Real test data, off-road insights, and daily-driving impact — from a former Bridgestone engineer.
The Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail is a road-focused On-Road A/T tire built specifically for crossovers and small SUVs like the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, and Mercedes GLC300. Unlike traditional Off-Road A/Ts such as the Wildpeak AT4W, it sacrifices deep off-road bite in exchange for smoother highway manners, better fuel efficiency, and a lighter build.
In testing and from driver feedback, the A/T Trail proves far more durable than typical all-season or all-weather tires, while delivering an aggressive look and reliable year-round performance. Its main trade-off is limited capability in mud, sand, and rocky terrain compared to its tougher AT3W sibling (now tougher, Wildpeak AT4W).
In the sections ahead, we’ll break down how the A/T Trail performs across dry, wet, winter, and light off-road testing — and if you want a fast comparison for your exact vehicle, our All-Terrain Tire Decision Tool shows how it stacks up against other A/T options.
Quick Look
Falken Wildpeak AT Trail
From my standpoint as a former Bridgestone engineer, the Falken Wildpeak AT Trail is an excellent choice if you’re after an aggressive look with everyday usability. It delivers solid wet and dry performance, while its well-optimized tread pattern keeps the ride quiet and comfortable. Built with long-lasting rubber and backed by a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty, it proves its durability on the road. In winter, it provides unique confidence on packed snow and icy conditions, though it’s not designed for deep snow. Off-road, its capability is limited to mild trails, where it performs without hesitation, but it’s not a tire I’d recommend for severe off-road use.
Deals I Check Before Making a Purchase
Vehicle Fitments
Even though Falken Wildpeak AT Trail seems so strong and durable, it’s product range is limited and it’s not available for LT sizes. Furthermore, it’s only available for XL and SL load range. For this reason, I don’t recommend to use it on Ford F-Series, Chevy Sileverado or RAM. The below vehicles are the best fit for this fellow!
- CHEVROLET EQUINOX
- JEEP RENEGADE TRAILHAWK
- SUBARU OUTBACK
- FORD ESCAPE
- MAZDA CX-5
- TOYOTA RAV4
- HONDA CR-V
- NISSAN ROGUE
- JEEP CHEROKEE
- SUBARU CROSSTREK
Tread Appearance
The tread pattern is the most important part of tire design. It has a huge impact on dry performance, wet performance, snow traction, and especially noise. Thus, I prefer to evaluate tread before starting to detailed analysis.
Tread Depth,
Tread depth has a huge impact on loose ground traction. Especially for snow.
Falken Wildpeak AT Trail’s tread depth is changing between 10/32” and 11/32”. Compared to its younger brother Falken Wildpeak AT4W, its tread is shallow, though, that depth provides massive snow traction because of its staggered lug edges.
Shoulder Desing,
Falken Wildpeak AT Trail has a broad shoulder design. This feature has a positive impact on its handling and balance capability. Furthermore, its shoulders consist of small lugs that decrease its noise level without sacrificing loose ground traction. In that case, open shoulder design is also a huge plus regarding self-cleaning ability.
Center Section,
The Center section is the location that produces most of the road noise. In this regard, the narrowed void area is a game-changer. Falken Wildpeak AT Trail has less void area than almost any all-terrain tire in the market. Though, it stays quieter than its competitors.
Sidewall,
Sidewall design is what makes it an all-terrain tire instead of the all-weather tire. It has a beefy and aggressive design. These beefy sidewalls provide loose ground traction as well as sidewall protection. However, it offers protection only for the upper sidewall.
Dry Performance
The dry performance consists of dry traction, cornering stability, and steering response. Let’s evaluate them one by one.
Dry Traction
Dry traction isn’t an issue for it due to its very well-siped rubber and lug-type design. Its biting area intensity is significantly higher than regular all-weather tires. Therefore, it provides everything you need while starting and stopping.
Cornering Stability
Cornering stability is an issue for all-terrain tires due to their robust shoulders and flexible sidewalls. Flexible sidewalls stand relatively fluffy compared to robust cap compounds. That provides a floating feeling while cornering.
However, Falken solves this problem with two tough steel belts and polyimide cap ply. Polyimide ply works as a shell and keeps the tire in shape while cornering.
Cornering stability is the biggest promoted point of Falken. Well, they have a point here!
