Cooper Discoverer AT3

Nothing beats a set of all-terrain tires when it comes to go-everywhere capability. Sure, for off-roading, specialized off-road tires will fare better, but on the street, will be much worse. What we mean is that all-terrain tires will give you the best combination of safe and reliable on-road handling. This will be accompanied by confident off-road traction. On the pavement, many all-terrain tires aren’t up to the task of giving you safe handling, despite the marketing fluff. On a more negative note, you might need to replace them only after 20,000-miles because the cheapest entries don’t last very long. When it comes to off-road-capable tires, Cooper is a manufacturer that we learned to trust. The Cooper Company is so invested in making excellent SUV and truck tires that they ended up making an excellent all-terrain product – the Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S.

Cooper Discoverer AT3

This Cooper model is the best for your needs and to find out, we advise you read through our entire Cooper Discoverer AT3 review. For most all-season drivers, the Discoverer AT3 4S is a better choice. We tested these tires on the street and in the wilderness to give you the definitive AT3 review. This Cooper AT3 tire is aimed at buyers that drive SUVs or trucks and want confident on-road handling and stability. This is combined with advanced off-road traction.

The cars that these tires can fit on are off-road capable models such as Jeep Wranglers, Cherokees and Liberty’s, Toyota 4Runners, FJ Cruisers, and Tacoma’s, Chevy Colorado ZR2, Ford Raptor, Hummer H3, Land Rover Defender, etc.

Having said that, for drivers of passenger SUVs or crossovers, we don’t recommend these tires, the reason for this is that those cars lack the off-road capability for a real SUV or truck. In other words, it won’t help much putting these tires on. You will lose on-road handling, stability, and braking when compared to your previous tires on top of that. With that said, let’s look at the main features of the Cooper Discoverer tires, for these tires offers some interesting technologies and design choices.

Features of the Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S Tires

The Cooper Tire Company states that the Discoverer AT3 4S is an all-terrain tire equipped with the proprietary Adaptive-Traction TechnologyTM. The function of this is to grip the surface, rocky or smooth. This is all done under the most severe weather, rain or shine. And that’s a pretty way of describing a tire that’s engineered for on-road and off-road duties. The main aim of the people that engineered this model was to deliver a tire with excellent on-road comfort, advanced off-road durability, maximum grip, and handling on wet roads. Their other focus was to improve traction and braking on snow when compared to the other cooper predecessor.

Cooper used a silica-based tread compound on the Discoverer AT3 to achieve those things. Designed for any surface, the compound is molded into a Secure-Grip all-terrain pattern. The tread pattern is engineered with an open, five-rib design. The function of these is for improved dry and wet performance, as well as better off-road capability. In addition to that, the Discoverer AT3 4S is also equipped with circumferential Aqua VacTM Channels and wide, lateral notches. The use of these channels and notches is to offer better water evacuation and hydroplaning resistance. The Discoverer AT3 4S also has Cooper’s proprietary Micro-Gauge Zigzag Sipes the fact that it’s an all-season tire. The function of these is to create additional biting edges for better traction on slippery surfaces, such as wet or snowy conditions. Cooper Tires further states that the sipes don’t spoil the tread block stability, thus keeping the dry handling capabilities.

On the final note, on the Discoverer AT3 4S, Cooper also installed its latest all-terrain tire with the Snow Groove technology. This technology use saw-tooth block edges in the outboard grooves. And the reason for this is to offer better snow traction. Cooper managed to get the 3PMSF (three-peak mountain snowflake) symbol on the tire just to back those claims. This means that this tire is ready for slightly harsher wintry conditions, albeit still not on the level of winter tires. The AT3 4S is equipped with a durable two-ply polyester casing on the inside. These casings are helped by single-ply nylon reinforcement and two high-strength steel belts. And for the category, this combination is standard. This means that it should bring better high-speed stability, responsiveness, and durability. Ranging from 15-inches to 22-inches, the Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S is available in many sizes.

Maintenance Indicators for the Discoverer AT3 4S Tires

The Discoverer AT3 4S is equipped with maintenance indicators like every modern tire from Cooper. These indicators are small rubber inserts built into the tread of the tire. For safety reasons, these indicators are very important. This is so because they show how much tread there is left on the tire. The function of the tread depth of any tire is to improve wet traction and braking. This means that your vehicle will slide around on every corner if it doesn’t have any tread. The minimum tread on this tire is 2/32 inch like most tires. The maintenance indicators will be flush with the tread pattern when the tires are worn down to this value.

