Choosing the proper tires for your vehicle is essential for ensuring optimal performance, safety, and comfort. Besides, buying new tires is always a significant investment; that’s why it’s important to consider some options so that you can choose a set of tires that will provide the best value for your money. In this article, we will compare two popular tire models in their SUV and off-road applications: the Michelin Defender LTX A/T2 and the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W.
Both tires have similar price tags, and they look similar, but what are their strong points and weaknesses? Let’s find out so that this data helps you to make an informed decision about what model is best for your needs.
Falken Wildpeak Tire Line
The Falken Wildpeak tire line has been conceived for light trucks, SUVs, crossovers, and off-road vehicles. All the models in this product line are versatile all-terrain tires built to handle the most extreme off-road conditions and highway driving.
All the tire models in this line feature an aggressive, rugged tread pattern that provides excellent traction on different surfaces, including mud, snow, and sand.
All models use Falken’s Heat Diffuser technology, which dissipates heat to improve the tires’ life, and Durability Technology, which increments the tires’ resistance to punctures and abrasions.
The WildPeak family is one of the most popular tire families from Falken. The Japanese brand, which is considered a mid-range tire manufacturer, excels in the off-road segment, and many off-road enthusiasts praise these tires because of their high performance and affordable price.
Among the WildPeak tire family, you can find the H/T02, an all-season touring tire for large SUVs and light trucks, the A/T3W and the A/T Trail for the all-terrain segment, and the M/T, which are more oriented to mud-terrains.
Michelin LTX Tire Line
While many people compare Michelin’s Defender LTX M/S against the Falken A/T3W tires, the Michelin Defender tire line covers a different range of vehicles.
Defender tires are designed as multi-purpose tires for passenger cars, minivans, and small SUVs and don’t have tread patterns as aggressive as the Falkens’ WildPeak models.
Besides, Michelin is a bit coming and going regarding off-road tires, and some Defender models are being rebranded just as LTX. We picked Michelin’s LTX series (just LTX) for this article because it’s the only off-road tire family the French manufacturer offers. The LTX A/T2 and the Wildpeak A/T3W have similar designs, intended use, price, and looks.
The Michelin LTX tire line is designed for light trucks and SUVs, offering durable and high-performance all-season tires.
Let’s Meet The Contenders
Falken Wildpeak A/TW3
These tires are designed for on and off-road driving. They feature a rugged tread pattern with deep grooves and biting edges that provide excellent traction on different surfaces. They have reinforced shoulder blocks and sidewalls to protect them from punctures and abrasions.
These all-season tires are made from a compound conceived to balance strength and excellent off-road capabilities with an efficient grip and handling on pavement.
Their support ramps and the tread blocks with step-down features help provide stiffness for handling stability and also prevent damage from stones that can get stuck in their grooves.
The upper sidewall’s design help to protect the tires from small stones, debris, and other objects found while driving off-road. Falken also designed these tires to endure extreme torque conditions, which makes them great for towing. Besides, their biting edges add extra traction for wet, light snow, and ice roads.
Michelin LTX A/T2
Michelin designed these tires with recreational and commercial pickups, vans, and SUV users in mind. They are Michelin’s off-road tires by definition and, like every Michelin product, they are designed to provide even wear resistance, improved fuel efficiency, ride comfort, and low noise.
These tires deliver excellent off-road and on-road performance, and they have been conceived with one main goal: making off-road tires that deliver great riding comfort on streets and highways.
Usually, off-road tires are noisy and don’t have as much good handling on the streets, and that’s where Michelin decided to make the difference.
The LTX A/T2 are made from a light truck tread rubber compound molded into an independent block tread design with Michelin Biting Edges for improved traction on dirt, gravel, mud, and snow.
Despite all these, the LTX A/T2 are more highway-oriented all-terrain tires designed for off-road, but with a greater emphasis on their on-road comfort and handling.
Available Sizes
Falken offers models for wheels from 15 to 22 inches: 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, and 22, from 215/15 R15 to 285/45 R22, while Michelin offers tires for wheels from 16 to 20 inches: 16, 17, 18, and 20. Falken offers more variety and sizes than Michelin.
