All-terrain tire designs for light trucks, Jeeps, SUVs, and crossovers have come a long way in the last 30 years. Decades ago, all-terrain tires tended to be pretty noisy and rough, with a punishing ride, squirrelly road manners and handling at highway speed, clumsy and sluggish cornering and steering response, and often poor wear properties and relatively short service life.

Tire technology has come a long way since then, and with the prevalence of 4WD-equipped light trucks and SUVs on the road, all-terrain light truck tires have become an important segment of the tire market. The Discoverer Road+Trail AT from Cooper is a great example of the evolution of the all-terrain tire and what premium a/t tires are like today: long wear, good warranty coverage, a quiet and refined ride, composed behavior on the highway and handling that’s capable and predictable (if not exactly nimble).

But don’t just take us at our word on this one – let’s go in for a closer look with this product line review.

Features and Benefits

Here are just a few of the features you can find with the Cooper Discoverer Road+Trail AT that make it such a standout performer and a great value:

• Specialized heavy-duty tread compound resists cuts, chips, tears, and punctures in rough use
• Rugged, interlocking tread blocks for dependable, consistent traction in offroad conditions or on the highway
• Alternating scoops and cleat-type lugs at the shoulder deliver good lateral traction for cornering or clawing out of deep ruts
• Cooper’s RoadGlide technology helps to provide a secure, quiet, accommodating ride on the highway
• Deep circumferential grooves and wide lateral notches work as a system to remove water from the tire’s contact patch and resist hydroplaning
• A dense network of zigzag sipes at the shoulder multiply traction to safely navigate through snow and slush
• Tough 2-ply polyester casing with dual steel belt package and single-ply nylon reinforcement cap layer for great handling and high-speed stability
• Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified for severe winter service
• 6-year/65,000-mile manufacturer’s treadwear warranty
• Tread lugs toward the center are connected longitudinally for enhanced traction and control on snowy or slushy roads

Pros and Cons

The pros outweigh the cons with the Cooper Discoverer Road+Trail AT:

PROS:

• Very generous treadwear coverage for an A/T tire
• Incredibly durable
• 3PMS rated for winter performance
• Excellent load rating

CONS:

• Steering can be a little numb on some road surfaces

SimpleTire’s view on Cooper Discoverer Road+Trail AT tires

We should mention right off that the Cooper Discoverer Road+Trail AT is a newer iteration of Cooper’s A/T3 XLT, with a few key differences. The Discoverer Road+Trail AT is designed for half-ton trucks and is available for rim sizes from 15” to 22”, while the A/T3 XLT is intended for larger pickups with more ground clearance. The other big difference is that the Road+Trail AT is designed with ride comfort and handling in mind more than the A/T3 XLT, which makes sense since it’s aimed at a somewhat different class of vehicles and drivers.

Anytime you can find an all-terrain tire with a 65,000 mile manufacturer’s treadwear warranty, that’s pretty remarkable. The Discoverer Road+Trail AT lives up to that warranty coverage with its heavy-duty tread compound and robust internal construction. The 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake rating will be a real plus for anyone living in areas with heavy snow that might linger on the roads for days. Traction in mud, loose dirt, or gravel is just as capable, with precise and confident control. It’s the kind of tire that gives drivers peace of mind in difficult situations.

On the highway, as some reviewers have noted, the steering response of the Discoverer Road+Trail AT can be a little behind the curve but not so sluggish that it would be a problem for an emergency maneuver. Cornering is neutral and polished even when pushing the vehicle’s limits up to the apex. It’s a tire that responds to driver commands directly and predictably, which is all that most drivers seek. Ride comfort is refined as the Cooper soaks up vibrations and irregularities (and even major thumps) without rattling passengers’ teeth loose. Like many tires, Cooper’s tread design can get a little noisy and drone on some pavement surfaces, but noise levels overall are great and not noticeable on long interstate trips. All in all, when considering the price point, traction, winter performance, ride quality, and warranty coverage, we feel that the Cooper Discoverer Road+Trail AT is a tire we can wholeheartedly endorse for drivers of 4WD-equipped trucks and SUVs who need a great day-to-day performer.

Vehicles Cooper Discoverer Road+Trail AT is a good replacement tire for

• RAM 1500/2500
• Chevrolet Silverado 1500/2500
• Chevrolet Suburban
• Chevrolet Tahoe
• GMC Yukon
• GMC Sierra 1500/2500
• Toyota Tacoma
• Toyota Sequoia
• Toyota Tundra
• Dodge Durango
• Ford Explorer
• Ford Expedition
• Jeep Cherokee
• Jeep Grand Wagoneer
• Jeep Wrangler
• Jeep Gladiator
• Toyota Pathfinder
• Toyota Land Cruiser