Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail REVIEW: It isn't as good as you think. 

You're driving off road in ice and snow and motoring up hills and saying it isn't good? Looks good to me. It's not made to be an off road AT tire its made to be a on road/off road all season tires....jack of all trades. Everyone else is saying it does fine in snow in ice.

I love my Wild Peaks! While I don't get offroad much, they really are a great tire, and while being an aggressive tread, are really quiet on the freeway. I've had them for 2 years now, and love the highway snow traction. Have never went offroad in the snow, so I have no idea how well they'd do. I know that when these wear out, I'll be getting the same as a replacement.

Umm, is no one going to address the circular saw for the branch? What?

Awesome video! Living in southern AZ this tire seems like it could be good option considering the terrain and weather out here. If I lived up north and spend time in the snow would definitely go with the AT3. Keep getting out there- a fellow MTNroo member

Thanks for making this. I've ran KO2s on my lifted FXT for almost 7 years in the mountains of WV, but now moved to the city in Wisconsin. I am interested in a more highway oriented tire now. The AT Trail looks like it will fit my needs. Thanks again!

The Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail is the only V-speed rated 3PMSF-rated all-terrain tire for both my Subaru vehicles' tire sizes (225/55R17), so it automatically wins my choice. Almost no all-terrain tires meet that speed rating that I want for my Subaru Outback XT.

Thanks, this review was just what I was looking for! 2020 Cherokee Trailhawk with stock Firestone AT 's still on it. I've been leaning toward the AT3W's and your video confirmed my thoughts. I do a ton of snowwheeling here in Oregon and I'm really looking forward to some new tires, as the stock tires are probably worse that those AT Trails you tried. XL vs SL rate should mean a stronger tire.

I have run these wildpeaks and also the cooper at3 and personally i would only go with the coopers.They are way better in the snow and weigh about the same if i recall correct. I wish i got the coopers again and not the wild peaks for my 5th gen outback. Love the vids man keep them up. Also thank you for the info about the accent brakes, im putting those on soon.

Excellent balanced and well thought out review based on real-world experience. My perception of the AT Trail was that it is more targeted to someone who occasionally hits dirt but spends most of their time on pavement - but I assumed it would accordingly provide better street performance than the full-on AT3W. If the street performance is no better, and the trail performance is not as good as the AT3W, then your conclusion seems to be on pretty solid ground, so to speak. :-)

I originally had the Pirelli Scorpion AT+ with snow peaks. Ran them 2 winters in Eastern Ontario and was not comfortable with the wet snow/ice conditions. This year i put Blizzaks on for the winter. They seem to be a better choice for Canadian winter weather.

I agree that KO2s are too heavy for Subarus. I ran them for 2 years. They have too many sidewall Plys because they are LT (light truck) rated, so they don't air down properly. They are Super durable, but not a good match for Subarus. The Wildpeak Trail is too mild, the sweet spot is the Wildpeak AT3W or something like it.

I put the AT trails on my wife’s outback in September only because the shop that was doing her lift couldn’t get the At3W in time so I settled. They’ve been pretty decent driving in the street on the snow but I haven’t taken them on any trails so I wouldn’t know. My gladiator Rubicon came with the At3W‘s stock and in the winter I put them back on because they are better than the 37 inch tires that I have on there currently.

I think a lot of this is about perspective. I had Wildpeak AT Trails on my 19 Forester Sport, that replaced the stock Ziexs. By comparison, absolutely night and day performance change for the better. The AT Trails were quieter, smoother riding, better handling and far superior in snow/ice and actually made the Forester fun as hell. If you're looking for a comfortable, compliant, quiet and well mannered road tire that can handle light to moderate 'off' road duty to get to a camp site, or a familial homestead that experiences driveway washouts and has better performance than a standard all season in snow/ice the AT Trail is a pretty dang good tire.

I think for the 3.6 the KO2s are good fit but that's just from my personal use case scenario of only going off road when fully loaded with 3/4 days worth of food, beer, and camping gear. I also have the luxury of swapping to OEM tires when I'm back home and doing my daily driving which I know not everyone has that option, KO2s do drop about 2mpg for me on pavement. They were the cheaper option for me at the time of purchase but I mainly based my decision off the fact that I do not carry a full size spare (I bring an extra OEM tire with me for an emergency limp out) and I wanted a bullet proof tire. Great video as always.

Thanks Brucey, We have a 19 Outback with the 2.5 liter. We are still using the factory tires (we only have 10K miles on the Subie). We have to go into X mode just to get up our private road and into our garage in the winter because we get 4-5 feet of snow. We usually drive it on the highway and occasionally on snowy country roads. What tire would you recommend for our Subie?

