Both the BF Goodrich Trail Terrain and the Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail are on-road-oriented all-terrain tires. They are perfect for daily driving and off-road adventures.
Let’s see how they perform in dry, wet, and snowy conditions, as well as off-road.
BF Goodrich Trail Terrain excels on gravel roads, while the Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail performs better in muddy conditions. Choose based on your specific off-road needs.
We’d break down how each tire handles different terrains, discussing their strengths and weaknesses.
Let’s start with tread design.
Table of Contents
Tread Design
Both tires feature a 5-rib design with two wide circumferential channels dividing the middle area from the shoulders, having paired lugs with numerous biting edges.
But out of the two tires here, the Wildpeak A/T Trail is less aggressive, with more squared-off block shapes.
Its central rib has angled lugs with in-groove notches and rectilinear sipes, while the adjacent ribs have similar siping designs but with more offset and stepped edges.
And moving towards shoulders, here blocks are seen with wave-like sipes, and laterally oriented notches. Plus they also run in pairs, forming V shaped sidewall lugs.
In contrast, the BF Goodrich Trail Terrain is more aggressive with staggered shoulder blocks and slanted sidewall lugs with deeper biters.
It’s shoulder rib is continuous running so the lateral grooves on them also act as in groove notches.
And as for central blocks, they also offer a very strong biting power with sharp offset edges and full-depth siping that splits the blocks down to the base.
Moreover, like the Wildpeak although this tire also doesn’t offer traditional stone ejectors, it does have triangular ones strategically placed in the grooves offering superb off road traction.
Have a look at their specs.
| Specification | BF Goodrich Trail Terrain | Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail |
|---|---|---|
| Available Sizes | 15 to 22 inches | 16 to 20 inches |
| Speed Ratings | T and H | H and V |
| Load Ratings | XL and SL | SL and XL |
| Tread Depth | 12.5/32″ across all sizes | 10 or 11/32″ |
| Weight Range | 30 to 46 lbs | 25 to 42 lbs |
| Warranty | 60,000 miles | 65,000 miles |
Braking Grip
All-terrain tires are expected to meet certain standards of traction on dry roads, but there’s a notable difference between these two tires here.
Now braking really depends on the tire’s central area where the most weight focuses on, as the tire rolls straight.
And considering this and other factors it can be seen why the Falken WildPeak A/T Trail excels here.
The tire basically provides a relatively better on-road connection with its more packed middle lugs and robust foundations, providing a solid on-center feel.
In contrast, the BF Goodrich Trail Terrain, with its more voided design, isn’t able to provide as much traction.
To give you an idea, on our 60 to 0 mph braking tests, the BFG tire took 2 feet longer in stopping on average.
Sideways Grip and Stability
Lateral traction, or sideways grip, measures a tire’s ability to corner, relying heavily on the shoulder design.
And here although the BFG Trail Terrain performs really great with its continuous-running shoulders for consistent shoulder to road contact, it still falls short compared to Wildpeak AT Trail.
This is because the Falken’s tire is relatively lighter, and this enhances stability, as its lugs are less prone to bending.
In other words as the tire turns, the tread blocks don’t bend as much as they do on the BFG tire. So they get back to their original shapes faster, reducing delay between steering inputs and responses.
So unlike the Trail Terrain, which is susceptible to oversteering the Wildpeak AT Trail provides faster handling and a more responsive steering.
On our lap tests, it comes out a whole second faster on average in comparison.
Wet Performance
Wet performance highly depends on grooves and sipes. Grooves are the large channels that disperse water from beneath the tire, while sipes are smaller cuts that act like sponges, removing residual moisture.
Now, out of both tires here, the BFG Trail Terrain is really lagging behind. In fact, it’s the weakest point of this tire. But why is that?
Well, this is because of its shoulder ribs, which feature a continuous, unbroken pattern that basically impedes lateral water evacuation. This reduced water as those on the Falken’s tire.
