- 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!
Sumitomo Encounter AT is a medium-duty all-terrain tire that is mainly built for 4-season driveability as well as smooth & quiet highway driving. This tire can be used on SUVs, CUVs, and pickup trucks. Due to its affordable price, people like this tire a lot. However, this is a concept tire. You should definitely know what to expect and what to not expect from this article. In this article, I’m going to help you with it. Let’s move on!
At a Glance
| Sumitomo Encounter AT | |
|---|---|
| Best for | 4 season performance driven riding, Smooth & quiet driving, Aggressive appearance, Winter performance, |
| Pros | 4-season traction, Winter beast, Affordable, Reliable off-road traction |
| Cons | Since it’s performance-driven, its tread life is average Handling capability isn’t perfect |
| Vehicle | SUV, CUV, Light Trucks |
| Test Report | vs Wildpeak AT3W & General Grabber ATX (September 30, 2021) |
| Available Sizes | 17”, 18”, 19”, 20”, 21”, 22” (Check if it fits your vehicle) |
| Made In | Thailand |
| Warranty | 60,000 miles |
| Prices | TireRack: Check Price DiscountTire: Check Price SimpleTire: Check Price Amazon: Check Price |
As a former Bridgestone engineer, from my standpoint, Sumitomo Encounter AT offers reliable traction even on deep snow. So, wet and dry highway and city driving isn’t an issue for it. Since it has a fluffy compound and aggressive pattern, its tread life is slightly behind the premium brands. However, it’s because of its traction capability. Therefore, it also works perfectly on dirt, gravel, and rock. Its mud performance is limited because of its deep tread. Besides that, that feature decreases its responsiveness slightly. Yet, Sumitomo Encounter AT is a great option for hauling and towing because of its strong sidewalls.
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 - Is it time to change your tires?
https://simpletire.com/learn/tire-news-information/tire-wear-bar - How do all-terrain tires do in the snow?
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/all-terrain-mud-tires-in-snow - Tire rating charts & reviews
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/rating-chart&reviews - Tire test report
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests
Below the table, you can find my favorite tires that I have classified according to your needs.
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
Dry Traction
Dry traction isn’t an issue for all-terrain tires because of their blocky pattern.
The blocky pattern creates tons of biting edges and these edges increase the grip of all-terrain tires.
Sumitomo Encounter AT offers reliable dry traction just like most all-terrain tires in the market.
Even though dry traction isn’t an issue for Sumitomo Encounter AT, this tire can’t offer a sporty driving feeling because its center block isn’t interlocked.
Sumitomo Encounter AT offers great dry traction, though, the real discussion point is its on-road refinement.
Responsiveness
Responsiveness is related to pattern design, tire weight, and tread depth.
In fact, that’s the reason that P-metric tires have wider tread but lower tread depth.
So, Sumitomo Encounter AT has one of the highest tread depths in the market. Because of its soft compound, manufacturers increase the tread depth for better longevity. However, increasing tread depth always decreases the handling capability.
Well, this isn’t the only disadvantage of Sumitomo Encounter AT.
The center rib of Sumitomo Encounter AT is built with small lugs. This is actually isn’t the preferred design for all-terrain tires. However, using a highly sectional center rib increase the winter performance which Sumitomo aims for this tire.
Due to its sectional center rib and deep tread, Sumitomo Encounter AT is slightly behind the competition. However, it’s still reliable for non-aggressive drivers.
Cornering Stability
All-terrain tires generally have a strong internal structure which let them stay stable while cornering at high velocity. However, this isn’t valid for all vehicles.
3/4 ton or above pickup trucks sometimes have an issue with cornering stability because these vehicles are way much heavier than others.
So, if you have an SUV or CUV, this section could be a waste of time for you. Well, of course, things change if we are talking about the full-size SUVs.
Sidewall stiffness of the tires is the game-changer out here and it’s related to the inner structure.
So, when I first time started to analyze this tire, I had doubts about its cornering stability. Well, affordable tires are generally affordable because of their poor inner structure.
However, I have to admit that Sumitomo quite surprised me in this case.
Sumitomo Encounter AT has a 2-ply polyester casing that offers high tension casing which helps the tire to keep its shape even at the highest speeds. Besides that Sumitomo Encounter AT has a robust bead that supports the sidewall and offers better cornering stability. On the other hand, this hard bead heats up so quickly and this feature kinda decreases Sumitomo Encounter AT’s tread life.
