KO2 Tires vs Cooper AT3 and Falcon Wild Peak

[Lexington]

Hello All

I’m looking to get a new set of tires for my 4Runner.

In the past I ran KO2s on my Isuzu Trooper and loved them. When I got my 4Runner they came with the Nitto Ridge Grappler. I haven’t been overly impressed with them since I found out that they tend to slip in heavy rain which happened to me several times. I’ve heard many good things about Copper and Falcon tires. From reviews and video I’ve read and watch they seem just as good as the KO2 and they are easier on the pocket book but that the KO2 run a little more quieter. What I don’t know is how much noisier they are compared to the KO2s. So in this respect I’m curious if anyone has had both the KO2 and the Cooper or Falcon and can provide some comparisons. (Open to others)

I will say is spend about 85% of the time I drive on road and the rest off road when I go camping the Sierra’s.

I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Thanks

 

[Titan_Bow]

I’m sure you’ll get a bunch of different answers. I really think the KO2’s have a place, and are the toughest tire I have ran. I have driven thousands of miles on e rated and c rated KO2’s, all across the mountain west and Midwest. Dirt roads, forest service roads and off road. I have never had a flat, which is impressive if you have ever been out across central Wyoming LOL. I bought a set of falken wild peaks for my wife’s Subaru, and we got a flat on our first trip up in the mountains with them hahaha.
I know a lot of people run them and I hear good things, but for where I live in Colorado, and the places I travel, I am sticking with KO2’s because I trust them


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[Lexington]

I’m sure you’ll get a bunch of different answers. I really think the KO2’s have a place, and are the toughest tire I have ran. I have driven thousands of miles on e rated and c rated KO2’s, all across the mountain west and Midwest. Dirt roads, forest service roads and off road. I have never had a flat, which is impressive if you have ever been out across central Wyoming LOL. I bought a set of falken wild peaks for my wife’s Subaru, and we got a flat on our first trip up in the mountains with them hahaha.
I know a lot of people run them and I hear good things, but for where I live in Colorado, and the places I travel, I am sticking with KO2’s because I trust them


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I’m actually taking a trip out to Wyoming and Colorado next week. That’s one reason I’m getting new tires. Which KO2s did you like best, C or Es?

I’m leaning towards the KO2s because they are the quieter tires or at least that’s what I’ve heard but I’ve had them in the past and never had any problems. However I’ve heard a lot of good about Coopers and Falcons so I thought I would hear what others had to say.

 

[SD_Yoter]

Just switched from E load ko2s to C load ko2s and have to say it made quite a difference in ride quality and performance, the car seems to accelerate a bit faster, and while driving the car even seems a bit more nimble, which makes sense since theres about an 8lbs different in weight per tire, havent taken the C’s offroad yet but im pretty certain they’ll perform just as good as the E’s
So i dont see myself ever going back to an E load tire.

 

[xtacles]

We have Cooper discoverer AT3 4S' on our ORP. They are TPMSF rated and have performed extremely well thus far. They're also quiet and have a great warranty. They do not look nearly as aggressive as a lot of other all season/off road tires however. We had Terra grappler G2's on our last 4Runner and I like these a lot better.

 

[mlaginess]

I’ve ran k02s on a bunch of different vehicles. They have consistently performed well with everything I’ve thrown their way, except for thick mud. But I tend to stay out of that stuff, so no worries.

I’m in Michigan, so nothing too crazy, lots of two tracks, service roads and dirt.

I currently have stock size e rated ones on my truck

 

[4FL]

Cannot compare to anything, but my AT3 4s, stock size, are great for the road and heavy rain. Love them, wish I would have gotten them right when I bought my 4r instead of waiting for the stock ones to get wore out.

 

[isabellamor]

Another vote for BFG KO2 here, but I've read a lot of good things about AT3 and Falken Wildpeak as well. Maybe it depends on how intense the trail adventure is. You can find an extensive selection of off-road tires on shops like 4WheelOnline.

 

[msp]

We have Cooper discoverer AT3 4S' on our ORP. They are TPMSF rated and have performed extremely well thus far. They're also quiet and have a great warranty. They do not look nearly as aggressive as a lot of other all season/off road tires however. We had Terra grappler G2's on our last 4Runner and I like these a lot better.

+1 for the AT3. I've also run KO2s and if I were constantly off road, the KO2s would be my choice. I'm on pavement most of the time so I run the AT3s.

 

[Pedro367]

All 3 are great choices, really. All are going to be quiet on the road and offer good traction off. I have had great experience with BFG for years now with the KO and now KO2 across multiple vehicles, so I went with C-Load KO2s for my 4R. They have been great so far and have had a neglibeable MPG hit. They weigh just about the same as the stock Bridgestones and look the best of the 3, IMO.

Falkens are in the middle of the two in the "aggressive" department. They are very well loved in the Toyota crowd and are cheaper than KO2s. I'd run these or Ridge Grapplers if I didn't like BFG so much.

Coopers are going to be the most road friendly as they are the least aggressive. They'll be your 3rd place performer offroad too. Personally, with KO2s, Falkens, and Ridge Grapplers on the market I see no reason to go to these unless you are just looking for a street tire that looks like a road worthy AT.

