On-Road Ride Quality & Off-Road Performance At A Great Price!
All-Terrain (A/T) tires are great for those seeking both on-road comfort and off-road traction. That being said, not all A/Ts are created equally and some deliver better results in certain scenarios than others. So, there’s some trial and error in finding your ideal match.
The Tamarock A/T from Arroyo Tires is a mild all-terrain tire that delivers well-rounded performance on and off-road. My initial impressions of them have been very positive, plus, they have a lot of unique features to stand out from the bigger name brands on the market.
Features & Specs
I decided to go with the size 285/70/R17 as I previously had run 33-inch tires. This size has a 10-ply sidewall, making them heavier than the OEM tires. However, the tougher sidewalls are more suitable for off-roading.
The tread pattern and compound are designed to provide good traction in dry, wet, and winter conditions. They also feature a sidewall compound designed to flex when aired down off-road for better traction. Despite the tame sidewall, they withstand cuts, scratches, and impact damage from off-roading.
For wet performance, the tires feature ample siping to promote quick water drainage for optimal traction. In addition, a special Multi-Angle Sipe design reduces road noise and provides traction in snow.
Initial Thoughts
For about a year, I had been riding around on the Yokohama Geolander G003 M/T Tires and while they were great, I was excited to return to an all-terrain.
I immediately noticed the milder tread pattern still had sidewall lugs. This was a good indication as the tires were designed to handle every terrain type, hence the category. The tighter tread pattern also provides a more quiet and comfortable ride on the road.
One thing that drew me to these tires was that the size I wanted came with a load rating of E, which is great for punctures and impact damage.
After getting the tires installed, I was immediately impressed with the ride quality on the road. They are super quiet and despite the tougher compound, still soak up most bumps in the road.
I also noticed an improvement in fuel economy as I had been previously getting roughly 16 mpg on the highway and now was getting 18 mpg. This was surprising given they were the same size as my previous tires.
A couple of days later, I drove these tires through heavy rain. My previous M/T tires were not great in wet conditions and I had to drive more cautiously. The Tamarock A/Ts, however, performed flawlessly in these conditions. I didn’t lose traction while breaking heavily in the rain nor experience slippage when accelerating.
I also went out to a few local easy off-road trails to lightly test the capabilities of these tires. While they didn’t provide as much traction through mud and large obstacles as my M/T tires, they still did pretty well. I will happily take the trade-off of slightly less mud traction for better wet traction on the road, which happens more frequently.
Final Thoughts
While these tires are still new, they have performed great in the little time I’ve had them. They also have a killer price point – a set of four will run you a little over $500.
The Tamarock A/T tires are a solid choice for anyone looking for good all-around performance. If you pound a lot of highway miles to get to your trails, these offer enough traction off-road while being more compliant on pavement than more aggressive tires.
In terms of the A/T tire category, I believe these give you great performance for the money, and can’t wait to put more miles on them and test more off-road trails to see how they hold up.