Thank you for this review. Much appreciated 👊

I really appreciate this review. I am going to go with the AT Trail because I feel like they will be quieter and I spend 98%?of my time in city/hwy. I need ❄️ for my region, and I really love the look of an AT Tire, so I think that’s the way I’m going to go. Thanks again!

A couple of thoughts here. First modern radial tires typically have 2-3 ply sidewalls regardless of their intended use, including LT rated tires. The ply count you mentioned for the KO2 is simply a rating. It means it has the strength of a bias ply tire with that number of plies, and is designed to indicate weight carrying capacity. It’s an archaic and outdated way to talk about loading capacity. Second, this tire has a place and dedicated off-roading isn’t it and that’s kinda what the description says about the tire.

I strongly considered aggressive Cooper all season snow tires but I followed the herd getting the Trail tires for my 2011 3.6 Outback. Just need to tow a heavy trailer on wet grass up steep humps. Hope they do not affect mileage. Thanks for the great real life review. Most of the reviews on Amazon just spoke about how cool they looked and maybe there were 2 reviews that spoke of their performance in snow and off road conditions.

Hey, just wanted to say that it's one of the best tire reviews I've seen (seen a lot!) Picking tires for Cayenne 958 snow and off-road, your comparisons with KO2 and AT3 and the snow, mud, rocks video shots are extremely helpful. Thank you!

This video is exactly what I needed, looks like I’ll be throwing AT3s on my Outback and XC70

Aiming for a set of AT Trails to replace my stock Geolandar once they wear out. Curious that your set of Trails and AT3s came out to the same weight. Looking at the specs on Falken's site right now shows quite a difference in weight between the two: 16" Trails are around upper 20lbs while 16" AT3s aren't comparable in size, but are mid 30lbs at lightest anyway. Did they release a new design in the past seven months?

And if you think this is a mud tire, you are very sadly mistaken. This is definitely not a mud tire. Hence why it is called a all-terrain tire. I think you're putting the tire through specific things It is not designed to be. I know my opinion is like people's buttholes. Everyone has one but I have run these on my Jeep. Cherokee and absolutely do love them. I switched to these from the Yokohama's. And and they do perform very well.

Hey mate, great video as usual. I’m just curious what rims you’re running with? And did they require the lift to fit well without scraping? Again, love the videos and the useful information. Cheers from Australia

Really enjoyed your review and I am sold on the Falken AT3's, but unfortunately they do not fit on my Forester. I was considering the Falken Wildpeak AT Trail or the Yoko Geolander AT GO15. Between the two of them do you have a preference?

I just put a set of these on my 2022 Crosstrek. They look great, balance well, ride nice and I haven't noticed a decrease in mpg, at all. I'd say I love them... BUT, when I got on the Interstate I noticed that I have an issue with tramlining that I did not have prior to moving to these tires. It's quite unsettling, squirming all over the highway. I'm second guessing my decision to purchase these tires and I'm wondering if the Yokohama G015s would have been a better choice... Any thoughts?

Interesting you had that experience. I put them on our FWD minivan and drove over an Oregon mountain range in a snowstorm. I thought they performed very well so I got them for my Subaru Impreza also.

Having spent decades in the southwest and years in Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado ... Blizzaks for the snow/ice is my primary certainty. For everything else, most decent ATs are good enough.

I liked my wildpeaks, best attribute was sidewall was good even with 70 size sidewall. I just bought Pinza AT tires for this summer, have you tried? I went full winter tires for the winter

No, people buy an all terrain tire for multi-use. And all train tire doesn't specifically mean that you're constantly gonna be going off. Road, it means light off roading and on road. All-terrain, it's in the definition.

Good review! Experience coupled with a honest review. Watching you slide around in the snow reminded me how good my Firestone Destination LE2s were on my Cherokee. Two and a half feet of snow was nothing for them. They were honestly better than the Hankook Dynapro ATs I replaced them with. While I suspect that the Falkens are a good tire, I do suspect that some of the ratings I've seen on them have been a little inflated. The BFG Trail Terrains actually score better on TireRacks tests in the snow, though not overall against the Falkens.

Big difference between at3 and at trail is tread life. 55k for at3 and 65k for at trail. That is a significant difference.

I have Good Year Assurance WeatherReady tires 225/60/17 on my 2015 Forester Limited 2.5 Cvt.I had to replace those original equipment Yokohama G91 tires as they were horrible in the snow,ice and rain.here in NY.

I use these tires in florida off road and on. They are great! I make it through stuff others get stuck in. These are the only tires I put on my subbie outback.

been using wildpeaks AT trails and the kumho roadventure at51, no difference at all.. but what do you think about yoko geolandar g015?

