All-terrain tires are intended to be all things to all men. This means that these are designed to offer superior traction both in wet and dry conditions. Furthermore, an all-season all-terrain tire is able to provide traction both during the summer and during the winter without struggling when it comes to off-roading.
Brands like Hankook and Falken are some of the most famous tire brands on the market and their Dynapro and Wildpeak tire series are also some of the most famous all-terrain tires out there. In this Hankook Dynapro AT2 Vs Falken Wildeapk AT3W comparison, we are going to see which one of these two is the superior tire.
In order to choose the perfect type of tire for your truck/SUV, we are going to compare these in a variety of different environments. We are also going to tell you why one tire is better than the other and why are both of these as popular as they are.
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Hankook Dynapro AT2
The Hankook Dynapro AT2 is the successor to the famed Hankook Dynapro AT-M tire that has gathered a lot of interest from the truck community thanks to its impressive all-terrain performance. The AT2 aims to iron out all the slight imperfections of its predecessor by incorporating a more durable tread and a more compliant ride without sacrificing all-surface flexibility.
The Dynapro AT2 uses an advanced high-silica tread design that should also boost fuel economy. As such, you can view the AT2 as somewhat of a natural upgrade from the AT-M as it is a well-rounded tire with the addition of a few extra features. A tire such as the AT2 is intended to provide traction in every possible scenario while also being comfortable, efficient, and quiet.
Falken Wildpeak AT3W
The current all-terrain tire market is brimming with all sorts of companies promising to deliver everything you can hope for from a tire, and Falken is one of those companies. The Falken AT3W tire tries to combine everything into one single package without costing obscene amounts of money. The AT3W tire also utilizes a refined silica tread design to enable the tire to excel in almost every environment.
3PMSF-rating is also there in order to ensure optimal performance in the snow. Falken is somewhat of a heavy hitter when it comes to making capable and reliable all-terrain tires and the Wildpeak AT3W is certainly one of them. Falken takes great pride in advertising the Wildpeak AT3W as the tire with the deepest tread in the category.
What Are The Pros Of The Hankook Dynapro AT2 Tire?
The new Hankook Dynapro tire incorporates protruding wraparound shoulder lugs in order to provide superior traction over loose, muddy, and otherwise challenging surfaces. This is merely an example of the type of upgrades the AT2 tire got over its predecessor, the AT-M that uses a much more ordinary wide footprint approach towards combating challenging terrain.
The Dynapro AT2 tire is also designed with comfort in mind because it uses an asymmetrical tread design that is aimed at striking a perfect harmonic balance and thus making the tire quiet on a highway. The tread is lined with multi-directional grooves and sipes that have been designed by a computer in order to deliver consistent traction over even surfaces. Moreover, the tire is available with both the S+M rating and the 3MPSF rating for superior snow driving capability.
Biting block edges have also found their way into the Dynapro AT2 tire which means that the AT2 does not suffer from increased levels of road noise which was one of the criticisms of the preceding AT-M tire. These tires also feature Hankook proprietary step block edge technology that aims to further reduce road noise. All of these technologies play part in the AT2 tire being comfortable and quiet on the road without losing any all-terrain capabilities.
In order to make the tire more durable, Hankook has also used a nylon-capped two steel belt design for maximum rigidity. All in all, the Hankook Dynapro AT2 tire is a huge upgrade over its predecessor in almost every regard which makes the AT2 a force to be reckoned with in the world of all-terrain tires.
What Are The Pros Of The Falken Wildpeak AT3W Tire?
According to Falken, the Wildpeak AT3W tire holds the record for the deepest grooves on any all-terrain tire out there. This means that the tire should excel when it comes to deep snow driving and aquaplaning. With the addition of the 3PMSF rating, the Wildpeak AT3W offers impressive snow driving capabilities without suffering when it comes to dry conditions.
Falken has also used its proprietary Canyon Sipe technology to make the tire more capable in the dry. This technology essentially interlocks the shoulders to stiffen them up which improves handling. Furthermore, the Canyon Sipe technology also works in favor of more powerful trucks as it tends to withstand high torque outputs better than most all-terrain tires do and thus makes the tread last for longer.
When it comes to off-road performance, the Wildpeak AT3W features a rigid block design with strong support ramps and sophisticated edges on the blocks. All of these work together to enhance the traction no matter the environment. Moreover, this design also tends to deter stones and dirt particles from lodging within the tread.
Finally, the Wildpeak AT3W tire also offers decent levels of sidewall protection which should in theory make the tire last for longer without it being punctured or chipped on rough terrain.
What Are The Main Differences Between The Hankook Dynapro AT2 And The Falken Wildpeak AT3W?
Now it’s time to put these two all-terrain heavyweights in a head-to-head battle in order to decide which one of these should be your next all-terrain tire purchase. We are going to compare them in a variety of different situations starting from treadwear, off-road performance, on-road performance, snow performance, comfort, price, and warranty.
Before we dwell deeper into this comparison, it’s safe to say that both of these are impressive. That is why so many people prefer these over many other all-terrain tires. The only difference between these are the nuances, but those nuances might just be exactly what you are looking for in an all-terrain tire.