On the other hand, the Wildpeak AT Trail offers superb performance, being 2.5 seconds faster in lap time tests and achieving a whopping 20 feet shorter braking distance on average.
This is all thanks to its combination of linear and interlocking siping that maintains effectiveness during extreme maneuvers, offering consistent wet traction from various angles.
Fuel Economy & Tread Life
Both the fuel efficiency and tread life of a tire depend on its rolling resistance, which is primarily affected by the tread composition and the tire’s weight.
Now, out of the two tires, the Wildpeak AT Trail, even though it is lighter, still generates relatively more rolling resistance due to its grippier tread. So, it’s not as fuel efficient as the BFG Trail Terrain.
But yes in terms of tread life there are some interesting findings.
The Wildpeak AT Trail, with its lugs resting on a stiffer secondary rubber layer and lighter weight, offers decent tread longevity.
Whereas, the BFG Trail Terrain, although has a softer rubber, the tire still benefits from lower rolling resistance and greater tread depth, which allows it to have just as great of a tread life as the Wildpeak tire.
So although BFG tire is more fuel efficient, its tread longevity is similar to that of Falken’s tire.
Ride Quality
When it comes to ride quality, there are two things to consider, the on road noise and smoothness. And in both these areas, the BFG takes the upper hand.
Now noise is generated when air particles enter the tread, primarily through shoulder voids, and hit the tread walls, creating resonance within the grooves. And the BFG Trail Terrain, with its continuous running shoulder ribs, blocks air entry, tackling noise at the source.
Plus since the tire offers greater tread depth and a relatively softer rubber, its also able to manage bumps better, providing superior overall comfort.
Winter Traction
Both tires provide excellent winter performance and are 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake rated. But yes, the BFGoodrich tire performs better overall.
To give you an idea about its performance, in braking tests, the the tire outperforms the Wildpeak AT Trail by stopping 10 feet shorter on both icy and snowy surfaces.
This superior performance is primarily due to the tire’s ability to generate better snow-to-snow contact. Basically the BFG tire’s relatively greater weight and narrower tread design allow it to grab more snow particles in its grooves, creating more grip and friction in comparison.
Off Road Traction
Off road there are 3 main terrain types to consider, rocks, sand and mud. Let’s start with sandy terrains.
On Sand
Driving on sand requires avoiding digging in. And here surprisingly, the BF Goodrich Trail Terrain takes the upper hand, despite its heavier weight.
But why is that? Well this is because of its continuous shoulder lugs create a larger contact patch, evenly distributing weight and reducing digging.
Plus its sidewall lugs are also more aggressive in comparison and with lowered air pressure they further enhance the rubber to sand contact and with it grip.
On Rocks
Navigating rocky terrains presents two main challenges: rock climbing and maintaining traction on gravelly or dirt-filled roads. For rock climbing, tires must provide strong grip in all directions to prevent overturning in severe situations.
The BFG tire excels here with enhanced biting abilities at multiple angles. Its central interlocked section offers directional traction, while aggressive shoulder designs with chamfered edges and numerous offsets, along with thicker sidewall lugs, improve lateral traction, especially at reduced air pressure.
Additionally, the BFG Trail Terrain is one of the best road-oriented all-terrain tires for gravelly roads, with a rounded contact patch and triangular-shaped stone ejectors that handle lodged stones much better than the Wildpeak tire.
On Mud
For muddy terrains, tires need effective mud evacuation. And the Wildpeak A/T Trail performs better here, as its design allows for better mud flow. Whereas the BF Trail Terrain’s closed shoulder ribs restrict sideways mud flow.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the BF Goodrich Trail Terrain is great for gravel roads with its effective stone ejectors. The Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail excels in muddy conditions with better mud flow. Both tires offer unique benefits, so choose based on your specific off-road needs.
For those seeking on-road comfort and longevity, the BF Goodrich is a solid choice, while the Falken Wildpeak is ideal for more challenging off-road adventures.
