All-terrain tires are a must-have for people who adore the great outdoors due to their ability to weave through off- and on-roads with relative ease. However, with all the options out there, narrowing down the ideal product can be tricky.
So, we’ve compared two of arguably the most recognizable all-terrain tires in the market—Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek vs BFG KO2. Who will be king of the hill? Let’s find out, shall we?
| Tire | Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek | BF Goodrich All-Terrain KO2 |
| Tire Type | On-/Off-Road Commercial Traction | On-/Off-Road All-Terrain |
| Tested Size | 265/70R17 | 265/70R17 |
| 3PMSF | Yes | Yes |
| Tread Depth | 16/32” | 15/32” |
| Max Load | 2,756 pounds | 2,470 pounds |
| Rim Range | 7-9” | 7-8.5” |
| Max Inflation Pressure | 50 psi | 50 psi |
| Warranty Distance | 60,000 miles | 50,000 miles |
| Price | $229.99 | $265.99 |
Table of Contents
What Are They?
1. Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek
As an all-terrain tire, the Rugged Trek provides a balance of performance and versatility. Whether it’s off the beaten path or on highways, this product is more than just your average off-road tire.
All in all, the Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek is a tire built for performance. In fact, while looking for a long-term review of the tire from Reddit, we came across user u/yungricebowl, who voiced out his love for the tires.
2. BF Goodrich KO2
The BF Goodrich KO2 features a highly durable tread compound that’s derived from racing technology, giving it some much-needed protection from chips and tears. Moreover, this compound is molded into its highly attuned tread design with interlocking/self-cleaning treads and innovative sipes.
Many users use the tires as their daily driver. Reddit user u/Skybreak2020 showed his love for the KO2s in a Reddit post.
Differences
1. Dry Performance
Right off the bat, the BF Goodrich KO2 is better for dry performance, mainly due to the tire’s design.
- Due to its more interlocking treads and innovative sipes, the KO2 has more optimized lateral traction. Add this with a highly rigid sidewall and serrated shoulder design that bites road surfaces, and you’ve got a tire with superb dry grip.
- Although the Rugged Trek is equipped with Cooper’s Rough Terrain™ for extra traction and Earth Diggers™ that dig through soil/sand/mud, its wide lateral grooves mean the tire can’t get a consistent grip with the road.
In addition, since the Cooper Rugged Trek is considerably heavier than the BF Goodrich KO2 despite its softer tread composition, its steering response is noticeably slower.
2. Wet Performance
When it comes to wet performance, the story’s a little different, as the Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek has the upper hand. That’s because the rigid treads and smaller grooves from the BF Goodrich KO2 compromise its ability to eject water.
Meanwhile, the Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek’s softer tread compound gives it much better grip and hydroplaning resistance when tackling wet surfaces.
3. Winter Performance
The KO2 and Rugged Trek can both handle winter driving, considering that these two tires are rated 3PMSF. That said, the latter proves to be a better choice, as it can handle both deep snow and ice without becoming packed with snow like the former.
4. Off-Road Performance
Mud
Tires struggle with mud performance if the treads get packed, so those with better self-cleaning capabilities are king. In this case, the Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek’s wider grooves are great at expelling mud more readily.
On the other hand, the BF Goodrich’s KO2 struggles with this due to its serrated edges, which can hamper the tire’s ability to eject mud efficiently.
Gravel and Dirt
The same goes for gravel and dirt, as self-cleaning capabilities can help in expelling debris. However, it’s a tie on this one, since both tires have fairly good stone-ejecting tread designs.
Rock
As for rock, the BF Goodrich’s more rigid design and slanted sidewalls help it grip rocky terrains more effectively. Not only that, but it also gives the tire more durability, as rocks can be a death sentence for many off-road tires.
Sand
Unlike on rock, rigid treads are actually worse when it comes to driving on sand, as they dig through the material rather than propel the vehicle forward. In fact, this is why many drivers lower their tire pressure to add extra flexibility when driving on sand.
Since the BF Goodrich KO2 has much more rigid treads, it’s not as good at traversing sand as the Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek, whose treads are more on the soft side.
5. Comfort
Cooper Rugged Trek, with its Cooper’s Whisper Grooves™ technology, can mitigate noises from entering the cabin. Despite that, its wider grooves mean more air can hit the tread, thus producing more sound. Thus, the KO2 is the quieter of the two.
However, the Cooper Discover Rugged Trek’s softer tread compound guarantees better shock absorption. The same can’t be said about the BF tire, considering its rigid design makes rides feel bumpier, especially when rounding corners.
6. Price
Price might be the most clinching factor in this tire comparison, as there’s a massive difference in how these tires cost. A 265/70R17-sized Discoverer Rugged Trek is priced at $229.99 per tire, while the KO2s are much steeper at $265.99 per tire.
Conclusion
I hope we’ve cleared some points on this Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek vs BFG KO2 tire comparison. And it’s clear that no tire is better than the other, as it all depends on what you need most for your daily driving needs.
If you’re in an area where it constantly rains, and mud and sand are a problem, go with the Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek. However, if you’ve got issues with dry and rocky surfaces, the BFG KO2 is the better choice.
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