Hankook — a South Korean tire manufacturer known for providing budget alternatives to its premium counterparts — has a pretty promising lineup for the SUV section of the tire market. It’s their Dynapro series, with several great all-terrain tires under its wing. In this review, we’ll take a close look at one such example — the Dynapro ATM.
I’ll get into the specifics about what makes the Dynapro ATM stand out, and how it packs a great amount of value with affordability, performance, and ruggedness. Let’s get into it!
Dynapro ATM Features
The Dynapro ATM has quite a few tricks up its sleeves. For instance; the unique wraparound tread design that acts as a protectice layer against cuts, abrasion, curb damage, and impact breaks. It also provides additional traction in slippery conditions like mud or snow.
The tire also has a rim flange protector which doesn’t do much for the tire’s performance, but it’s a nice touch to keep your wheels safe. It’s a pretty unique yet thoughtful gesture from Hankook, which tells you a lot about the company’s customer-focused priorities.
The Dynapro ATM also has an 8% wider footprint which maximizes its contact with the road for improved traction, stability, and braking performance.
The Dynapro ATM also freatures larger shoulder blocks with sharp edges etched onto each one. The design is inspired by tiger teeth for enhanced traction in wet and snowy conditions.
Off-Road Performance
The Hankook Dynapro ATM, designed for SUVs, trucks, and crossovers, is an excellent tire for off-road adventures. No matter how harsh the terrain gets, the Dynapro ATM is designed to handle it all well. The tire will get you comfortably across any obstacle, whether it’s gravel, soil, grass, sand, or mud.
The tire’s rugged tread won’t wear down so easily either. Hankook has strengthened it with a protective sidewall to shield the tread from the rough treatment of off-road tracks.
On-Road Performance
The tire handles well in city driving, but the large shoulder blocks can make your ride a bit noisy at higher speeds. You can’t expect the ride to be too luxurious either, as it’s not primarily designed for touring. It’s an off-road tire designed with quite the opposite goals in mind. However, if you maintain a moderate speed limit, the Dynapro ATM will treat you well on dry tarmac.
Wet Performance
Despite the elaborate efforts of Hankook engineers to optimize the tire’s hydroplaning resistance, the tire’s wet performance somewhat lags behind its premium competition from other brands. You won’t have any traction issues at slower speeds, but as you push the throttle, you might feel like you’re losing contact with the road.
However, these issues can be avoided by maintaining slow speeds and braking a bit early.
Snow Performance
Like its performance in rainy weather, the tire’s snow performance isn’t too special. However, the tire’s M + S rating isn’t for show. The Dynapro ATM holds its own in light snow, but anything deeper than that and you’ll struggle for traction with a pretty scary chance of getting stuck in a thick patch.
If you live somewhere with brutal winters and plan on using your tires all-year round, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Conclusion
The Hankook Dynapro ATM is reasonably priced all-terrain tire with formidable off-road capabilities. However, it comes with quite a few compromises that might get in the way of your day-to-day usage. For instance, the tire’s wet and snow performance is pretty underwhelming, making it only suitable for areas that don’t get any harsh weather.
However, if you’re on a budget and love off-roading, you can’t go wrong with the Dynapro ATM!
