Credit: Josh Burns 

When you think of off-road tires, Falken is probably not the first brand that comes to mind. But the company wants to change that perception – and quickly. The new Falken Wildpeak A/T3W is one way they plan on doing that.

Falken really only dove into the off-road light truck market a few years ago when it introduced its Wildpeak A/T. The next project was the development of a competition version of its Wildpeak M/T, a tire that Tony Pellegrino ran to second place in the 2014 King of the Hammers. The brand’s latest move is the unveiling a new all-weather truck tire, the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W. We received set of the tires late last summer and have tested them through the winter. What follows is Falken Wildpeak AT3W review after months of testing.

Before we get to our impressions, let’s have a look at how the manufacturer rates the Falken Wildpeak AT3W on its tire performance chart:

  • Dry Handling: 4/5
  • Wet Breaking: 4.5/5
  • Tread Life: 4/5
  • Ride Comfort: 3.5/5
  • Quiet Ride: 3.5/5
  • Winter Performance: 4.5/5
  • Off-Road: 4/5
  • Fuel Efficiency: 3/5

When it comes to off-road performance in the Falken family, the Wildpeak AT3W is only surpassed by the Falken Wildpeak M/T, which Falken rates 5/5. But the Wildpeak AT3W surpasses the M/T is every other metric. It’s much quieter on the road and has better performance numbers in the winter and on both wet and dry roads.

What's New

The new Falken Wildpeak AT3W is constructed to be more aggressive than Falken’s Wildpeak A/T without greatly sacrificing on-road handling and quiet highway operation. Less aggressive than a mud-terrain and yet heartier than a standard all-terrain, the A/T3W is right in line with other new offerings such as Toyo’s Open Country R/T and Nitto’s Exo Grappler AWT. Looking at the strength of truck sales in the U.S. and low fuel costs, frankly it’s a wise move to offer truck owners more tire options to cater to specific buyers. This tire is aimed right at the truck or SUV owner who wants comfort during the weekly commute, demands off-road performance on the weekends, and can take the tire into nearly any weather conditions.

Falken Wildpeak A/T3W Installed
Credit: Josh Burns

Our E-rated 35×12.5R17 test tires were mounted to KMC Machete wheels. The Machete makes just about any tire look good, but we certainly received a lot of positive feedback about the aggressive look of the A/T3W’s sidewall design.

This new tire isn’t simply a rehashed version of the original Falken Wildpeak, as the A/TW3 is equipped with a deeper, more aggressive tread design than the standard Wildpeak A/T (Falken says it’s the deepest in its category). The A/T3W is constructed with a silica tread compound designed to perform in categories Falken hails as the 3 Ws – wear, winter, wet performance. This emphasis on wet and snowy capability earned the new Falken Wildpeak AT3W the Three Peak Mountain Snow Flake symbol. The tire also features what Falken calls 3D Canyon Siping on the aggressive new sidewall design. Falken then employs full-depth sipes and unique groove patterns in the tread design for supreme grip and hold in the dirt. As we noted when we posted our First Look of the tire last year, the A/T3W features a unique outer apex construction employed to protect the tire casing at the bead area by reducing heat buildup, which can be a tire killer when really putting tires to the test off of the highway.

Falken Wildpeak A/T3W Tread
Credit: Falken

Aside from the deeper tread pattern, full-depth sipes and new proprietary sidewall design, Falken backs up its newest off-roader with a 55,000-mile warranty (it even offers a 30-day hassle-free guarantee). The tires are in dealerships now and are offered in 66 different sizes to cover the majority of the market’s light trucks and SUVs.

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First … and Second Impressions

We’ve had months to test a set of E-rated 35×12.5R17 A/T3Ws, putting them on our modified 2012 Toyota Tundra and using them for everything from long road trips, off-road adventures and also towing situations. The tread of our A/T3Ws feature a six-ply construction that consists of two layers of steel, polyester and polyamide, while the sidewall features a two-ply polyester construction. Our 35s offer a maximum load rating of 3,195 pounds at 65 psi, and they weight just a little over 70 pounds each (73, to be exact).

Falken Wildpeak A/T3W Balance
Credit: Josh Burns

America’s Tire (the California division of Discount Tire) helped us with the install of our Falken Wildpeak AT3W. We were impressed with the esthetics of the tire before we even got them on the road.

Discount Tire/America’s Tire helped us install the A/T3Ws last year. While store manager Guillermo Campos helped get us dialed in, our first impression is we liked the bold design of the tires before we even put rubber to the road (or… dirt). The angular “canyon” sidewall design and tread pattern look aggressive without being over the top. On more than on occasion fellow off-roaders would see the tires, bend down to scope out the tread, step back and note how much they liked the “tough” and “bold” design. We have to agree.

