Firestone Destination X/T vs Falken Wildpeak AT3w

Firestone Destination X/T and Falken Wildpeak AT3w are two all-terrain tires, each designed with a specific purpose in mind. The Wildpeak AT3w is a true off-road beast, while the Destination X/T has impressive on-road manners. But how do these two tires compare when put to the test? Find out at the end of this article! Let’s get started.

Being a tire engineer from my perspective the Firestone Destination X/T is an aggressive all-terrain tires, but performs much better on roads, though it can improve it’s wet traction. Falken Wildpeak AT3w, in comparison offers much better wet grip, and it’s self cleaning tread (having deepest voids in the category) offer superior mud and dirt evacuation. Though both tires perform very a like on rocky terrains.

Tread Structure

The Firestone Destination X/T offers a mixture of on/off road design. Let me explain.

It features 2 ribs on sides containing central lugs, and these ribs are very aligned to performing on roads. As you can see, they have straight forward rectilinear sipes and a very squared off design, so that they can make more contact with the road while turning.

Though, they are still equipped with staggered edges, and “U” shaped sidewall lugs.

Towards the middle, things are more aggressive. Here S and “almost” F shaped lugs are seen (as in “Firestone” initials).

The “S” ones make the middle most contact and promotes directional stability, though they are smaller in comparison, and don’t have sharp biters on their sides like the rest.

The surrounding ribs, not only have biters, but they are also installed with notches and foundational supports on sides, so the tire can shift its load towards outer edges while turning, enhancing steering response.

All of them make interconnected lateral grooves at various angles, which join up with the wider zigzag circumferential tread voids on the outskirts.

On the other hand, the Falken Wildpeak AT3 offers a similar tread print.

Here, in the middle, “Z” shaped lugs are seen, but unlike the Destination X/T, they are larger in sizes, promoting better directional grip.

The surrounding lugs have notches in them facing in all directions, and these provide better off road gripping, especially on rocks.

All these lugs have foundational supports, and are equipped with rectilinear siping.

Moving towards shoulders, these blocks dominate the majority of the tread, as they yield the biggest lugs.

They have notches and stepped edges towards inner edges, along with full depth interlocking siping in the center and saw-tooth edges towards outside.

Moreover, the shoulder lugs are although siting on foundational supports, they are further made stable with “U” shaped lugs on sidewalls which join the two lugs together, promoting lateral capabilities.

Internal Construction

The Firestone Destination X/T is although marketed to be more aggressive than AT (with X in it’s name), the tire provides you with average inner construction common with all terrain tires.

It comes with 2 ply polyester casing, with 2 steel belts and just a single nylon reinforcement, whereas, Falken Wildpeak provides 2 cap plies, and 2 more layers of polyamide on sidewalls.

So you have stronger middle area, as well as the sides on Wildpeak AT3w.

Sizes Info

The Falken Wildpeak AT3w has 15 to 22 inches rim sizes with following specs.

• All sizes have 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.

Review Falken AT3w in detail.

Firestone Destination X/T on the other side, comes with 15 to 20 inches wheel diameters, with following specs.

• Speed ratings: R and S.
• Load ratings: C and E.
• Weight range: 35 to 60 lbs.
• Tread depth comes in 14, 15, 16 and 17/32″.
• Warranty: 50k miles.

Review Firestone X/T in detail.

Dry Grip and Handling

Out of both tires, the Falken Wildpeak offers superior grip and handling results. Let’s talk grip first, or should I say directional grip.

This grip is calculated by breaking distances and it depends on how much the middle area of tread meets with the road, though, there are other factors too, like the stability and composition of the tread.

And in all of these, Falken AT3w excels.

As I mentioned in the tread section above, the tire offers fatter Z shaped rib in the middle, and those lugs have biters on sides, chamfered edges, and supporting ridges.

So although the tire has greater weight, and larger tread depth, the lugs still stay in place, and the biters ensure shorter stopping distances are achieved upon full braking.

In comparison, the Destination X/T offers less wider lugs there, as they are left unsupported.

Though it offers better handling times which have to do with shoulder lugs, as they make a decent rubber to road contact, though still it’s not enough to outperform Falken’s boy.

Wildpeak AT3w simply has bigger ribs there as well, so this promotes contact friction, moreover, it’s lugs are connected with sidewall lugs as well, so besides, traction, you also get stability and greater steering feedback, comparatively.

Wet Traction

On wet roads, siping and flexibility is needed, and although both tires have that, the Falken does it better, in fact it’s one of the top ranking ones for this section (compared to other premium A/T tires).

Basically with such deeper tread voids, Wildpeak AT3w evacuates a lot of water away from the tread, faster, while the rest is dealt with dual siping design.

The interlocking sipes on the shoulder lugs offer great handling stability, whereas the rectilinear ones in the middle, ensure shorter braking distances.

