The Hankook Dynapro ATM and the BF Goodrich KO2 are although both excellent all-terrain tires that offer exceptional performance, it’s still very important to consider which one is the most suitable for your vehicle and driving needs. So let me compare and contrast the two in order to assist you in making an informed decision.
As an experienced tire engineer, I can attest to the fact that BF Goodrich KO2 yields a better off-road traction with it’s enhanced durability and numerous biters. And on-road, you won’t get disappointment with its tread wear, and noise levels. The Hankook Dynapro ATM, on the other hand, features a superior on-road grip in both dry and wet conditions. And it’s a superior tire in terms of fuel economy, and overall comfort. Though being so aligned towards performing on roads, it could use some winter traction and tread life (though its almost similar to KO2).
Table of Contents
Sizes Available
The Hankook Dynapro ATM (RF10) provides you with 15 to 20 inches rim diameters with following specs:
- Speed ratings: R, S and T
- Load ratings: SL, XL, C, D and E
- Weight range: 32 to 78 lbs
- Tread depth: 12.5 to 16.5/32″
- Ratings: 3PMSF and M+S rated
- Warranty: 50K miles (for non LT sizes)
Learn all about speed rating here: https://tiredriver.com/speed-rating-on-tires/
Learn all about load rating here: https://tiredriver.com/load-index-range-and-ply-rating/
The BF Goodrich KO2 has following.
- 90 sizes in 15″ to 22″
- M+S as well as 3PMSF rated
- Speed Ratings: R, S, or Q
- Load ratings: C to E
- Weight range: 35 lbs to 67 lbs
- Tread Depth: 15/32″ on all sizes
- 50k miles warranty
Review this KO2 Tire.
Tread Structure
Starting with Hankook Dynapro ATM, the tire is very well oriented for roads. Let me explain how.
Let me start off form the middle part of the tread first.
Here you see Z shaped blocks (in the middle most) which although seem to be divided by lateral grooves, all blocks are actually attached to each other.
This is to provide this tire with directional grip, mostly on highways.
The surrounding 2 ribs, have smaller lugs in them, but since they have more “edges” to them, along with similar full depth siping, they get to provide most of the off-road traction.
Moreover, their wider grooves allow them to interconnect with inner and outer circumferential channels, which yields this tire with self cleaning capabilities.
Though still the shoulder lugs are very on-road oriented. They are not staggered, and have ridges placed in between.
The BF Goodrich KO2 forms a much more aggressive structure.
In the middle, it gets to have a very uniform structure with worm like blocks making a web of grooves.
And so with consistent design the tire gets to yield good enough traction abilities on smooth pavements.
And as all these lugs are laced with full depth notches and sipes, they split open the lugs where needed offering off-road capabilities as well.
Moving towards shoulders, they are slightly bigger, and should I add, much more aggressive.
And so tire where offers good enough directional grip sacrifices a little when it comes to lateral traction.
Though with full depth notches here of various shaped combined with staggered outer edges and sidewall lugs, you get epic traction on all types of terrains, may it be rocks, sand or even muddy tracks.
These sidewall lugs basically provide the best traction when the tire is aired down to a lowered PSI values.
Sidewalls Structure
The sidewalls are a crucial protective layer for the tire, and enhancing them with a polyester casing provides extra toughness. However, they are still the most vulnerable, as they don’t get to have as many plies covering them.
Nonetheless, this isn’t the case with the BF Goodrich KO2, which is marketed as the “toughest all-terrain tire.” As a marketing stunt/experiment, BFG also made a video showing the tire being dropped from over 10,000 feet, which is worth checking out if you haven’t already.
Though, let me tell you, that the tire is actually pretty tough, no doubt, in fact, I added it because of this in my list of top A/T tires.
So its undeniably robust, with a 3-ply polyester casing and two solid wide steel belts on top, reinforced by two cap plies of spirally wound nylon, providing remarkable durability.
On the other side, the Hankook Dynapro ATM, features only 2 ply cover, 2 belts and a single nylon (spirally wound though), cap ply. So it makes sense, why it’s more susceptible to punctures.
Wet Traction
On wet roads, the more the sipes on the tread, the better the wet grip, as those provide water wiping abilities. That’s why out of both tires, the Hankook Dynapro ATM gets to provide better traction values.
BF Goodrich KO2 on the other side, although also features a lot of sipes, they are not as flexible to move and properly grip the wet surface, resulting in limited traction.
And with less flexibility it’s also can be explained it also lacks in hydroplaning.
Pavement Traction
To effectively evaluate the dry performance of an all-terrain tire, we need to consider traction, steering, and cornering ability. Let’s consider each of these factors separately.
Directional Grip
Directional grip as the name suggest is the tire’s friction with the road while rolling on a straighter path. And it gets measure with tire’s stopping abilities (when braked fully from a specified speed, I do it from 50 mph).
And as this type of grip highly depends on the tire’s rubber contact patch with the ground, it makes sense why out of both tires, the Hankook Dynapro ATM provides better efficacy.
The BF Goodrich KO2 isn’t able to provide with a consistent (enough) contact with the ground, so it’s lacking here overall.
Sideways Grip
If you consider the tread design of both tires again (by scrolling above), you’d note that, the shoulder lugs in general are more packed up in Hankook ATM.
And, as during cornering, these lugs bear most of the (shifted weight) pressure on them, it makes sense why this tire gives out better handling times, with its solid contact formation with the road.
