If you’re looking for a tire that provides a great balance between on-road comfort and off-road traction, then you can’t go wrong with both Goodyear Wrangler Adventure and the TrailRunner. Both of them are equipped with cutting-edge tread compounds and symmetric tread patterns, that offer superior performance. Though there are still some differences between them to consider. Let’s talk about them.
In my expert opinion as a tire engineer, the Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure is a much more on-road oriented tire, so it makes sense why it offers shorter braking distances and handling times on both dry and wet pavements. Moreover its also relatively more comfortable, and offer better fuel and tread economy. The Goodyear TrailRunner on the other side does better on slightly rugged terrains, especially on sand, with it’s lighter weight. Though it lacks in durability.
Table of Contents
Sizes Available
Goodyear Wrangler Adventure Kevlar, comes with following specs:
- Sizes: 15 to 20″ rims.
- Speed ratings: R, S, T and H.
- Load ratings: SL, XL, C and E.
- Weight range: 34 to 60 lbs.
- Tread depth: 12/32″ or 15/32″.
- Ratings: 3PMSF and M+S.
- Warranty: 60k for all sizes.
While the Goodyear TrailRunner has following.
- Sizes: 15 to 22 inches wheel diameters.
- Speed ratings: R, S and T.
- Load ratings: SL, XL, C, D and E.
- Weight range: 27 to 53 lbs.
- Tread depth range: Either 12 or 15/32″.
- Treadwear warranty: 55k for P metric sizes only.
- LT sizes have 3PMSF ratings.
Tread Features
Goodyear Wrangler TrailRunner is actually same as the Wrangler Workhorse, and looking at it’s structure it makes sense (as all its lugs are shaped as horse shoe).
Let discuss its tread pattern form the middle first.
The tire features 3 ribs here, with blocks running in pairs. The central most rib has lugs with slightly wider proportions.
They have sharp edges, and notches, connected with full depth sipes.
The surrounding blocks although carry similar tread features, here the notches are smaller and sipes are more interlocking.
All these lugs have supporting ridges on sides, (on the base), and besides providing stability they also act as stone ejectors.
The shoulder lugs are bigger in comparison, and attached to each other with the help of connectors. They carry similar looking notches and rectilinear sipes, and their outer margins have stepped edges, making V shaped sidewall lugs.
On the other side, the Goodyear Wrangler Adventure also features a very on-road oriented design.
In the center, there are 3 main ribs, of almost equal width.
Though in the middle most, the blocks are more vertically streamlined, making very straight lateral gaps in between.
These blocks have full depth interlocking sipes which divide them further, and their off-set sides provide the necessary bite on all surfaces.
Though the surrounding ribs are more aggressive in comparison, as lugs there are placed at an angle and they have greater offset biting edges.
Moreover, the lateral grooves they make are wider, interconnecting with the wide outer circumferential channels.
These grooves are engraved with multiple stone ejectors providing you with highly self cleaning capabilities.
Lastly, looking at the shoulders, these blocks have multiple slits and sipes on them, providing off-road bite, and at the same time they are made stable for lateral stability (especially for roads) with blocks connected up together on sidewalls.
Winter Performance
Both tires are although 3 peak mountain snowflake rated, (but only in LT sizes), the Goodyear TrailRunner is taking the lead here. Let me explain, but first, you need to understand the following.
For winter performance, off-road tires generate traction with their snow holding capabilities (and making contact with the ground with it). This is because snowflakes have an intermingling structure, sticking better on to each other, compared to (tread’s) rubber.
That’s why, compared to Wrangler Adventure, the TrailRunner with it’s interlocking central structure, and thicker notches all over the tread supply better overall snow grabbing abilities, and with it, traction.
Highway Performance
An all-terrain tire’s dry performance is dependent on several key factors, including directional/lateral traction and steering sensitivity. Let’s take a closer look at these important elements.
Directional Grip
This type of grip is mostly experienced on highways, as tires roll (almost) straight over there.
And so although both tires offer similar contact patch of their tread blocks, the Goodyear Adventure is taking the lead with it’s (more) streamlined structure.
It’s lugs are better aligned longitudinally, and they account for better directional rolling compared to Wrangler TrailRunner, where the interlocking tread voids cause more hindrance in the rubber to road connection.
Handling
The handling is the tire’s sideways traction, and it depends on the shoulders lugs’ ability to contact the ground.
