- 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!
Patriot Tires is also known as Renegade tires. Well, the company has two different rugged-terrain tires(best ones), Patriot RT and Patriot RT Plus. These two fellows have almost the same appearance. Yet, they are slightly different regarding sizes, and labels. Let’s see which one is better for your application!
At a Glance
Patrito R/T | |
---|---|
Best for | LT and SUV owners who want to put an aggressive look, squishy and snowy regions, affordable but reliable tires |
Category | Rugged-Terrain Tire |
Vehicle | SUV/Light Truck |
Available Sizes (Rim) | 17”, 18”, 20”, 22”, 24” |
Made In | United States |
Labels | 3PMSF |
Warranty (P-metric) | N/A |
Prices | PriorityTire: Check Price SimpleTire: Check Price Amazon: Check Price |
As a former Bridgestone engineer, from my standpoint, Patriot RT tires have a vast traction ability on loose grounds. They have decent handling and a wet grip. Furthermore, it offers a smooth and quiet ride for a rugged-terrain tire. Patriot RT is a good choice for winter conditions and proves it with 3PMFS. However, their tread life is limited and similar to mud-terrain tires. Yet, their dirt-cheap price covers this deficiency.
Note: Patriot RT and RT+ are combined on one tire. Hence, there is only one Patriot RT tire on the market and it’s labeled with 3PMSF.
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
I have to admit that I’m pretty impressed by these tire designs. I’m not only talking about super-aggressive sidewall design. They also have a very functional contact patch. Though worth reminding, they have exactly the same contact patch.
Let’s start with the center section.
They have wide, solid, and inter-locked center sections. The wide center section provides even wear distribution. For this reason, these tires tend to wear evenly. Furthermore, solid and inter-locked lugs act like a huge rib and increase tire’s stability, so, handling.
That center section is connected to inner shoulder lugs. Staggered and angled shoulder lugs provide better traction on loose grounds. Therefore, they promise better off-road performances.
Regarding shoulders, Patriot also uses a staggered shoulder design on both of them. Moreover, the open shoulder design ensures that the tire doesn’t have any issue with self-cleaning ability. Hence, they can provide consistent traction on off-road adventures. Fellows, they’re trying to make an off-road beast!
Lastly, sidewall design. These tires have a dual sidewall design. While one side has a flaming demon design for moe aggressive appearances, the other sides have a big dual dagger that provides a better grip on mud and deep snow.
The dry performance consists of 3-different dimensions. Dry traction, steering response, and cornering stability.
Regarding dry traction, this tire is a beast. As we’re all expected from rugged-terrain tires, they have a huge grip ability. Due to their relatively soft compound and disunited but solid lugs, they perform perfectly on dry grounds.
Let’s continue with the steering response. This section is generally an issue for big tires. Due to their heavy constructions and big gaps between the lugs, their contact patch is hard to optimize. Well, Patriot solves this problem with a wide and solid center section. I think they would work better with connected lugs but even this design is enough to provide a quick steering response.
Cornering stability is easy for this kind of tires. 3-ply and thick sidewalls restrict over-flexibility and promote stability while cornering.
Patriot RT and Patriot RT plus have trustworthy dry performance. You can confidently go with both of them.
Comfort and Road Noise
Due to their lugged but narrow gap center section, these tires are almost quite as legendary as Nitto Ridge Grappler. Well, I might remind you that these are rugged-terrain tires with a very aggressive pattern. Expecting a noiseless drive is a kinda dreaminess.
In comfort cases, you should decide between LT and regular sizes. If you need better durability, you should go with LT sizes and sacrifice a bit of comfort. Otherwise, Patriot RT with a soft compound provides a smooth ride. Yet, it’s slightly bumpy compared to the premium brand tires.
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
Fuel Efficiency
As you can see these tires aren’t intensely notched. As a result, they have low rolling resistance. I’m pretty sure that they won’t hurt your mpg.
Wet Performance
Wet performance is what I was questioning about this tire. Well, it surprised me.
Due to its open shoulders and wide grooves, it can evacuate the water easily and prevent hydroplaning resistance.
Regarding wet grip, I thought that it has a lack of siping. Yet, its well-optimized compound provides a very well grip on wet surfaces.
It’s a trustworthy tire regarding wet performance. Yet, you might face spinning if you rough up to the gas pedal while starting.
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
Winter performance is where Patriot RT and Patriot RT Plus are separating.
Patriot RT Plus with a 3PMSF is a reliable pick for severe winter conditions. Yet, worth reminding, both are beasts on deep snow due to their deep tread grooves. Patriot RT Plus is slightly better due to its superior grip ability on icy grounds.
If you wanna stay on the safe side go with Patriot RT Plus. However, Patriot RT will provide everything you need except ice performance.
You can also check the best tires for severe winter conditions right here!
Off-road performance is where these two are shining. They’ve been released as a rugged-terrain tires. Yet, their primary intention is off-road. Let’s evaluate them by surfaces.
Before starting to read this section, check this article out to what to expect from mud, rugged or all-terrain tires –> https://tireterrain.com/off-road-tire-tread-patterns/
Rock and Gravel
Due to their stone ejectors, they can throw the stones out easily and provide consistent traction on gravel. Moreover, their staggered shoulder and inner shoulder design enhance their traction ability significantly.
Due to their 3-ply sidewalls and sidewall protector, they prevent sidewall impacts with ease. However, these tires have a relatively fluffy compounds. So, you might get flat tire while rock crawling.
