Cooper ATW vs AT3 (Mar 2023)

A side note here: As a former Bridgestone engineer, I strongly recommend checking DiscountTire - Treadwell out. This is a tool that DiscountTire dealers use in the store. You can get recommendations based on value, performance, and local favorites.
TRIED & TESTED!

Either Cooper ATW or AT3, both perform perfectly on and off-road conditions. Well, the bad news is Cooper ATW is discontinued. In that case, I will compare the closest AT3 version out of 3(4s, LT, and XLT). At the same time, I will briefly inform you about the current Cooper Discoverer line-up.

At a Glance

For SUVs and 1/2-ton pickup trucks,

As a former Bridgestone engineer, from my standpoint, Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S is a less vocal, and fuel-efficient tire and offers smoother ride. This tire supports its good on-road manners with huge traction on wet and snow. It’s also a better option for air-down driving. However, Cooper Discoverer ATW has really close features to AT3 4S. Unfortunately, it’s discontinued.

For above 1/2 ton pickups,

On the other hand, Discoverer AT3 LT and XLT are available in different sizes. However, Discoverer AT3 XLT is the superior pick due to its winter performance. Moreover, it’s a more durable tire and offers better tread life. On the other hand, Discoverer AT3 LT is a better pick for adventure lovers. It has a better air-down performance on sand and mud. I recommend Discoverer AT3 XLT for heavy-duty work trucks.

All-Terrain Tires Cheat Sheet

Finding the most suitable one for you among thousands of tires is very difficult.

My team & I have analyzed 100 different tires and generated this ‘Quick Answer Sheet‘ for those who don’t wanna spend too much time during tire selection.

Before we start, here are the incredibly helpful articles I highly recommend to take a look at;

How to keep tire noise down?
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-noise
How do all-terrain tires do in the snow?
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/all-terrain-mud-tires-in-snow
Correct tire inflation pressure improves fuel economy
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/air-pressure-fuel-economy
Tire Safety Practices
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-safety

Below the table, you can find my favorite tires that I have classified according to your needs.

