Goodyear Wrangler Adventure AT - too stiff for Montero?
 

Does anyone have experience with Goodyear All Terrain tires on Montero? I am looking at the Wrangler Adventure AT which seems to have good reviews but some users indicate their stiffness (while others say they are smooth). The tires are on sale now where I live (buy three get one free). My only concern is that Montero does not absorb bumps very well and having stiffer tires may make it much worse. Anyone who tried these tires, please share your thoughts on the comfort of ride in particular. I am also looking at Firestone Destination AT and General Grabber AT2 so any feedback on those would be helpful too. I have Montero 06 Ltd with Bridgestone Dualers right now. I am not into off-roading but we do have 5 months of winter with heavy snowfalls, so excellent snow capabilities combined with thread longevity is a must (and this is where these tires seems to be doing very well).

I put Cooper AT3 265 75 16. It's bigger tire then the stock but makes the car so much better looking. The tire itself is Awsome and it looks like the Cooper had batter reviews then the Goodyear which is why I went for it and I'm happy with it

Eventually I decided to go with the General Grabber AT2; will be installed next week and I will share my impressions. Apparently, it was the only option in my size rated for severe snow conditions, which I prefer to have. It is surprising how they make only certain sizes for the same name of tire rated for severe snow conditions. I noticed that some people who don't pay attention buy the non-rated size and then give bad reviews because the compound in their tires is stiffer than in the other sizes.

Anyways, initially I wanted a bigger size too because I agree it would look much better. But then I realized that can I barely fit into my underground parking with my standard tires, so I made sure that I get exactly the same diameter as what I have now (I found that some brands are actually bigger for the same size 265/65/17). Also, I found that AT tires are much heavier than other types which impacts already poor fuel efficiency of Montero. The Wranglers were the heaviest at 50 lbs while the Grabbers were at 44 lbs (still 6 lbs heavier per tire then my current ones).

First the BFGs:I had 8 inches of snow and my 4x4 van drove 50 feet on level decomposed granite driveway then it just stopped and the tires spun like on ice mud etc,cause the tread was packed with snow.
My little isusu Pickup has the AT2(similar tread design as BFG) and it did marginally better
. Heres the only difference in the two vehicles. The isuzu pup weighs 3000lb and the tire is much narrower with a 7 innh wide tread ( 27 8.5 x 14 AT2 ),while the fully self contained van is 7000lb w/295 65x16 & 10" width tread.. The tread design of the AT2 and the BFG are similar. So my experience and opinion is theyre not cut out for snow or mud.Rain and sand theyre fine(I live in the desert). They need more space in the tread at the risk of extra noise and vibrations.
My AT2s are made for have ice studs ,so that might help you .Personally id just get studs or chains & the ATs.In case youre thinking of going larger than stock,my 01 Montero sports's 267 70s appear to be too big to have chains on without destroying the inner wheel well. Im going back to stock size.

Thanks for sharing your perspective on AT2's, and BFG for that matter. For my driving (mostly city) I don't think I need chains or studs. I was driving for 2 years on Dueler HT which have only 2 stars out of 5 for snow tests and never ever I had problems with them on either ice or deep snow. I was more concerned with noise and stiffness of A/T tires on Montero as I never had them before. I guess at this point I just have to wait and see for myself. I decided to try A/T tires mostly for aesthetic reason since the price is not much different from H/T tires. Also I only got two years from H/T and I hope to get at least three from A/T due to much deeper thread.

Oh I did forget you were conserned about stiffness. With the AT2s on my PU I didnt notice a diff. My van had 10 ply tires befor the BFG T/As and it rode hard as hell. The TA,feel like balloons... really soft when hitting holes rock ridges (and that on I/!0 freeway near the 101...really!)compared to the 10 ply,so for me they were comfy,but fo you..well I dunno,but what you got youll be happy with. My A/T2s no complaints