Your tire choice can affect the driving experience or even the car’s performance. Choosing the ideal tire set for the terrain is necessary, such as Hankook Dynapro AT2 Vs Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8 for mix road. These tires are developed to excel in the road and off-road applications to drive on both worlds confidently. If you are currently considering these excellent tires, let’s see below the better choice.
In this comparison, we are going to talk about:
- What are All Terrains Tire For
- What are Hankook Dynapro AT2 and Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8
- What are the Features of Hankook Dynapro AT2
- What are the Features of Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8
- How is the Road Performance of Hankook Dynapro AT2 and Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8
- How is the Off-Road Performance of Hankook Dynapro AT2 and Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8
- How are the Hankook Dynapro AT2 and Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8 for Snow
- Hankook Dynapro AT2 Vs Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8
All Terrain Tires
Choosing the best tire for your car is like choosing the best vehicle for the terrain itself. It is necessary since not every surface will work against your vehicle the same way, and this is also why there are so many types of a tire. Among the options and alternatives, all-terrain or often shortened as AT tires will arguably be the most versatile to go for. All-season tires are versatile, but they are not made for different terrains, while AT is suitable for road, gravel, wet, and dry roads.
What is all-terrains good for? As the name suggests, they are suitable for almost all typical applications. An all-terrain tire is ideal for on and off-road applications, not on the extreme side. They provide adequate or even high traction on the wet or dry surface and light snow conditions. They are probably best described as a hybrid between a highway and a mud tire. As it is highly versatile, the AT is not excelling on any terrain compared to the tires native to the surface.
Are all-terrain good for everyday driving? Absolutely, because they are behaving just like an all-season on the road. The tires are great to pair for your truck or SUV and similar vehicles. If you live where it snows, they typically provide better traction than all-season on light snow and wet roads. In case you also drive on gravel or mud, it shouldn’t be an issue for the all-terrain to tackle all the loose dirt and rocks on your journey.
About Hankook Dynapro AT2 and Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8
If you also want to enjoy these benefits, choosing an all-terrain for the vehicle is just convenient. Check the size that matches your rim or old tire and choose the tire you want to install. AT tires are available from almost any company making this rubber equipment, such as Hankook and Nexen. Not as many people are familiar with Nexen, but this South Korean company has been in the industry for decades, making a wide range of tires to suit different types of drivers and vehicles.
Their tires are also used as the OE of many international brands such as Volkswagen, Chrysler, Fiat, etc. Hankook is also a South Korean brand and probably best-known as the budget alternative for many expensive options. Are Hankook tires good? They may be more affordable than many competitors, but they are also high-quality and durable. Overall, they are doing an excellent job at balancing the price point to the quality and performance of their products, whether it is for specialty tires or the more versatile options like AT tires.
Both companies make impressive AT tires, such as Hankook Dynapro AT2 and Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8. These tires are favorites among budget shoppers because they offer more value for a fraction of many other similar or popular choices. They are also highly rated to be reliable for daily driving and occasional off-road driving. The design of these tires is made to push the ability of your vehicle when dealing with more challenging terrains.
They are still good road tires at best to accompany your primary vehicle. They are also very robust, which is important for an AT because we deal with harsh surfaces such as sharp rocks. Both Hankook Dynapro AT2 and Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8 are versatile for winter driving with the 3PMSF label. While not specified for snow or ice, these tires will confidently handle light snow on the road. Read also: Goodyear Wrangler Trailrunner AT vs Cooper AT3 here.
Hankook Dynapro AT2 Features
Before checking what these tires can offer, first, let’s take a look into what makes them able to deliver such performance. Starting with Hankook Dynapro AT2, this tire is designed for trucks, pickup, Jeeps, Vans, and full-size SUVs. The tire boasts all-rounder performance to provide durability and versatility in different surfaces and conditions. The tread compound is specifically formulated to improve fuel economy while making it chip and cut resistance to keep the tire longer with the rough application.