All-Terrain Tires Cheat Sheet
Name	Best for	Works Best on	Articles	3PMSF	Road Noise	Mileage	Fuel Economy	Riding Comfort	Responsiveness	Wet Performance	Mild Winter	Severe Winter	Mild Off-Road	Severe Off-Road	Commercial Usage
Toyo Open Country AT3 (Test Report – Check Price)	Treadlife focused all-round performance	CUV, SUV, 1/2 ton trucks, 3/4 ton trucks, 1-ton trucks	Review	Yes	Average	Elegant	Decent	Decent	Decent	Decent	Elegant	Elegant	Elegant	Decent	Medium-Duty
Falken Wildpeak AT3W (Test Report – Check Price)	Winter driving and mild off-road performance	CUV, SUV, 1/2 ton trucks, 3/4 ton trucks	Review	Yes	Average	Average	Poor	Decent	Decent	Decent	Elegant	Elegant	Decent	Average	Light-Duty
BF Goodrich KO2 (Test Report – Check Price)	Off-road adventure	CUV, SUV, 1/2 ton trucks, 3/4 ton trucks, 1-ton trucks	Review	Yes	Average	Average	Decent	Decent	Elegant	Average	Decent	Decent	Elegant	Elegant	Medium-Duty
Nitto Ridge Grappler (Check Price)	Off-road driven all-round performance	SUV, 1/2 ton trucks, 3/4 ton trucks, 1-ton trucks	Review	No	Decent	Decent	Decent	Decent	Decent	Elegant	Decent	Decent	Elegant	Elegant	Elegant
Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S (Test Report – Check Price)	Daily driving, moderate off-road	CUV, SUV, 1/2 ton pickups	Review	Yes	Decent	Decent	Decent	Elegant	Elegant	Elegant	Elegant	Decent	Decent	Fairy Well	Medium-Duty
Vredestein Pinza AT (Test Report – Check Price)	Quiet & smooth highway driving and mild off-road performance	3/4 ton or below Light Truck, SUV, Jeep, CUV	Review	Yes	Elegant	Decent	Decent	Elegant	Decent	Decent	Elegant	Decent	Elegant	Average	Light-Duty
Falken Wildpeak AT Trail (Test Report – Check Price)	CUV & SUV off-road lovers	CUV, SUV	Review	Yes	Decent	Decent	Average	Decent	Decent	Elegant	Decent	Decent	Elegant	Average	Light-Duty
Sumitomo Encounter AT (Test Report – Check Price)	Winter-driven all-round performance, medium-duty off-road	CUV, SUV, 1/2 ton trucks, 3/4 ton trucks	Review	Yes	Decent	Average	Average	Decent	Decent	Elegant	Elegant	Decent	Elegant	Decent	Medium-Duty
Firestone Destination AT2 (Test Report – Check Price)	Weekend overlanders	CUV, SUV, 1/2 ton pickups	Review	Yes	Decent	Elegant	Elegant	Elegant	Elegant	Decent	Elegant	Average	Decent	Decent	Medium-Duty
Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT (Test Report – Check Price)	Heavy duty work trucks	3/4 ton trucks, 1-ton pickup trucks, body-on-frame SUVs, Jeeps	vs Cooper Discoverer ATW	No	Decent	Decent	Fairy Well	Decent	Elegant	Decent	Average	Fairy Well	Elegant	Decent	Heavy-Duty
Firestone Destination XT (Test Report – Check Price)	Fuel economy on 3/4 ton or above light trucks	3/4 ton trucks, 1-ton pickup trucks, body-on-frame SUVs, Jeeps	Review	Yes	Average	Decent	Elegant	Decent	Elegant	Decent	Decent	Average	Decent	Decent	Heavy-Duty
General Grabber ATX (Test Report – Check Price)	Handling focused all-round performance	CUV, SUV, 1/2 ton trucks, 3/4 ton trucks, 1-ton trucks	vs BFG KO2	Yes	Average	Decent	Fairy Well	Decent	Decent	Decent	Decent	Decent	Elegant	Decent	Medium-Duty
General Grabber APT (Test Report – Check Price)	Mild winter and mild off-road combination	SUV, 1/2 ton trucks, 3/4 ton trucks	Review	Yes	Decent	Excellent	Average	Decent	Decent	Decent	Decent	Average	Decent	Average	Medium-Duty
Pirelli Scorpion All-Terrain Plus (Test Report – Check Price)	Well-balance on/off road tire	CUV, SUV, 1/2 ton trucks, 3/4 ton trucks, 1-ton trucks		No	Average	Decent	Fairy Well	Decent	Elegant	Elegant	Decent	Decent	Elegant	Decent	Medium-Duty
Continental TerrainContact AT (Test Report – Check Price)	Premium on-road manners, dry regions	CUV, SUV, 1/2 ton trucks, 3/4 ton trucks		No	Elegant	Decent	Elegant	Elegant	Elegant	Elegant	Average	Fairy Well	Decent	Fairy Well	Light-Duty

If you’re in a hurry, here are the tires worth every penny;

Toyo Open Country AT3 – Best All-Round & Longevity
Falken Wildpeak AT3W – Best All-Round & Squishy Regions
BF Goodrich KO2 – Best All-Round & Off-Road Adventure
Falken Wildpeak AT Trail – Best All-Round for CUV/SUV & Severe Off-Road
Nitto Recon Grappler – Best All-Round for CUV/SUV & Smooth and Quiet Ride
General Grabber ATX – Best All-Round for 3/4-ton or above trucks
Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac – Best On/Off Road tire for 3/4-ton or above trucks
Cooper Discoverer 4S XLT – Best Commercial All-Terrain Tire & Hauling and Towing

If you’re looking for something at a bargain price;

Vredestein Pinza AT – Best All-Round for CUV/SUV & Smooth and Quiet Ride
Kenda Klever A/T2 – Best All-Round for Medium & Light Duty Usage
Kenda Klever R/T – Best All-Round for Heavy-Duty Usage

Depending on your needs, also the below articles might help;

I highly recommend checking the below pages out before making any purchase:

DiscountTire Deals:
https://www.discounttire.com/promotions
TireRack Deals:
https://www.tirerack.com/specialoffers
SimpleTire Deals:
https://simpletire.com/tire-deals

Is the Cooper ATW Discontinued?

Yes, Cooper ATW was discontinued. Cooper has been released 3 different version of AT3 instead of ATW.

What Cooper AT3 Match with ATW?

If you’re a Cooper ATW user I suppose that your vehicle is a 3/4 or 1-ton light truck. Well, you might be into hauling and towing things. Thus, you should go with Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT or XLT.

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S –> I recommend it for SUVs, crossovers, or 1/2 ton trucks
Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT –> LT can be used in 3/4 or 1-ton light trucks.
Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT –> XLT also can be used in 3/4 or 1-ton light trucks. I recommend you prefer XLT for heavy-duty applications.

