All-Season vs. All-Terrain Tires: Which Fits How You Drive?

All-season and all-terrain tires are sold in many of the same SUV, crossover and pickup sizes, and both fit the same wheels. What separates them is the tread. An all-season tire is designed for paved roads through the year in climates with mild winters. An all-terrain tire is designed to split its time between pavement and gravel, dirt or rough tracks. The right choice depends on where you actually drive.

How the tread designs differ

Compared with an all-terrain, an all-season tire usually has a tighter tread pattern with narrower gaps between its blocks and ribs. That puts more rubber on the pavement, which is what dry and wet roads reward.

An all-terrain tire has deeper, more aggressive tread. The blocks are bigger and the gaps between them, called voids, are wider. Those voids give the block edges room to dig into gravel and dirt and give loose material somewhere to go. Many all-terrain tires also have tougher construction, including sidewalls built to resist cuts and bruises from rocks.

On pavement: noise, ride, wear and fuel use

If your SUV or pickup is also your daily driver, this is where you will notice the difference most.

• Noise and ride. Tire makers pitch all-season and touring tires on a quiet, comfortable ride. One major tire maker says all-terrain tires have louder ride noise than most other tires, and another notes they may feel firmer on the highway. Some all-terrain designs are engineered to limit road noise, so the gap varies from tire to tire.
• Tread life. Tire makers describe all-season tires as typically long-wearing. One major maker says all-terrain tires give up some treadwear because of their tread design. Compare the specific tires you are considering rather than assuming.
• Fuel use. Rolling resistance, the energy it takes to keep a tire rolling, affects mpg, and tire makers list shallower tread as one way to lower it. One large tire dealer says all-terrain tires usually give up little fuel economy, but the more aggressive the tread, the more they can cost. The real effect depends on the tire, the size and the vehicle.
• Construction. All-terrain lines often come in both passenger (P-metric) sizes and LT (light truck) sizes. Size for size, an LT tire needs more air pressure to carry the same load, and one tire maker warns that swapping a vehicle’s original passenger tires for LT tires can make the ride harsher. On a work truck that hauls heavy loads, that trade can make sense. On a light SUV or crossover, it often does not.

One more point when you compare wear: the federal UTQG grades, including the treadwear number, apply to passenger car tires only. LT tires fall outside that rule, so an LT all-terrain tire may not carry a treadwear grade at all. In that case, look at the tread-life information the tire maker publishes.

Rain, snow and the symbols on the sidewall

All-season tires are built for year-round use in moderate climates, with balanced grip on dry and wet roads and in light snow. Many carry an M+S (mud and snow) marking. Under the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association definition, M+S is based on tread geometry: slots at the edge of the tread and at least 25 percent open area in the tread pattern. No snow traction test is involved.

The three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol is a performance mark. To qualify under the same association’s definition, a passenger or light truck tire must pass a standardized traction test on medium-packed snow and score at least 10 to 12 percent better than a standard reference tire, depending on which reference tire is used.

Some all-terrain tires carry the 3PMSF symbol, while many all-season tires carry only M+S. Neither holds across the board, so check the exact tire and size you are considering.

The symbol has limits. It covers packed-snow traction, not ice, and it does not make an all-terrain tire a winter tire. If your winters bring regular snow, ice or long cold spells, dedicated winter tires are built for those conditions.

All-season vs. all-terrain at a glance

How much of your driving is off pavement?

Think about the last few months of driving, not the trip you hope to take someday. Then use this as a starting point:

• Almost all paved roads. Commuting, highway trips, errands and the odd gravel parking lot. An all-season tire fits this pattern. On a pickup or full-size SUV, highway/touring tires are the other road-focused option, built for a smooth, quiet ride and long, even wear.
• Mostly paved, with regular dirt or gravel. A long rural driveway, forest roads, a farm or a job site. All-terrain tires make sense here, because you will use their grip and tougher build often enough to justify the extra noise.
• Frequent rough trails, rocks or deep mud. An all-terrain is the starting point. Rugged-terrain and mud-terrain tires go further off road, with bigger trade-offs on pavement.
• Regular snow. Look for the 3PMSF symbol, or plan on a set of winter tires for the cold months.

Liking the look of an all-terrain tire is a fair reason to choose one, as long as you accept more noise and faster wear on pavement than an all-season tire would give you.

Size and fit checks before you order

Start with the tire placard on the driver’s door jamb and the owner’s manual. The placard lists the original tire size and the recommended cold inflation pressures. Some placards also show the load index and speed rating; if yours does not, check the owner’s manual or the sidewall of the original tires. Tire makers advise choosing a replacement with a load index at least as high as the original and a speed rating that is the same or higher.

• Passenger vs. LT sizes. If your vehicle came with passenger tires and you are looking at an LT all-terrain, the two use different load and inflation tables. Ask the tire manufacturer or a qualified tire shop which pressure gives at least the load capacity your vehicle needs.
• AWD and 4WD. On some all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive models, the vehicle maker calls for replacing all four tires at once. Check the owner’s manual before you buy a pair.
• Shop by vehicle type. Browse SUV and crossover tires or light truck tires in your exact size.

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