Sumitomo Encounter AT offers decent cornering stability. You can confidently use this tire even on your 1-ton truck.
Riding Comfort
After the latest developments in the tire industry, it’s kinda hard to kind rough ride tires because it’s not that hard to build a tire that offers a smooth ride. Also, it’s also an easy task to use it as marketing material.
First of all, Sumitomo Encounter AT has a 5 rib design that optimizes riding stability. Well, Sumitomo doesn’t use interlocked center lugs on this tire. For this reason, its load distribution is way much easier than the other tires.
Besides the above feature, Sumitomo Encounter AT also has a perfect inner structure as I’ve mentioned before. Tire keeps its shape and in this way, the optimized tread works better.
Sumitomo Encounter AT offers a smooth riding experience.
For all-terrain tire newbies: All-terrain tires wear well. We all know this. Yet, compared to the all-season tires these tires offer a rough ride. If your interest in all-terrain tires is fresh, I highly recommend reading the linked article before making any purchase.
Road Noise
Road noise is mostly related to the void area on the center section and the robust shoulder blocks.
Well, Sumitomo Encounter AT’s design tends to make some noise. Since this tire doesn’t have interlocked center section, it has tons of void area out there.
Regarding the shoulder section, as I’ve mentioned before, Sumitomo Encounter AT has stiff sidewalls and beads. This kind of design should have robust shoulder blocks. If not, the difference between the sidewall stiffness and shoulder stiffness causes sidewall cracks. For this reason, Sumitomo Encounter AT has a robust shoulder that creates some noise on wavy roads.
Sumitomo Encounter AT’s design is great for highway and city driving. Yet, if we’re talking about the jumble-gut lanes, Sumitomo Encounter AT will definitely make some noise.
Wet Performance
The wet performance of all-terrain tires is always questionable. These tires should have durability. For this reason, they need a stiff compound and stiff compound doesn’t work pretty well on wet surfaces.
On the other hand, the wet performance can’t be evaluated only with the traction.
The real game changer is the hydroplaning resistance which is related to different features.
So, I’m going to divide this section into two and explain them one by one.
Wet Traction
The wet traction is mostly related to compound stiffness. In this case, fluffy compounds work best.
The easiest way to define wet traction capability is by checking the UTQG.
UTQG rating standards are created by the US Department of Transportation (DOT). It contains 3 digit number and two letters.
While the 3-digit number stands for longevity, the first letter stands for wet traction and the second letter stands for heat resistance.
Sumitomo Encounter AT has a 640 A B UTQG rating which means it has A-rated wet traction.
So, according to DOT, this tire offers excellent wet traction. But why? Here is the deal.
According to my previous experiences, if the tire has more than 700 UTQG, it tends to slide. So, this number actually defines the grip/traction capability of the tire and the lower number offers better traction.
Sumitomo Encounter AT offers unique wet traction because of its zigzag shoulder sipes and fluffy compound. I strongly recommend it for squishy regions.
Hydroplaning Resistance
Hydroplaning resistance is basically the water evacuation capability of the tire.
Due to their building intent, all-terrain tires have tons of void area on the tread which improves the water evacuation capability.
However, this isn’t enough on its own because these tires have a wide tread that enables floatation. In fact, that’s why some sizes are called flotation sizes.
Sumitomo Encounter AT’s 5-rib design creates 4 circumferential grooves which are vital for hydroplaning. Besides that, Sumitomo Encounter AT has wide open shoulder slots that increase the water evacuation significantly.
Sumitomo Encounter AT offers excellent hydroplaning resistance.
Winter Performance
Winter performance of all-terrain tires is also tricky.
Due to their aggressive patterns, these tires can provide decent winter performance. However, this isn’t valid for all kinds of winter conditions.
For a better understanding, I prefer to analyze it for light-snow, deep-snow, and ice separately.
Light Snow Traction
Light snow traction is similar to wet traction.
In this case, soft compound and full-depth sipes work best.
So, Sumitomo Encounter AT has a fluffy compound which is a great advantage for light-snow traction. Besides that this compound with 3PMSF which means that it doesn’t lose its traction capability under freezing temperatures.
Regarding design, Sumitomo Encounter AT has winter-driven zigzag sipes on the shoulder. Moreover, its independent center blocks offer vertical and horizontal biting edges which is excellent for decent light snow traction.
Sumitomo Encounter AT offers one of the best light-snow traction in the market. I strongly recommend it.
