BFGoodrich KO2 vs Falken Wildpeak AT3W
September 28, 2021
When it comes to picking the right tire for your rig, there is no doubt that the amount of high-quality and high-performing tires on the market today, especially in the all-terrain category, can be overwhelming to look at. To help narrow down your options, we're going to compare two of the most popular all-terrain tires: The BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 vs. the Falken Wildpeak AT3W.
Table of Contents
What is an All-Terrain Tire?
An all-terrain tire is described as a sort of like a hybrid tire because it's designed to be able to perform sufficiently on the highway and in mild off-roading conditions as well. Whether you need traction and comfort in dry, wet, or semi-snowy scenarios, an all-terrain tire is designed to be a reliable option. Usually, an all-terrain tire will have large tread blocks designed to deliver grip, channel out debris, and have more of an aggressive look to them. They often have a durable, 3-ply sidewall too to prevent cuts from rocks when off-roading. Since mud tires are usually really noisy on the road, an all-terrain tire is a little noisy too because it shares some of the same characteristics like thickness and the textured pattern.
Do I Need All-Terrain Tires?
When first looking at tires, it's important to consider our own individual applications and uses for the vehicle that we're going to be installing the tires on. Ask yourself a couple of questions to help determine what the best tire type is for your rig. If you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions, odds are you would benefit from choosing all-terrain tires.
- Is it a work truck that hauls heavy trailers and occasionally goes off-road where longevity and durability are the main factors here?
- Is it a weekend warrior Jeep that is used as a daily driver where traction performance and long-lasting tread life is important?
- Is it a 4x4 that you're using as an overland rig where you'll need a tire design that can stand up to a variety of conditions?
Maybe your vehicle is a daily driver that may never see dirt unless it's your buddy's dirt driveway, but you live in an area that sees five months of winter. In this case for example, with varying snow and ice conditions, there are so many variables to consider with your tires, like the tire compound, tread pattern, and tire size, that can make it challenging when searching for the perfect tires for your application.
Side By Side Comparison of the BFGoodrich All-Terrain TA KO2 and the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W
As two of the best all-terrain tires in the game, it can be tough to decide which is the right fit for you. Here's a breakdown of the load ratings, sizing, winter performance, design, and pricing between the BFGoodrich All-Terrain TA KO2 and the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W.
Speed & Load Ratings
Let's take a close look at the BFG KO2 and some of the characteristics and benefits starting with their huge selection of sizes and load ranges or C, D, and E. For example, if we take a light truck, 285/70R17 the C load range offers a maximum load pressure of 50 PSI or 2,775 pounds per tire with a six-ply sidewall.
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Whereas the E load is up to, 3,095 pounds or 80 PSI with a 10-ply tire sidewall. This tire is also available in the R, S, Q, and T speed rating as well, similar to the Falken Wildpeak.
However, the Falken Wildpeak has an additional F rating and SL rating to signify that they’re for dual-rear-wheel applications.
Tire Sizing
For the tire sizing category of comparison, the BFGoodrich K02 has this category captured with 87 different sizes for six different wheel sizes ranging from 15 inches up to 22-inch wheels. It can range up to 39 inches in tire height and 13.5 inches in tire width.
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The Falken Wildpeak AT3W has 66 available sizes for wheels sizes ranging from 15 inches up to 22 inches. It comes in tire heights ranging up to 37 inches and tire widths ranging up to 12.5".
Warranties
The Falken Wildpeak AT3W offers a 55,000-mile limited tread life warranty whereas the BFGoodrich K02 offers a 50,000-mile warranty, or six years from the date of purchase, whichever comes first.
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Winter Weather Application
Both the BFG KO2 and the Wildpeak AT3W have a three-peak snowflake rating.
This means that these tires have met stringent requirements set forth by the US tire manufacturers association and the rubber association of Canada to identify passenger and light truck tires that provide a higher level of snow traction and meet required performance criteria to be considered severe snow-rated tires.
You can feel confident in the snow or on the ice with both of these tires. However, they are still considered all-terrain tires. They are not the best option for your rig if your intentions are to constantly be in snowy conditions and wish for high performance. If this is the case, consider checking out winter tires, as these two options aren't going to deliver what you're looking for.
BFGoodrich KO2 Design
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We're looking at the same size tire in the same load rating to compare the tire designs creating a leveled playing field.
Both tires are 285/70 sizes on 17-inch wheels, and both are C-rated so that we can compare exactly what the differences are in the KO2 compared to the AT3W.
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Starting with the obvious looks of the tire, you can tell right away that the tread design has angled saw blade side biters that give the tire a pretty aggressive appearance. There is also a considerable amount of different siping.
This tire has multi-varied shoulder blocks to help scoop out any mud, as well a different angled C-shaped tread blocks. A common feature noticed when comparing two tires is the inflated tire size itself.
Now, the BFG KO2 comes in at 32.8 inches in its inflated size and so does the Wildpeak AT3W, which is pretty cool that they're identical that way. The other thing is the BFG KO2 does have a six-ply sidewall.
Falken Wildpeak Design
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Now, let's take a look at the Falken Wildpeak. The first thing to notice on the Falken Wildpeak AT3W tire design is the different side biters. They still have this slightly angled side biter that resembles a saw blade that can provide extra traction for towing or hauling even.
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Another feature of these Falken tires is the shoulder block design. They still have larger shoulder blocks on the outer edge of the tire and also have them staggered on the inner tread blocks along the center of the tire to help cut down on that road-noise. These blocks also have plenty of siping that goes through all the tread blocks, similar to the BFG KO2.
The tread depth on the Falken Wildpeak is actually 18 compared to whereas the KO2 was 15. You do get a little bit more tread depth on the Falken Wildpeaks which can be an advantage if you're trying to kick out extra mud, sand, or snow. This also means you'll get a little bit more tread life because if you have taller treads, there's more to wear down too. This also has a six-ply sidewall, similar to the KO2.
Pricing
Let's compare the pricing now that we have identified most of the key differentiators between the KO2 and the Wildpeak. For many of us, the most important thing to look at is the difference in price.
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The BFGoodrich All-Terrain TA KO2 starts off at as low as $751 and the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W starts off at as low as $724.
Since we compared the C-load range and the 285/70R17 tire size for light trucks, the pricing for the Wildpeak AT3W at this size comes in at just over $1,200 for a set, compared to the BFG KO2, coming in at just over $1,100 for a set. So even with fluctuating sizes, the prices are pretty comparable to each other.
Final Thoughts
Let's recap those key selling points for both the Falken Wildpeak and the BFGoodrich K02.
- Speed Index: Both tires have an R, S, Q, T speed index
- Load Range: K02= C, D, E VS. Wildpeak= SL, C, D, E, F
- Sizes: K02 has the most tire sizes at 87, fitting wheel sizes from 15-inches to 22-inches
- K02 Design: Multi-varied shoulder blocks, angled saw blade side biters, six-ply sidewall
- Wildpeak Design: slightly angled side biter for extra traction & larger shoulder blocks for low road noise
- Winter Weather: Both tires have a three-peak SnowFlake rating
- Price: K02= Starts at $1,200 a set for tires | Wildpeak starts at $1K for a set of tires
- Warranties: K02 = 50K or 6 year | Wildpeak= 55K limited tread life
If any of you are running either the BFG KO2 or the Falken Wildpeak AT3W, let us know what you think about their design, price, and performance in the comments! Don't forget to add your off-road rig to our gallery.
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And remember that when you get a wheel and tire package from TrailBuilt, you will not only save on that package, but you will also get free shipping and free mounting and balancing too. We also offer as low as 0% APR financing so you can buy now, and pay later!