While the looks of a tire certainly play their part in the decision process, unless you’re outfitting a mall crawler the tire’s looks will only go so far – they have to perform. Fortunately the A/T3Ws behave as well as they look. Our Tundra may be labeled a “light truck” but it’s hardly light, and when bouncing around trails and powering up rocky slopes it’s easy to find a tire’s weakness in the traction department. In soft sand or loose mud, the deep treads of the A/TW3 gripped the trail confidently. We didn’t do any serious rock-crawling, but we did motor up some rocky slopes that required 4 Low and thought the tires hooked up very well. We even aired down to 18 PSI and were pleased with the air-downed performance of the tires – the aggressive sidewall design definitely provides additional traction when aired down as well.

Whether aired down or at highway-level psi, our Falken Wildpeak AT3Ws offered plenty of grip off of the highway.

Falken Wildpeak A/T3W Action
Credit: Josh Burns

Although it seems El Nino may have come and gone already, we did have a decent amount of snowfall in California late last year and at the start of 2016. Anytime we ventured to higher elevations we were especially impressed with the tire’s traction in wet, snowy conditions. Even on warmer days at elevation when the snow turned to mushy mud, the A/T3Ws gripped confidently. We also felt tread cleaned out relatively quickly so that our on-road performance wasn’t compromised after hitting the trail. Overall, the A/T3W delivered in just about every way we had hoped in off-road terrain and are very capable when the road disappears.

What may be the biggest bright spot is the on-road performance of the A/T3W and its road noise – or lack thereof. Considering the added depth of the tread design, we expected a little more road chatter overall but were pleasantly surprised they really aren’t any louder than most standard all-terrains. The on-road grip in wet or dry on-road conditions is great, as is the traction on highways in snowy conditions.

The Falken Wildpeak AT3W is a great all-around tire that left a positive impression. It is a great multi-purpose tire for truck and SUV owners who will spend plenty of time on the highway but demand traction in all weather conditions both on and off the road. Along with the upcoming Wildpeak M/T that we have been told will be released later this year, the A/T3W helps really round out Falken’s off-road tire offerings. Most importantly, since it is available in 66 sizes for wheels sizes from 15- to 20-inch wheels, there’s a good chance you can find a set to fit your rig. Falken may still be a relative new-comer to the off-road scene, but the A/T3W shows the brand is committed to creating a quality tire that off-roaders will want.

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Falken Wildpeak AT3W Size Chart

Rim Diameter Tire Size Ply Rating Tread Depth Tire Weight
15 235/75R15 6 14/32″ 31.5 lbs
15 30×9.50R15LT 6 17/32″ 44.1 lbs
15 31×10.50R15LT 6 18/32″ 49.5 lbs
15 32×11.50R15LT 6 19/32″ 56.2 lbs
15 35×12.50R15LT 6 20/32″ 57.3 lbs
15 35×12.50R15LT 6 20/32″ 69.7 lbs
16 235/70R16 6 13/32″ 36.8 lbs
16 P245/75R16 6 13/32″ 38.6 lbs
16 255/70R16 6 13/32″ 39.7 lbs
16 265/70R16 4 14/32″ 42.3 lbs
16 265/75R16 4 14/32″ 43.9 lbs
16 LT225/75R16 10 13/32″ 36.8 lbs
16 235/70R16 6 17/32″ 41.4 lbs
16 LT235/85R16 10 17/32″ 47.8 lbs
16 LT245/75R16 10 17/32″ 49.4 lbs
16 LT265/75R16 10 18/32″ 55.3 lbs
16 LT285/75R16 10 18/32″ 60.6 lbs
16 LT305/70R16 10 19/32″ 63.3 lbs
16 LT315/75R16 10 20/32″ 72.1 lbs
17 215/65R17 4 12/32″ 32.2 lbs
17 235/75R17 4 14/32″ 37.9 lbs
17 245/65R17 6 13/32″ 39 lbs
17 245/70R17 6 13/32″ 39.9 lbs
17 245/75R17 4 13/32″ 41.4 lbs
17 255/65R17 6 13/32″ 41 lbs
17 255/70R17 4 13/32″ 42.3 lbs
17 265/65R17 6 13/32″ 42.3 lbs
17 265/70R17 4 14/32″ 46.5 lbs
17 P285/70R17 4 14/32″ 50.5 lbs
17 LT235/80R17 10 12/32″ 32.2 lbs
17 215/65R17 10 17/32″ 48.5 lbs
17 LT245/70R17 10 17/32″ 48.3 lbs
17 LT245/75R17 10 17/32″ 51.4 lbs
17 LT255/80R17 10 17/32″ 52.5 lbs
17 LT265/70R17 10 18/32″ 52.9 lbs
17 LT275/70R17 6 18/32″ 57.1 lbs
17 LT285/70R17 6 18/32″ 62.8 lbs
17 LT285/70R17 10 18/32″ 58.9 lbs
17 LT285/75R17 10 18/32″ 65.5 lbs
17 LT315/70R17 10 20/32″ 72.8 lbs
17 35×12.50R17LT 10 20/32″ 75.4 lbs
17 37×12.50R17LT 8 19/32″ 82.5 lbs
18 255/70R18 4 13/32″ 42.8 lbs
18 265/60R18 6 13/32″ 43.2 lbs
18 265/65R18 4 13/32″ 46.1 lbs
18 265/70R18 4 14/32″ 46.7 lbs
18 275/65R18 4 14/32″ 47.4 lbs
18 LT265/70R18 10 18/32″ 59.5 lbs
18 LT275/65R18 10 18/32″ 60.2 lbs
18 LT275/70R18 10 18/32″ 61 lbs
18 LT285/65R18 10 18/32″ 64.2 lbs
18 LT285/75R18 10 18/32″ 65.9 lbs
18 LT295/70R18 10 18/32″ 68.1 lbs
18 LT305/65R18 10 19/32″ 66.6 lbs
18 LT325/65R18 10 20/32″ 76.7 lbs
18 37×12.50R18LT 10 19/32″ 79.4 lbs
20 275/55R20 6 13/32″ 48.1 lbs
20 275/60R20 4 13/32″ 47.8 lbs
20 LT265/60R20 10 18/32″ 58.2 lbs
20 LT275/65R20 10 18/32″ 66.1 lbs
20 LT285/55R20 10 18/32″ 58.2 lbs
20 LT285/60R20 10 18/32″ 65.5 lbs
20 LT285/65R20 10 18/32″ 67.7 lbs
20 LT295/60R20 10 18/32″ 69.4 lbs
20 LT305/55R20 10 19/32″ 71 lbs
20 LT325/60R20 10 20/32″ 83.8 lbs
20 35×12.50R20LT 10 20/32″ 76.1 lbs
20 37×12.50R20LT 10 19/32″ 77.8 lbs