Steering Response
Falken Wildpeak AT Trail’s contact patch is particularly optimized for quick steering response. Its unibody construction and perfectly aligned center of gravity make it the common choice between CUV drivers.
I strongly recommend it if solid on-road manners are your priority.
Wet Performance
The wet performance consists of two different dimensions. Wet traction and hydroplaning resistance. While wet traction is crucial for starting, hydroplaning resistance is highly important for safe high-velocity driving.
Wet Traction
Its narrowed void area increases its grip surface with the ground. Moreover, its high-silica compound along with the notches boosts up its wet grip ability.
It’s alpha plus wet traction.
Hydroplaning Resistance
Hydroplaning resistance is related to water evacuation capability. Due to its open shoulders and circumferential grooves, it throws the water out with ease. That feature makes it a decent tire at high speeds.
Note from the Expert: When it comes to rain, I always emphasize two things: compound grip and water evacuation. You can see the full details in my analysis, but if you take just one thing away, remember that an AT tire’s stiff nature makes achieving top-tier wet performance a constant battle. This is why the question, Are All-Terrain Tires Good in Rain?, requires a nuanced answer that balances tread design against rubber stiffness.
Winter Performance
Winter performance is where Falken all-terrain tires shine. Even though Falken prefer to use stiff compound, they apply 3D sipes in almost every design due to increase biting edges. Thus, they meet 3PMSF marking requirements with ease. Falken Wildpeak AT Trail also has 3PMSF. That marking is a huge sign for solid winter performance.
Regarding light snow,
Light snow performance is what you need most for daily driving in winter. In that case, Falken Wildpeak AT Trail meet customer expectations due to intense sipe placement. Moreover, these sipes are full-depth. For this reason, these sipes compart big interlocked lugs to the smaller lugs. So, it can clean itself easily. Keeping the thread clean is highly important due to increasing light snow traction consistency.
Regarding deep snow,
Its deep snow performance isn’t perfect but decent due to shallow tread depth. You might think that its narrow void area is a negative sign for decent loose ground performance. However, staggered lug borders increase its loose ground grip ability significantly. Therefore, it outperforms all other tires in its segment. I strongly recommend this tire if you like to wheel on deep snow.
Regarding ice,
All-terrain tires fail on ice. It’s a well-known truth. However, Falken was aware of this problem. Well, they sacrifice a bit from deep snow performance to achieve solid ice performance. As a consequence, they narrow the void area of Falken Wildpeak AT Trail. So, its contact patch can grip way much better than highly aggressive all-terrain tires like Falken Wildpeak AT4W and Toyo Open Country AT3.
Falken Wildpeak AT Trail is a beast in any severe winter conditions. If you’re looking for an alpha plus winter tire, you may stop searching and start having fun with your Falken’s.
Note from the Expert: When it comes to rain, I always emphasize two things: compound grip and water evacuation. You can see the full details in my analysis, but if you take just one thing away, remember that an AT tire’s stiff nature makes achieving top-tier wet performance a constant battle. This is why the question, Are All-Terrain Tires Good in Rain?, requires a nuanced answer that balances tread design against rubber stiffness.
Road Noise
All-terrain tires produce road noise due to their aggressive design and stiff compounds. Well, Falken Wildpeak AT Trail meet with this sentence at some point.
This tire has a stiff compound. However, its design is different than many all-terrain tires. It’s mainly focused on on-road manners. For this reason, its void area is narrow. Though Wildpeak AT Trail doesn’t lose contact with the surface and its lugs hit to ground less than regular all-terrain tires. Though, I have to admit that its stiff and durable compound produces noise from time to time.
Note from the Expert: For years, choosing all-terrain meant accepting noise—a true compromise for off-road grip. That’s why the question, Are All-Terrain Tires Louder than Highway Tires?, used to have a simple “yes” answer. Now, with the rise of on-road models, the core issue has shifted from noise to overall refinement. To fully understand which side of the comfort spectrum you’re buying into, you need to determine Are All-Terrain Tires Good for Daily Driving?—a question that depends entirely on the tire’s construction, not just the name.
Comfort
A smooth ride is related to the internal structure. Its two-ply polyester casing helps it to absorb the reaction force that comes from the road. Therefore, you can trust its comfortability. In that case, you might think it has a stiff compound anyway. Yes, that’s correct but tread compound isn’t a game-changer regarding comfort.
