When it comes to tires for light trucks and full-sized SUVs, both Kenda Klever AT2 and the BF Goodrich KO2 provide suitable and reliable performance values. Though there may be certain areas where one tire outperforms the other. Let’s take a closer look at the technical specifications and performance data to determine which one is the better choice for you.
Being a tire engineer, from my perspective, the BFG KO2 even with it’s more aggressive structure, offers superior dry grip and a quieter ride, and off-road you get a better performance on almost all sorts of terrains, except for sand. On the other hand, Kenda Klever AT2 is a better pick for roads, providing superior wet grip, fuel economy and tread life, combined with superior comfort.
Table of Contents
Sizes Specs
The Kenda Klever AT2 provides you with 15 to 20 inches rim diameters with following specs:
- Speed ratings: R, S, T and H
- Load ratings: SL, XL, C and E
- Weight range: 35 to 60 lbs
- Tread depth: 14/32″ or 15/32″
- Ratings: 3PMSF and M+S rated
- Warranty: 50k (LT), and 60k for P metric sizes
Review this tire in detail: https://tiredriver.com/kenda-klever-at2-review/
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 tire here: https://tiredriver.com/bf-goodrich-ko2-review/
Outer Construction
Starting things off with Kenda Klever AT2.
The tire basically offers very packed up lugs in the middle surrounded with wide circumferential grooves.
Here lugs are of various geometries and with their haphazard placement, they provide great biter on both on and off road.
On pavements, these lugs are kept stable as they are all joined up together with ridges (which act as foundational supports, not allowing blocks to bend too much).
And off-road, the numerous biters, in the form of off-set edges provide traction from all directions. Moreover, the ridges joining the lugs together also act as stone ejectors keeping the tread clear on mud and dirt filled roads.
Moving towards the shoulders, they cover up the larger space of the tread.
They also have reinforced foundations underneath them which help with lateral stability, and with offset edges and wave-like sipes, you get traction on both wet and dry surfaces.
The outer margins of these lugs, though not visible here provide you with staggered edges and sidewall lugs which also further help on rugged tracks.
On the other side, the good old BF Goodrich KO2 gives you a more aggressive design.
It’s middle section consists of three main blocks.
They all have sipes going all the way deep. And with that they get to provide both on and off-road traction.
On roads, (on wet), they clear off water particles, and off-road they split open providing chewing on all kinds of surfaces.
And all these blocks also have traction notches which adds to that, and surrounding them (on outer margins), there are stone ejectors (seen as triangles), keeping the tread cleared at all times.
Moving towards the sides, you get to see wild shoulder blocks, having huge gaps in between containing secondary stone ejectors.
These lugs are very bold and are staggered on the outer margins.
They also join together on sidewalls and make very chunky lugs over there, which provide amazing efficacy when you run the tire with lowered air pressure.
Internal Construction
Internally both tires are pretty tough, as they both are given with 2 wide steel belts and nylon cap plies.
Though still, no tire can compete (here in durability) with the BF Goodrich KO2 (in the all-terrain category), as the tire offers 3 ply polyester cover, where all other plies sitting on.
The Kenda Klever A/T2 only offers with 2 polyester layers, in comparison.
Snow and Ice Traction
With dual siping structure, and a softer composition, the Kenda Klever AT2 gets to provide you with a better winter traction, even though both tires here are branded with 3 peak mountain snowflake ratings.
The thing here to note is that, for winter traction, you need more snow to snow exposure, instead of a rubber to snow contact, as snowflakes stick better on to each other, (that’s where the snowball effect came from).
And with smaller biters, dual siping, and a flexible tread (keeping those biters alive, even on extreme temperatures), you get a superior traction on Klever AT2.
The BF Goodrich KO2 on the other side, only does better when things get deeper, where it’s interlocking structure of lugs get to provide better snow holding capabilities.
Dry Performance
Most of the grip comes from the tire’s contact patch with the ground, no doubt, but it also depends on the quality of road connection as well.
And that’s the reason why BF Goodrich KO2 out of both tires does a better job here.
The tire although has wider grooves, it’s uniform tread design with interlocking lugs, still make this all-terrain tire worth it, as they hug the surface, providing shorter braking distances.
Moreover, it’s harder compound ensures, lugs don’t flex too much while accelerating, handling and stopping. (Basically, with flexing lugs, the tire either under-steers or over, and this reduces the handling capabilities and steering feedback).
Wet Road Traction
Water can not be compressed, so upon meeting with the road, if it’s not squeezed out, in time, it would cause hydroplaning, and a loss in grip.
Let me start with hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning
Aquaplaning/hydroplaning, occurs when a tire is unable to clear water from its tread quickly enough, and begins to float, resulting in a loss of traction.
With water coming in the way, a tire simply can not meet with the road, and so it can not grip. But the good thing is, both tires are voided enough, and they both offer multiple aqua channels for water to leave out as soon as possible.
