Have you ever been to the river fords? Can you imagine yourself traversing sand dunes? How about going deep in the jungle and camping off the grid? Well, before you get there, you need to ride something. A horse, perhaps? That may be a little too old fashioned, but it does sound great! But, that’s not why you’re here. I know you are having trouble between choosing Toyo Open country AT2 vs BFG AT KO2. You, my friend, have a pretty amazing taste. It can be really hard to choose between these two!
Even if you are not planning on a nature trip or weekend getaway, AT tires will get you through the difficult and challenging terrain. And besides, you already have a pretty monstrous ride. Its only fitting to equip your truck or your SUV with tires that will match its character.
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The Best Among The Rest
How many companies do you know that has reached a hundred years old? Only a few right? And all of those century-old companies have one thing in common. These companies have an incredible reputation and authority in the market. BFGoodrich is just two years shy of one and a half century.
Their length of operation makes them one of the biggest and most dominant tire industries, not just in the US, in the whole world.
Although Toyo Tire & Rubber Company is just about half the age of BFGoodrich, this Japanese company is, like their motto, driven to perform. Toyo is dedicated to delivering world-class tires that continue to research and innovate to be ahead of their league.
Both of these companies outperform most tire companies in the industry. I understand your dilemma. It’s a tough choice, my friend. But because we care about you and we want to help you choose the best set of tires for your needs, we did a thorough research to list down, cons, and best use of both tires.
Aesthetics
Do you still remember your first crush? You were starstruck with the glimmering beauty, well, maybe you were the only one who saw the glimmer, but nevertheless, you fell in love at first sight. Yeah, now you know where I’m getting at. The looks matter.
Although performance is what makes a great tire, good looking tires are not bad, won’t you agree? Both tires have impressive designs. The sidewalls are popping with aggressive design. This design is not just there to make the tires look handsome. This is the evidence of how much reinforcement these tires have.
BFG AT KO2 has a wider spacing between tread blocks that give it that macho look. It has a standard five-rib structure with interlocking tread block design. Closer inspection would show you that each tread block has two to three sipes that improve handling over paved surfaces.
On the other hand, Toyo Open Country AT2 has narrower spacing between the tread blocks. Nevertheless, it still oozes with aggressiveness. It has the same five-rib anatomy like most all-terrain tires. The tread blocks are designed with a repeating geometric pattern that forms a lightning bolt-like appearance. To provide excellent traction on pavement, Toyo etched zigzag sipes on each tread block.
Yeah, I know, having this information, it’s still hard to choose.
Sound and Vibration
One thing you must consider when changing tires is noise and vibration. Heads up! If you have been driving HT tires since you had your first car, you will find AT tires to be a little bumpy. AT tires have stronger reinforcement to handle tough terrains. This makes AT tires stiff. Yep, even when the tire pressure is a bit low, it still stiff.
The wide space between tread blocks gives these tires noisy. Put this in mind, AT tires, no matter how expensive they are, even when the manufacturer claims they are silent; still, they are noisy. You will hear this low-frequency hum, especially on paved roads at high speed.
Both tires have this noise. The only thing you could do about it is crank your car stereo to the point that it safely cancels out the hum. But between the two, BFG AT KO2 has a more noticeable hum compared with Toyo’s Open Country AT2. This may be attributed to Toyo’s narrower tread block spacing.
If you are planning to switch from HT to AT tires, expect that your ride would be a little stiff and accompanied by this low humming frequency.
Handling
Both tires have excellent handling. You may not even feel the difference between HT tires and these two. Both tires respond very well on the usual paved roads. It has excellent grip on pavement and a remarkable grip on snow. Both of them have two to three sipes on each tread block that bites well even on wet surfaces.
The only notable difference between the two is cornering at high speed. BFG AT KO2 doesn’t budge on corners which results to a stiff ride. Toyo Open Country AT2 is not as rigid, but still, it’s stiff. Not as stiff as BFG, but they are still notably stiff.
Off-Road Performance
Remember that saying about “don’t judge a book by its cover?” Well, this time, go ahead and judge these tires by its looks. Both tires are made with excellent craftsmanship and top-quality materials. It’s tough to say which is better in terms of the build. However, BFG AT KO2 has larger tread block spacing that translates to more traction off the road. Toyo’s Open Country AT2 has excellent grip off the road. However, BFG AT KO2 has better performance over the former.
The wider spacing and larger tread blocks of BFG AT KO2 allows it claw on rocky plains and stony fields. It gives more advantage over loose terrains such as wet sand, fords, and soft mud. The shoulder lugs have stone ejectors that keep the tire free from stuck pieces of dirt and stone giving you excellent traction all the time. The tough, aggressive, stiff, and reinforced shoulder lugs will allow your off-road vehicle to traverse safely over sharp stone.
Durability
Unquestionably, both Toyo Tires and BFGoodrich employ astounding craftsmanship and use top-notch quality materials. There is no doubt that their years of success is the result of outstanding products, straightforward services, comprehensive warranties, and excellent aftermarket support.
BFG AT KO2 tires are covered with 50,000mi treadwear warranty or 6 years. You can be confident that, under normal recommended usage, your tires can last up to six years! In terms of transporting or towing heavy stuff, you can rest assured that these tires are up to the challenge. KO2s are available in a wide range of sizes and has a load rating of 100 to 128. That is about 0.8 tons up to roughly two tons capacity! So, if you multiply that by four of your tires, you have up to 8 tons load carrying capacity!
Toyo Open Country AT2 has a 65,000mi treadwear warranty that trumps BFG’s warranty by 33.33%! This simple warranty coverage says that these tires will last very, very long. This model is available in 108 variants for different sizes of wheels. It has a load rating of 99 up to 129. Again, that gives you a bit less than a ton up to two tons of load capacity. If you plan on carrying or towing something that weighs up to eight tons, you can safely transport it without worrying about your tires!
Conclusion
Is it clear now? Have you decided what tires you would get? Or did we just add up more confusion on your side? Well, I really do hope I didn’t! But I can’t blame you if you are torn between the two! You have narrowed down your selection to two of the best already! I mean, whichever you choose, you are a winner. With the quality and aftermarket support that both companies boast, you will end up with a long-lasting and reliable tire.
However, if you will be using your tires mostly on paved terrain and you are quite particular with the tire noise, Toyo Open Country AT2 gives you a softer hum. Remember, it’s not silent, it will just give you a softer hum.
Now, if you want excellent off-road capabilities and you frequently go off the grid (or maybe your workplace is remotely situated off the grid), BFG AT KO2 is your best bet. It has astounding traction over soft terrain and rough build that could withstand sharp rocks without a problem. It has a better grip over wet sand, soft mud, rocky plains, and stony fields. For the tire noise, just crank the volume of your car stereo, and it will be gone! Seriously! Try some death metal, and you would find that these tires are silent!
Do your research carefully and determine how you intend to use your vehicle. Remember, AT tires gives you better traction over challenging terrains. If you are thinking about the extremes and most challenging off-road sites, you might want to consider bigger and angrier mud tires.
Taking a deeper look at Toyo Open Country AT2 vs BFG AT KO2, you will see that they both are great tires that would give you great miles.