On the other hand, the BF Goodrich KO2 with such aggressive shoulders is not able to provide similar gripping values.
Steering Feedback
Steering sensitivity, requires two things:
- Consistency of the rubber-to-road connection.
- Lugs resistance to flexing.
And since both of these features are seen better on Hankook Dynapro ATM, you don’t get slowed down (being more responsive).
Basically, it’s lugs are not only close together, but they also have solid reinforced foundations underneath them. If you consider it’s tread again, you’d note that, all it’s shoulder lugs are joined together by connectors in between.
That’s why the tire gives quicker feedback to the steering inputs.
The BFG KO2 on the other hand, although also features a pretty firm contact with the road with it’s stiffer rubber composition, it’s lugs are irregularly shaped, and are left unsupported, and so they can’t yield similar steering response, comparatively.
(The Hankook ATM is basically so good on roads, that you can even use this all-terrain tire on 2WD).
Snow Traction
A/T tires are although not so great on ice, and hard packed snow, they do okay with softer terrains, where they provide snow to snow contact.
Basically snowflakes have a unique interlocking design that creates better friction when they come into contact with each other, which is why snow-to-snow contact is more effective than rubber-to-snow exposure.
And so with a hook shaped structure, you are able to get a superior grip on KO2. They hang on to the lodged snow, where the full depth sipes additionally grip on a lot of different kinds of surfaces.
Though with softer compound, the Hankook Dynapro ATM does have an advantage of staying fluffier with freeing temperatures.
Recommended Read –
Are A/T tires good in Snow: https://tiredriver.com/are-all-terrain-tires-good-in-snow/
Fuel Efficiency
There are a lot of factors when it comes to fuel, and they all decide the overall rolling resistance, the tire produces. Too much of it, and a tire would consume greater fuel, and too little, and you’d have to compromise on the grip.
The Hankook Dynapro ATM has a great balance between the both. Although the tire weighs a lot more, it’s longitudinal orientation of the lugs account for better directional rolling, where it’s joined up lugs gets to consume less fuel in comparison.
The BFG KO2 on the other side, is although great here as well, its still lacking with its wider grooves which puts more pressure on the lugs, as they create greater rolling resistance values.
Tread Mileage
How many miles you can squeeze out of a tire, depends on its composition along with tread depth.
That’s why being a softer tire, the Dynapro ATM gets to burn faster, and it’s lower tread depth reaches down to the 2/32″ faster, which is the legal limit.
BF Goodrich KO2, on the other side, having a less silica in it’s compound, gets to last longer. Though note that the difference is miniscule, that’s why both tires show up with similar tread wear warranty of 50k miles.
Traction Off Road
Different terrains demand unique skills from off-road tires on rugged paths, which is why I evaluated tires in all of these conditions.
Muddy Trails
Although the BF Goodrich KO2 provides a better “stuff-trapping” abilities with it’s interlocking design, it’s still yields better efficacy in this department.
The Hankook Dynapro ATM with longitudinal orientation of the lugs don’t get to provide fast enough lateral evacuation of the mud, and with missing staggered edges, there aren’t any mud scoops helping the tire either.
BF Goodrich KO2 on the other side, features a better self cleaning tread, and it’s outer edges scoop the mud out of its way, paddling the tire out even when aired down deep in mud.
Soft Sand Grip
The BF Goodrich KO2 with it’s stiffer sidewalls faces a “hard” time on sand. That’s why out of both tires, you still get to see somewhat better traction on Hankook Dynapro ATM.
Though the BF Goodrich KO2 is still pretty great especially with lowering of the air pressure further, where it’s sidewall lugs come in to action.
With lowered PSI, the sidewall lugs (which are pasted on a larger surface area) get to yield extra footprint with the sand, enhancing floating abilities.
On Gravel and Dirt
Off-road tires lacking self-cleaning grooves are at a disadvantage on gravely roads, as they are prone to harm and reduced traction caused by trapped stones and dirt particles.
That’s why the Hankook Dynapro ATM, even though having a cut resistant rubber, is not able to provide as good a performance as the KO2.
BF Goodrich KO2 on the other hand, although features a closed up tread voids in the middle, it’s triangular shaped ejectors, is not so inviting to the debris.
On Rocks
BF Goodrich KO2 is the king of rocks, when it comes to all-terrain tires, though I rated this tire in my list of A/T tires for a whole another reason, check it here: https://tiredriver.com/best-all-terrain-tires/
So it’s not surprising to see that the Hankook Dynapro ATM does not stand a chance. The tire is missing with (powerful) sidewalls, as with only 2 ply internal built, they don’t give out the highly needed durability, and with missing lugs, they don’t offer additional traction with lowered air pressure.
Moreover, with closed up and longitudinal orientation of the lugs in the middle, the tire lacks in biters, and so can’t outperform KO2 which has hook shaped lugs, providing grip at multiple angles.
Conclusion
The Hankook Dynapro ATM is although not such a great tire on wet roads, compared to KO2, it still provides better traction capabilities. And on dry pavements, that is seen prominently. That’s why you get higher speed rating with this tire. Moreover, the tire also provides better fuel economy, tread life and a comfortable ride, though lacks in winter traction.
BF Goodrich KO2, on the other side, provide amazing off-road traction, where on-road, you’d be impressed with it’s noise dampening abilities, and snow traction.