I drove my 2.5 outback on the at3 tru a 5hr blizzard -5f lots of ice and didn’t have an issue.

Hey, I have an 05 forester that I’m planning on lifting 2 inches. I want to keep stock 16 inch rims and go from 215/60/16 to 215/70/16 tires. I mostly daily drive my forester (80-90%) so I value on road capabilities but almost always go hit some forest/underdeveloped roads on the weekends, similar to some of the stuff in your video, so extra capabilities in that setting is wanted over my all seasons. Was looking at these tires as they are only 3lbs heavier per tire than my stock ones so was thinking mpg hit might be negligible. They also appear to be pretty good for normal driving too. Can’t get the wildpeak A/T3 in this size, but other options are the Cooper Discovery A/T3 4S and Yokohama Geolander A/T G015. Think this would be a tire suited for someone like me, and do you have any experiences with the other options I listed? Snow performance is somewhat important to me but not super important.

Thank you! So many people rant and rave about the snow performance, I have them on my Grand Cherokee and in the snow I thought they were okay at best. In the dry and wet they work well, and on a boat ramp but this should not be snow rated.

good to hear from you. nice.

Have you looked at the Michelin Cross Climate 2? I'm curious has to how they compare to AT tires.

I run ko2's because I have had great experiences with them over the years, and both the stock avid ascend tires and nokian tires I replaced them with had a puncture in the shoulder of the tire on the left rear tire, each within 7000 miles. Rather then dealing with that I went to BFG ko2's and so far 10000 miles later I have not had any puncture. Falkens I looked at but the ko2 was $40 cheaper per tire for a tire I felt comfortable with and my experience with.

Thanks for the video. Well said

I think that your review is good but not every AT tire does everything. I have seen other reviews that say not to go into the mud and expect to get good results with a AT tire. thank you for your honesty

any reviews on the ALL-SEASON Discoverer® AT3 4? I was considering those instead.

Tried so many tires. Finally settled on the Michelin Defender LTX MS2 on the '18 Outback. Gone places I never thought they could. But, I think that they will outperform this new category of tire. I call them light trail tires just like they named them. Heck, even the new Uniroyal Tiger Paw AS would be a better choice. Deep snow, just put on the Blizzaks and have fun! 2 sets of rims always helps 🙂

What do you think about the Wildpeak At3w in an SL load rating 235/65-17 they weigh 31.1 lbs versus the A/T Trail at an XL load 235/65-17 weighing 35.1 lbs. Information from Americas Tire website. I do not think I would need the XL rating of the A/T trail (They do not make SL A/T trail in that size), and I also do not think I would need the AT3w because I am not planning on doing much hard trails, I just got an outback after owning a WRX so I am kind of new to off roady stuff. However, if they handle the same on road and road noise, then why not pick the better off roader?

I wonder how the Toyo Open Country AT3 would compare?

I was stuck between this and the new AT4W for my 2.5i 2019 Outback. I do some offroading, mostly sharp rocks on a washed out FSR to get to trail heads, but I also drive 95% highway and most importantly, tow a small camper (1500lb). Is the extra weight worth it to go for the AT4W or is there something else you would recommend?

Darn, I honestly have to say the Firestone Destination LE2s I had on my Cherokee were a lot better in the snow than what you were treading through. I easily managed two feet of snow, heavily rutted unplowed roads, ice, slush, heavy rain, and standing water without concerns. The Firestones also outperformed the Hankook Dynapro ATs I replaced them with too. And for those not familar with the LE series, they're a darn highway tire! Of course, they probably wouldn't have done as well on the trails, but for every other use they were great. Let me add, as trends go with almost everything, I believe people tend to over-hype a product because it's popular and they are unconsciously persuaded to believe they match the hype; even when actual data suggest otherwise. I suspect this is some of what is happening with many of the popular tires today, too. For my vehicle, I'm looking at weight as I don't want to tank the MPG improvement I gained by opting into a smaller truck, yet I want improved traction for our winters vs. the OEM tires that came with the vehicle and are known to be poor in winter conditions. Thank you for helping me to rule out this tire as a viable choice, it won't do well to match the expectations I have for a tire which inspires some confidence on those mornings I need to be at work, the roads haven't been plowed, and there's a foot or more of snow.

I buy all terrain tires for the look. I have a 2005 Ford Ranger FX4 Off Road with zero rust on a leveling kit. Paint still shines like new. I’ve owned the truck for a very long time and I’ve never had it off road. I’m going with the Falken Wildpeak AT3W.

