Recommend which tire? for snow/rain weather and light off road

Deciding between these tires size 265/60/R18

BFgoodrich all terrain t/a ko2
Michelin defender ltx m/s

$221+ Sumitomo Encounter AT Tires

SUMITOMOENCOUNTER AT

 

Welcome from Wisconsin! Write down the tire choices on slips of paper, put them in a hat and pick one! You might have good luck with a certain tire and the next guy/gal, not so good luck. Tire maintenance is paramount in tire life, fuel economy, off road performance, the proper PSI is related to the life and "health" of your tires. Can I ask why you want a 18" rim? Just curious. BTW all the tires you listed are decent. Wet/snow performance; I would go with the most siping on the tire as possible, it also is good for rock climbing if aired properly.

 

I had the Michelin’s on my 2012 Sr5 4R. They were actually great tires on road an on the logging trails in WA State.

 

The rims on 4runner now are 18". Great advice appreciate it. Eager to have a decent harsh winter here in NY. First time 4runner here.

 

Mich Defenders are phenomenal. You won’t find a better tire in wet/snow/slippery conditions (aside from a dedicated winter tire). And they last forever. And they’re super quiet and just fine for light off road.

 

Wildpeaks best tire that transition from wet road to off road and good snow manners
J

 

Interesting choice. Maybe a bit apples to oranges? I personally haven't owned either but the independent tests and user reviews for the Defenders are off the charts good. I mean, really really good. So that's definitely what I'll be getting should I decide on a road-focused tire.

If, however, I was going for an AT tire I'd be curious about the new Toyo AT3. Especially since it has the three peak snow rating. That's intriguing, seeing an AT tire that's considered to be almost as winter worthy as a dedicated winter tire.

Regarding the KO2, there's actually a knock-down-drag-out thread at the moment where people are arguing mighty fiercely about it. So you might want to check that out before you decide on that tire -- should you decide on any AT over the Defender.

 

The Ltx is great on road tire have it on my sons Jeep gc great road manners but the wildpeaks really is a much better all arounder

 

I havent tried any others on your list, but I run the sumis and they're phenomenal. super cheap, look good, perform good. I've tried em in everything but snow so far and they've done great. cant beat that 55k warranty, either

 

Just ordered the toyo At 3's despite almost getting the falken wildpeaks. Ill let you know how they go! Heard good things so far.

 

The SR5, off-road and PRO have 17" wheels. The Limited and Nightshade use 20" wheels.

Nice! I think these are fantastic tires! What size and load range did you end up with?

 

I'm on my 3rd 4Runner and always had great luck with the Bridgestone Dueller A/T (formerly AT Revo). Aggressive tread for normal road driving, but I've never had a problem getting through winter snow in New England. I pass plows on 95, do a little off-roading, etc. That being said this Toyo AT3 sounds interesting too.

 

I know many hated BFG KO2 and loves Falken Wildpeaks. But for me personally I see no difference between the 2 on snow on local roads. But again its not same size an not the same weight so it may not be a 100% accurate comparison.

 

Anyone ever try the yokohoma geolander AT? I was thinking those for the next set. Ive had firestone destination AT tires multiple times and had very good handling in snow. I do mainly snow cover roads.

 

I can't rave enough about the Pirelli Scorpion AT+ (https://www.pirelli.com/tires/en-us/car/catalog/product/scorpion-all-terrain-plus). Feel free to read about it for yourself. They are very quiet, smooth and still offer the aggressive pattern that compliments this vehicle so well. I live in MI, so rain/winter was important to me as well. We recently had a decent snowfall, and I feel the reviews/ratings supported my own experience in the conditions.

 

Agreed on the Wildpeaks. I put them on a week after I bought my 4Runner and they have been amazing in both snow and rain. Just note that if you get the LT rated tires, they will have the tougher sidewalls but they will not have the silica material in them that the passenger tires do that make them perform so well in the rain. I only dot moderate offloading so I went with the passenger rated tires

 

Got 265/65 XL load range. Bought off tire rack. Had ironman all country on before which are decent but now with toyo at3s so worth it! Bit loud but excelkent grip and traction etc

 

Play with tire pressures it will lessen the noise great tire choice

 

Good idea. Ill try it on. But ironically the noise doesnt seem to bother me much, i find it cool.

 

I just put Michelin Defenders on my 2016 SR5 and I couldn't be happier. Even driving through fresh snow and frozen parking lots and after a mild ice storm my traction control light hasn't even flickered once and that's in 2WD. You can feel the improvement in traction on dry roads and they are quiet. Huge improvement over the crummy Dunlops that came on the vehicle.

 

Any insight or Opinions on the Cooper Evolution M/T Tires? or the Cooper Discoverer STT Pro mud terrain tires ? I had the BF Goodrich KM3 on a Tacoma and fantastic tires however older they got the Louder the road noise became and thread wear also accelerated. The BF Goodrich KO2 AT are the 2nd choice I have and already know how they are since I have had them forever.

 

Those Coop Discover pros look mean looking. wanted a set but couldn't find right size. Friend has them who loves them but said traction is not 100% over packed snow.

 

That is what I have heard also then with that being said I was told "well we just dropped the air pressure a little bit and it was Ok" and Snow is a concern since there is a lot of it up in the back roads from here.

 

I would definitely avoid using MT's as winter tires. They are not designed for it.

 

Agree However I had the Bf Goodrich KM3's on a 2018 Trd Pro Tacoma and they did perform surprisingly well in snow, I do both on and Off Road and looking to go with the KO2 again but want to see if there is something a bit more aggressive for the off road stuff that Utah throws my way.

 

They seem to do ok in deep snow, from what I read. Packed snow and ice is really where they're not great, generally. If you really want to use mud tires in the winter, maybe see if you can get them siped somewhere.

Otherwise, look into getting a set of dedicated winter tires. After the initial investment, it's not really any extra cost. If I lived anywhere with back-roads that didn't get maintained in winter, I would really consider a set.

 

Yeah I been considering that but me being me I just have that issue with the "unplanned" Hey let's go Right now thing and I really don't see that changing anytime soon I could be driving home from work on a Friday and not make it home because... Well you know I have almost everything I need with me anyways so why not? off to the backwoods we go.

 

I just bought a set -- can't wait to try them out!

I first tried Michelin Agilis Cross Climate in E Load, as I wanted something that was 3 Peak rated plus tough for abuse yet had great reviews for a range of conditions. Alas, while they looked like they could accomplish all that I could just not get them to work on my 4R. I had vibration and steering wheel shimmy even after the third balance -- which was done by a performance shop using a RoadForce machine. I had to conclude that they're either just too heavy or stiff or there was some weird way in which the tread pattern did not get along with my 4R.

I'll miss having that E Load puncture resistance etc., but if these Pirellis work well I'll be happy to have saved a bunch of rotating weight.