If you compare this tire with all-season tires, it’s not the smootest tire. However, in my point of view, it’s ranking in the top 3 regarding comfort.
Off-Road Performance
Severe off-road performance isn’t its priority due to its application range. If you’re using CUV or small SUV, you don’t drive off the road regularly. Well, Falken knows that. Therefore, they focus on mild off-road instead of severe.
If you need a solid tire for mud riding or rock crawling, I recommend you to go with Falken Wildpeak AT4W. Sand, gravel, and dirt performance will be evaluated in the below sections.
Note from the Expert: Every successful day on the trail is about preparation and physics, because tire longevity is earned, not given. Before you even start, you must master the critical link between tire pressure and load range for every rig to maximize your contact patch. Once moving, remember your ultimate off-road armor is your sidewall protection against the inevitable pinch flat. And finally, your traction on the obstacle is dictated by choosing the right aggressive vs hybrid tread pattern for your terrain. Master those three steps, and your rig will be ready for anything.
Gravel
This tire has a perfect tread design for decent gravel performance. While beefy sidewalls provide protection for external impacts, on the other hand, its narrow void area and well-siped rubber are a perfect fit for gravel traction.
I strongly recommend this tire for gravel usage.
Dirt
Its sipe placement and self-cleaning ability are highly acceptable for decent dirt performance. Moreover, these tires are 5 lbs heavier than average all-season tires. Thus, it can grip the dirt way much better than all-season tires.
I strongly recommend it for dirt usage.
Sand
I think this tire is perfect for sand driving, though, nobody mentioned this. Sand performance is a bit tricky for all-terrain tires. Due to their deep and aggressive tread patterns, they sometimes dig a bit further than expected and you might get stuck in the middle of nowhere.
In that case, Falken Wildpeak AT Trail has a relatively less aggressive pattern and shoal tread. Therefore, it’s a perfect choice for sand lovers.
Tread Life
Tread life is tricky. It’s highly related to your vehicle, driving habits, and application range. So, let’s say all our inputs are average.
Its silica enriched tread compound provides a long-lasting rubber. Though worth reminding, tires with 3PMSF marking tend to have 10% less tread life.
Due to its optimized contact patch and symmetrical design, this tire can wear evenly. Therefore, it provides a highly satisfying tread life.
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:
Fuel Efficiency
As I’ve mentioned before this tire is 5lbs heavier than the average all-season tire. So, if you change your all-weather tire with this one, your MPG might hurt slightly. On the other hand, if you change an aggressive all-terrain tire to this one, your MPG number will jump up!
Warranty
Falken offers 65,000 miles treadwear warranty for this product.
If you want to learn details, you may check this document.
Sizes
The below table will give you a piece of brief information about sizes and technical features.
Most tire sizes begin with modifier letters(P, LT, etc.) that identify the type of vehicle or type of service for which they were designed. Here is a perfect guide for reading tire size –> https://tireterrain.com/how-to-read-tire-size/
| Size | Load Capacity | Max Load(lbs) | Speed Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 205/70R16 | SL | 1609 | H |
| 215/65R16 | XL | 1874 | H |
| 215/70R16 | SL | 1764 | H |
| 215/60R17 | SL | 1565 | H |
| 215/65R17 | SL | 1709 | H |
| 225/55R17 | XL | 1819 | V |
| 225/60R17 | SL | 1709 | H |
| 225/65R17 | SL | 1874 | H |
| 235/55R17 | XL | 1929 | V |
| 235/60R17 | SL | 1874 | H |
| 235/65R17 | XL | 2205 | H |
| 245/65R17 | SL | 2149 | H |
| 225/55R18 | SL | 1653 | V |
| 225/60R18 | SL | 1653 | H |
| 235/50R18 | SL | 1609 | V |
| 235/55R18 | SL | 1764 | V |
| 235/60R18 | XL | 2149 | H |
| 235/65R18 | SL | 2094 | H |
| 245/60R18 | SL | 2039 | H |
| 255/55R18 | XL | 2271 | V |
| 255/65R18 | SL | 2403 | H |
| 225/55R19 | SL | 1709 | V |
| 235/55R19 | XL | 2039 | V |
| 245/55R19 | SL | 1929 | V |
| 255/55R19 | XL | 2403 | H |
| 255/60R19 | SL | 2271 | V |
| 245/50R20 | SL | 1874 | V |
| 255/50R20 | XL | 2271 | V |
| 255/55R20 | XL | 2337 | V |
| 265/50R20 | XL | 2403 | V |
Note: Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail isn’t available in LT sizes.
