All-Terrain Tyres NZ: Complete Guide for 2025
The versatile choice for Kiwi drivers who need sealed road comfort and off-road capability. From Northland beaches to South Island high country — AT tyres handle it all. This guide covers void ratios, brand comparisons, premium vs budget options, and how to choose the right AT for your driving.
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What Makes All-Terrain Tyres Different?
All-Terrain tyres bridge the gap between highway comfort and off-road capability. Unlike highway tyres designed purely for sealed roads, or mud-terrain tyres built for extreme conditions, AT tyres deliver genuine versatility — handling your daily commute, gravel back roads, beach access, and bush tracks without requiring a tyre change.
AT tyres are designed for approximately 70% road / 30% off-road use. This makes them ideal for New Zealand conditions, where you might drive State Highway 1 in the morning and access a remote beach or farm track in the afternoon.
Understanding Void Ratio: The Key to AT Performance
Void ratio is the percentage of tread surface that's grooves rather than rubber. It's the single most important factor in understanding how different tyre types perform — and why AT tyres work so well for mixed-use driving.
Why AT's 25-35% Void Ratio is the Sweet Spot
This range provides enough groove space to channel water, shed mud, and eject stones — but enough rubber contact to maintain grip, comfort, and reasonable wear on sealed roads. It's the Goldilocks zone for mixed-use driving.
- Water evacuation: Wide circumferential grooves prevent hydroplaning
- Self-cleaning: Spaced tread blocks shed mud and debris
- Road contact: Enough rubber for confident highway handling
- Balanced wear: More even wear than aggressive patterns
Where AT Fits: The 4WD Tyre Spectrum
| Type | Void Ratio | Road/Off-Road | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highway Terrain (HT) | 15-20% | 90/10 | Mostly sealed roads, quiet ride |
| All-Terrain (AT) | 25-35% | 70/30 | Mixed use — commute + weekends |
| Rugged Terrain (RT) | 35-40% | 50/50 | Serious off-road, reasonable road |
| Mud Terrain (MT) | 40-50%+ | 20/80 | Extreme off-road, mud, rocks |
How AT Tyres Perform Across NZ Terrain
| Terrain | Rating | Notes for NZ Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed Roads | ★★★★☆ Very Good | Slightly more noise than HT; wet grip varies by brand |
| Gravel/Metal Roads | ★★★★★ Excellent | This is where AT tyres shine — ideal for NZ's 45,000km unsealed |
| Light Mud | ★★★★☆ Very Good | Handles farm gateways and wet tracks; deep mud needs MT |
| Sand/Beach | ★★★★☆ Very Good | Air down to 15-18 PSI; excellent for 90 Mile Beach, Muriwai |
| Rocks | ★★★☆☆ Good | Light rock work fine; serious crawling needs reinforced sidewalls |
| Snow/Ice | ★★★☆☆ Good (3PMSF) | Look for 3PMSF rating for genuine snow capability |
| Wet Tarmac | ★★★★☆ Good-Very Good | Premium ATs match highway tyres; budget ATs lag behind |
All-Terrain Tyres for New Zealand Conditions
🏖️ Beach Driving
From 90 Mile Beach to Coromandel river mouths, beach driving is a Kiwi tradition. AT tyres handle sand well — just air down to 15-18 PSI for flotation. Critical: always reinflate before hitting the highway.
🪨 Chipseal Roads
NZ's aggressive chipseal can chew through soft compounds. Look for AT tyres with UTQG treadwear ratings of 400+ for reasonable longevity.
🦌 Hunting & Bush Access
70% of tyre failures in rocky terrain are sidewall damage — check for reinforced sidewall construction if you're heading into the backcountry.
❄️ Winter Capability
For Desert Road crossings and ski fields, look for 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake) — this means tested and proven snow performance, unlike the M+S marking which is just a visual designation.
🌧️ Wet Weather
NZ gets 600-1600mm of rain annually. Wet grip varies significantly between brands — premium ATs like Falken Wildpeak AT3W (37.7m wet braking) can match highway tyres, while budget options lag behind.
AT Tyre Brands: How They Compare
The AT market is crowded with options from budget to premium. Based on independent testing (Tire Rack, ADAC, Consumer Reports), real-world reviews, and NZ performance data, here's how the major players stack up — including our exclusive imports.
Premium AT Brands (Test Leaders)
These are the tyres that consistently top independent testing. They command premium prices but deliver measurably better performance — particularly in wet braking and tread life.
How Premium Brands Compare
| Brand/Model | Wet Braking | Snow (3PMSF) | Tread Life | Noise | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falken Wildpeak AT3W | ★★★★★ | ✓ Yes | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | 55K mi |
| BFGoodrich KO2 | ★★★★☆ | ✓ Yes | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 50K mi |
| Cooper AT3 4S | ★★★★☆ | ✓ Yes | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 65K mi |
| Toyo Open Country AT3 | ★★★★☆ | ✓ Yes | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 65K mi |
Mid-Tier AT Brands
Solid performers that don't quite match premium testing results but offer good value. Often 70-80% of premium performance at 60-70% of the price.