Performance Comparison
Falken Wildpeak A/TW3
- Off-Road Traction
Unlike Michelin, Bridgestone, and Continental, when Falken designs off-road tires, they focus on that, even if it affects the tires’ on-road and highway performance. The Wildpeak A/TW3 has the deepest tread in its category, which makes its off-road traction outstanding.
Their grooves not only prevent stones from getting stuck but also help eject them, increasing their grip even in the harshest scenarios.
Their rugged sidewall protection also helps the tires offer great traction at lower pressures, which is important when you take your vehicle to the sand or the mountains.
All these features help the tires to have excellent performance and stability on all kinds of off-road surfaces.
It’s no surprise that the A/T3W, like most Falken products, performs great in mud and wet conditions.
Despite the fact that these tires are made for off-road and on-road use, and they are not extreme off-road tires, they have outstanding off-road performance.
- Vehicle control and Steering Wheel Feedback
As expected, the Wildpeak A/T3W tires are not the most responsive in the market, especially when most of their competitors sacrifice off-road performance to make them more responsive on the highway.
If you need to drive frequently on winding roads, these may not be the best tires for you.
- Dry Performance
Falken’s high torque support system uses 3D Canyon Sipes that interlock to give you more stability when handling while increasing the tires’ durability.
Besides, Falken’s Heat Diffuser tech keeps them cool helping to increase the vehicle’s stability while towing or hauling heavy loads.
The tires’ sidewall also acts as a heat shield, delivering more stability while driving on dry roads at high speeds. All these technologies give the A/T3Ws a decent grip and traction on the highway; not as good as a set of touring tires, but good enough for safe and comfortable everyday driving.
- Wet Performance
The A/T3Ws’ deep treads not only improve off-road traction but also helps resist hydroplaning over wet pavement. They have outstanding hydroplaning resistance even in heavy rain and at high speeds.
If you are a Falken fan, you probably know the famous silica rubber compound the Japanese brand uses for all its products. Because of that and other features, these tires offer impressive and safe wet performance. Acceleration and braking on wet roads aren’t an issue for these tires.
However, cornering is a little more challenging due to the tread pattern design of these tires. They tend to understeer a bit in the wet, but once you get used to it, it’s not an issue.
- Snow and Ice Performance
These tires come with the 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake) symbol, which means they perform extremely well on snow, making the A/T3W great tires for the winter. However, driving on the ice is another issue; once again, their deep grooves don’t help these tires to provide superb grip on icy roads.
- Comfort and Noise
Despite their aggressive tread pattern, the Falken A/T3W is very quiet, even while driving on the highway. At higher speeds, they become noisier, but not as much as other all-terrain tires, and when you are using off-road tires, you would expect some noise on the road. However, the noise levels are bearable, which is great for long trips.
Ride comfort is a little rough, but it could be worse, once again, considering the tires’ aggressive tread pattern. If you give your vehicle a lot of off-road use, this won’t be a problem.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Excellent off-road traction on dirt and gravel.
- Good performance in mud and rocks.
- Outstanding handling and braking in wet conditions.
- Average performance on dry pavement.
- Excellent handling and braking on snow-covered roads.
- Tough construction and durability.
Cons
- Unresponsive on paved roads.
Michelin LTX A/T2
- Off-Road Traction
The Michelin LTX A/T2 are the best off-road tires the French company has in its product range. These tires perform very well on dirt, gravel, and slightly wet gravel surfaces.
However, things change when they must face more demanding off-road elements like turf, mud, and rocks. Their lack of deep tread grooves, which makes these tires perform so well on the highway and paved roads, doesn’t help to provide enough grip for extreme off-roading.
They are hard and long-lasting, but overall, they are far from the outstanding off-roading performance of the Wildpeak A/T3W.
- Vehicle control and feedback
These tires are very responsive, making the steering very linear. They offer great cornering capabilities, something unexpected when it comes to all-terrain tires.