Note: You can use Discoverer AT3 LT and XLT on your SUV or below 3/4 ton light trucks. Yet, that might cause a decrease in comfort.

Comfort and Road Noise

Road noise and comfort aren’t the priority for work trucks. Though, in my point of view, Discoverer ATW’s road noise was a bit disturbing. So, Cooper made a huge improvement on their new AT3 tires.

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S is your tire if comfort and low road noise level are your priorities.

Discoverer ATW was a smooth tire due to its soft compound. However, this soft compound is decreasing its tread life over a long time period. Well, in fact, these features weren’t optimized properly.

AT3 4S> AT3 LT> AT3 XLT>ATW

Discoverer AT3 4S is the most successful tire in this section, this comparison isn’t valid. All three Discoverer AT3 tires are unique (deaf, smooth) for their useable vehicles. I recommend you check the list in the above section before deciding on your tire.

A side note here: Even though some tires tend to make noise because of their tread patterns, it’s still possible to keep your tire noise down.

I’m leaving a perfect explanation below from DiscountTire for those who need it;

How to Keep Tire Noise Down? –>
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-noise

Tread Life and Warranty

Tread life is depending on your vehicle, your driving habit, and your operation. Hence, certain verdicts mostly stay far away from reality. Anyway, I will share the best and worst of these tires.

Cooper Discoverer LT and Discoverer ATW are sharing the bottom place together. I’m not going to blame Cooper for this. These two are piggy in the middle of work trucks and daily driving SUVs. It’s hard to delight both sides.

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S and XLT are leading the race. In fact, Discoverer AT3 XLT provides more tread life than others in general. Yet, if you’re using SUV or 1/2 ton truck, Discoverer AT3 4S will perform as well as XLT.

Getting maximum wear life from a tire is related to you as well as your tire,

If you’d like to learn how to get maximum tread life:

https://tireterrain.com/how-to-make-tires-last-longer/

About warranty,

Cooper Discoverer ATW –> 50,000 Miles Half mileage for the rear if different size than the front

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S –> 65,000 Miles Half mileage for the rear if different size than the front

Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT –>65,000 Miles Half mileage for the rear if different size than the front

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT –> 65,000 Miles Half mileage for the rear if different size than the front

Fuel Efficiency

Fuel efficiency mostly scales with the tire weight. Fuel consumption increase with tire weight. Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT and XLT are only available for LT sizes. . LT tires tend to be weighted. Therefore, I separate LT and regular sizes.

Regular Sizes,

Cooper Discoverer ATW –> 52 lbs
Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S –> 44 lbs

If fuel mileage is your priority, I recommend you to go with Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S.

LT Sizes,

Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT and XLT are available in different sizes. Thus, making a proper comparison is impossible. Yet, due to their load ranges, I assume they are equal.

Durability

Durability is crucial for all-terrain tires. Customers mostly evaluate durability as tread life. Well, that’s wrong. Durability is all about how external factors affect your tire. Obviously, tread life is part of it. Yet, I prefer to compare carcasses and sidewalls in the durability section.

Cooper Discoverer AT3 uses the same structure for all of its versions. Two-ply polyester casing, a single-ply, nylon reinforcement above two high-strength steel belts. So, they have the same carcass design. Sidewalls are where they are separated. Due to its thicker sidewalls and higher load range, Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT is the most durable one among these tires. Yet, Discoverer AT3 LT and 4S are trustworthy options for their application ranges.

As I mentioned before, Cooper Discoverer ATW shares the same segment with Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S. If I have to compare these two, I can’t see a significant difference. They have the same structure, same sidewalls, and same load range. You can confidently go both ways.

Wet Performance

Due to their hybrid design(half rib-half lug), these tires can perform perfectly on wet. Moreover, as you see on the rubber, they have lots of notches to increase grip. Yet, if you’re looking for the best one, you should go after compound stiffness.

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4s has the softest compound among these 4 tires. Herewith, it has the best-wet performance.

For SUVs and 1/2 ton trucks, I recommend Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S

For medium to heavy-duty work trucks, you can go with either way Discoverer AT3 LT or XLT.

Note: Hydroplaning is vital for a safe ride under the pouring rain. However, it might occur even with the best tire. Maybe you can’t prevent it but if you know what it is and how to deal with it, you can easily stay on the safe side.

