when driving off the road.

Treadwear and Durability of Falken Wildpeak AT3W Vs BFG KO2

BFGoodrich calls the KO2 its toughest all-terrain tire. The sidewalls of this tire feature CoreGard technology. It increases the thickness of rubber and provides bruise and split resistance sidewall rubber.

The treadwear mileage warranty of its competitor is a little less, but it provides a workmanship warranty of 6 years.

In terms of wear, wet, and winter, AT3W claims that its tires excel due to their silica tread compound. The treadwear warranty is higher on this tire, and it has the advantage of a deeper tread, so it will take longer for the tread to align with the grooves. This gives this tire an advantage over its competitor.