How did the at3w's do in the snow compared to the trails? I have an OBW and looking at new tires.

Fair review, but in my experience you’re being kind to the AT Trails. Your comment about it being a slightly better all season tire is on point. 3PMS or not, these absolutely are not snow tires. I don’t regret getting them, but I won’t buy a second set.

I put the Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail 255-55-R20 on my 2019 Honda Pilot Touring AWD, and I LOVE❤ how they feel. I wend taller and wider that what the actual tire size should be. Pilot size are P245/50R20.

I run Cooper discover at3s in the summer and Cooper ATWs in the winter. The ATW is a true winter tire with deep tread.

Good round up!

thank you for a real time review - ok on hiway not good in snow or ice. you proved the point in snow. * yeah my stock tires do the same.

I would love to see your opinion on the Nitto Nomad Grappler.

Informative as always. My observations on the A/T3Ws is pretty much the same. In snow and ice is pretty terrible. Good thing, that in my neck of the woods it doesn't snow heavily, so it is a trade off I am willing to make. Mud, dirt and sand, they've been pretty good. Sidewalls have couple of scrapes, but hold up pretty well, so no worries there. It is a good match for my Crosstrek/XV

Well said! I was going to get these but did more research…..seems more hype then anything else. Looking at nitro nomad or Toyo a/t thanks for an honest review. Not getting these for my 16 forester

Just put a set my 14 xt 2 inch rough country lifted struts on mevotech HD lcas i love the peaks im in california and serves all seasons well so far 3 months on the car

what about your thoughts on the AT3's vs the dedicated snow tires? I'm considering running 2 sets of tires. AT tires for 3 Season and a dedicated winter tire for winter.

I am currently in the market for some new shoes for my xt forester. I have been looking at the trail version but I now might stop. I do mostly freeway driving but I’m not overly concerned about MPG as I keep it in S# almost exclusively @ 80-90 mph.

You have a light vehicle weight makes a difference too… good 👍 video

Nice video, is your car lifted?

I was running them on my forester, no real issues with them most times I went out, but they weren't too confidence inspiring when the trails would get wet. Just got the wilderness model with the geolander g015s, so I'm curious to see how they perform compared to the trails. By the way, falken lists the 235/65r17 at3w at 31.1 pounds, 4 pounds lighter than the same size in the trails which are listed at 35.1 pounds.

The “Trail” version I’ve heard was to be made in smaller sizes for the Subaru and CUV/Crossover crowd that wants something a bit beefier than an all season Cheers

So im looking to get either the trails or the at3w's formy 2010 forester. looking at the spec sheets the trails in a 215-70-16 weigh like 27lbs while the at3w's in a 215-75-15 (almost the same diameter, its a shame they dont make these tires in the same sizes) are a whopping 36 lbs... Even the BFG k02's are lighter than that at the same size coming in at 34 lbs.... I need some advice from someone out there because i hear people complain about the weights of the k02's but the wildpeaks at3w are even heavier? ( I do prefer the aggressive look of the at3w but dont want to all of a sudden have a super sluggish rig with awful mpg)

According to America's Tire, factory 225/65R17 Wildpeak AT Trails are the same weight as the KO2 in the 245 series. Same thing with the AT3W. I don't know why everyone says KO2's are too heavy and recommend Falkens instead, when both Falken models are about 5# heavier than most of the competitors in the respective size AT tire.

What wheels are you running on your Outback?

honestly, for the type of offering you're doing, the Falken A/T is probably a bit weak. you really want a full-on all-terrain tire like the BFG KO2, AT3 or something else made for a truck for that kind of rock crawling.

First year on the A/T3W SL behind the wheel of a 12' Ram 1500 for me. I too classify them as an "aggressive" street tire. Now yeah I am not on an airdown LT version, I do have the SL on a 1/2 Ton, but I find myself in need of 4x4 even climbing paved hills and driveways with this tire. Sure it is my first truck, and the last vehicle I was in with RWD was an 91' Thunderbird, but I delivered pizzas in Houghton, MI with that car on Cooper snows and zero traction control. The snowflake A/T3W SL has my dash showing me the squiggle truck a few times per snow. Cheap tire though. 265/70R17 @ 150.00 a pop for the SL. And guess who landed the deal for their (this) tire on the Gen 5 (19'- ) Rams ... I am an American ...

They've been every bit as good as I thought they are since I put them on my Outback.

Can you do a Nokian Outpost APT, it's new here and made to target small Crossovers like the Fulken Wildpeak

I would agree. “All season aggressive tires” as you said.

I wonder if the problem is not the tires, but the vehicle their on?

