Both the Hankook Dynapro ATM and the Falken Wildpeak AT3w are top of the line all-terrain tires built to last for you light trucks and SUVs. Though both tires have some dominating features over the other. Let’s find them out.
As a tire engineer, I believe that the Falken Wildpeak AT3w is a better tire to have in comparison, when it comes to rugged terrains, the tire has a lot of tread depth, and multiple biters which provide grip in all direction. And it does it without compromising on road comfort. On the other side, the Hankook Dynapro ATM is better on dry roads, provides superior fuel economy and has a great tread life and winter traction.
Table of Contents
Sizes Info
On one hand we have the Falken Wildpeak AT3w, which comes in 15 to 22″ rim sizes. And they have the following specs.
- Speed ratings: Q, R, S, T, and H.
- Tread depth range: 12 to 19/32″.
- Load Range: SL, XL, C, D, E, and F.
- Weight Range: 35 lbs to 79.4 lbs.
- Warranty: 55k miles on all sizes
While on the other side, the Hankook Dynapro ATM 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).
Tread Structure
Let me start with a more aggressive tire here, the Falken Wildpeak AT3w, where most of the credit goes to the shoulders.
It’s shoulder lugs basically cover a lot of tread’s surface area, so they get to carry bigger traction notches and stepped edges towards the middle, whereas their outer margins have staggered edges and U shaped sidewall lugs.
(You don’t get proper staggered shoulders here, but you can say, each lug is serrated on itself, providing saw toothed edges, which come in handy with lowered air pressure).
Moving towards the middle, you get 3 ribs there, having Z and C shaped lugs contained within wide circumferential outer rings.
These lugs although carry similar features like the notches and stepped edges (as seen on shoulders), the siping here is different, though they are also full depth.
The dual siping pattern basically work accordingly to provide ample wet traction both directionally and laterally, I’ve discussed this more in it’s section.
On the other side, we have the Hankook Dyanpro ATM. And looking at its tread, it makes sense why this tire is so good on pavements.
Let me start form the middle.
So here you see 3 columns of blocks, where the middle most carries biggest lugs.
This rib basically includes Z shaped blocks of wider proportions, and as these lugs are attached with each other longitudinally, they get to provide most of the tire’s directional grip on dry pavements.
And at the same time with countless interlocking sipes on them, you get the needed wet traction as well.
The surrounding lugs although have similar features of full depth sipes, and offset edges, the blocks are made slightly smaller, so the grooves interconnect with the outer wider longitudinal tread voids, providing this tire with self cleaning abilities as well.
Same goes for shoulder lugs, though they are not as biting, as they have foundational supports underneath, and missing serrated edges with mud scoops, like you mostly see on all-terrain tires.
Wet Traction
When it comes to wet traction, there are two main things to note. Hydroplaning and wet grip. Let me start off with grip first.
Wet Grip
Wet road grip is optimized by the presence of both siping and flexibility in the tire’s tread. These two characteristics work together to efficiently clear water off, leading to a safer driving experience.
So having said that, although the Hankook Dynapro ATM features a lot of sipes over all of the tread, they don’t make an efficient pattern. All sipes are basically rectilinear, and these don’t provide the needed flexibility. Moreover, the overall compound composition of the tread is stiffer as well, to top it all off.
Falken Wildpeak AT3w on the other side, yields a malleable compound with dual siping with interlocking pattern, so you get to have lugs with bending abilities, and so they flex in a better way to wipe water off much more effectively.
Though most of the tire’s traction still comes from hydroplaning resistance.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is simply floating of the tire on water (when not removed in time), and so with Hankook Dynapro ATM packed up lugs, water is not able to leave out quicker, comparatively.
And less water escaping out means more for there for sipes to sit on. And so, overall wet traction gets limited.
On the other side, the Falken Wildpeak AT3w not only provides you with better interconnected web of grooves, you also get deeper tread voids going up to 19/32″. So a lot more volume of water gushes out.
For Your Info: I’ve ranked Falken AT3w on top, in my list of best performing A/T tires.
Dry Performance
To properly evaluate the dry performance of an all-terrain tire, we should consider traction, steering, and cornering. Let’s examine each of these factors one by one.
Longitudinal Grip
The middle part of the tire’s tread holds significant importance in determining the overall longitudinal/dry grip (also known as directional grip), as that is where the tire’s weight is focused the most.
That’s why it makes sense why the Hankook Dynapro ATM with it’s such closed up Z shaped lugs get to provide you with shorter braking distances (which is how directional grip gets measured, in the first place).
Falken Wildpeak AT3w on the other side, although is not too far off, lacks a little due to it’s a lot of tread depth, which basically causes its lugs to flex more upon braking fully.
Dry Cornering
As weight get transferred to the shoulders during cornering, the lateral traction gets very dependent on how the sides/sidewalls of the tread are arranged.
And even though you get a very great rubber to road contact on both tires, the Hankook Dynapro ATM is seen lacking a little. This is because the shoulder lugs on this tire are not thick enough, and they get surrounded by slightly wider longitudinal grooves, even though lateral grooves are just like it’s competitors.
On the flip side, you get elongated lugs on Falken Wildpeak AT3w. And as these lugs cover a major portion of the tread, they provide a lot of contact patch, resulting in grip.
Recommended Read: Are all-terrain tires good for daily driving?
Tread Mileage
Rolling resistance also affects tread life, but there are other factors too, and these include, the tread depth and compound structure.
A softer tire, for example, will wear out faster, and if the tread is too shallow, the rubber can quickly burn off to the 2/32″ legal limit.
