Cooper AT3 vs BF Goodrich KO2

Read: https://comparethetire.com/cooper-discoverer-at3-vs-bf-goodrich-ko2/ The Cooper AT3 is further divided in to 3 variants, and out of them, the most aggressive is XLT. But is this tire aggressive enough to outperform BF Goodrich KO2? Well, we are about to find out as we gonna go through both on and off road comparisons, starting things off with their designs. With Cooper AT3 right off the bat, you’ll see 5 columns of blocks making 4 aqua channels. Among these 4 longitudinal grooves, the outer two are wider, where they are formed by blocks with zig zag teeth and chamfered edges. These blocks like the rest are also seen with reinforced foundations and 3D wave like siping. Where in addition to that, you also get to see connectors between these blocks. On the other side, with BFG KO2, you see a completely different design. It offers 3 unique blocks where the central one is a little smaller and wrapped with other 2. This creates an interlocking design which does not allow this tire to have proper channels like the Cooper AT3, and instead, it makes a web of grooves running in all directions. All these worm-like blocks have notches, offset edges and are equipped with thicker full depth siping. If we move towards their shoulders, the Cooper AT3 makes very supported blocks with connectors in between, along with reinforced foundations on the inner edges. And although they form a squared shaped pattern here as well, the staggered blocks on the outer margins combined with saw-tooth edges inside, allow these blocks to have enough biting edges. Both blocks also from sidewall lugs which besides protecting the tire, also grab and pull off road. And although Cooper AT3, XLT, is the only variant with lugs, they are still not aggressive enough in comparison. The BFGoodrich KO2 features bulkier lugs which join the shoulder blocks forming deep incisions in between. Moreover, the tire features 2 types of stone ejectors as well, where the prominent ones are b/w shoulder blocks and the other triangular ones are hidden in its grooves (Cooper AT3 has stone ledges) So, if we talk about on road, it’s not surprising to see Cooper AT3 performing better, being the less aggressive tire off the two. It offers more rubber to road contact and the reinforced foundations combined with connectors between the shoulder blocks allow the tire to have a stronger grip on roads. These connectors also help in dampening the noise levels and they don’t allow the sound waves to amplify, Cooper calls it whisper groove technology. On wet conditions, the tire is again better where it’s silica rich softer rubber provides greater flexibility to sipes. So, these sipes are better able to flex and suck in the water particles, which are sprayed out as the tire rolls over. If we talk about off road, the BFG KO2 does better here overall, which is again not a surprise given its rugged design. It provides you with the toughness needed in all types of terrains and is more durable out of the two. It has 3 layers of polyester which is piled by 2 steel belts, and all of this is then wrapped with another polymer spirally. So, you get 3 ply sidewalls wrapped with 2 ply nylon. The Cooper AT3, on the other hand, only provides you with 2 ply casing with 2 similar steel belts but only a single ply nylon reinforcement which is also not spirally wound. So, Cooper AT3 is more susceptible to damage off road especially from sharp rocks Speaking of rocks, the BF Goodrich KO2 performs really well on this type of terrain. It provides a superior lateral and circumferential traction, so it’s able to grip well, rendering it a better climber off the two. The Cooper AT3 although, provides you with multiple biting edges, and a softer compound which sticks, it’s still not enough to outperform its competitor. The BFG KO2 simply offers a bigger groove mouth to bite into the rocky surface, and it’s notches everywhere, combined with full depth sipes hug the surface much more efficiently. The wider grooves also aid on muddy terrains, where more volume of mud is able to evacuate out of the tire. If we talk about snow, although there is a small difference and both are branded with 3pmsf rating, the BFG KO2 still has an upper hand. It’s interlocking design is better able to trap the snow particles in its grooves, and this provides better snow to snow contact. Cooper AT3 is not as efficient in this and is also a little wider on average, so it makes more rubber to snow contact, which is not good for traction on snow. But the tire still offers a high-density silica which keeps its rubber softer with freezing temperatures. So, what do you think? Do tell in the comments. And please Don’t Forget to Subscribe