Falken Wildpeak AT Trail vs AT Trail A01
Falken Wildpeak AT Trail A01 is the original equipment version of Falken Wildpeak AT Trail. Let me explain the reason behind the visual difference.
Tire manufacturers work in two different areas.
The first one is the replacement market, that is, the tires we buy from the internet or dealers. Falken Wildpeak AT Trail in our case. The second one is the OEM (Original Equipment) tires. Our vehicles come out from the factory with these tires. Basically the first tires of your vehicle. Falken Wildpeak AT Trail A01 in our case.
For OEM tires, vehicle manufacturers involve tire manufacturers in the homologation process. To be successful in this process, you must meet certain conditions. These tests are about noise, fuel efficiency, and handling in general. You can check the below link for more.
In general, OEM tires have a slightly softer design and compound in order to meet these conditions. This is partly why the first tires of our vehicles are slightly shorter-lived, but high-performance and comfortable tires.
In summary, Falken Wildpeak AT Trail A01 offers better on-road manners, handling, and MPG. Yet, it doesn’t last as long as Falken Wildpeak AT Trail. Moreover, the loose ground performance of Falken Wildpeak AT is superior. If you mostly drive on the highway and don’t drive too many miles in a year, Falken Wildpeak AT Trail A01 might be a better option.
Tire Size Selection: The Basics You Can’t Skip
Even the best tread design can’t rescue a tire that’s built too weak. Back when I was testing tires at Bridgestone, I saw all-terrain models that should’ve performed but fell short — simply because the basics (size, load strength, and speed rating) weren’t matched to the vehicle.
P-Metric vs. LT (Light Truck) Tires
The first step is knowing whether you need LT or passenger tires. LT (Light Truck) tires are built with extra reinforcement and stiff sidewalls, designed for towing, hauling, or off-road use. Passenger (P-metric) tires are lighter, smoother, and tuned for daily comfort and fuel efficiency — but they’ll flex more under load.
Understanding Tire Load Range: XL vs. E-Load
Then comes the tire load index and load range — essentially your tire’s strength rating. Here’s where things split between passenger XL and LT E:
XL (Extra Load) is a passenger tire with reinforced sidewalls. It can handle a bit more pressure (~41 PSI) than a standard SL tire and is perfect for SUVs, crossovers, or light trucks that carry extra gear, passengers, or small trailers. XL tires ride softer and quieter than LT options, making them ideal for daily use.
E Load Range is an LT tire class built with a much thicker casing. E-rated tires can handle far more pressure (up to ~80 PSI) and heavier loads, which makes them essential for ¾-ton and 1-ton trucks towing trailers or hauling close to max capacity. The trade-off is weight, stiffer ride, more road noise, and a small drop in fuel efficiency.
Put simply: XL is for “extra luggage and family,” while E is for “truck bed full of bricks or a car trailer.”
Why the Tire Speed Rating Matters for Safety
Finally, don’t overlook the tire speed rating. It’s not just about top speed — it measures how well a tire handles heat and stress at highway pace. Lower ratings (like S) tend to ride softer and last longer, while higher ratings (H, T) feel more stable and responsive under sharp maneuvers. Heat build-up is the silent killer of tires, and speed rating is your safeguard.
Bottom line: Match your tire’s construction (LT vs P-metric), load range (XL vs E), and speed rating to your vehicle’s demands. Get those right, and everything else — off-road grip, winter traction, comfort — will finally perform the way it was designed to.
Conclusion
Falken Wildpeak AT Trail is an all-round tire that performs almost perfectly in every aspect. If you enhance your application range and put an aggressive look on your vehicle without sacrificing on-road manners, I strongly recommend this tire.
| Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail | |
|---|---|
| Best for | SUV and CUV owner who is looking for an aggressive appearance, Squishy and snowy regions, weekend adventure |
| Test Report | vs Trail Terrain T/A & Geolander AT G015 (September 13, 2021) |
| Category | All-Terrain Tire |
| Vehicle | Light Truck, SUV |
| Weight | 26 – 42 lbs |
| Made In | Thailand or China |
| Warranty (P-metric) | 65,000 Miles |
| Warranty (LT Sizes) | Not available on LT sizes |
| Available Sizes (Rim) | 16”, 17”, 18”, 19”, 20” |
| Labels | 3PMSF |
A Quick Check List:
- 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 index & 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
If you have any further questions, please leave them in the below section!
