We Tested Kuhmo's New Rugged-Terrain Tire. It Was Genuinely Impressive
Update: The previous version of this story referred to Kuhmo's Road Venture RT as an "all-terrain" tire, when the Road Venture RT is classified as a "rugged-terrain" tire. The story has been updated to reflect that change.
Off-road tires have been the buzz of the town for the better part of a decade. Everybody loves the idea of the great outdoors, putting a set of all-terrains on their family SUVs and finding grand horizons deep within a triple-black diamond trail. Even if most of that driving is decidedly pavement-based, it’s the idea that really sells the segment.
I am, of course, talking about the fiercely competitive and crowded light-duty all-terrain market occupied by the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A K03, Nitto Ridge Grappler, and the Falken Wildpeak AT4W—a market that Kumho is keen to penetrate with its new Road Venture RT, which it calls a "rugged-terrain" tire.
The almost undisputed king is the BFG K03, with Nitto and Falken trailing behind. The Road Venture RT targets the Nitto and Falken, offering an aggressively styled rugged-terrain tire with good capability, but with a focus on on-road manners and comfort.
It certainly looks more aggressive than almost any other tire in the segment, with huge, chunky tread blocks. All the typical components are there–high silica compound and good amounts of carbon black to promote durability. But for the end buyer, the promised tread life is 50,000 miles, and it’s priced directly in line with the Falken and Nitto.
Kumho invited me to the Hyundai proving grounds to put the new tire through a brace of tests: A sandy wash, on-road ride quality, an autocross course, and a mud bog. Two of the tests, the autocross and mud bog, had a direct comparison tire in the Nitto Ridge Grappler, though the sand wash and ride quality tests were only Kumho, making comparison difficult.
Of course, autocross is highly relevant to your average off-roader (heavy sarcasm). Limit handling, breakaway characteristics, and overall lateral grip are undoubtedly deciding factors for a few odd customers in the segment. Still, it’s important to note how different the Nitto and Kumho are on-road, and emergency handling is hugely important for a tire that will spend the majority of its life on pavement.
Sampling the two tires on standard Ford Broncos, the Kumho was much more assured on pavement, if less fun to hustle. In Kumho’s autocross course, it was difficult to get the Kumho provoked into anything but a gentle, grinding understeer.
Pros: Aggressive Pattern, 50,000-Mile Tread Warranty, Excellent Mud Performance
Versus the Nitto, the Kumho was significantly less playful and much more front axle limited—a trait that's normally undesirable in a road tire. However, it came with a lot more confidence for the average driver. The Nitto wagged the Bronco’s tail in an entertaining way, but the Kumho had superior road holding and confidence. It paired up nicely with a slightly duller steering response that made for a more relaxing straight-line experience versus the slightly wandering Nitto.
In the sand, where I had no comparison, the Kumho felt reasonably confident. In medium sand (more like a desert wash than a dune), the Bronco glided over the trail like a boat on a plane, taking a second to register steering input. The tire would grip, just oddly. Once all four tires slid, it was easier to read, and stopping in a deep sand pit didn’t spell the end. Without much fuss in two-wheel drive, the Bronco dug out and quickly returned to that float.
Then, the Bronco took to Hyundai’s ride quality course, boasting a variety of bumps, pavement types, and challenging cracks to really expose road noise and tire characteristics. At highway speeds, the Road Venture RT’s tread was definitely quieter than a BFG K03, and on a similar level to the Falken Wildpeak AT4W.
Kumho didn’t provide a comparison tire, so it's tough to tell exactly how well it performed, but it did a good job. The tire communicated jarring impacts harshly, making it feel quite rigid. A fair amount of booming occurred with each impact, magnifying the sound. The Bronco’s plastic top and overall construction certainly contributed, but it didn't make for an impressive showing overall.
Cons: Harsh Ride Quality Over Cracks, Dull Steering Response, Priced In Line With The Market
Where it was truly best was the mud bog, where Kumho set me up with two Tacomas: One with Road Ventures and the other with Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Kumho insisted on trying the course in two-wheel drive with traction control off, along with a full stop in the bog.
The comparison was night and day—the Nitto struggled to exit and easily spun up the rear tires, and took much longer to finally get to dry ground. The Kumho miraculously dug out like it was only a small nuisance.
The mud ability is genuinely impressive, and on-site engineers communicated to me that the aggressive tread pattern and tire construction tried to balance mud-terrain capability and normal truck-tire road manners. It truly shone. At least, in comparison to the Nitto.
Simply put, the Road Venture RT does the job. For around $310 a tire in most sizes, pricing is in line with the rest of the segment, and it tries to compete on fair ground. If nothing else, it’s another good choice in a crowded market.
