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.
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 ideal all-terrain tire among the plethora of options available can be overwhelming. But don’t worry, my team and I have taken on this challenge head-on. Besides our hands-on experiences with these tires, we also analyze thousands of customer reviews and test reports.
Please note that: Light-Duty is 1500 series, Medium-Duty is 2500 series and Heavy-Duty is 3500 series. If you do towing or hauling, I recommend considering at least Medium-Duty tires.
Mobile users can scroll the table to the left to see the whole data.
For those who prefer a more textual representation and dislike sifting through tables of data:
- 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/
A couple of popular size analyses:
- https://tireterrain.com/best-35×12-50r20-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/
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.
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:
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.
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.
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 |
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 |
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!