- A short note here: As a former Bridgestone engineer, I strongly recommend checking Discount Tire - Treadwell out. Now, you can effortlessly get recommendations based on value, performance, and local favorites without going to the Discount Tire store.
TRIED & TRUSTED!
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 - What is the 3PMSF symbol?
https://tireterrain.com/what-is-3pmsf-symbol/ - Off-Road Tire Buyer’s Guide
https://tireterrain.com/off-road-tire-buyers-guide/ - Tire rating charts & reviews
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/rating-chart&reviews - Are all-terrain tires good for daily driving?
https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-good-for-daily-driving/ - Most aggressive all-terrain tires
https://tireterrain.com/most-aggressive-all-terrain-tires/
Below the table, you can find my favorite tires that I have classified according to your needs.
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 | 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;
- https://tireterrain.com/best-all-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-3-4-ton-truck-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-mud-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-rt-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-tires-for-snow-plowing/
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
Table of Contents
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 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:
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
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.
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, 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!
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