Deep Snow Traction
Deep snow traction is the easiest for all-terrain tires.
All-terrain tires are mainly built for loose terrain. For this reason, they have a blocky pattern that has tons of void areas.
Since the deep snow is also loose terrain and Sumitomo Encounter AT’s compound is marked with 3PMSF, Sumitomo Encounter AT is a deep-snow expert.
Sumitomo Encounter AT offers satisfying deep snow traction.
Ice Traction
Ice traction can be evaluated under two different dimensions.
The first one is icy highways which I don’t recommend using all-terrain tires.
The second one is slush which is more important.
So, this tire has a deep tread and independent center blocks. For this reason, its self-cleaning capability is limited.
Due to avoid this defect, Sumitomo uses variable-width shoulder blocks that increase the self-cleaning capability significantly.
Sumitomo Encounter AT is a perfect tire for slush, though, I don’t recommend using it on icy highways.
Tread Life
Longevity is where this tire fall short.
Here are the reasons why this tire offers a relatively short tread life,
- Sumitomo Encounter AT has one of the softest compounds on the market
- Sumitomo Encounter AT has a heavy internal structure
- Sumitomo Encounter AT has a B-rated heat resistance because of its stiff and durable bead
Even though the above reasons are on the table, Sumitomo Encounter AT’s independent blocks tend to wear evenly. For this reason, Sumitomo Encounter AT offers different tread life for different vehicles. Here is the deal,
- If you have a CUV or mid-size SUV or 1/2-ton truck this tire will offer decent tread life.
- 3/4 ton or above trucks should keep their expectations low
- Sumitomo Encounter AT’s center blocks are great for towing and hauling, if you’ll tow or haul, this tire is a good option for you
Warranty
- Sumitomo offers 5 years and 60,000 miles treadwear warranty
- You can try this tire for a month
- Sumitomo offers a 2-year free roadside assistance for this tire
Sumitomo Encounter AT Warranty Document:
Fuel Efficiency
Fuel efficiency is related to tire rolling resistance. Edgeways, tire weight, sipe density, and compound stiffness.
Unfortunately, Sumitomo Encounter AT is a heavy-weight tire that has a fluffy compound. Besides that, its sipe density is high because it’s a winter-driven tire.
Sumitomo Encounter AT isn’t a good option if fuel efficiency is your priority.
Off-Road Performance
Even though all-terrain tires are evaluated as off-road tires, in fact, these tires are somewhere between off-road and highway terrain tires.
For this reason, their off-road performance is generally focused on 2-3 terrains.
Let’s analyze Sumitomo Encounter AT performance by terrain.
Sand Traction
I would like to start with the bad one.
So, the best tire on the sand is the one that doesn’t aggressive pattern.
In this case, Sumitomo Encounter AT’s independent center lugs are the problem.
Well, if you need decent sand (beach) traction, you should air down your tires. By doing this, you decrease the distance between lugs which is limited for this tire.
Due to its independent center lugs, Sumitomo Encounter AT provides average sand traction.
Mud Traction
Mud performance is related to the void area ratio and compound stiffness. For this reason, most all-terrain tires provide limited mud traction.
Keeping the tread clean is the key to decent mud performance.
So, Sumitomo Encounter AT has open shoulder blocks which can evacuate the mud with ease. Besides that, its independent center lugs increase the void ratio and provide better loose-ground traction.
Moreover, Sumitomo Encounter AT has variable-width shoulder lugs that increase evacuation capability in air-down situations.
On the other hand, Sumitomo Encounter AT has a deep tread. If this was a mud-terrain tire, that was an advantage because of its cavitied tread. However, this becomes a disadvantage when it comes to all-terrain tires. These tires can’t clean themself as well as mud-terrain tires and increasing the tread depth only make it worse. Not a big deal but good to know.
Sumitomo Encounter AT offers decent mud traction. You can’t win the Baja Race with this one but it’s okay for your weekend adventures.
Dirt Traction
Dirt traction is similar to dry traction. It’s easy to do for all-terrain tires.
Regarding Sumitomo Encounter AT, things are quite the same.
Sumitomo Encounter AT has a relatively softer compound compared to the competition. For this reason, its gripping capability is superior.
Besides that, its 3D siped shoulder blocks and independent center blocks offer more biting edges and work like a beast on the dirt.
Sumitomo Encounter AT offers unique dirt traction.
