Hankook Dynapro AT2 vs BF Goodrich KO2: Hankook Dynapro AT2 and BFGoodrich KO2 are all terrain tires built for optimized on road drives as well as off road hikes.
Dynapro offers more comfort and traction on paved roads due to increased contact patch while KO2 shows supreme traction over off-road surfaces including snow and mud due to its open tread pattern, it moves over gravel without any trouble due to its superior stone ejectors, serrated shoulders and sturdy sidewalls.
Examine the treads on these tires closely. They hold the key to knowing which to choose. In fact if you visit my "tread design" page, picking the right tire would never bother you.
Detailed analysis of their tread qualities and pricing is shared below. But first, make sure you also check out the Hankook Dynapro other family members as well.
Table of Contents
Design Overview:
BF Goodrich KO2
Hankook Dynapro AT2
The Hankook Dynapro AT2 has a symmetrical tread pattern exhibiting massive blocks, zigzag grooves and multidirectional sipes.
Large tread blocks are arranged densely in five rows making void ratio lesser and contact patch higher.
Large surface area of tread in contact with road results in better grip on road.
Bulky shoulders with tie bar among them offer superior steer handling while turning upon paved tracks.
Multidirectional sipes and zigzag pattern of grooves provides excellent aquaplaning resistance by wiping away slippery liquids and account for better wet traction.
In off road terrains, low void ratio presents troubles as narrow grooves are not capable of effective evacuation of mud, slush or snow.
It only has a few, tiny stone ejectors to kick out rocky fragments from grooves.
Moving to BF Goodrich tire…
Aggressive look of KO2 is attributed to its open tread pattern with broad grooves, asymmetrical lugs arranged in interlocking manner, frequent siping, serrated shoulders, bold stone ejectors and raised sidewall lugs.
High void ratio due to wide spaces among blocks minimize contact patch leading to reduced traction on road.
Numerous sipes on tread lugs efficiently remove slippery liquids from wet surface and provide aquaplaning resistance.
On the other side, wide grooves offer excellent traction in tough off-road areas.
Massive channels offer huge space for effective evacuation of loose substances such as mud or snow, optimizing traction over such surfaces.
Alternate scooping of shoulder lugs provides deep biting ability over uneven surfaces and support firm handling along corners.
| KO2 | Dynapro AT2 | |
| Average Weight | 55.3 lbs | 48 lbs |
| Average Tread Depth | 15/32″ | 14/32″ |
| Sidewall Construction | 3 ply | 2 ply |
On-Road Traction Comparison
Hankook AT2 shows superior on road traction due to its low void ratio.
Narrow grooves increase contact patch resulting in maximized grip of tread on paved surface.
Strengthened shoulders with tie bar at the edge provide firm handling on turns.
Symmetrical arrangement of blocks minimizes rolling resistance and provides directional stability on road.
Supreme wet traction is attributed to zigzag grooves and multidirectional sipes causing better removal of water and increase hydroplaning resistivity.
KO2 loses to its competitor in terms of on road traction due to its open tread.
Broad grooves decrease surface area of tread in contact with road leading to reduced grip and lesser traction overall.
Frequent sipes along with massive grooves wipe away slippery liquids and contribute to aquaplaning resistivity, improving wet traction on road, to some extent.
How well these tires perform on Mud?
Mud traction of Dynapro is lesser than its competitor owing to its low void ratio.
Its smaller grooves can get stuffed with mud as they lack enough space for complete removal of mud and debris resulting as decreased traction over muddy surfaces.
Flat shoulder lugs without any texturing lack traction over irregular surface covered with loose stuff like mud.
BFGoodrich KO2 offers excellent experience while roaming about boggy tracks of nature owing to its massive grooves.
High void ratio allows it to remove mud and debris from grooves in backward direction and avoid mud stuffing of tread.
Alternatively scooped shoulder lugs provide additional space for mud evacuation and firm handling as the vehicle steers along tricky turns.
For Mud Traction, consider Goodyear DuraTrac. (If you want to stay in All terrain tires and not go for Mud Terrain.)
How well these tires perform on snow?
Hankook Dynapro AT2 cannot deal effectively with soft snow as its competitor due to narrow grooves.
Its smaller grooves are not efficient enough to clear themselves from snow by throwing it out in backward direction while rolling.
Tread can get choked by snow, leading to loss of grip.
On icy surfaces, it shows good traction as tread grips tightly over the surface due to larger contact patch.
Multi-directional sipes efficiently remove slippery liquids and as a result, maximize ice traction.
BFG KO2 rolls smoothly over snow covered surfaces due to its high void ratio.
It possesses self-cleaning ability as its broad and deep grooves efficiently throw soft snow in backward direction while rolling ahead leading to good snow traction.
Scooped texture over shoulders maintains firm grip over soft, uneven surfaces and provide smooth steer handling. It is M+S as well as three peak mountain snowflake rated.
On ice, KO2 meets troubles as greater void ratio decreases contact patch leading to lesser grip on ice.
What about the tires performs on Rocks?
Dynapro performs lesser than its competitor in rock terrain. Symmetry and less aggressive design of tread lacks deep biting ability over uneven surface of slopes.
Shoulder edges are not marked by any traction scoops or staggering to provide firm handling along corners.
Stone ejectors embossed among grooves are not much prominent and offer only a little safety from striking stones, pebbles and rocky fragments.
BF Goodrich KO2 has superior ability to roam about rocky terrain than its competitor due to its aggressive tread design.
Its irregularly shaped blocks account for enhanced biting ability over uneven rocky surfaces.
Scooped shoulders and raised sidewall lugs absorb shocks and provide firm steer handling on difficult mountain turns.
Its grooves are embossed with rectilinear as well as triangular stone ejectors for knocking out bombarding gravel particles and preventing tread from stone clogging and punctures.
Hankook Dynapro AT2 is more comfortable to drive on:
Dynapro AT2 wins the competition in terms of on road comfort due to its denser tread design.
Narrow grooves do not provide much space for sound resonation moreover, tie bars among shoulder and step edge blocks further limit circulation of noisy particles leading to quieter trips on road.
Maximized contact patch and low void ratio results in better traction leading to comfortable rides on roads.
KO2 offers noisy and wobbly rides on road due to its high void ratio.
Massive grooves provide large space for movement, reflection and resonation of noisy air particles leading to loud tire sound.
Minimal contact patch due to broad grooves decreases traction making on road trips less comfortable.
Tread wear of both tires:
Dynapro beats its competitor in terms of durability. Its superior tread wears down slowly and evenly as its composition includes thick rubber reinforced with nylon casting and high strength steal belts providing safety from punctures, chips and abrasions. It is backed by a longer tread life warranty of 60,000 miles from its manufacturer.
BFG KO2 is a fairly durable tire but loses to its competitor in this respect.
Its tread employs CoreGard technology using tough, bruise resistant rubber, offering good chip and scratch resistance, however it wears faster than its competitor and its mileage warranty from BFGoodrich is lesser in comparison, being only up to 50,000 miles.
Compare BFG KO2 with other AT tires:
- Nitto Recon Grappler.
- Toyo Open Country AT3.
- Falken Wildpeak AT3W.
- Cooper Discoverer AT3.
- Nitto Terra Grappler.
- Nitto Ridge Grappler.
- General Grabber AT3.
- General Grabber AT2.
- General Grabber ATX
- Yokohama Geolandar X-AT.
- Firestone Destination AT.
- Hankook Dynapro ATM.
- Michelin LTX A/T2.
- Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3.
- Kumho Road Venture AT51.
- Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus.
- Goodyear DuraTrac.
- BFGoodrich Trail Terrain.
