Goodyear TrailRunner AT vs Kelly Edge AT

Goodyear TrailRunner AT vs Kelly Edge AT: Both the Goodyear Kelly Edge and the TrailRunner are All-Terrain tires built for on and off-road applications to deliver maximum performance. Despite having a similar application, the Kelly Edge AT and the TrailRunner AT both contain unique features that make them stand out better than the other in different conditions.

The Kelly Edge AT has a better performance on the highway while the TrailRunner AT are more promising performance on off-road tracks. These tires come at very affordable prices with one of the best features explained below. 

Comparing Goodyear Kelly Edge AT and TrailRunner AT

The Kelly Edge AT is an all-terrain tire, made to provide good performance on highways and off-road tracks. The Kelly Edge AT has a symmetrical tread pattern with narrow and deep grooves, fabricated from a special compound that gives it excellent traction on highways and a good endurance on off-road tracks. These features allow it to pass dirt through it, resulting in good traction off-road. Meanwhile, giving it enough tread face to move efficiently on highways.

Moving forward, The Wrangler TrailRunner AT tire has an even more sturdy construction than the Kelly Edge AT. It features an aggressive symmetric tread design with a spacious interlocking tread block and large grooves that provide excellent off-road traction. It has a similar tread block to the Kelly Edge AT but due to having a more spread out tread pattern, it doesn’t perform as well as the Kelly Edge AT on highways.

Tread Design Comparison

The Kelly Edge AT has a compact and solid tread block with a mingled tread design that gives it an enormous surface area to make contact with the surface of the road which results in a high grip and great dry traction on the road. That’s why the Kelly Edge AT is more suited for highways than the TrailRunner AT. When it comes to on-road traction on dry surfaces, the tire with a more compact structure and a bigger surface area like the Kelly Edge AT performs better.

On the other hand, the TrailRunner AT has a more open tread block with a similar tread pattern with a lot of twists and turns. Therefore, it cannot perform as well as the Kelly Edge AT on a dry surface due to a smaller contact patch to make it stick to the surface of the road. Nevertheless, it still has a good grip on the road, but just not as good as the Kelly Edge AT.

Moving forward, the comfort level of Kelly Edge AT is more than the TrailRunner AT. This is because it has a more compressed tread pattern, which gives it more stability and firmness on the road.  

Grooves and Sipes on tires

In wet traction, the tire with bigger grooves and deeper sipes is going to perform better on wet surfaces. The Kelly Edge AT has small but deep grooves in the tread design and shallow sipes in its tread design, which enable it to clear water in its way to a decent level and move firmly on the road in wet conditions. 

Conversely, the TrailRunner AT has even bigger grooves than the Kelly Edge AT that runs deep in its tread along with more prominent sipes. These features allow it to accumulate more water between its treads and ensure excellent hydroplaning on wet roads. This makes TrailRunner AT more suited for wet grounds. 

The Kelly Edge AT also offers adequate mud and soft snow traction thanks to its deep tread grooves that work in conjunction with the flared edges in its tread block, allowing it to shovel and move through soft surfaces like mud and soft snow with ease and grace. Although, it performs better on hard snow due to its more dense tread with a large tread face that makes it sit more firmly on hard snow.

On the contrary, the TrailRunner AT has an even better mud and soft snow traction, owing to the large interlocking tread block and multi-angled deep sipes in its design that enable it to grab and throw mud in its path and move with maximum efficiency through these terrains. Moreover, the TrailRunner AT has saw-tooth block edges that help them bite onto the ground with even greater power. However, when it comes to hard snow, it cannot operate as well as the Kelly Edge AT due to the lesser surface area in its tread design and more prominent grooves in its tread.

All and all, the TrailRunner AT vibrates a bit more than the Kelly Edge AT due to wider grooves and a more open tread block in its design. Even so, the TrailRunner AT is more comfortable than most of the All-Terrain tires. 

Tire Shoulders Comparison

The Kelly Edge AT has nominal shoulders that are just good enough to provide a decent self-cleaning of the sidewall of the tire to maintain a good grip in mud and other soft terrains. Moreover, these shoulders aid in protecting the tire against the street curbs.

On the flip side, the TrailRunner has rugged stepped shoulders that provide efficient self-cleaning and helps it to sustain a phenomenal grip in mud and other off-road tracks. As discussed before, these bigger and better shoulders aid in shielding the tire in rugged terrains to avoid a puncture. 

Compound / Material

In rugged terrains like rocks, a more study and robust tire is required for the job. The Kelly Edge AT is made from a good tread compound that makes it stiff and durable, empowering it to perform a decent job in this terrain.

While the TrailRunner AT is built with a chip and tear-resistant compound that gives it an unbelievable strength to beat rugged terrains like rocks. This makes it one of the best tires for rugged terrains. So, the TrailRunner AT is a better option than the Kelly Edge AT for rugged terrains. 

Tread-wear and Durability

In the department of tread-wear and durability, the Kelly Edge AT takes the lead on the TrailRunner AT. It is due to the first-rate material used in its fabrication that is specially designed to increase its tread-wear on highways and roads. In addition, it has a more solid and packed tread design that gives it a considerable footprint, which reduces its rolling resistance on the road and enables it to more effectively on roads and freeways.

In contrast, the TrailRunner AT is also made from a good wear-resistant material that makes it last longer than most A/T tires. Its tread pattern is optimized for even wear of the tread which increases its life span and durability. But what increases its wear and tear is its aggressive tread design with large grooves which reduces its surface area on the ground, resulting in higher rolling resistance, and making it harder to move across the road by the virtue of the added friction. Therefore, it has lower tread-wear and durability than the Kelly Edge AT.

Customer Evaluations

The Kelly Edge AT has positive customer feedback and left most of its customers satisfied with its results. The Kelly Edge AT has a good performance on highways, while it can withstand off-road tracks. The tire is durable, comfortable, and quiet on the road. It can give you as much as 30000 to 35000 miles on the run.

Consequently, the TrailRunner AT also performs pretty well on highways and executes an even better job on off-road terrains. This tire is more durable but a little less comfortable than the Kelly Edge AT. It has about the same millage as its competitor. 

Which tire looks better?

The Kelly Edge AT has a decent tread design with a symmetrical tread pattern, this gives it a fine look. It has a grey color which also looks quite conventional. 

On the other side, the TrailRunner AT has a similar tread pattern but it’s more aggressive and eye-catching. It has a dark black color that adds to its charm. Henceforth, the TrailRunner AT stands out more in appearance.

What about the price?

Both of the tires have almost the same price. The TrailRunner AT is a little bit more expensive than the Kelly Edge AT. Both of the tires are good in their own way. So, choose the tire based on the kind of work you want to get out of them.

Final Note

• The Goodyear Kelly Edge AT and TrailRunner AT both are All-Terrain tires constructed for maximum performance on highways and off-road tracks.
• The Kelly Edge AT performs a little better on highways, while the TrailRunner AT performs a little better off-road.
• The Tread-wear and durability of Kelly Edge AT is slightly more than the TrailRunner AT.
• The Kelly Edge AT is somewhat more comfortable than the TrailRunner AT.
• The TrailRunner AT has a more striking look.
• Both of the tires have almost the same price.