Best “AT” tires for my bone-stock 2023 GX? (7 Viewers)

[Cold Iron]

Awesome, thank you. When are you expecting to have everything mounted and rolling? Would love to hear your continued assessment.

Drop it off in the morning hopefully they will get it done early in the day. I will be taking the long way home LOL.

Will do, I want to drive it for a little bit before making any decisions. Snowed yesterday and today but supposed to hit almost 40° for the next few days starting tomorrow so it will be next week before get a chance to test in snow. Not that I am complaining. Well maybe, a little. But not too loud, I don't want Mother Nature to hear me and do a dump.

 

[HVLA]

By "these", you mean the MT Baja Boss? I regularly do Donner as well, so like looking at my options. Currently on Kenda Klever AT, and previously Falken Rubitrek, and neither of these tires gave me issues (even with the winter we had last year), but always looking to optimize.

Yes. The MT Baja Boss are incredible in the rain. I cannot wait for the snow.

We are in Sparks so we go over Donner often to visit family in California.

 

[jonshonda]

Last weekend in Minnesoda I had the chance to test almost new Michelin Defender LT/X M/S tires on mine in fresh snow

Creeping into the driveway in the morning

Again in the afternoon didn't even make it in as far before I started to slide sideways

Hopefully they work better for you. Hard pass for me and hoping my new wheels and tires come in and get on before the next snow.

Yeah time will tell, and I wouldn't ever judge performance of something based on a single experience I guess. I mean if 5 people tried the same thing and you were the only one who experienced an issue, then sure. But snow is snow, and it's different every single time it falls on the ground.

My goal is to have a dedicated set of winter wheels/tires for the GX, so when the Michelins were out I will likely replace them with Nokians, and then pony up for some summer wheels with AT tires. As I said before, I was very happy with the K02's and would likely buy them again if I don't go with the dedicated winter tire option.

 

[Cold Iron]

Done and pleased so far.

Of course snow test hasn't been done yet. Starting with the Red Eye shoot Jan 1 every weekend I will be driving an hour and a half each way either to Wi. or Horse and Hunt for heated 5 stand. Called blizzard league for a reason. I prefer the drive not be exciting that is something I can live without.

Taking the township road home it did throw some rocks which is to be expected. Expedition One sliders already ordered and those steps are coming off anyhow. On the County Road I took it up to 60 and no road noise at all from the tires. Then again I forgot to put my hearing aids in this morning...

Defenders seemed to be close to actually speed according to GPS both Garmin and phone. If anything once in awhile a mile or maybe 2 under. The AT3W still matches GPS although a few times thought it was a mile or 2 faster on the GPS. But pretty darn close.

Extremely pleased overall but will have to wait until some snow to have a real test. Well pleased for the most part. Now I'm thinking maybe a 1.5-2" lift in the front....

 

[ericm979]

You may get some rubbing of the front tire on the fender liner at close to full lock. I dealt with it by heat molding the plastic liner, using a heat gun and broomstick.

 

[Cold Iron]

You may get some rubbing of the front tire on the fender liner at close to full lock. I dealt with it by heat molding the plastic liner, using a heat gun and broomstick.

Yep they already took care of that. Also got the spare tire to fit by moving the factory hitch all the way to the back. Fully inflated. Although I do carry an air compressor with me.

 

[Khione]

Done and pleased so far.

Of course snow test hasn't been done yet. Starting with the Red Eye shoot Jan 1 every weekend I will be driving an hour and a half each way either to Wi. or Horse and Hunt for heated 5 stand. Called blizzard league for a reason. I prefer the drive not be exciting that is something I can live without.

Taking the township road home it did throw some rocks which is to be expected. Expedition One sliders already ordered and those steps are coming off anyhow. On the County Road I took it up to 60 and no road noise at all from the tires. Then again I forgot to put my hearing aids in this morning...

Defenders seemed to be close to actually speed according to GPS both Garmin and phone. If anything once in awhile a mile or maybe 2 under. The AT3W still matches GPS although a few times thought it was a mile or 2 faster on the GPS. But pretty darn close.

Extremely pleased overall but will have to wait until some snow to have a real test. Well pleased for the most part. Now I'm thinking maybe a 1.5-2" lift in the front....

Those look really good! I’ve settled on the AT3Ws but undecided on OEM 18s vs TRD Pro 17s just like yours. I do like the look of the silver OEMs (see below) but wow, the TRDs and all that extra rubber sure do look tough (not to mention the weight advantage).

 

[markthegrea]

One vote against KO2s. They are very noisy tires. They came on our new 460 and drone badly. We had coopers on our 470 and loved them. Never got stuck off road.

 

[gomiami]

One vote against KO2s. They are very noisy tires. They came on our new 460 and drone badly. We had coopers on our 470 and loved them. Never got stuck off road.

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[masturv8]

I was going to ask about road noise so I'm glad you mentioned it. It might be asking too much but I want an AT that does its primary job and doesn't sound like a freight train when on pavement.

AT3W

 

[gomiami]

AT3W

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[Rednexus]

The Falken Wildpeaks might end up being my choice. It's hard for me to mentally adjust because I have always used Michelin or Continental for street applications and Falken was never in that conversation. I keep wanting to gravitate towards the Michelin LXT A/T 2 by habit.

I've been a Michelin fan boy for years but the Falkens changed my mind. They won't last 80k like a Michelin but will perform great during their life, and they are cheaper.

 

[Cold Iron]

The Falken Wildpeaks might end up being my choice. It's hard for me to mentally adjust because I have always used Michelin or Continental for street applications and Falken was never in that conversation. I keep wanting to gravitate towards the Michelin LXT A/T 2 by habit.