Our Exclusive Imports: Premium Quality, Better Value
We import these brands exclusively to NZ because they offer premium-tier engineering at mid-tier prices. Both have manufacturing partnerships with major brands and exceed budget tyre quality by a significant margin.
Budget AT Brands
These deliver acceptable performance at the lowest prices. Expect shorter tread life, longer wet braking distances, and more road noise — but they'll get you through light off-road conditions.
Complete Brand Comparison Table
| Brand/Model | Tier | Best For | Warranty | 3PMSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falken Wildpeak AT3W | Premium | Best wet braking, all-weather | 55K mi | ✓ |
| BFGoodrich KO2 | Premium | Sidewall protection, durability | 50K mi | ✓ |
| Cooper AT3 4S | Premium | Snow performance, value premium | 65K mi | ✓ |
| Toyo Open Country AT3 | Premium | Highway comfort + capability | 65K mi | ✓ |
| Yokohama Geolandar G015 | Mid-Tier | Quiet operation | 60K mi | ✓ |
| Hankook Dynapro AT2 | Mid-Tier | Value + comfort | 60K mi | — |
| Predator X-AT ⭐ | Exclusive | USA quality, best warranty | 50K mi + Road Hazard | — |
| Anchee AC858 ⭐ | Exclusive | Yokohama tech, best value quality | 520 UTQG | — |
| Joyroad Adventure | Value | Best budget, Belgian steel | — | — |
| Comforser CF1000 | Value | Budget + OWL option | — | — |
Predator New Mutant X-AT
Value All-Terrain Options
These ATs deliver solid performance at budget-friendly prices. Expect reasonable capability without premium features — ideal for occasional off-road use.
Joyroad Adventure AT
Comforser CF1000
Our AT Range: Quick Comparison
| Tyre | Best For | Warranty | Key Feature | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Predator X-AT | Premium off-road + best warranty | 50K mi + Road Hazard | 3-ply sidewall, variable pitch | $$$ |
| Anchee AC858 | Yokohama quality at budget price | UTQG 520 | ISO 17025 certified, Wet Grip C | $$ |
| Joyroad Adventure | Maximum value | — | Belgian steel belts, 10PLY LT | $ |
| Comforser CF1000 | Budget + aggressive look | — | OWL available | $ |
Warranty Comparison: Our Brands vs Premium
We get asked this constantly: "Why should I buy Predator or Anchee instead of BFGoodrich or Falken?" Here's the honest warranty and coverage comparison:
What About Anchee?
Anchee doesn't compete on warranty — it competes on engineering quality at budget prices. The AC858 uses Yokohama-developed technology (10+ year OEM partnership) and achieves ISO 17025 laboratory certification. You're getting mid-tier performance at value-tier pricing. The UTQG 520 treadwear rating and EU Wet Grip C certification back this up with standardised testing.
| Metric | Anchee AC858 | Typical Budget AT | Premium AT |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTQG Treadwear | 520 | 340-420 | 580-620 |
| UTQG Traction | A | A-B | A-AA |
| EU Wet Grip | C | D-E | B-C |
| Lab Certification | ISO 17025 ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Value Position | Mid-tier quality, budget price | Budget quality, budget price | Premium quality, premium price |
Understanding AT Trade-offs
All-terrain capability comes with compromises. Here's what to expect compared to highway tyres:
| Factor | AT vs Highway | Real-World Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Road Noise | +2-3 dB louder | Noticeable at highway speeds, acceptable for most |
| Fuel Economy | 3-5% higher consumption | ~$300-500/year extra at average mileage |
| Wet Braking | Varies by brand | Premium ATs match HT; budget may add 5-8m |
| Tread Life | 10-15% shorter | 50-70k km vs 60-80k km; offset by rotation |
| Ride Comfort | Slightly firmer | Stiffer sidewalls = less cushioning |
Popular NZ Vehicle Fitments
| Vehicle | Factory Size | Popular Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Hilux | 265/65R17 | 265/70R17, 285/70R17 |
| Ford Ranger | 265/60R18 | 275/65R18, 285/60R18 |
| Isuzu D-Max | 255/65R17 | 265/65R17, 265/70R17 |
| Mitsubishi Triton | 245/65R17 | 265/65R17, 265/70R17 |
| Nissan Navara | 255/60R18 | 265/60R18, 275/65R18 |
| Toyota Prado | 265/60R18 | 275/65R18, 285/60R18 |
| Suzuki Jimny | 195/80R15 | 215/75R15 |
| Subaru Outback | 225/65R17 | 235/60R18 |
NZ WoF Tyre Requirements
Tread Depth
| Minimum | 1.5mm across full width |
| Recommended | Replace at 3-4mm |
| Winter use | 4mm+ for snow/ice |
Same-Axle Matching
| Required | Same size on each axle |
| Required | Same carcass construction |
| Required | Same tread pattern |
Size Changes
| No cert needed | Up to 5% diameter |
| LVV required | Over 5% diameter |
Tyre Age
| Inspect at | 6 years old |
| Replace by | 10 years maximum |
All-Terrain Tyres: Frequently Asked Questions
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Complete 4WD Tyre Guide
Mud-Terrain Tyres Guide
Highway-Terrain Guide