I recommend this tire for gravel driving. Yet, I don’t think that they’re suitable for rock crawling.
Mud
Mud driving is where these two are shown up. Due to their self-cleaning and water evacuation capabilities, they can perform almost as well as mud-terrain tires. Moreover, their aggressive sidewall biters help them to grip loose and deep mud. Thus, they provide consistent traction even under the toughest muddy grounds.
Sand
Their tread pattern is way much aggressive for sand driving. You might get digged and stuck on soft sand. Yet, on 4wd, sidewall biters can save you from trouble.
This section is the answer to the ‘Why they are so cheap?’ question. Even though they’re rugged-terrain tires, they still have mud-terrain tire tread life. Due to increasing grip ability, Patriot uses a fluffy cap compound. Well, tread life decreases.
If you can agree with a mud-terrain tread life, they’re a perfect choice.
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:
Warranty
Patriot doesn’t offer any tread life warranty for these products.
Sizes
You can find the available sizes in the below tables.
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/
17” | 18” | 20” | 22” | 24” |
---|---|---|---|---|
LT285/70R17 | LT275/65R18 | 275/55R20 – XL | 285/45R22 – XL | 33×12.50R24LT |
LT295/70R17 | LT275/70R18 | 285/50R20 – XL | LT285/50R22 | 35×12.50R24LT |
33×12.50R17LT – E Load | LT285/65R18 | LT265/50R20 | LT285/55R22 | 35×13.50R24LT |
33×12.50R17LT – F Load | 33×12.50R18LT – E Load | LT265/60R20 | 33×12.50R22LT E&F Load | 37×13.50R24LT |
35×12.50R17LT – E Load | 33×12.50R18LT – F Load | LT275/55R20 | 35×12.50R22LT E&F Load | |
35×12.50R17LT – F Load | 35×12.50R18LT – E Load | LT275/60R20 | 35×13.50R22LT E&F Load | |
35×12.50R18LT – F Load | LT275/65R20 | 37×13.50R22LT E&F Load | ||
37×13.50R18LT | LT285/50R20 | |||
LT285/55R20 | ||||
LT285/60R20 | ||||
LT295/55R20 | ||||
LT295/65R20 | ||||
LT305/55R20 | ||||
LT325/60R20 | ||||
33×11.50R20LT | ||||
33×12.50R20LT E&F Load | ||||
35×11.50R20LT | ||||
35×12.50R20LT | ||||
35×12.50R20LT | ||||
35×13.50R20LT E&F Load | ||||
37×12.50R20LT E&F Load | ||||
37×13.50R20LT E&F Load |
A side note here: If you are planning to upsize or downsize from your original equipment size (changing tire size with a smaller or bigger size), or if you have already done, it’s crucial to remember that changing tire size will decrease the accuracy of your speedometer. If this is the case, I strongly recommend checking DiscountTire Speedometer Guide.
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
Patriot R/T: https://simpletire.com/brands/patriot-tires/r-t
PriorityTire
- Local installer and mobile installer options
- Huge product range(you may find any tire you want)
- 4.8 overall satisfaction rate
- Always have a good deal to find
- 90 days money-back guarantee
- Free FedEx shipping
Patriot R/T: https://www.prioritytire.com/by-brand/patriot/r-t-tires/
Amazon
- Fast and free shipping (mostly in a day)
- Get your tires shipped to a selected service center or get them installed at home or work (how does it work?)
- Installation on Mavis Discount Tire (15$ per tire)
- Installing new stem valves supplied by pro
- Balancing your tires
- Road/safety test
- Since Amazon provides wholesale and affordable prices, they don’t offer a road hazard warranty
Patriot R/T: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=patriot+rt&ref=nb_sb_noss
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
Patriot RT and RT Plus are decent rugged-terrain tires. Their only weak point is tread life. Well, they perform like mud-terrain tires and have a similar tread life to mud-terrain tires.
I recommend Patriot RT for above 3/4 pickups and loaded applications(best ones) due to its high load range options. On the other hand, Patriot RT Plus (discontinued) was a good choice if you’re living in severe winter conditions. It can handle hauling and towing. The good news, both tires are combined on New Patriot RT. Now you can get winter traction and durability at the same time.
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.
If you have any further questions, please leave them below. Have a safe ride folks!
Have you done a review on the Radar Renegade AT Pro? What do you think of those? I think it’s best looking tread pattern since bfg TKO came out. I am thinking of putting them on a 1999 wrangler lmk or share link if you have reviewed them. I think your reviews are some of if not the best online. Keep it up.
Thello there,
I haven’t made deep research but made a quick one for you. Here are my outputs,
1) It looks great for mostly highway usage
2) It has a fluffy compound and siped pattern, which means its wet performance gonna be okay on the pavement
3) I don’t think that this tire is a good option for rocky terrains. The traction isn’t the issue but I’m pretty sure it’s gonna wear quickly on gravel etc.
4) Compact center section is gonna offer a quiet and smooth ride
5) If you don’t make too many miles in a year, this can be a good tire for you. I don’t think that it’s gonna last long anyway because of its B-rated heat resistance
6) this kind of pattern generally doesn’t have that much sipe because these sipes increase the rolling resistance and generally destroy your MPG
So, in my point of view, this is a good tire for a mall crawler. It probably doesn’t last long as you want but looks like a good option for this price level.