When I retired from the Navy 28 years ago I was in Asheville, NC. My first gig was as a consultant down the Saluda Grade in Greenville, SC at Michelin North America Headquarters. I learned a LOT about tires, more than I ever wanted to know. They were pleased with the work that I did and gifted me a set of Michelin LTX tires and they were great. But the new design is a far cry from the old ones. Eventually I got away from Michelin tires as the only tire I look at, the more you do it the easier it is. But they are still one of the first I look at.

If I was going dedicated snow tires like @jonshonda is thinking which is smart especially here in the coldest State in CONUS my first choice would be Michelin. They are the only snow tire that has a warranty 40K IIRC, been awhile since I've looked. Ran out of room in my garage to store another set of tires a long time ago. Tires that are good in snow and ice are made with softer rubber compound that wears faster. But grip better. I really don't care about 70k miles on a set of tires I'd rather have traction all year and get new tires when needed.

My takeoffs were the F Sport wheels

Listed them on FB Marketplace as soon as I got home last night. In an hour had one scammer, one wanted only the rims, another only the wheels, another asking if they would fit a FJ. And the winner was a guy my age asking if he could come get them before someone else did for his daughters 4Runner. 2 hours after listing them they were gone, I sold them for $650. Apparently I was way low on my asking price if you do sell yours ask for more than I did.

One knock on the AT3W that I have come across is that they do not perform well once it gets into the twenties below zero °F. The rubber compound gets hard and they start to slip. I will have to keep an eye out for that.

Most OEM tires even though they have the same name as what you buy aftermarket are not manufactured the same way. The rubber compound is different on OEM tires and may have softer compound on the outside and once they wear down are harder and loose performance. And usually are lighter for EPA testing than off the shelf tires with the same name.

Falken is unique in that the OEM tire they make for companies like Mercedes Benz is called the AT3WA so that you can tell the difference. Some really like them in the snow because they are softer but you give up a lot of tire life on them. And they are lighter than off the shelf AT3W tires, I came close to getting a set. But wanted the heavier and stronger sidewall for the 6 weeks of the year when I need it off road in Canada and the tip of the Mn. Arrowhead.

There is no free lunch or perfect tire that covers every application IMO, it is always going to be a compromise. At least for me.

 

[gomiami]

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[Cold Iron]

Thanks for the write-up. Good info. About the F Sport rims, did you not like them? As far as GX factory rims go, they are good looking. I thought a about buying a set to use as non-offroad Summer rims but I'm not sure how practical they are...

As long as I was getting new tires... TRD alloy wheels reduce weight and rotational mass by 7 pounds, each. Win. Also going down to 17" more sidewall for airing down. Plus a wider range of tire selection, usually.

 

[WBrown999]

...they do not perform well once it gets into the twenties below zero °F

Have you considered living in a habitable place?

 

[Cold Iron]

Have you considered living in a habitable place?

In another month or two I will start to again but always fall back to:

Lived or been stationed all over this great Country. And a lot of large Cities. Not that I don't like people, but I can do without them being everywhere. Recently broke 100K people here it is now the second largest Metro area in Mn. Running out of room to move going North. Had too many heat strokes in the sandbox I don't do well in the heat.

There are things to do even in the thirties below zero

Now that I am old enough that the cold actually hurts my bones some days wish that I didn't know that -40° is the same in both Fahrenheit and Celsius LOL.

 

[WBrown999]

In another month or two I will start to again but always fall back to:

Lived or been stationed all over this great Country. And a lot of large Cities. Not that I don't like people, but I can do without them being everywhere. Recently broke 100K people here it is now the second largest Metro area in Mn. Running out of room to move going North. Had too many heat strokes in the sandbox I don't do well in the heat.

There are things to do even in the thirties below zero

Now that I am old enough that the cold actually hurts my bones some days wish that I didn't know that -40° is the same in both Fahrenheit and Celsius LOL.

haha great post, and I totally understand. Glad you have found your place in the great white north. And thank you for your service.

I know you haven't had the Falkens on too long yet. Thoughts on road noise? Road handling vs LTX?

 

[markthegrea]

I was going to ask about road noise so I'm glad you mentioned it. It might be asking too much but I want an AT that does its primary job and doesn't sound like a freight train when on pavement.

This is why we went with Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S. My current ride has KO2s with some aftermarket rims. 2 separate people have complained of road noise while sitting in the back seat. Come to think of it, that is about 50% of the people who have ever sat back there. I bought a Lexus to be quiet!

We had the Coopers on our 470. They were much quieter. And we did Harrah pass on them (pretty rugged off road). We mainly drive dirt roads and have had no problems with grip.

Above it was said the Coopers don't perform well in cold weather. I didn't have that experience, but you might.

 

[r2m]

In another month or two I will start to again but always fall back to:

Lived or been stationed all over this great Country. And a lot of large Cities. Not that I don't like people, but I can do without them being everywhere. Recently broke 100K people here it is now the second largest Metro area in Mn. Running out of room to move going North. Had too many heat strokes in the sandbox I don't do well in the heat.

There are things to do even in the thirties below zero

Now that I am old enough that the cold actually hurts my bones some days wish that I didn't know that -40° is the same in both Fahrenheit and Celsius LOL.

There's this thing I heard about called, "snow bird".
My Mom and her sig-other would head on down to Arizona from Tahoe in the winter.
In your little shots of problems in different states, you forgot to add California with our earthquakes (and political climate....)