Toyo Open Country AT3 VS BFGoodrich KO2 (2024 Comparison)

Toyo Open Country AT3 VS BFGoodrich KO2 are two All-Terrain (A/T) tires designed to provide a balanced performance on and off-road.

As a result of its lower void ratio, KO2 excels in on-road traction, whereas AT3 performs better off-road, due to its higher void ratio.

AT3 certainly has an advantage over its counterpart due to its higher strength and increased durability.

The traction of the KO2 is outstanding on rocky terrain due to its special design, further details are provided in the Off-Road section.

Comparison of Toyo Open Country AT3 VS BFGoodrich KO2

The AT3 tread design is aggressively symmetrical with a high void ratio, allowing a small patch of tread blocks to make contact with the ground.

Minimal contact therefore reduces the grip of the tire, leading to poor on-road traction. Water is easily able to pass through the grooves and deep sipes, resulting in excellent wet traction and preventing hydroplaning.

Also, wider grooves are responsible for the efficient removal of mud and soft snow. Stone ejectors are embedded to prevent stones/pebbles from getting stuck inside the grooves, but they are not superior to KO2 stone ejectors. AT3 tires have better build quality and durability than other all-terrain tires.

In addition, KO2 employs a unique interlocking tread block design with a lower void ratio, providing a larger contact patch with the road, resulting in better traction.

With the superior shoulder design, serrated design, and narrow grooves, this tire offers excellent traction on dry surfaces. In wet conditions, the narrow grooves combined with shallow sipes do not provide satisfactory traction.

Additionally, narrow grooves make it difficult to remove mud and snow from tires. Stone ejectors prevent stones from getting stuck inside the grooves, allowing confident navigation in rocky terrain.

Due to a larger contact patch and numerous sipes, the tire also offers excellent traction on icy roads. The construction of the tire is not as strong as that of AT3, and it also lacks durability and tread wear resistance.

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Comparison of on-road traction

Because AT3 has a higher void ratio, there is less contact between the tread blocks and the road, which causes less grip, resulting in less traction.

Water is effectively passed through the wide grooves and the deep sipes, preventing hydroplaning and allowing good traction in wet conditions.

KO2, on the other hand, has great traction because of its lower void ratio, which allows more contact between the tread blocks and the ground.

This improves grip, thus increasing dry traction on the road. Because the narrow grooves and shallow sipes are not able to wipe water efficiently, they can cause hydroplaning in wet conditions.

Comparison of off-road traction

Mud Terrain

Through its wide grooves and higher void ratio, AT3 can easily navigate through the mud by throwing it backwards. As a result of the large lugs along the shoulders, mud is effectively removed from the grooves. AT3 has superior mud traction.

KO2 tires with narrow grooves and small studs along the shoulders will not be able to throw mud backward and cannot provide good traction. Due to the filling of grooves with mud, these tires will get stuck in deep mud.

Snow Terrain

Wide grooves of AT3 allow easy navigation in soft snow, as the snow can be thrown backwards easily, but the traction of respective tires on icy roads is poor due to the smaller tread blocks’ contact patches.

The tire has a three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) rating, but still isn’t effective in hard snow.

KO2, however, with its narrow grooves, is ineffective at throwing back soft snow, so it is unable to maintain traction.

As it has a decent contact patch and a high number of sipes, the lower void ratio is effective at maintaining traction on icy roads. Despite its three-peak mountain snowflake rating (3PMSF), it is not suitable for hard snow.

Rock Terrain

AT3’s high void ratio provides better grip for tricky angles of approach on rocky terrain, but the design of its stone ejector is far below that of its counterpart. In rocky terrain, its weak shoulders are also a major disadvantage.

Its bold stone ejectors, along with its serrated design and strongly built shoulders, provide better traction on rocky terrain even with its low void ratio.

Stone ejectors prevent stones/pebbles from getting stuck in grooves, and high strength shoulders prevent chips.

Which tire is the most comfortable?

Open Country AT3’s wide grooves trap more air inside while traveling at high speeds. After getting trapped inside the grooves, air hits its walls back and forth, creating noise. It decreases the overall comfort of the tire.

The narrow grooves of the KO2 ensure a much higher level of comfort since less air is trapped inside its narrow grooves, resulting in less noise produced. People who are sensitive to noise should opt for this tire.

Differences between treadwear and durability

AT3’s wide grooves provide a limited contact patch of tread blocks, resulting in minimal rolling resistance, which is the force required to roll a tire. As a result of the reduced rolling resistance, the treadwear is reduced, increasing the tire’s mileage.

It includes a two-ply polyester casing with twin high-strength steel belts with extra nylon reinforcement ply. The tire’s superior durability is due to its high built strength and low rolling resistance. (In comparison to KO2).

Due to the lower void ratio of KO2, tires have better traction resulting in higher rolling resistance which increases treadwear, thereby decreasing tire durability.

Although it is reinforced with twin steel belts, spirally wrapped nylon, and three plies of polyester cord, it is not as strong as its competitor.

Price of Toyo Open Country AT3 VS BFGoodrich KO2

KO2 is a more expensive option that offers better on-road traction with good rock traction capabilities, while AT3 offers better traction in mud and snow and is more durable. Tire selection depends on the application and priorities of the consumer.

Brief Summary of Toyo Open Country AT3 VS BFGoodrich KO2

  • The tires are both All Terrain (A/T)
  • KO2 has better on-road dry traction.
  • AT3’s off-road performance is better in mud, while KO2’s is better in rocky terrain.
  • In light snow, AT3 performs better.
  • The KO2 is better equipped to handle noise, which makes it more comfortable.
  • AT3 has a better overall durability and tread wear resistance.
  • KO2 is more expensive than AT3.

Video Comparison of Toyo Open Country AT3 VS BFGoodrich KO2

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References and Resources:

https://95octane.com/2020/10/22/2021-volkswagen-taos-compact-suv/

https://www.autotrader.com/

https://www.autolist.com/

https://www.autotempest.com/

https://www.cargurus.com/

https://www.carmax.com/

https://carsandbids.com/

https://www.carsdirect.com/

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