Geolander AT-S observations at (almost) 20,000 miles

MiddleAgeSubie

Forum Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2013
Messages
990
Location
AZ
Car Year
2018 / 2008
Car Model
4Runner / Tribeca
Transmission
5EAT
My Geolander AT-S, stock size (225-60-17), were purchased in the last days of February 2013 and are about to reach 19,000 miles. All in all, I estimate that a few hundred miles have been spend in demanding terrain and several hundred miles on easy, 2wd pax car (when dry) unpaved roads.

The tires start at 12/32nds, supposedly (I never measured them). Now, my tires are down to 7/32" having lost a full 1/32 during a 1,500 mile trip that involved about 250 miles of off-pavement, about 80% of which more demanding than just super-maintained unpaved roads.

All in all, I must say I am rather unimpressed by how the GeoLs are wearing. While I can definitely use 225-65-17s to increase clearance and reduce front bumper headaches, I am not thrilled with the prospect of replacing tires every other year (though now that my spouse has a Tribeca, this should be more like every third).

Pros: totally fine on road, which is, well, quite important. Great grip in dirt and gravel, where most off-pavement time is spent.

So-so: only average on rocky terrain. This is an issue as even the best AWD system is inferior to a Wrangler-level 4L in rocks. But something gotta give; cannot have it all.

Cons: tire wear.

Having said that, my Toyo AT tires on my B9 Tribeca were wearing at roughly the same rate. They did a bit better, but the Tribeca never saw more than glimpses of the demanding terrain that the OB has made its way through.

There is, of course, no competition in stock size. As for 225-65-17, the only "civilized" tire size alternative, Pirelli Scorpion ATR is the only other option. The Pirelli get very mixed reviews and cost considerably more, which rules them out. So, Yokos it will be anyway, but I am curious.

Do all All-Terrain tires wear so quickly when actually used on all sorts of terrain?:lildevil:
 
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I had geolanders AT-S on my Subaru XV. I agree with what you say abour their on road manners and found them quite good off road. My tyres had around 30k kms on them which is pretty close to 19k miles when I sold the car. The geolander seems to have a 2 wear marker system. One is the legal tread depth and the other marks (my interpretation) it isn't really suitable of off road. My tyres were on this marker. Like yourself I'm not overly impressed with this wear rate. Ive had BFG's on a different car and they last quiet a while but are not available unless I go a 70 series tyre. On the Forester I wanted to try the Grabber AT2 but with a 9 week wait I have to go back to the geolander.
 
Tyre wear is difficult to quantify, you have to consider tyre pressure, driving style, driving conditions amongst the factors.
I have had Yoko ATS fitted for around 70,000 km (44,000 mile). They still have plenty of tread. I run them at 36 psi on road and off road at 24 psi. We live out of town in the hills so we tend to drive a lot on winding mountain roads, gravel roads and secondary highways.
 
Ha! Interesting observation about the dual markers. Mine are right on the first ones. I do not know what they mean, but I do agree with you that the tires no longer feel appropriate. The edges are worn out. My next trip is supposed to include high-altitude off-pavement driving and I no longer feel confident in these tires, the fact that I want extra clearance notwithstanding (I would be 0.8 up in between tire size difference and the fact that these are worn out quite a bit already!).
 
havachat said:
Tyre wear is difficult to quantify, you have to consider tyre pressure, driving style, driving conditions amongst the factors.
I have had Yoko ATS fitted for around 70,000 km (44,000 mile). They still have plenty of tread. I run them at 36 psi on road and off road at 24 psi. We live out of town in the hills so we tend to drive a lot on winding mountain roads, gravel roads and secondary highways.
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That is the opposite of my experience. While it is true that summers here mean over 100F every day for four months, basically (and many days at 110+), I doubt that heat and sunshine cause that much of a difference. My driving style is very average, boring, and I do not rally cross my car by any means. Thus I am at a loss to explain the wear, especially since all my pre-AT tires lasted a long time.
 
havachat said:
From what you are saying the outer tread blocks are worn. This sounds like under inflation. What tyre pressure do you run on the bitumen roads ?
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I used to run 36-38 psi anywhere.

Then I moved closer to factory spec. Those are 32/30. I run 33-4/31-2.