Wet Grip
Sipes (slits on the tread), provide the most grip, as they open/close to bite in to the surface, despite having water on it.
And so although you get more in number, sipes, on KO2, they don’t have the needed flexibility to move, and so overall you see a better wet traction on Kenda AT2.
Moreover, the Klever AT2 also features dual siping designs, where the interlocking (wave-like) pattern seen on the shoulders account for better handling grip (as they don’t get stiffer with cornering, like KO2 does).
Fuel Usage
With more tread voids, although BF Goodrich KO2 might not seem as fuel efficient, it’s not the case. And this is mainly because of the tire’s rigid lugs formation.
It’s tread blocks with interlocking design, having a stiffer composition, and reinforced foundations, get to provide less bending of the lugs. So energy is not wasted in to moving them, and is rather focused on to the rolling of the tire.
Though in comparison, it provides similar MPGs to it’s counterpart.
Rugged Terrain Performance
Off-road, there are a lot of different terrains. Let’s check them all out.
Muddy Tracks
To achieve good traction on muddy surfaces, a tire needs strong (enough) self-cleaning abilities to clear thick slimy debris from the tread, and at the same time, paddling with it as well.
Having said that, the BF Goodrich KO2 is a not a great tire to have on mud, with it’s interlocking structure (being very inviting to mud), but still, it’s shoulder lugs, with staggered edges (featuring mud scoops), and thicker sidewall lugs provide better paddling in comparison.
Kenda Klever AT2 on the other hand, is more prone to getting packed up here, and it’s skinnier outer lugs, including those on sidewalls, aren’t able to provide as effective a scooping, as the KO2.
Desert Performance
To navigate on sand efficiently, tires must have a floating design. And this is helped a lot by having a softer tread, and lighter structure.
That’s why Kenda Klever AT2 (carrying those features) gets to be a better choice here.
With softer edges its not that susceptible to sinking on this soft terrain, unlike the KO2, where the spirally wound nylon plies (coming just underneath the rubber), yield more stiffness of sides, and with it, digging.
Recommended Read –
Are All-Terrain Tires Good On Sand? : https://tiredriver.com/are-all-terrain-tires-good-on-sand/
Rocky Terrain
To drive on rocky surfaces, you need a tire with durable sidewalls (to withstand sharp puncturing encounters), and grip in all directions.
Having said that, the BFG KO2 is hard to beat here, as this tire presents hook shaped lugs, which already supply grip at multiple sides, and it additionally gets improved with the full depth siping, which split open the lugs (depending on the climbing angle).
Moreover, it’s sidewalls with 3 ply construction underneath provide the confidence inspiring durability, and the lugs on top provide extra traction, especially with lowered air pressure.
That’s why Kenda AT2 with less overall biters, and durability don’t stand a chance here.
Dirt Filled Roads
Although off-road tires have rubber designed to resist cuts, embedded stones and dirt can still cause damage and decrease traction if the tire doesn’t have effective stone ejectors.
That’s why the BF Goodrich KO2 provides you with a better braking grip and handling with it’s dual stone ejectors and wider outer circumferential grooves connected with (wider) lateral voids of shoulders.
Kenda Klever AT2 on the other side, is missing with any sort of ejectors, and it’s smaller blocks in the middle invite a lot more stones to settle down in the tread.
Comfort On-Road
The noise level, comfort, and impact absorption ability of a tire, all contribute to its ride quality. Let’s explore them in detail.
Quietness of Ride
Although tires which are less bald do better with noise, the BF Goodrich KO2 is an exception here, (mainly because of it’s tread composition).
It’s harder compound produces less groove resonance, and it’s uniform (hook shaped) tread blocks account for superior pitch sequencing (which has to do with lugs generating different tones, as air particles hit them, canceling each other out).
Kenda AT2 on the other side, may have more packed up shoulder lugs, it’s silica rich compound produces more echoing within the grooves.
On-Road Vibrations
Ever wondered why low profile tires feel so jittery? Well, that’s because there is less rubber between you, and the bumps on road. And vibrational energy from the ground is not soaked up before it reaches you.
But there’s one more thing here, rubber composition.
That’s why although both tires here have similar tread depth, it can be explained why the Kenda Klever AT2 still provides better cushioning to the bumps with its softer rubber composition.
BF Goodrich KO2 on the other side, offers a rigid compound which gets even stiffer with wear.
Recommended Read –
Do A/T tires cause vibrations: https://tiredriver.com/do-all-terrain-tires-cause-vibrations/
Conclusion
Let me summarize things here quickly. Out of both tires, the Kenda Klever does better with wet roads, fuel economy, tread life, and witner traction.
Whereas, on BFG KO2, you get a superior mud and rocky terrain traction, basically a majority of off-road terrains, except for sand. And on-roads, it renders superior dry traction as well.