The A/T2 tires are also great for driving straight, even while hauling or towing heavy cargo. Unlike the Falken A/T3W, they are great for driving complicated and winding roads.
- Dry Performance
This model is among the top three best-performing tires in dry conditions, thanks to their Advanced MaxTouch technology, which increases the tire’s contact with the road for better stability and extra durability.
These tires offer impressive longitudinal traction, ensuring grip in all conditions, which helps to reduce braking distances. Besides, the stability these tires offer on the highway, even at high speeds, is awesome.
As you push these tires further and further to the limit, they lose traction, as every other tire would, but they don’t immediately fail; they gradually lose traction, letting the driver feel that things are going out of control.
The LTX A/T2 tires are also great for towing or hauling heavy loads. Their stiff sidewalls, combined with the tread compound, deliver excellent grip and traction.
They outperform the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W in this category. Although they don’t perform as well as touring tires, they perform extremely well in the dry compared to off-road tires.
- Wet Performance
The LTX A/T2 have amazing hydroplaning resistance and, thanks to their multiple sipes and tread blocks, combined with their wide void area, they offer an excellent grip over wet and very wet pavement. Their tread compound and pattern also help to provide good traction in the most demanding circumstances.
They offer the best wet longitudinal traction in their category, helping vehicles to accelerate and brake easily under heavy rain. The handling and cornering are also great in these conditions, and even when they tend to understeer a little, it’s not an issue.
Towing in the wet is also not an issue for the LTX A/T2. In this area, we would declare a tie, comparing these tires with the Wildpeak A/T3W.
- Snow and Ice Performance
The Michelin LTX A/T2 tires don’t offer good snow performance and don’t carry the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake Symbol as their Japanese competitors. The snow traction of the A/T2 is poor, to say the least.
These are not the best tires if you live in cold weather or drive in zones with icy and snowy roads.
- Comfort and Noise
Unlike most all-terrain tires, the LTX A/T2 are not louder than touring tires. Michelin used their famous Comfort Control Technology in these tires, which reduces vibrations and road noise. The read growl is almost imperceptible, and their ride quality is smooth and easy.
In this department, they also beat the Falkens, but to the cost of sacrificing their off-road capability.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Excellent handling, grip, and braking in dry conditions.
- Excellent performance in wet conditions.
- Excellent comfort and ride smoothness on the highway.
- Very good traction on dry dirt and gravel.
- Tough construction and durability.
Cons
- Poor performance in challenging off-road conditions.
- Poor ice and snow performance.
Comparative Performance Chart
| Falken Wildpeak A/T3W | Michelin TLT A/T2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Performance | 92% | 87% |
| Dry | 96% | 90% |
| Wet | 94% | 90% |
| Steering Response | 73% | 86% |
| Off-road | 95% | 76% |
| Winter/Snow | 85% | 77% |
| Comfort | 92% | 93% |
| Noise | 90% | 92% |
| Treadwear | 92% | 90% |
| Overall Score | 90% | 87% |
| Treadwear Warranty | 55,000 miles | 60,000 miles |
| Price Range | $163.00 – $490.00* | $226.97 – $394.60 |
It’s important to notice that the highest prices of the Falkens are for the 22” models. Michelin only makes the A/T2 up to 20”.
Final Verdict
Both tires are high-quality products with long treadwear and similar warranties. In terms of comfort and highway driving conditions, the Michelin LTX A/T2 are slightly better.
When it comes to steering response, the Michelin product is a clear winner, but when it comes to off-road driving, things noticeably change in favor of the Falken A/T3W.
Besides, the Japanese tires are also cheaper overall, another point for the A/T3W.
Both products have their pros and cons, but the final decision relates to your needs and intended use. If you drive in extreme, cold areas or like to take your vehicle off-road to challenging trails, the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W is the best choice.
On the other hand, if you own a light truck, SUV, or crossover vehicle and do most of your driving on paved roads and highways but want to go off-road and drive over mild and medium trails eventually, you should go for the Michelin LTX A/T2.
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Falken vs. Michelin Tires: Which One Is Better?