As the tire turns, the weight it carries, tries to move towards it’s edges, (because of inertia). So if the lugs there offer better contact patch and stability, a tire would yield enhanced gripping values.
That’s why the Goodyear Wrangler Adventure is taking the lead, with it’s compacted shoulders, having reinforced foundations underneath.
So this way the lugs not only offers superior contact patch, meeting the road, but they also stay firm, allowing for greater steering sensitivity.
The Goodyear TrailRunner on the other hand, lacks in both, it’s lugs have wider tread voids, and although they have connectors in between, they still bend relatively more in comparison.
Wet Traction
Wet traction can be optimized by considering the two main components of wet grip and resistance to hydroplaning. Let take a look at both
Wet Grip
A tire with both siping and flexibility maximizes grip on wet roads. The combination of these two elements enables fast water evacuation from the tire tread.
Basically a majority of water leaves out the tread with the help of voids, while remaining is soaked up with the help of slits (sipes).
That’s why with limited number of sipes, the Wrangler TrailRunner is pretty lacking, not only from the Adventure, but compared to other all-terrain options as well.
Hydroplaning
If a tire is unable to remove water from its tread promptly, it can cause the phenomenon of aqua or hydroplaning, which causes the tire to start floating (as a layer forms between the tread and the pavement).
Though both tires are pretty voided to face this kind of issue.
Off Road Traction
Different terrains require unique sets of skills for all-terrain tires to perform well, so to get a better view, it’s best we consider all these terrain types.
Muddy Terrains
Although both tires don’t feature wide enough grooves, you’re still better off on this terrain, with Goodyear Wrangler TrailRunner.
This is because it offers better interlinked channels, which allow for mud to leave out through multiple pathways, while they get broken down with the help of tire’s sharper lugs and notches.
The Wrangler Adventure in comparison, with it’s very longitudinally aligned ribs, can’t offer decent mud removal laterally, so it gets packed with it quicker.
Rocks
On Rocky terrains, I have rated both of these tires equal, but for different reasons. You see there are two main points to consider while climbing rocks.
- A tire must have durable inner construction.
- And it should offer grip in multiple directions.
The Wrangler Adventure does better with durability, with it’s Kevlar reinforcements, while the TrailRunner has a lot more biters, so although it would give you a better grip, it won’t be as confidence inspiring as its counterpart.
Sandy Dunes
Sand requires floating tires, and here digging is your worst enemy.
This is why you need to air down your tires on this soft terrain, though some tread features also help that, and considering those, it can be seen why Goodyear TrailRunner is a superior tire to have.
It’s features a lighter weight, and if you consider its outer edges (shoulders), you’d note that they are smoother.
Both of these account for better floating abilities, comparatively.
Fuel And Tread
The fuel usage is shaped by rolling resistance, which depends on the tread’s structure and weight, and you can’t consider any of these factors alone here.
That’s why the Wrangler TrailRunner, despite having a lighter construction, still shows up with greater rolling resistance values.
Since its lugs are more spaced apart, each of them, carry relatively greater weight pressure, and so they burn off the surface (they are on) with a greater rubbing force.
That’s why out of both tires, they Goodyear Wrangler Adventure shows up greater tread life and fuel economy.
Though treadwear warranty difference is only 5k miles in both.
Tread Noise
The cause of tire noise is air movement, it comes in mostly through the shoulder voids, and strikes the walls around (on tread voids), creating unwanted sound waves.
Now although both tires have connectors between the shoulder lugs, they restrict a lot of that air flow in the first place, though the Goodyear Adventure shoulder voids are also interlocking, plus it’s overall internal grooves are narrower in comparison.
Both of these ensure a quieter ride, compared to TrailRunner.
Take Home Points
So let me summarize all of the things I discussed above, though it’s highly recommended that you don’t miss out on any of the above detailed explanation.
The Goodyear Wrangler TrailRunner is the exact copy of Goodyear Workhorse A/T, I added it’s link in the tread section.
This tire offers a very lighter structure, though compromises on it’s durability. Yet with it’s interlocking structure and greater number of biters, it does great all off-road terrains.
And although on-roads, there aren’t any complaints when it comes to dry traction, it’s wet traction is disappointing.
The Goodyear Wrangler Adventure on the other hand, features a very longitudinally aligned structure, so it’s grip on highways is superior, in both wet and dry environments.
Moreover, the tire also does better in terms of fuel economy and tread life.