 

Falken Wildpeak A/T3W Tire FAQ

Q: What type of terrain is the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W designed for?
A: The Falken Wildpeak A/T3W is engineered for all-terrain performance, excelling on both on- and off-road surfaces. Its rugged construction makes it suitable for mud, snow, and gravel, while still providing a comfortable highway ride.

Q: Is the Wildpeak A/T3W suitable for winter conditions?
A: Yes, the Wildpeak A/T3W is designed with winter performance in mind. It features the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) rating, indicating that it meets the severe snow service requirements and is safe to use in harsh winter conditions, including ice and snow.

Q: What makes the A/T3W stand out from other all-terrain tires?
A: The A/T3W offers a balance of off-road durability and on-road comfort. Its deep tread pattern, rugged sidewalls, and heat-dissipating technology ensure strong off-road performance, while its optimized tread design provides a quiet, smooth ride on paved roads.

Q: How does the tire perform in wet conditions?
A: The A/T3W is equipped with deep grooves and a silica tread compound to enhance traction in wet conditions. These features help channel water away from the tire, reducing the risk of hydroplaning and improving grip on wet surfaces.

Q: What sizes are available for the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W?
A: The Falken Wildpeak A/T3W comes in a wide range of sizes to fit various trucks, SUVs, and crossovers. Availability includes sizes from 15″ to 22″ wheels, accommodating different vehicle models and setups.

Q: How durable is the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W?
A: The A/T3W is built to handle rugged conditions with its durable construction, reinforced sidewalls, and heat-resistant technology. It also features a treadwear warranty of up to 55,000 miles, highlighting its longevity and performance under tough conditions.

Q: Is the A/T3W noisy on highways?
A: Despite its aggressive tread design, the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W is designed for low noise on highways. The tire’s optimized tread pattern reduces road noise, making it more comfortable for daily driving while still offering off-road capabilities.

Q: Can this tire be used for towing or hauling heavy loads?
A: Yes, the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W is suitable for towing and hauling. Its sturdy construction, reinforced sidewalls, and excellent load-carrying capacity make it a reliable choice for those who frequently tow or haul heavy loads.

Q: Does the Wildpeak A/T3W come with a warranty?
A: Yes, the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W comes with a limited treadwear warranty of up to 55,000 miles, depending on the size and usage of the tire. Additionally, it includes a road hazard protection warranty, which covers damage from everyday road hazards like nails and debris.

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Recent Updates

10/02/2024: Updated product description, updated product links, added additional resources and FAQs


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