The opposite is going on Firestone Destination X/T where with better siping in the middle, although the tire offers similar directional grip in comparison, the rectilinear sipes on shoulder lack in lateral traction comparatively.

Moreover, with more closed up shoulder lugs, it’s also not able to evacuate water in a similar manner, so overall wet traction gets limited.

Fuel Consumption

Fuel usage depends on rolling resistance, and out of these tires, Falken Wildpeak AT3w generates more of it with it’s spongier rubber which sticks on the surface more.

The tire is also heavier with 2 extra polyamide layers on sidewall, and with that it gets to put more pressure on it’s lugs, even though they offer just as much of the footprint in comparison.

The Firestone Destination X/T on the other side, is lighter and so it’s less fuel consuming as a result.

Comfort

When it comes on on-road comfort, there are two things to consider, noise, and tire’s ability to settle down the bumps.

And in both areas, the Falken Wildpeak AT3w is excelling. But how? Let me explain.

Noise is just air passing through the tread, and most of it come in and out through sides of the tread. Now if you consider the design of Falken above, you’d note that, it’s shoulder grooves are a little more tough passing in comparison. So, air gets restricted significantly.

Moreover, the tire features better pitch sequencing, this is basically changing of angles on the lugs, so air hitting those could create different pitch values/tones at different parts.

And so they don’t “sync” up together.

The Firestone X/T although offers this technology as well, with it’s straight forward lateral shoulder gaps there’s simply more air coming in and striking around, generating unwanted sound waves.

Moreover, although it’s rubber is soft enough, it’s not thick enough, where on Wildpeak AT3W tread depth reaches up to 19/32″, and with this bumps have more room to dissolve down, enhancing overall ride comfort.

Off Road Traction

Off-road there are a lot of terrains to consider, and let me share my experience on the ones I’ve taken these tires onto.

Sandy Hills

Out of both tires, the Firestone Destination X/T provide you with better traction capability. That’s because this tire features a softer built, so lowering air pressure yields a firmer sand to rubber contact.

And, it’s less aggressive sides is not that susceptible to digging. Which is exactly what you want on sand.

Falken Wildpeak AT3w, conversely, weighs a lot more (with 2 extra polyamide layers on sidewalls, going up to 84 lbs), and this forces its sharper sides to dig in more comparatively.

Muddy Trails

Mud is tough for all-terrain tires, as they get packed with it pretty quickly and easily.

Though still there are tires that still allow you to have reliable traction (on lighter terrains, I should add) and Falken Wildpeak AT3w is in that list.

It’s deeper tread voids, going up to 19/32″ basically supplies a good deal of mud-volume to leave out, and it’s thicker sidewall lugs act as traction scoops (where you also get the needed digging with sharp shoulders, making saw-tooth edges).

In comparison, the Firestone Destination X/T is not able to provide deeper tread voids, and it’s shoulder lugs are also not that aggressive either. So, less efficient groove cleaning is seen here.

Rocks

Falken Wildpeak AT3w is superb on rocks, and better off the two, no doubt.

It provides a great combination of lateral and longitudinal grip, where sideways grip comes from it’s saw-tooth edges, combined with sidewall lugs, and directional grip comes from it’s Z shaped lugs with chamfered edges.

Though it also covers all the angles in between as well, as the C shaped lugs with notches face in all directions.

In contrast, the Firestone X/T although also offers a good deal of biters, they are still not enough, nor are it’s sidewall lugs, which don’t offer as thick of a pattern.

Moreover, durability is highly needed on rocks, and this tire only gives you 2 ply polyester casing protection there, whereas Wildpeak AT3w has 2 more layers of polyamide allowing you to crawl on tougher tracks with inspired confidence.

Snow Traction

On snow you basically want a softer compound, narrower tread, larger weight (yes, that’s right), and a lot of biters.

All of these features are from winter tires, and they are all designed to grab snow particles and make snow to snow contact.

And both of these tires do a pretty great job here, though still I am going to rate Firestone Destination X/T a little higher here, though both tires here have 3 peak mountain snowflake and M+S ratings.

Destination X/T basically offers biters which are specifically designed for snow grabbing, that’s why their technical term is snow vices.

These biters are much more efficient in trapping snow particles in the grooves.

On the other hand, the Falken Wildpeak AT3w although offers decent biters in the middle, you can’t say the same about its shoulder lugs, where on Firestone, the tire gets to have deep slits there fulfilling the purpose.

Leave With This

Both tires here are aggressive all-terrain though still, out of them, Falken Wildpeak AT3w does better in almost all types of rugged lands, including rocks, and mud.

Though sand and snow traction is dealt with better on Destination X/T.

On road, Firestone offers superior dry performance, whereas Falken gives you top-notch traction on wet.