So this means even though the Hankook Dynapro ATM has a slower wearing rate, it does not mean its significantly better than the Falken Wildpeak, as this tire with 19/32″ tread depth still takes longer to go down to 2/32″.
That’s why in comparison, the Wildpeak AT3w still manages to provide you with 5k more miles in warranty.
Fuel Efficiency
Out of both tires, since the Hankook Dynapro ATM gets to be lighter, its understandable why it burns less fuel to roll. The tire basically has 2 things, less weight, and closed up lugs.
With a lighter construction, the lugs don’t get to bear as much weight on them, and since they are compacted together, that weight is evenly distributed across those lugs, and they don’t burn off the surface with as much force.
Falken Wildpeak AT3w on the other side, is not only heavier, but it also has more tread depth to it, and that combined with its softer overall tread, the lugs on top are more susceptible to bending/flexing during cornering, acceleration, and braking. And that wastes energy.
For Your Info: In A/T category, the most fuel efficient tire is Firestone Destination AT2 (review).
Ride Quality
Two essential components play a role in the overall ride quality – the tire tread noise and the tire’s ability to absorb road imperfections through its structure and tread composition. I’ll explore each of these aspects in more detail.
Tread Noise
When it comes to noise, the overall tread voids, tire’s composition, and weight determine how much groove resonance is to be produced.
And it gets generated by the movement of air, in the first place. And most of that air comes through the shoulder grooves.
In case of Hankook Dynapro ATM, as the shoulder lugs are more packed up, a lot of air gets stopped at the source, you get a very quite ride.
And for Falken Wildpeak AT3w, although a lot more air manages to come in, its superior pitch sequencing still gets to offer you with similar ride quality.
Comfort
A comfortable tire has the capacity to reduce road roughness, as it acts as a secondary suspension system. And here key playing features are the tread composition and inner construction.
And even though both tires have similar plies underneath the tread (in the middle), why Wildpeak AT3w does better can only be explained from its tread.
The tire has a very softer rubber compound which dampens the bumps on and off road. Moreover, with a larger tread depth, you also get more rubber between you and the road, so vibrations get to have more room to settle down before reaching you.
The Dynapro ATM on the other side has a stiffer compound and it’s tread is also not helping here as well.
Snow Performance
Both tires having 3 peak mountain snowflake ratings do a great job here no doubt, but still of them, there are a few areas, why Dynapro ATM does better.
It’s tread biters are optimized in a way to provide you with a better directional grip, whereas Wildpeak AT3w is superior in lateral traction with its interlocking sipes on shoulders.
Moreover, the Falken also does better on deeper terrains where there’s fluffy snow. Its outer lugs there act as scoopers, while the deep tread voids with C shaped lugs providing notches in all directions and stepped edges (both in middle and shoulders) grab the snow particles like a champ.
Off Road Performance
To navigate on rugged paths, tires must have a different set of skills for each terrain type. So let me divide this section in them, and explain how each tire performed on each.
Mud Tracks
The key to performing optimally on mud is by having self-cleaning abilities and a tread pattern that allows for efficient mud evacuation.
That’s why out of these two tires, you see only limited performance on Hankook Dynapro ATM. As this tire basically does not offer a web of interconnected grooves like its competitor (mostly because of the central most continuous running rib).
Moreover, this tire is also missing mud scoops on shoulder lugs, which throw mud backwards and create forward momentum with it.
Falken Wildpeak AT3w on the other hand, not only offers a much better open design, it also has a lot more tread depth as well, so a lot of volume of mud gets to escape out.
Moreover, besides having saw toothed edges on the outer margins, which slash through the mud, you also get thick sidewall lugs, and these provide scooping even with the tire is aired down deep in mud.
Recommended Read: Are all-terrain tires good on mud?
Rocky Terrains
A tire designed for rocky roads should have a soft, flexible tread with lugs that are able to bend for better traction and grip in all directions. That’s why Falken Wildpeak AT3w with those features brings about better results.
Moreover, the tire also has more streamlined biters in all directions, so you get a highly needed combination of lateral and longitudinal traction.
Hankook Dynapro ATM on the other side, does not offer as much of a flexible tread, though it’s still provides with good enough biters in the middle.
But what this tire really lacks, are the sidewall lugs, where on Wildpeak those lugs provide extra footprint and bite with lowered air pressure.
I discussed it in detail in my air pressure guide: https://tiredriver.com/air-pressure-guide-for-all-terrain-tires/
Sand
On sand you have avoid one thing the most, and that is digging, and so here weight is a important factor but not as important as the tread structure and sidewall lugs.
That’s why even though the Hankook Dynapro ATM has the advantage of being a lighter tire, it’s missing sidewall lugs still doesn’t provide it with enough floating abilities.
Wildpeak AT3w on the other hand, has stronger bead locks, so for one, you can lower the air pressure on the tire further, and two, it’s sidewall lugs spread out with lowered pressure providing enhanced section width.
Gravely Roads
Even with cut-resistant rubber compositions, off-road tires on gravely roads require self-cleaning grooves to prevent stones and dirt from getting trapped and causing harm.
And although on both tires, you don’t see any conventional stone ejectors, the ridges/supports (against the lugs in the middle) on Falken Wildpeak AT3w still gets to provide better dirt ejecting capabilities and with it traction.
To Sum Up
So overall in case of Falken Wildpeak AT3w, you get a superior wet traction on roads, and a good tread life, along with a comfortable ride, whereas off-road you conquer almost all terrains with this tire (comparatively).
On the other side, the Hankook ATM, does much better when things are dry (on roads), and it also provides you with decent comfort (in terms of noise), a greater fuel economy and overall better snow traction, though both tires have 3 peak mountain snowflake ratings.