 

[sierrahiker]

I switched from KO2s to AT3 4S, both E-rated. I liked the KO2s a little better off-road and liked their look more, but prefer the AT3s over the KO2s on-road, especially under wet conditions after they get a little worn. I didn't notice a big difference in road noise between the two.

 

[chubbena]

I had E load rating KO2s on my Jeep TJ for 10 years and I loved them. However, my tire shop warned me of vibration issues when I wanted them on the 4runner and they recommended Coopers. I didn't listen. They also put 50psi on the tires which I thought was wrong and aired them down to 32psi for 2 years - until I learnt from this forum and verified with BF Goodrich that 45 to 50 is indeed the correct pressure for 275/70R/17 E load.
An offroad outing went wrong and had the body and wheels badly scratched/dented so I bought 4 OEM tires/wheels (Dueler 265s) at Kijiji. The plan was to swap out the wheels but I ended up having the duelers for summer commute and have the KO2 for winter and offroading.
What I found:
Dueler 265 weighs 35lbs; KO2 275 weighs 55lbs. It's exhausting at my age to put on the KO2s.
With the Dueler I'm saving at least 10% on fuel (15% when I had wrong/low psi on the KO2s).
No, I don't recommend the Dueler. It's just for your reference only.

 

[bring_it_on]

I've run two sets of C load KO2's (around 50 k miles between the two) on two different vehicles and very recently replaced them on my 4Runner. I was thoroughly satisfied with KO2's but decided to try something new when I made the decision to upgrade to a larger tire a month or so ago. I decided to go with Falken Wild Peak's AT3W's and am loving it so far though I have only taken it out on the trail (light) once so can't fully comment on the off-road performance. The wet performance was the only thing where the KO-2's felll short for me, and I've managed to take the Falkens through a couple of rainstorms and can say they perform a lot better IMO. They also seem to be less noisy the brand new KO2s. KO2's did quite well in the snow and I expect the Falkens to be no different. I've heard that by migrating from KO2's to AT3W's one does trade a little bit of off-road strength and traction for on-road manners but I haven't been able to test the former out just yet.

 

[Pedro367]

They also put 50psi on the tires which I thought was wrong and aired them down to 32psi for 2 years - until I learnt from this forum and verified with BF Goodrich that 45 to 50 is indeed the correct pressure for 275/70R/17 E load.

45-50psi in an e-load on a 4R? That had to ride tremendous.....

 

[5thToy]

I have two sets of wheels, both with stock size 265s, one with KO2 Cs and the other with Cooper AT3 4S SL. The intent was to use the KO2s in the summer for off road and the Coopers in the winter. While the Coopers are a better street ride and perform well in wet conditions, I saw no reason to swap after trying the KO2s for a winter. No problem with them in rain and snow.

I will be selling the Coopers with a little over 300 miles on them to get them out of the garage. Had I gone with the Cooper AT3 XL in C load instead of the 4S, I would probably pick it over the KO2s except for looks.

 

[baldrik78]

The Coopers AT3s (4S/LT/XLT) are a superior tire to the KO2s. They offer similar off-road/snow performance and durability, while having better highway manners and being 10x better in the rain.

The only downside to the Coopers, in my opinion, is the tread design looks a bit boring. But you can't argue with their performance.

 

[2021nightshade4x4]

45-50psi in an e-load on a 4R? That had to ride tremendous.....

45-50 PSI is the sweet spot on my 265/70R17 but that’s on a vehicle with a curb weight 1000 pounds heavier.

Not sure BFG’s logic but:

1.) This could be a minimum PSI for a tire with a max load of 80 PSI. (Maybe would not be recommended any lower even for lighter vehicles)

2.) Possible testing for this tire may have produced uneven wear at lower PSI, regardless of weight.

3.) If you have some accessories or payload that add weight to your rig, this might BE the correct pressure after all!

When my factory Geolandars run out on my Nightshade, I will replace them with BFG 275/55R20’s on the factory rims. By pure chance, these are D rated (max inflation 65 PSI) I will still run them at 45 though.

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[2021nightshade4x4]

OP what SIZE are you buying tires in?


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[10ring]

Falcon Wild Peak

I am running Falcon Wild Peak on my 13 Trail (265/70 R17 A/T3W). For the southern California deserts, eastern sierra, and north rim of grand canyon, I've had great success with them. Dry, sand and gravel & rocks they are great.
This is my daily driver so was concerned about tire weight. I've been taking 3-5 day overland trips 4-5 per year. I've never been stuck or had a flat. They perform great on the road and I do not notice excessive road noise. Previously, I had an 84 Toyota truck, straight axle 4x4 that I used for desert and offroad trips (350k miles!). I ran the K02's with thicker side walls. Its not a good comparison with the Trail, but I did not want a real stiff, heavy tire for my daily driver. Plus, the truck was just used for off roading so did not have to drive much on road.

 

[KingPrat]

I'm partial to Coopers. Just jumped on a set for my 2017. Had them on my 3rd and 4th gen as well.

Great tire, very good warranty. Majority of my driving is on-road, but I'm a skier and need good tires for the winter.