MiddleAgeSubie
Forum Member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2013
- Messages
- 990
- Location
- AZ
- Car Year
- 2018 / 2008
- Car Model
- 4Runner / Tribeca
- Transmission
- 5EAT
I posted this on the OB forum but think it should be here, too.
After two sets, a stock sized 225 60 17 and a 225 65 17 over some 37,000 miles between the two, it is time for the verdict.
The tire never excited me, but I was constantly oscillating between “good” and "sub-par." Which one was to prove more accurate? Well, 2,100+ miles on BFG TA KO2 of which nearly 10% off pavement (mostly just frozen ground with light snow, some light mud, nothing special) helped put it all in perspective.
The good: The AT-S have got the OB through about 1,800 unpaved miles without a puncture or the need to turn back due to tires lacking traction (done that in the B9 on street tires). This includes challenging and very challenging hills (like White Rim Road and Diamondback Gulch respectively), occasionally steep-ish climbs at very high elevation (Hurricane Pass, California Pass), relentlessly rocky terrain (like Bull Canyon or Arrastra Gulch), small ledges (Chicken Corners, Hidden Canyon) and deep sand (like White Rim Road or White Pocket). No very deep sand or challenging encounters with mud and snow and no water crossings over a foot (I do not seek mud purposefully through the B9 had to tackle lots of Utah mud by necessity). On road, the tire has been pretty quiet and impressively comfortable in its oversize version.
The bad: the AT-S is not a heavy duty off-road tire. The moment conditions become a bit more challenging, its traction starts leaving something to be desired.
The ugly: Counter-intuitively, this actually concerns on road performance. I find the AT-S braking performance to be acceptable but mediocre, especially if oversize (not true of the oversize TA KO2) and its cornering performance is outright poor. The Subaru STi front strut brace accessory helped a great deal, but even so the new (and thus larger) TA KO2 corner much better than the old (and smaller) AT-S. Some on the OB forum have found the AT-S outright unacceptable either in rain or when braking hard. I have not had issues in heavy downpours, but this tire is certainly not something I would choose for spirited driving in any conditions.
The verdict: the AT-S is past its time, not just its prime. It never felt exciting, unlike the Toyo Open Country AT II I had on the B9. Comparing it to the TA KO2 is even worse: it is more or less like my 95 Legacy compares to my 13 Outback. We are not talking about a choice between better off-road and better on-road performance. The smooth ride aside, we are talking about a tire that does the job for an attentive driver, but that can no longer compete either off or on road.
After two sets, a stock sized 225 60 17 and a 225 65 17 over some 37,000 miles between the two, it is time for the verdict.
The tire never excited me, but I was constantly oscillating between “good” and "sub-par." Which one was to prove more accurate? Well, 2,100+ miles on BFG TA KO2 of which nearly 10% off pavement (mostly just frozen ground with light snow, some light mud, nothing special) helped put it all in perspective.
The good: The AT-S have got the OB through about 1,800 unpaved miles without a puncture or the need to turn back due to tires lacking traction (done that in the B9 on street tires). This includes challenging and very challenging hills (like White Rim Road and Diamondback Gulch respectively), occasionally steep-ish climbs at very high elevation (Hurricane Pass, California Pass), relentlessly rocky terrain (like Bull Canyon or Arrastra Gulch), small ledges (Chicken Corners, Hidden Canyon) and deep sand (like White Rim Road or White Pocket). No very deep sand or challenging encounters with mud and snow and no water crossings over a foot (I do not seek mud purposefully through the B9 had to tackle lots of Utah mud by necessity). On road, the tire has been pretty quiet and impressively comfortable in its oversize version.
The bad: the AT-S is not a heavy duty off-road tire. The moment conditions become a bit more challenging, its traction starts leaving something to be desired.
The ugly: Counter-intuitively, this actually concerns on road performance. I find the AT-S braking performance to be acceptable but mediocre, especially if oversize (not true of the oversize TA KO2) and its cornering performance is outright poor. The Subaru STi front strut brace accessory helped a great deal, but even so the new (and thus larger) TA KO2 corner much better than the old (and smaller) AT-S. Some on the OB forum have found the AT-S outright unacceptable either in rain or when braking hard. I have not had issues in heavy downpours, but this tire is certainly not something I would choose for spirited driving in any conditions.
The verdict: the AT-S is past its time, not just its prime. It never felt exciting, unlike the Toyo Open Country AT II I had on the B9. Comparing it to the TA KO2 is even worse: it is more or less like my 95 Legacy compares to my 13 Outback. We are not talking about a choice between better off-road and better on-road performance. The smooth ride aside, we are talking about a tire that does the job for an attentive driver, but that can no longer compete either off or on road.