Well both tires show very different results in various condition types. The Atturo Trail Blade XT offers superior dry grip, better wet traction, and performs well in winter conditions and sandy terrains. Whereas, on the other hand, the Venom Terra Hunter XT excels in fuel economy, tread wear, and performs admirably in muddy and rocky terrains.
So there you have it. A detailed comparison of the Kumho Road Venture family members is made. So let me conclude by summarizing the key points. Now out of all, the Kumho AT52 is the clear winner on both wet and dry roads, in terms of traction. Though the tire also features better performance values in other on-road metrics. It's fuel economy and tread life is acutally one of its best feature, and out of all, the tire also features a quieter ride. So, yes, you can say, the newer tire is actually better in almost all sections. But yes, off-road is where the MT51 is coming alive. It's thick X shaped voids not only provide superb mud cleaning abilities, but they also offer a multi-directional grip on rocks. And on sand, the tire's thick sidewall lugs provide the best traction, of course with lowered air pressure.
So overall, it all comes down to this. The Hankook Dynapro MT2 shows up with better highway traction and handling due to its directionally arranged lugs. And here its predecessor really struggles, due to its wider tread voids and heavier structure, showing up with lagging steering feedback. Same is the case in wet conditions, the Hankook MT2 comes out superior with it's interlocking sipes, providing both lateral and longitudinal grip, much better compared to MT. And on snow, it's interlocking (wrapping shoulder) lug design provide better traction capabilities, thanks to it's snow to snow contact. Though off-road is where the Hankook Dynapro MT takes the lead with it's wider self cleaning grooves and robust sidewalls. They offer much better traction on both muddy and rocky terrains. But on sand, the tire isn't able to offer as much performance, mostly due to its heavier weight.
Both tires display impressive performance in various conditions, each having its unique strengths and weaknesses. The Cooper AT3 shines on pavements, in terms of fuel economy, tread life and comfort. And you get a much better steering response, directional grip and lateral traction with this tire on both, wet and dry environments. On the other side, the Cooper Rugged Trek offers greater self cleaning grooves, allowing for better mud traction. And its dual sidewall lugs supply much better rocky and sandy terrain traction as well. Though both tires show up with similar performance values when it comes to winter performance.
When evaluating off-road traction across diverse terrains, the Nitto Nomad Grappler consistently outperforms its counterpart, with its greater biting edges and dual sidewalls. Whereas the Wildpeak AT Trial with its closed up tread pattern and superior siping structure deliver much better grip on both dry and wet roads, along with steering responsiveness. Moreover, the tire also features superior fuel economy and tread life too. Though in terms of on-road comfort, its performance is on par to Nitto's.
So overall it all comes down to this. The Hankook Dynapro AT2 is the most durable out of all, with 3 ply sidewalls, and excels in snow traction due to its deeper sipes and notches, and heftier weight providing better ground contact. On the other hand, the Dynapro AT2 Xtreme shines in handling and sand, mud and rocky terrain traction thanks to its new gen tread compound and robust sidewall lugs. The Hankook Dynapro ATM, while offering excellent ride comfort, and fuel economy, though lacks to other two when it comes to treadwear, with its softer compound and lacking durability.
Let me summarize all the things discussed above. The Cooper Rugged Trek shines in terms of fuel efficiency and tread longevity due to its lightweight design and stable lugs. And it also performs admirably in terms of wet and dry traction, thanks to its better structured siping. And although noise isn't the tire's strongest suit, it's still better compared to its bigger brothers, as the tire incorporates Whisper Grooves Technology. Though off-road is where the Cooper STT Pro excels the most, in all departments. But it was surprising to see the STT Maxx lacking a lot here, mainly due to its missing sidewall lugs.
Taking into account all the discussed aspects, including on-road performance, winter conditions, fuel economy and so on, we can summarize the overall assessment of these 3 tires. The Atturo Trail Blade MT impresses with its performance on rough terrains, rock climbing, and in deeper snow, thanks to its robust structure, superior durability, and effective paddling abilities. However, it falls short in terms of fuel efficiency and tread life, given its heavier weight and aggressive tread design. The Atturo Trail Blade AT excels in fuel efficiency and offers commendable tread life, making it a good choice for on-road driving and light (very light I mean) off-roading. Though still, the tire could really use some sidewalls. Finally, the Atturo Trail Blade XT strikes a balance between the MT and AT. It performs reasonably well in most conditions, offering better floating capabilities on sandy terrains and satisfactory performance on snowy paths. However, it lacks the aggressive tread design of the MT (especially form the middle), and so it can't offer decent performance when it comes to harsh off-road terrains. In conclusion, each tire has its strengths and weaknesses, and the choice between them should be dictated by the specific requirements and expected driving conditions.
The Kenda Klever AT2 stands out for its superior on-road grip, handling, and steering response, owing to its less aggressive design. And other on-road features such as fuel efficiency, comfort, and tread life also lean in the AT2's favor. Interestingly, the Kenda Klever RT does really well in dry traction department, demonstrating amazing handling and braking efficacy, though still lacking a little bit to AT2, of course. And off-road, both of these tires couldn't match the performance of beast of a tire, the Kenda Klever MT.
Let me summarize all of the above. The Firestone Destination AT2 excels in on-road grip, handling, and steering response, and it comes on top when it comes to other on-road aspects, such fuel efficiency, comfort, and tread life. Though, interestingly, the Firestone Destination XT outperforms all its variants, in snow traction, showing much better handling effectiveness compared to other two. And off-road, however, the true titan, the Firestone Destination M/T2, outshines the others across all terrains, though on sand, its performance is almost on par to Destination XT.
The Milestar Patagonia ATR excels in on-road grip, handling, and steering response, which is expected, given its less aggressive nature. Moreover, other on-road aspects, such as fuel efficiency, comfort, and tread life, also favor the ATR. Though, interestingly, the Milestar Patagonia XT outperforms all its variants, in snow traction, showing much better handling effectiveness compared to other two. And off-road, however, the true titan, the Milestar Patagonia MT, outshines the others across key terrains: mud, sand, rocks, and even gravely roads. Though on gravel, it was somewhat peculiar to observe the Milestar Patagonia XT's under-performance even compared to ATR.
The Michelin CrossClimate 2 outperforms its predecessor, the Michelin CrossClimate Plus, in most aspects. The CrossClimate 2 also provides a smoother ride with its softer tread rubber and cap ply. It offers better tread life, with a higher UTQG rating (640 vs. 600) and roughly 10k more miles in tests. And while both models underperform in wet conditions, the Michelin CrossClimate 2 performs slightly better thanks to interlocking sipes and a rounded contact patch. And it shines in dry road performance, particularly on highways, due to a robust grip and shorter braking distances. In winter conditions, it handles slush and snow effectively due to its elongated lugs, smaller section width, and greater weight. Despite the Plus model's 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake rating, the CrossClimate 2 still outperforms it in overall winter performance. And lastly, although the Michelin CrossClimate Plus is quieter due to narrower shoulder gaps, the difference is slight, as the CrossClimate 2 employs rounded patches and streamlined lugs for air expulsion and noise reduction.