For those who prefer to see whole market analyze:
- https://tireterrain.com/best-all-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-all-terrain-tires-for-snow/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-1-2-ton-truck-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-3-4-ton-truck-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-rt-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-tires-for-snow-plowing/
- https://tireterrain.com/on-road-all-terrain-tires-highway/
A couple of popular size analyses:
- https://tireterrain.com/best-35x12-50r20-all-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-285-70r17-all-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-275-55r20-all-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-275-65r18-all-terrain-tires/
Want to learn more about all-terrain tires:
- https://tireterrain.com/highway-tires-vs-all-terrain-vs-mud-terrain/
- https://tireterrain.com/all-season-vs-all-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/tire-load-index-and-load-range/
- https://tireterrain.com/lt-tires-vs-passenger-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-good-for-daily-driving/
- https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-good-in-snow/
- https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-loud/
- https://tireterrain.com/how-long-do-all-terrain-tires-last/
- https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-good-in-rain/
- https://tireterrain.com/off-road-tire-pressure-load-range-for-every-rig/
Just purchased a Toyota RAV4 Woodland
It came with Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail 01A tires.
The 01A is NOT the same tread as the wildpeak A/T Trail you are showing.
Why not? Can you explain?
The 01A not not seem to be for snow at all.
Why ply are these tires.
Hello Cindy,
Tire manufacturers work in two different areas.
The first one is the replacement market, that is, the tires we buy from the internet or dealers. The second one is the OEM (Original Equipment) tires. Our vehicles come out from the factory with these tires. Basically the first tires of your vehicle.
For OEM tires, vehicle manufacturers involve tire manufacturers in the homologation process. To be successful in this process, you must meet certain conditions. These tests are about noise, fuel efficiency, and handling in general. You can check the below link for more.
https://www.tuvsud.com/en/industries/mobility-and-automotive/automotive-and-oem/automotive-testing-solutions/tyre-testing
In general, OEM tires have a slightly softer design and compound in order to meet these conditions. This is partly why the first tires of our vehicles are slightly shorter-lived, but high-performance and comfortable tires.
Since OEM tires have lower tread depths, they may not perform well in heavy and loose snow. It will be enough for the rest though.
I’m pretty sure these are 2-ply tires. It’s almost impossible to succeed in these tests with 3-ply tires.
I hope it helps.
My car is a Toyota RAV4. I am looking at the tires 225/65R17 102H and the max pressure on tire is 51 psi.
I am wondering what the normal pressure is for summer time?
Thanks for the information.
Have a good day, Mike
Hello Mike,
I don’t know the exact trim and year of your vehicle, yet, but as far as I remember Toyota Rav4s are riding on 32psi.
You can try between 32-36 for summer, for the winter you can use a couple of PSI higher(34-38).
I can’t recommend a certain number because I don’t know your driving condition. So, ‘try and find’ is the most accurate way.
Between 32-40 is safe, when you’ll increase PSI, you’ll experience a bit rougher ride. Yet, if you do the hauling, carrying weight, etc, you have to increase your tire pressure.
Note: In the summertime, I recommend keeping PSI at the lowest you can because, due to the temperature of the tires, it can gain 2-3 PSI by itself.
Hi Emrecan,
I have a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Altitude (265/50R/20) and am torn between these Falken Wildpeak AT Trails, and the Toyo Open Country AT3’s. I do mostly city driving, with about 10-20 days in the winter in Lake Tahoe for ski trips, which can see some good snow. I also do a few weekend trips a year which require some off-road driving for back country camping, fly fishing, etc. Nothing too crazy. I am leaning towards the Falken Wildpeak AT Trails, my only worry is my vehicle might be too large. Can you help provide some guidance?
Hey there Tucker,
I actually agree with you. The tread width of Falken Wildpeak A/T is too wide. It’s okay for off-road traction but I’m concerned about hydroplaning.
Since you mostly do city driving, I think Toyo AT3 might be a bit noisy for you.
I was going to recommend Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S but I heard that Jeep owners aren’t happy with its tread life.
I think you should definitely give a try to Nitto Nomad Grappler. It’s a concept tire and a perfect fit for you.
Let me know if you need any further help.