Hankook has always been a lesser-known brand compared to some of the players like Michelin, Bridgestone, and Continental. However, they target a demographic that’s in the market to find the biggest bang for their buck — and this Korean tiremaker delivers with its Dynapro AT2.
In recent years, Hankook has also stood tall against big brands by providing competitive alternatives to even their premium offerings. The Dynapro tire family comprises Hankook’s lineup for the trucks and SUV category. The signature qualities for this series are durability, excellent off-road performance, and an affordable price tag.
Hankook Dynapro AT2 Features
Let’s start with what Hankook has to say about the Dynapro AT2. Their claims about the tire mainly revolve around its well-rounded all-terrain performance, with a perfect blend of off-road grip and on-road drivability dynamics.
These aren’t just buzz words, as Hankook looks to have put elaborate efforts behind these claims.
The tire’s rubber compound, for instance, is designed to be resistant to cuts and chips from a rough off-road session. They’ve implemented technologies to improve the tire’s fuel economy, stability, ride comfort, handling, and even road noise reduction.
The rubber compound has high-dispersible silica instilled into it, which helps the tire stick to the surface in wet conditions. Pair that with its wide circumferential grooves for hydroplaning resistance, and you have an outstanding tire for rainy weather (at least on paper).
On-Road Performance
All-terrain tires don’t have the best reputation for their on-road performance, but the Dynapro AT2 surprised us — especially with how responsive the steering was.
You’ll also get superb traction on dry tarmac without much wheelspin to speak of. High-speed stability, cornering grip, and braking are all sharp.
All these compliments would make it one of the best-driving all-terrain tires in the segment, but it has one weak point: straight-line tracking. For instance, if you’re cruising on the highway, you might have to make minor direction corrections occasionally.
Wet Performance
Dynapro AT2’s performance doesn’t take a massive hit in the rain. The tire holds its own with decent traction to get you from point A to point B.
However, make sure you drive safely in wet conditions with these installed as stability could be better. Slight wheelspin and understeer could also be a problem in heavy rain, but it’s not too bad.
Snow Performance
Cold conditions are where the Dynapro AT2 shines — especially when compared to other similarly priced all-terrain tires. It won’t handle the snow and slush as well as a dedicated winter tire, but it’ll handle well and brake sharply in light snow.
You might have some traction issues on ice, but if your winters are that bad, you should have a set of winter tires installed to avoid getting stuck.
Off-Road Capabilities
Being an ‘all-terrain’ tire, the Dynapro AT2 doesn’t need a road to show off its performance. It has excellent traction on hardpacked surfaces and can even get you through a muddy track. However, the sweet spot for the Dynapro AT2 is casual off-roading — nothing more.
Ride Quality
For any tire, ride quality is determined by two factors — quietness and smoothness. The Dynapro AT2 does well in the former department but feels a bit too stiff, which means you’ll miss out on a smooth ride. Then again, a stiff ride is why it has a surprisingly good steering response, as I mentioned above.
Conclusion
The Dynapro AT2 does well in almost all conditions we’ve discussed above, but the wet performance could certainly be better. If you don’t go out a lot in the rain and would like to save a few bucks on an all-terrain tire for your truck or SUV, the Dynapro AT2 could be a smart choice!