Treadwear: Hankook Dynapro AT2 Vs Falken Wildpeak AT3W
The Hankook Dynapro AT2 utilizes a higher contact patch which inevitably makes the tire a bit more prone to wear and tear. Even though the Hankook Dynapro AT2 tire uses many Hankook proprietary technologies in order to increase the durability of the tire, this is not enough to make it more durable and less prone to wear when compared to the Falken Wildpeak AT3W.
The Falken Wildpeak AT3W tire utilizes a higher void ratio which in essence means that the rolling resistance is not as high as in the Dynapro AT2 tire. Lower rolling resistance essentials means subdued treadwear, but if you add that to the fact that the Wildpeak AT3W tire also uses Kevlar-reinforced layers means that the tread is also less likely to be chipped.
Winner: Falken Wildpeak AT3W
Off-road performance: Hankook Dynapro AT2 Vs Falken Wildpeak AT3W
In the mud, the Hankook Dynapro AT2 is unable to match the Falken Wildpeak AT3W because the wider grooves of the Falken are more effective when it comes to digging into the mud. A narrower set of grooves means that they are much more likely to be filled with mud which inevitably makes them slippier in comparison.
When it comes to rock and gravel driving, it is exactly the opposite as the Hankook superior rock ejecting design prevents small rocks and dirt particles from lodging between the grooves. The AT2 tire is also a lot more durable when it comes to sidewall reinforcements which means that it does not flex as much as the Falken tire does. Even though the grooves on the AT3W are wider, they are not as effective when it comes to preventing rocks from sticking. Given the fact that these tires spend more time on gravel roads, the AT2 takes the win in this category.
Winner: Hankook Dynapro AT2
On-road Performance: Hankook Dynapro AT2 Vs Falken Wildpeak AT3W
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the Falken tires have wider grooves which decreases the overall contact patch between the two and it thus is unable to keep up with Hankook tire when it comes to dry traction. The more closely positioned shoulder design found on the AT2 also ensures better handling. As such, the Dynapro AT2 tire is the better option when it comes to dry traction.
The Hankook Dynapro AT2 also utilizes a zig-zag sipe design that is both deep and numerous. This makes the tire able to maintain traction in the wet really well. On the other hand, the Falken Wildpeak AT3W is even better because the deeper the grooves, the more water can pass through them. This means that these are tied when it comes to on-road performance.
Winner: It’s a tie
Snow Performance: Hankook Dynapro AT2 Vs Falken Wildpeak AT3W
The Hankook Dynapro AT2 tire utilizes a much narrower groove design which is not as capable when it comes to sticking onto the surface as is the case with the Falken AT3W tire. This means that the Hankook tires tend to lose traction when it comes to soft snow. On the other hand, Falken tires are able to catch snow a lot more effectively and thus are better.
When it comes to ice, the situation is the other way around because the Hankook tire has a much larger contact patch and thus is able to maintain traction better. This means that these are tied when it comes to snow and ice because the AT2 tire is a lot better in the snow while the AT3W tire is a lot better on icy roads.
Winner: It’s a tie
Comfort: Hankook Dynapro AT2 Vs Falken Wildpeak AT3W
It is rather obvious that the main difference between these two tires is the size of the grooves. This once again plays a huge role when it comes to comfort. However, the technologies Hankook tires benefit from give them an upper hand when it comes to comfort as the Hankook Dynapro AT2 tire is one of the best all-terrain tires when it comes to comfort.
The Falken AT3W is not as comfortable as the Hankook tires are, even though the AT3W is more comfortable off-road.
Winner: Hankook Dynapro AT2
Price and warranty: Hankook Dynapro AT2 Vs Falken Wildpeak AT3W
The Hankook Dynapro AT2 tire does cost more money than the Falken Wildpeak AT3W tire because it uses high-grade materials which indeed do make the tire class-leading when it comes to on-road comfort and noise levels. Even though they do cost more money, they also offer a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty whereas the Falken Wildpeak AT3W comes with a 55,000-mile treadwear warranty.
Winner: It’s a tie
Why Should I Choose The Hankook Dynapro AT2 Tire Over The Falken Wildpeak AT3W Tire?
- Better gravel and dirt road traction
- More comfortable and quieter
- Better traction on ice
- Longer warranty coverage
Why Should I Choose The Falken Wildpeak AT3W Tire Over The Hankook Dynapro AT2 Tire?
- Longer-lasting treadwear
- Better traction on muddy roads
- Better traction in snow
- Cheaper
Wrap Up
At the end of our Hankook Dynapro AT2 Vs Falken Wildeapk AT3W comparison, it’s rather obvious that these two are really closely matched. They are able to trade punches in almost every category where one tire bests the other, but the other tends to redeem itself in other areas. This means that your purchasing decision boils down to what you value more, comfort and light off-road, or durability and heavier off-roading.
The greatest difference between these two is the comfort as the Hankook Dynapro AT2 tire is way more comfortable on a day-to-day basis. The Hankook Dynapro AT2 is actually one of the most comfortable all-terrain tires out there which is indeed a really important aspect of a tire you plan on using daily.
However, if you love mud, snow, and rock climbing, the Falken Wildpeak AT3W is the better pick.