Rock Traction
Rock traction is where this tire shines.
As I’ve mentioned before, Sumitomo Encounter AT has a strong sidewall. In my point of view, these two are the game changers for rock traction.
I prefer the rock traction divided into two sections. Rock crawling and gravel traction.
Regarding rock crawling, I think Sumitomo Encounter AT is a good option. It has strong sidewalls and enough biting edges to provide decent traction. However, the strong bead creates a disadvantage out here because it heats up quickly. Heat is the enemy. In the long term run, it might cause shoulder separation. Again, it’ll provide decent rock crawling performance but I don’t recommend this tire if you’re going to rock crawling often.
Regarding gravel, at the first sight, I was quite sure that this tire will hold the rocks. Things changed when I see the step-downs and staggered edges of the center blocks. These two have only one duty. Clean the tread up. As a result, Sumitomo Encounter AT provides a perfect gravel performance.
Sumitomo Encounter AT is a great tire if you’re looking for a decent rock performance. Though worth reminding, this tire isn’t suitable for long-time rock crawling.
Sizes
| 15” | 16” | 17” | 18” | 20” |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 235/75R15 105T SL | LT225/75R16 115/112R E | 235/75R17 109T SL | 255/70R18 113T SL | LT265/60R20 121/118R E |
| 235/75R15 109T XL | 235/70R16 106T SL | LT235/80R17 120/117R E | 265/60R18 110T SL | 275/55R20 117T XL |
| 31X10.5R15LT 109R C | LT235/85R16 120/116R E | 245/65R17 107T SL | 265/65R18 114T SL | 275/60R20 115T SL |
| 245/70R16 107T SL | 245/70R17 110T SL | LT265/70R18 124/121S E | LT275/65R20 126/123S E | |
| LT245/75R16 120/116R E | LT245/70R17 119/116S E | 265/70R18 116T SL | LT285/55R20 121/119R E | |
| 245/75R16 111T SL | LT245/75R17 121/118R E | LT275/65R18 123/120S E | LT305/55R20 121/118S E | |
| 255/70R16 111T SL | 255/65R17 110T SL | 275/65R18 116T SL | LT325/60R20 121/118S D | |
| 265/70R16 112T SL | 255/70R17 112T SL | LT275/70R18 125/122S E | 35X12.5R20LT 121Q E | |
| LT265/75R16 123/120R E | 265/65R17 112T SL | LT285/65R18 125/122S E | ||
| 265/75R16 116T SL | LT265/70R17 121/118S E | LT325/65R18 127/124R E | ||
| LT285/75R16 126/123R E | 265/70R17 115T SL | |||
| P285/70R17 117T SL | ||||
| LT285/70R17 121/118S E | ||||
| LT315/70R17 121/118S E |
If you’d like to see detailed specs,
Sumitomo Encounter AT Spec Details:
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.jsp?tireMake=Sumitomo&tireModel=Encounter+AT
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,
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, and 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
Sumitomo Encounter AT: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/sumitomo-encounter-at
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 purchases
- 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
Sumitomo Encounter AT: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/sumitomo-encounter-at
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
Sumitomo Encounter AT: https://simpletire.com/brands/sumitomo-tires/encounter-at
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
Sumitomo Encounter AT: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Sumitomo+encounter+at
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
Sumitomo Encounter AT is a traction-driven tire that offers unique loose-ground traction. Since this tire has a fluffy compound, its winter and wet performance on the highway is highly satisfying. It is a great option who’d like to combine 4 season highway traction with weekend adventures.
| Sumitomo Encounter AT | |
|---|---|
| Best for | 4 season performance driven riding, Smooth & quiet driving, Aggressive appearance, Winter performance, |
| Pros | 4-season traction, Winter beast, Affordable, Reliable off-road traction |
| Cons | Since it’s performance-driven, its tread life is average Handling capability isn’t perfect |
| Vehicle | SUV, CUV, Light Trucks |
| Test Report | vs Wildpeak AT3W & General Grabber ATX (September 30, 2021) |
| Available Sizes | 17”, 18”, 19”, 20”, 21”, 22” (Check if it fits your vehicle) |
| Made In | Thailand |
| Warranty | 60,000 miles |
| Prices | TireRack: Check Price DiscountTire: Check Price SimpleTire: Check Price Amazon: Check Price |
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 the article was helpful. If you have any further questions, please leave them in the below section. Have a safe ride folks!
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