I had never aired down until my last trip. And I only went down just a bit to 27-28sh. I keep an eye on them all the time--they have never been run low (and the TPMS would have let me know, too).

Some claim that AT tires should be kept much higher than regular ones, but the views on this point are very much a wash. I noticed no change when I moved from high to low 30s. I met a person who said he studied his tires with chalk and all and determined that the best psi for his Land Cruiser and BFG mud-terrains is about 22 psi! He said he airs up to 28 on the highway anyway.

When I say edges, I mean literally the edges, not the outermost thread. I feel that this must have something to do with stones, rocks, and gravel.
 
Just thought I'd share my experience. I have been running 215/65R16 Geolandar A/T-S tyres for my off-road sessions.

I normally only put them on before leaving and take them out when I'm back. With this, tyres have probably run about 30-40% of their life on dirt/mud/rock.

They are 25,000 km old (just over 15,000 miles) and they still look brand new!

Have always kept them at 36-38 psi on the road and 25 or less off it - terrain dependant.

Pretty happy with the tyres all-round.
 
pezimm said:
Just thought I'd share my experience. I have been running 215/65R16 Geolandar A/T-S tyres for my off-road sessions.

I normally only put them on before leaving and take them out when I'm back. With this, tyres have probably run about 30-40% of their life on dirt/mud/rock.

They are 25,000 km old (just over 15,000 miles) and they still look brand new!

Have always kept them at 36-38 psi on the road and 25 or less off it - terrain dependant.

Pretty happy with the tyres all-round.
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See, that is why it all makes little sense to me. Given my driving style and experiences with tires pre-AT sets, I have to wonder if all tires in all sizes are manufactured to the same standard. I also wonder if the heat and sun of AZ may happen to impact AT tire compounds more than those of regular ones.
 
Gidday Pedro

All SE Asian market Yokohama tyres are now made in Thailand ... :(.
 
I got 50,000km out of my Yoki Geo AT/S...
I have been through about 5 sets of tyres in 110,000km I've done in my Foz over 4 years.
I don't ever expect to get better than 30,000km out of a set.

Something I've learned to live with.
 
I only got a few thousand km's out of my set because I kept getting punctures. I have never in 30 years got rid of a set of tyres anywhere near as quickly as these things. Fact is, my Bridgestone RE002 high performance road tyres give heaps better grip on tarmac, have yet to puncture and have never let me down. Car has never been bogged. Who needs AT's?
 
MiddleAgeSubie said:
Some claim that AT tires should be kept much higher than regular ones, but the views on this point are very much a wash.
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AT tyres on road should be run at higher pressures than standard. Car manufacturers will generally specify lower pressures to make a more comfortable ride.
Higher temperature may also contribute to higher tyre wear as well.
 
I did not notice any improvement of any kind when I went from about 36-37 to about 32-33. I may therefore just go back to 36-37 since the tread was obviously not wearing in the middle when I was running those pressures. Hm.
 
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Tyres

Now on second set of 215x65x16 Pirelli Scorpion STR`s.
Got about 65000kms, 40000 miles, from first set and second looks like heading much the same. No flats at all as yet although one of the rears has had a screw imbedded in it for the past couple of months. As it has not lost any pressure and the tyre has, perhaps, another 5000 or 10000 kms left I have left it alone. Run them at about 34 or so psi. Less, 14, on sand.
Swore off, perhaps a little unfairly, Geolanders as a result of the original G900(?) supplied by Subaru on the new car in 2003.
These tyres were atrocious. Went flat in fright at the sight of a dirt road and wore out so rapidly. Seemed to be very soft walled and self destructed so easily. I think in about 2 full sets only one actually wore out from distance. Geolander off roaders seem to get a better report.
Coopers were not much better and then I discovered Pirelli and am very happy with them. Not expensive and last well.
Only fault is the ATR is not in my required size but I have found the STR is excellent.
My 2 bob`s worth.
 
Okay, so my tires are definitely wearing excessively on the outer edges (inner are fine) and they have only been rotated, it seems, front to back.

I guess I have to visit the dealership again. They installed my 0.5 spacers and did the alignment three months ago. I am sure the issue started earlier, not just 3 months ago. There is something fishy going on.
 
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