Just being a smart ass
. Honestly, I think there are a lot of good choices depending on what you are looking for. I think we're luckily in an environment where there are a lot of good to great tires that all have certain strong suits in this category.
From paging through the forum (and personal experience on the Falkens, BFGs and Nittos), all of these have had pretty good feedback depending on what exactly you are looking for: Falken AT3W, Goodyear Duratracs, BFG KO2, Cooper AT3, ATP, and ST Maxx (in certain situations), Nitto Ridge or Exo Grappler. All of these are on the bit more aggressive side definitely and if you're looking more road oriented, there are even more choices.
I think any buyer honestly needs to consider these questions (and there are probably more):
1. How much brand loyalty do you have?
2. Your vehicle is probably going to be on pavement 90%, 95%, or even 99% of the time. How much do you want to compromise on road performance, handling and comfort versus the capability when you are off pavement?
3. Are you worried about cuts? Do you frequently go into areas where you have potential for punctures or sidewall cuts? If you do get a cut, how much could it turn into a life and death situation?
4. Do you care about the best performance possible in snow? Do you drive in snow at all?
5. How often will you encounter mud? How often will you encounter sand?
6. Are you sticking with common sizes like 265/70R17 or 285/70R17 or looking for one of the less common ones (275/70R17 or 255/80R17 or 255/75R17 for instance)?
7. How much do you care about MPG (which usually lines up with size, width, weight and aggressiveness of tread pattern)?
AT tires are remarkably diverse these days with everything from being pretty close to mud tires (Toyo RT for instance and arguably tires like the ST Maxx and Nitto RG) to very road oriented ones (think Pirelli Scorpion ATR or BFG Rugged Trails).
One man's favorite tire may be completely unnecessary for another person or not line up with their usage demands at all.