This tire has rigid tie bars located on the shoulders, which help maintain the tread blocks and help stabilize them. The stepped blocks edges will ensure comfort on the road as it helps with airborne noise emerging from the symmetric tread pattern. The compound also has high-dispersible silica to enhance grip when driving on a wet road, while its open shoulder design allows water evacuation from the contact patch. The unique multi-directional grooves help gain traction in any direction.
Dynapro AT2 also has independent tread blocks to provide extra biting edges when driving on gravel or off-road and during winter. On the construction, this tire is made of a durable, three-ply casing to resist puncture and damage, especially for the off-road application.
Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8 Features
Similar to Hankook, the Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8 is also designed for light trucks or developed for 2WD and 4WD pickup, SUV, or trucks. They are perfect for drivers aiming for a balanced combination of on and off-road. It is made from a special compound specialized for a light truck application. On the tread pattern, this tire is featured with a symmetric design, wide shoulder blocks, and aggressive center ribs. The shoulder block will ensure on and off-road durability, while the center rib will improve highway stability.
The Roadian AT Pro RA8 is also featured with a dual-block design which is helpful to prevent debris build-up and promote self-cleaning when debris or mud is building up on your tire’s tread. This is very useful because the large channels can often get stuck with dirt, especially when you drive on a loose surface. On a smaller scale, micro-groove designs improve driving traction on wet, snowy, and muddy roads. On the inside, this tire is made with twin steel belts, two layers of nylon, and a 2-ply polyester casing.
Hankook Dynapro AT2 and Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8 On Road
Are Hankook Dynapro AT2 and Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8 good? Both tires work well across applications, but they are impressive for the road. It is not surprising to find an AT tire good for a typical surface, but these two are also comfortable. Usually, they feel a bit heavy and produce lots of noise, yet these are not an issue with these tires. However, the steering will be different to, let’s say, an all-season or summer tire.
We think the Roadian AT Pro RA8 is slightly better at maintaining a straight line than AT2, probably due to its tread pattern. However, for traction or grip and braking, these tires are excellent. Rainy days are not an issue because there is only a slight reduction while wheelspin and cornering ability stay robust though some issues will still emerge as you increase the speed.
Hankook Dynapro AT2 and Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8 Off-Road
Next for the off-road application is what these tires are best at. Not to the extent of mud-tire, but the versatility is up there with many popular options. They deliver excellent traction for loose surfaces and stay durable for harsh environments. They are powerful and convenient, but since the tread ate quite packed with each other, they will not be helpful if you are handling sticky mud on a wider surface, so the dry application is still best even while off-road.
Hankook Dynapro AT2 and Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8 on Snow
Lastly, for the snow application, the Hankook Dynapro AT2 and Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8 are labeled with the 3PMSF logo, but just like most similar tires, the two are not made for extreme weather. They are best for light snow and can work well both in maintaining the grip and stability on cold roads. Slush is not an issue for these tires, but none of these tires will grip the surface like any snow tires once you move to the ice.
Hankook Dynapro AT2 Vs Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8
Both Hankook Dynapro AT2 and Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8 are popular options for being budget tires. They are very similar because, performance-wise, the two are on par with each other. Some noticeable differences are Nexen being better at the dry road as it is more stable and easier to steer. Both tires will lose some traction on the surface and at higher acceleration. Dynapro AT2 is slightly better on the wild side, especially for loose surfaces, because the tire can effectively clean itself and gain back traction.
| Hankook Dynapro AT2 | Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8 |
|---|---|
| - Not very good at straight line | - Better at steering |
| - Better traction on loose surface | - Good for off-road |
| - 60,000 mileage warranty | - 40,000 miles life warranty |
Conclusion
There is no wrong answer between the two, but we will recommend the Roadian AT Pro RA8 here because it is more comfortable on the road, which we assume most of us will be prominently driving on. It is affordable and works well for gravel, wet grass, and some light mud while still reliable for light snow.