Would it be fair to say that you recommend this on a Outback 3.6R, given that I already have a 2nd set of wheels with snow tires on them?

I've run a lot of AT tires. The best yet are hurrculies terra trac AT2

If your looking for a really awesome all year any weather tire then try the Michelin Cross Climate 2 tires. I put a set on my 2015 Outback 3.6r 3 months ago. I’ve since had a chance to try them out on deep snow and ice, warm very rainy weather, and dry roads warm and cold. They are absolutely amazing! They look like tractor tires and I was skeptical at first about Michelin’s claims but they aren’t kidding about these tires capabilities!

How does your Subaru handle with no sway bars at freeway speeds?

What about fuel economy AT Trail vs AT3? Trying to decide which of these 2 is better for my Outback XT which spends 99% of time on asphalt.

the key is to air down off road and on snow the difference is huge that's what at tires are meant to do I've got the at3w's and they are great in the snow shit with ice but aired down great with snow

I think your review in the snow is a little unfair. I had them on my old Subaru and loved them in the snow. In 4 inches of melting slush with mud underneath like your video shows, very few tires do well. I also think you missed the intent of these tires a little bit. When I was looking for a decent AT tire for with an XL rated carcass for my wife's explorer sport the only option I used to have was a Nitto Terra Grappler. That tire was more like a true AT Truck tire made in a CUV size. It took a lot of weight to balance and was rated at 99 mph. This tire is also an XL in a 255/50/20, takes very little weight to balance, and is rated for 149 mph, very quiet and firmly planted on the road. For a High performance SUV/CUV tire I think it's by far the best "AT" tire I have tried. Much much quieter on the raid than the Terra Grappler HE and the Toyo AT3

Please review the Nokian Rotiiva AT, and the Nokian Outpost AT - please!

You say they aren't good but you got through some tough shit!

Sidewall ply's would either be 2 or 3 depending on the model of KO2 AND many other LT rated tires. The 6, 8 and 10 ply specs correlate to load ratings C, D and E and represent the number of ply's behind the tread, not the sidewall. There is also a 12 ply spec called F. It applies to all LT tires not just KO2's. KO2's are good tires but good Lord they are just one good tire among dozens of others. The issue with cars like Subarus and other light duty SUV's/Crossover's is that LT tires just weigh too much. People think they need the extra durability but the cars in question here are so much lighter than the vehicles those D and E load rated tires were designed for that they simply aren't necessary. Run them if you want but all you're doing is wasting gas and increasing the risk of breaking a drive line component with rotational mass the cars weren't engineered to handle.

Have you tred a Yokohama Geolander A/T 2015? If so, how does it compare on a subaru?

It seems that this is the only AT tire for the Highlander 2018 lmtd in 245/55r19. Does anyone have experience with comparable sizes fitting or not

Would you recommend these for a CRV AWD?

No tire is good on ice unless you have studded tires. Have you ever used chains or studded tires?

You are driving in the forest. Mud tires are best for that geography. The tread you showed on those tires is for paved road with light snow and ice.

Finally! Some actual offroad driving on a A/T trail review! Most reviews I've seen shows the performance on flat grass and dirt roads, which my bald factory tires handle well enough. Great review on the offroad side of things.

Absolutely agree not good in snow and in the wet roads it's a weeeeeee hydroplane... I'm going with Yokohama next I don't do any offroad like you do so I should be fine....21 Rav 4 trd off road ...

I may get these anyways because it’s the only tire that might fit my Mercedes coupe. Yes I’ll be putting these on my coupe 235/50r18. Either that or I need to get a cheap work truck, or sell the Benz and get a good work truck.

Have you tried nitto nomad grapplers?

nice review as i have them on my 2008 outback and love them, they do what i need them to do and i wouldn't think twice about buying them again....

I switched from the AT Trails to Nitto Nomad Grapplers which are a direct competitor to these, the Nittos are better in every way. I've ran over 40K on both. The AT trails are ok but Nomad Grapplers are, in my opinion, the best of the light(ish) duty all Terrains.

When you are purchasing an on-road all terrain tire (and there are not many choices) you have to realize that you are picking a tire designed to be used 70-90% on pavement and offer more protection against punctures and gravel damage than an all season. It's just as good as it can be in as many situations as possible. Which means, not great at any

Been offroading with my trails, dry, sandy, dirt, mud, and on road asphalt. It is awesome. But just hit some snow last weekend. It sucked!!! And been looking at the at3 regular version. Not much realize the difference. Trails are not as good as people make them put to be.

The tread pattern doesnt seem super effective or aggressive enough for a lot of offroad situations.

👍🏽👍🏼👍🏾