Given the fact that the tires here are of the all-terrain variety, you might want to replace them before the tread is completely worn-down. Off-road traction will be severely damaged if All-terrain tires don’t have enough tread. The wet and snow performance will be bad as well. On a positive note, Cooper Tire offers outstanding warranties on this product. Cooper has equipped the Discoverer AT3 4S with a 65,000-miles treadwear warranty, which is one of the longest in the Tire business.

Performance of the Discoverer AT3 4S for Off-Road Driving

Even though for real off-road enthusiasts, they aren’t the best choice, these Cooper AT3 tires will perform admirably on off-road surfaces for the majority of people. A set of maximum traction off-road tires or mud-terrain tires might be a better option if you are in the search for the best possible off-road traction. We found that the AT3 tires were very responsive and grippy on hardpacked surfaces in our testing. The surfaces they were tested on include dirt and gravel. On rocky surfaces, the tires also provided confident traction and very good traction in mud.

Performance of the Discoverer AT3 4S on a Dry Tarmac

The Discoverer AT3 tires provide the driver with a responsive and reliable experience on the road. And to the driver’s input, the tires react pretty fast, which is quite surprising. On a more positive note, they had very good traction and grip in the corners. This was all done while the braking distances were very short. On-road dynamics, the Discoverer AT3 4S exhibits slightly more favorable, but that’s probably due to the lighter-duty design. What you should know is that, even at highway speeds, the tires were completely safe and reliable on the road.

Performance of the Discoverer AT3 4S over Wet and Slippery Roads

On wet pavement, the Discoverer AT3 4S is a better tire and this all thanks to the Aqua VacTM Channels. They also have additional siping on the tread blocks. You will be astonished by the level of traction, confident and predictable handling, and short braking distances. And to hydroplaning, the AT3 4S also has slightly better resistance, which is certainly welcome. If you compare the Discoverer AT3 4S to other similarly-priced competitors, it performs admirably in wet conditions. Handling for the Discoverer AT3 4S is quite safe and predictable. The braking distances for the Discoverer AT3 4S are also reasonable.

Performance of the Discoverer AT3 4S on Snowy Roads

The Discoverer AT3 tires have aggressive tread patterns, which should translate into better snow traction. But on a negative note, we found that the AT3 4S drives with much more confidence in the winter. The tires are equipped with more sipes on the inner tread blocks, as well as the Snow Groove Technology. This means that these tires have safer handling, advanced traction, and shorter braking distances. . In light or unpacked snow, traction is sufficient, and also handling is predictable. This is all done while the braking distances are reasonably short. Despite all this, Discoverer AT3 tires aren’t the best solution for harsh wintry conditions. On ice and packed snow, they suffer greatly. It’s for this reason that we suggest purchasing an additional set of winter tires if you live in areas with a lot of snow in the winter.

Comfort and Refinement of the Discoverer AT3 4S Tire

The Discoverer AT3 4S is comfortable and quiet as far as all-terrain tires go. You will be more impressed that they have the Whisper GroovesTM that helps to reduce the noise on the highway. On the other hand, on broken surfaces, the 4S seems more comfortable, and the reason for this probably is due to the lighter-duty construction.

Pros

• offers excellent off-road traction
• has very good handling and braking on dry and wet surfaces
• surprisingly good over snowy surfaces
• a durable tread compound
• has a long treadwear warranty

Cons

• is not the best option for surfaces covered in mud

FAQs

Q. is the Discoverer AT3 4S a Good Passenger Tire?

A. Yes you can. Currently, the passenger tires with a normal height that the Cooper Company is offering are all different but best models. Among them is the Discoverer AT3 4S which is one of the best. This all-season tire has been designed for a comfortable ride and long tread life.

Q. can I use the Discoverer AT3 4S Tire on an SUV, Crossover, or Light Truck?

A. Yes you can. Even though the Cooper company has some tires for a crossover, SUV, and light-truck lineup, the Discoverer AT3 4S is second to none. This model is one of the best all-season tires that you can use on SUVs and Crossovers.

Recommendations

The Discoverer AT3 4S from Cooper Tires is one of the best all-terrain tires on the market right now. Both on dry and wet surfaces, they work tremendously where they provide the passengers with a reasonably quiet and comfortable ride, and even work in the snow