
Desert-Tested's A/T3W Tire Review: One of the Best Hybrid-Terrains!
Share
The Falken A/T3W is now in its twilight era, though they're still available from some tire shops and retailers. The A/T3W is one hell of a tire for weekend warrior, overland, and general trail use that won't let you down while still riding quiet and smooth on the street. Check out our full video below or on our YouTube channel.
History of the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W
The Falken A/T3W burst onto the scene in 2016 as Falken's Hybrid-Terrain tire answer to the Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ and the Nitto Rigde Grappler. At the time, the A/T3W slotted between the Wilpeak A/T01 and the Wildpeak M/Ts, offering up bigger and chunkier tread blocks than the A/T01 without going as nutty as the Wildpeak M/Ts.The end result was a tire that had much better grip off-road than the very highway-friedndly A/T01 without the NVH and liveability issues of the pretty aggressive Wildpeak M/T. The A/T3W found almost a perfect middleground for the average truck owner. It's a tire that has great grip in almost any terrain, all while being perfectly suitable for the daily drive and grind out on the pavement.
Eventually, the Falken A/T01 was discontinued, and the A/T3W become slotted in as Falken's "A/T" tire instead of a hybrid, which is where a lot of the confusion in regards to its designation comes from. Granted, whether something is an A/T, Hybrid, or M/T comes down to marketing more than anything else, but whatever. With the death of the A/T01, the A/T3W and the M/T soldiered on alone in Falken's truck tire lineup.
Now Father time has come for the A/T3W as well, and it's being phased out by the Falken A/T4W as Falken's new A/T, with the new Wildpeak R/T serving as the hybrid. You can still get the A/T3Ws in a few sizes, but we'll likely see the complete end of the A/T3W here this year, though it had an impressive 9-year run.
Pros and Cons of the Falken A/T3W Tire
We here at Desert-Tested are big fans of the Falken A/T3Ws, and this tire has a ton going for it. Between pretty good off-road grip in a bunch of different terrains, Three-Peak Mountain Snow rating, and excellent on-road manners, it's really hard to say no to the Falken A/T3Ws. That being said, they're not the best-looking tire in the world, they lack some sidewall, and they can be on the pricy side.Pros of the Falken A/T3Ws
- Excellent traction in dirt, silt, sand, gravel, and dry rocky terrain
- 3PMSF Rating and excellent traction in snowy and icy environments
- Excellent highway and pavement feel with minimal noise and vibration
- Good handling at high speed off-road
Cons of the Falken A/T3Ws
- Plain-Jane look without a ton of styling
- Not a lot going on with the sidewall tread or protection
- A few odd sizing choices from Falken
- Prices are pretty high
Saying Goodbye to the A/T3W
We here at Desert-Tested are sad to see the Falken A/T3W go. They served as a foundation for a bunch of our off-road and overland adventures over the years, and it'll always hold a special place in our hearts.The good news is that the new A/T4W looks like an excellent choice that carries on the A/T3W's exceptional legacy. While they don't look like a quantum leap from the A/T3W, we're looking forward to trying them out