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Looking to replace the tires on your off-road daily driver? That’s a much easier chore than it was just a few years ago. These days, virtually every tire manufacturer has some flavor “on-road all-terrain” designed to blend everyday comfort with some fairly serious off-road chops. At BFG, that tire line is the Trail-Terrain T/A—and now there’s a new one, denoted by a simple “+” at the end of the name: BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A+.
BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A+DrivenTest Car“JK” Jeep Wrangler 2-Door Sport (2011)Tire Size265/70R/17 (square)Tire Weight~30-50 lbs (varies by size)UTOGTreadwear: 660
Traction: B
Temperature: ASuspension & GeometryStock (OE Wrangler 2-Door Sport Package suspension)How We’re DrivingCasual cruising, open highwayWhere We’re DrivingMidwest USAThe HighsRide quality; dry-weather handling and grip; aestheticsThe LowsFidgety in deeper puddles; not a ton of feedback in the wheelWhere To Buy Check Price at TireRack
BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A+: What, Why, Who
Where the KO lineage appeals to diehards, the T/A+ is for the weekend warrior. This tire is aimed squarely at the driver who needs some degree of serious off-road capability in what otherwise amounts to a daily driver. If you’re just looking for a highway tire, the T/A+ is more capability than you’ll ever need. If you occasionally need to lock your rear end because your driveway resembles a rally stage for a significant part of the year, this is the category for you.
Slotting beneath the KO2/KO3 the BFGoodrich’s Trail-Terrain T/A+ earned its “+” with improvements in three key areas, BFG says: all-weather traction, longevity, and fuel efficiency. Two of these (traction and fuel efficiency) lend themselves to evaluation in a review format. Long-term reliability is beyond the scope of what I’m capable of evaluating within a reasonable time frame.
I’m particularly interested in evaluating Trail-Terrain’s wet-weather traction. Since it’s an all-terrain, it lacks the well-defined circumferential grooves that help street tires effectively shed water. This weird, zigzag tread pattern is great for clawing at rocky surfaces, but it’s not the best setup for a rainy day.
2011 Jeep Wrangler JK w/ BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A+ Byron Hurd
BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A+: Review
The Price
If you associate BFG with the premium end of the off-road space, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that the T/A+ isn’t exactly bargain-priced. In the standard fitment for my Wrangler (255/75R/17), these check in at about $315 apiece at the time of publication; in the size we’re currently testing (265/70R/17), they’re about $15 cheaper.
These “replaced” a set of Nokian Outpost ATs (since superseded by the nAT; same tire, different letters) that run about $30 less per tire in the equivalent size.
The Curb Appeal
The Trail-Terrain T/A+ is advertised as a white-letter tire, but that’s only true of one side. The symmetrical/nondirectional tread pattern lets you mount it however you like. I decided to try white-side-out just for kicks, and it works reasonably well with the knock-off OEM steel wheels. The shop apologized profusely for not being able to remove all of the blue dye, but I’m not sweating it too much.
Letters-out-choices-aside, the T/A+ has a nice, chunky look to it. The wide rubber looks extra aggressive on my factory-height JK, making it appear more grounded than the wimpy factory 16s and fuel-economy tires.
2011 Jeep Wrangler JK w/ BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A+ Byron Hurd
The First 500 Miles
You only get one chance to make a first impression, and BFG really knocked it out of the park with the new T/A+. Despite their physical size and heft, the beefy BFGs ride beautifully. They soak up sharp impacts without wallowing over softer ones. There are two downsides, however. First, with the lack of impact transmission comes a similar loss of feedback. Second (and partially as a result of the first), they tend to feel a bit fidgety and vague in deep water, and the substantial width of this particular fitment further exacerbates the situation.
It’s hard to judge the impact of these wider tires on fuel economy with so few miles on them so far—after all, we’re talking about a Wrangler here. Mediocre fuel economy is just part of the experience, but it’s something I’ll keep an eye on over the next few fill-ups, as I expect the trend to become obvious long-term.
The Casual Drive
Around town, the T/A+’s mild road manners play huge dividends. Even with the Wrangler’s top town, there’s virtually no roar, and the thick sidewalls absolutely soak up bumps. This is the most comfortable tire I’ve ever run on the Jeep, far surpassing the original-equipment Goodyears.
While I haven’t driven enough for good sample numbers, the extra weight over the 16s I replaced is tangible. The take off is noticably more sluggish with these heavier tires, and my clutch yearns for less un-sprung weight, but the trade-off in ride quality is worth it for DDing.
The Off-Pavement Adventure
I’ve only barely broken these in, so we’re still eyeballing our first opportunity to test them out in the dirt. Stay tuned for some proper off-road impressions.
BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A+ Byron Hurd
The Foul-Weather Factor
BFG sent me these tires long after the final frost had passed, but I’ll be testing them well into the winter months thanks to their severe snow/ice handling. That’s the beauty of all-season truck tires—you can actually find them with a genuine Three-Peak Mountain rating. Hey, sometimes it pays to drive a “big” truck.
The Trail-Terrain T/A+’s on-road manners haven’t gone unnoticed by my wife, who commented on how much less jarring the ride is now than it was on the Nokians. It’s tough to compare them 1:1 given the extra sidewall and mass of the BFGs, but the upgrade is welcome nonetheless.
The Verdict
It’s early days, but the Trail-Terrain T/A+ is already hit here in your author’s driveway. Look for more updates as I put more miles (and rough ground) behind me.
BFGoodrich provided a set of tires for this review.
Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories.