Here is an extremely efficient guide about ‘How to Deal with Hydroplaning?‘ –> https://www.discounttire.com/learn/hydroplaning

Winter Performance

Snow traction is where Cooper tires are shining. Almost anyone of them has 3-peak snowflake mountain marking. This assumption is valid for our competitors except for Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT.

SUVs and 1/2 ton trucks,

Cooper Discoverer ATW was a beast in severe winter conditions. Nevertheless, it can’t beat Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S. Due to its softer compound, Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S comes forward and takes the lead.

Above 1/2 ton trucks,

This part is a bit complicated cuz Discoverer AT3 LT has 3PMFS but XLT doesn’t. Yet, I guess Cooper couldn’t align to tread depth with compound stiffness. Therefore, Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT has some traction problems on thick snow. Nevertheless, Discoverer AT3 XLT can handle light and deep snow very well. Due to its higher tread depth, it provides consistent traction on loose grounds. Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT is my pick for this segment.

You can also check this article out if you need a solid winter tire!

Dry Traction

Let’s keep it short. Dry traction isn’t an issue for any of them. Let’s say they are 9 out of 10 at least.

Yet, my picks aren’t going to change for this section also. I recommend Cooper Discover AT3 4S for light and Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT for heavy duty applications.

Off-Road Performance

Off-road traction is a common trait for all-terrain tires. Yet, due to their intended use, they perform differently regarding surface. Hence, I will separate this section to 4.

A side note here: If you’d like to see the best all-terrain tires by vehicle or usage, this article is GOOOOLD –> https://tireterrain.com/best-all-terrain-tires/

Dirt Performance

Dirt performance is a game-changer in USA conditions. You can frequently face dirt. For this reason, tire manufacturers don’t miss this point and pay specific attention to this feature.

Due to their well-placed sipes, all 4 of our competitors can perform smoothly on dirt. Yet, I prefer Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S and Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT due to their self-cleaning capability.

Mud Performance

Mud performance is hard to reach for hybrid tires (Highway+All-terrain). Due to their narrow void area, their self-cleaning ability is limited. Sorry to say that but this info is valid for our competitors. I’m not saying they can’t handle mud but expecting mud-terrain tire performance is a bit dreaminess.

Higher tread depth is an enemy for self-cleaning if you have a narrow void area. Though, let’s keep Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT and LT out of comparison. Their consistency on mud isn’t trustable. Yet, if you want to choose one of them, I prefer Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT.

On the other hand, between Discoverer AT3 4S and Cooper ATW, the race is tight. Well, you can go either way. Worth reminding, if adventure is your priority, you better keep away from these tires.

Rock and Gravel Performance

Rock crawling and gravel are totally different dimensions for all-terrain tires. Yet, both are related to sidewall durability. In addition to that, you should put the air-down performance into consideration for rock crawling.

Let’s start with gravel. Well, these tires are indestructible on gravel. They perform very well due to their well-notched rubber. Moreover, strong sidewalls protect them from sidewall punctures due to impact.

All are trustworthy options. Yet, I prefer Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT and XLT for gravel. Their stone ejection capability put them on front.

About rock crawling, you have 3 different options. Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT isn’t designed for severe off-road conditions. Its sidewall protector is shorter than XLT. Therefore, it’s open for any sidewall impact. However, Cooper Discoverer ATW and AT3 4S are far better options than the other two due to their air-down driving capability. When you combine their flexibility with strong sidewalls, rock crawling is a toy in their hands of them. Yet, I recommend you to try that one if you’re looking for an adventure.

Sand

Sand is the easiest part. For sure, a tire with a less aggressive design performs best on the sand. In our case, it’s a bit complicated cuz tread designs are similar.

No worries. Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S with the softer compound can grip and clean the sand more properly than others. For this reason, you can confidently go with it.

On the other hand, between XLT and LT, LT is a far better option due to its lower tread depth.

Specs

	Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S	Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT	Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT	Cooper Discoverer ATW
Category	All-Terrain Tire	All-Terrain Tire	All-Terrain Tire	All-Terrain Tire
Vehicle	Light Truck, SUV	Light Truck, SUV	Light Truck, SUV	Light Truck, SUV
Available Sizes (Rim)	15’’, 16’’, 17’’, 18’’, 20”, 22”	16’’, 17’’, 18’’	15’’, 16’’, 17’’, 18’’, 20”,	16”, 17”, 18”, 20”
Weight	29 – 46 lbs	38 – 54 lbs	44 – 70 lbs	39 – 57 lbs
Made In	Findlay, Ohio, USA	Findlay, Ohio, USA	Findlay, Ohio, USA	Findlay, Ohio, USA
Severe Snow Rated (3PMSF)	Yes (3PMSF)	Yes (3PMSF)	No (Only M+S)	Yes (3PMSF)
Warranty (P-metric)	65,000 Miles	65,000 Miles	65,000 Miles	50,000 Miles
Warranty (LT Sizes)	65,000 Miles	65,000 Miles	65,000 Miles	50,000 Miles
Prices	Check price section to see best possible prices	Check price section to see best possible prices	Check price section to see best possible prices	Check price section to see best possible prices

Price

The tire market has a dynamic price policy. Hence, in my point of view, sharing tire price is pointless.

Though, I’ve analyzed the top 10 brands of most popular tire brands.

Here are the dealers with a reasonable price range,

SimpleTire

Free shipping
Delivered in 2 days
Verified shops near you(for mount and balance)
Mobile installation option
7 million customers since 2021
4.7/5 points on Google rate
Top-notch customer service, you may even request a price match

Cooper Discoverer ATW: https://simpletire.com/brands/cooper-tires/discoverer-a-tw

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S: https://simpletire.com/brands/cooper-tires/discoverer-a-t3-4s

Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT: https://simpletire.com/brands/cooper-tires/discoverer-at3-lt

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT: https://simpletire.com/brands/cooper-tires/discoverer-at3-xlt

TireRack

Fast and Free shipping
Usually delivered in 1 day
Joint venture with DiscountTire(their installers and dealers are on your service)
Tons of installer options, they also help you to choose the best one
Mobile installers in many areas, your tires will be replaced while you’re working in the office
Tire test results and comparisons can be found on the most product page
4.6/5 points on Google rate

Cooper Discoverer ATW: Not available

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/cooper-discoverer-at3-4s

Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/cooper-discoverer-at3-lt

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/cooper-discoverer-at3-xlt

DiscountTire

Biggest dealer in the US. Founded in 1960
1000 stores in 35 states. You most probably find one on your parallel street
Free rotation and balancing
5% off for DiscountTire cardholders on online purchase
Highest rated online tire dealer in Consumer Affairs
Almost all brands are available
Delivery takes 2-4 days (30% shorter average waiting time when you book online)
Frequent discounts and promotions

Cooper Discoverer ATW: Not available

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/cooper-discoverer-at3-4s

Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/cooper-discoverer-at3-lt

Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/cooper-discoverer-at3-xlt

While choosing dealers, I especially pay attention to reliability. All of the dealers on this list have 15-20 years of experience in the online tire business. Therefore, I can guarantee a smooth and fast tire buying process.

Conclusion

Well, it’s been a long and complicated comparison. The below summary table will help to pick the best one for yourself.

	Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S	Cooper Discoverer ATW	Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT	Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT
Vehicle	SUV and 1/2 ton trucks	SUV and any trucks below 1 ton	1/2 ton and 3/4 ton trucks	Above 3/4 trucks and lifted(customized) vehicles
Application	Better for city driving and off-road adventures	Better for city driving and off-road adventures. It can also handle hauling	Better for medium heavy-duty works	It can handle heavy-duty applications as well as off-road applications
On-Road	9	7	8	8
Off-Road	8	8	8	8
Winter	9	9	8	8
Wet	9	8	8	8
Durability	9	8	7	10

Take-Home Points,

LT sizes have stronger sidewalls. That feature makes them more durable. Yet, these tires offer a rougher ride. (LT vs P-Metric tires)
XL sizes tend to carry more load and offer better handling. Hence, if you’ll go with p-metric sizes, they might be a better pick for hauling and towing( XL vs SL tires)
Please pay attention to the load range and speed index. These metrics are essential if you expect decent tread life
There isn’t a bad tire in the market right now, you should just know what to expect from tires

A side note here: If you’d like to get local advice and find the best fit for your driving habits, location, and road conditions DiscountTire – Treadwell Tire Guide can give you masterpiece recommendations.

I hope this article was helpful for those who are needed. If you have any further questions, please leave a comment on the below section. Have a safe drive!

Guide Me Bruh!

This section contains my research and top picks. Depending on your need, you may choose a category and easily find the best fit for yourself. Remember, nobody knows your driving conditions and requirements better than yourself. You’re in the charge out here.

Start Here:

Top-Notch All-Terrain Tires

Real Bargain All-Terrain Tires

High-End Tires by Category

Blue-Ribbon Tires by Vehicles

Be a Professional

Cooper ATW vs AT3