HT vs AT tires are the two main tire categories designed for SUVs and pickup trucks. HT stands for “highway terrain” while AT is “all-terrain.”
Both offer advantages and disadvantages depending on your priorities and intended usage.
HT tires are made for on-road driving and occasional light off-roading. They feature less aggressive tread patterns optimized for low noise, a smooth ride, good fuel economy, and long tread life.
AT tires have deeper tread blocks and siping for better traction on loose surfaces like gravel or snow. They compromise on-road comfort and noise for off-road capability.
This article will compare HT vs AT tires in depth across factors like traction, ride quality, durability, price, and more.
We’ll help you decide which is better for your needs depending on how you plan to use your truck or SUV.
Both have merits depending on your priorities. Read on for a full comparison of highway terrain and all-terrain tires.
HT Tires Explained
HT tires, which stands for Highway Terrain, are designed for on-road driving on paved roads. They are made to maximize performance on dry, wet, or snowy pavement.
The tread pattern on HT tires is optimized for on-road conditions. The tread blocks are larger and more widely spaced, which helps improve handling, braking, and traction on pavement.
This wider tread also helps channel away water on wet roads to prevent hydroplaning.
HT tires typically use a harder rubber compound which allows for lower rolling resistance, less tread squirm, and better wear characteristics on highway driving.
The stiffer sidewalls also help with stability and cornering response.
Overall, the design focus of HT tires is on-road performance and long tread life rather than off-road capability.
They offer drivers predictable handling, a smooth quiet ride, and fuel efficiency during everyday commuting and highway travel.
AT Tires Explained
All-terrain or AT tires are designed for both on-road and off-road use, making them a versatile choice for drivers who encounter a mix of conditions.
AT tires have an aggressive tread pattern with large, irregular blocks that provide traction in mud, gravel, and other loose surfaces.
The open shoulder treads also allow the tires to self-clean as they rotate.
Compared to highway tires, AT tires offer much better grip and control when driving on unpaved roads, sandy terrain, light snow, and other variable surfaces.
The deep tread provides plenty of bites to climb over rocks or pull through the dirt. AT tires are even sometimes used for mild off-roading and overlanding adventures.
While optimized for off-road use, AT tires still perform reasonably well on pavement. The tread blocks are not too noisy or squishy at highway speeds.
The tires can handle rainy roads fairly well too. Overall, AT tires strike a balance between on-road comfort and off-road capability.
Tread Design Differences
All-terrain tires feature a much deeper, more aggressive tread pattern compared to highway terrain tires.
The AT tread extends farther down from the tire, with larger blocks, wider gaps, and more pronounced sipes across the tread.
This allows the tire to grip onto surfaces better, especially in mud, dirt, gravel, and other off-road conditions.
The highway terrain tires have a shallower tread depth, usually between 8-12 mm deep. The tread blocks are smaller and placed closer together.
This is optimized for on-road driving, providing ample traction on pavement while also minimizing road noise.
HT tires will have multiple lateral grooves and sipes to help channel water on wet roads. Overall, the HT tread is designed for better handling, stability, and low noise on the highway.
The AT’s deeper, chunkier tread pattern sacrifices some on-road refinement but provides enormously improved off-road traction and grip.
The aggressive blocks dig into loose terrain, while the sipes allow the tread to conform over rocks and irregular terrain.
This comes at the cost of more road noise, worse fuel economy, and faster wear when used on the pavement. So AT tires are ideal for those planning to go off-road routinely.
Traction Differences
All-terrain tires have the advantage when it comes to loose or uneven surfaces like gravel, dirt, sand, and snow.
The aggressive tread pattern with large blocky lugs digs into soft ground, allowing the tire to grip and find traction.
The open spaces between the lugs allow material to eject as the tire rolls, offering continuous biting edges.
Highway terrain tires are designed for optimal performance on paved roads. The smaller, tightly packed lugs are engineered to remain stable at higher speeds and grip well on asphalt and concrete.
The tread compound is also formulated to adhere better to dry pavement compared to all terrains.
Highway tires will start to lose traction on loose surfaces as the smaller lugs lack the ability to penetrate and channel away debris.
Ride Quality
HT tires typically provide a smoother and quieter ride quality compared to AT tires when driven on paved roads or highways.
The tread design of HT tires is optimized for on-road performance, with smaller tread blocks and sipes that help reduce road noise from the tire.
AT tires on the other hand tend to have a rougher and noisier ride on pavement. The aggressive tread pattern with large, irregular blocks is designed for off-road traction in mud, dirt, and gravel.
This tread causes more vibration and noise when driven at higher speeds on paved roads. The stiffer sidewalls and reinforced construction of AT tires also contribute to a harsher ride compared to HT tires.
Overall, HT tires excel for a refined, comfortable driving experience on the road. AT tires sacrifice some on-road manners for tremendously improved off-road capability and traction.
Drivers who spend most of their time on pavement will likely prefer HT tires, while off-road enthusiasts will accept the tradeoff of a rougher ride for AT tires’ excellent traction in the dirt.
Durability
HT tires will generally last longer when driven primarily on the pavement. The tread design is optimized for on-road use, with sipes and tread blocks that provide a large contact patch to evenly distribute wear.
The tread compound rubber is also formulated to be long-lasting on paved roads.
In contrast, AT tires have an aggressive tread pattern with large lugs designed for off-road traction.
This open tread design causes more uneven wear when driven on pavement compared to HT tires.
The tread rubber compound is also softer to allow the lugs to conform to uneven terrain, which means it will wear faster on-road.
So for longevity on the street, HT tires are the better choice. But for off-road adventurers, the tradeoff of decreased lifespan is worth it for the enhanced traction AT tires provide in the dirt, mud, gravel, and rocks.
Just be prepared for more frequent tire rotations and replacements if you do a lot of off-roading with AT tires.
Fuel Economy
When it comes to fuel economy, HT tires tend to perform slightly better than AT tires. HT tires have lower rolling resistance which improves gas mileage.
The tread design is optimized for on-road driving conditions, so they require less energy to roll compared to aggressive AT treads.
You can expect to see 1-3 mpg better fuel economy with HT tires over comparable AT tires.
On the other hand, AT tires have more aggressive tread patterns with deeper grooves and siping.
This adds to rolling resistance, requiring more energy to move the tire. The deeper tread also adds more weight compared to street tires.
The combined effect leads to reduced fuel economy, usually 1-3 mpg lower than HT tires.
However, the heavier tread does provide much better traction for off-road driving. So AT tires trade off some fuel economy for tremendously improved off-road capability.
In summary, HT tires will provide slightly better gas mileage and fuel efficiency over AT tires.
But AT tires offer greater traction and off-road performance at the expense of economy.
Depending on your priorities and intended driving conditions, either can be the right choice.
Just be aware that opting for the aggressive AT tread will result in moderately worse fuel consumption.
Price
HT tires are generally the more affordable option compared to AT tires. This is because HT tires utilize a simpler tread design focused on on-road performance.
The tread blocks are smaller and more numerous, which helps optimize handling, braking, and traction on paved surfaces.
This simpler design means HT tires require less rubber and materials to manufacture, bringing costs down.
They also tend to wear more evenly, maximizing the usable tread life before needing replacement.
In contrast, AT tires feature large, irregular tread blocks designed to provide traction on loose surfaces like gravel or mud.
Producing these complex tread patterns requires more rubber, engineered shapes, voids, and siping, all of which drive up manufacturing costs.
AT tires may also wear unevenly depending on usage, shortening the usable life span in some cases.
The specialized nature and capabilities of AT tires command a higher price premium.
For drivers who stick to well-maintained roads and highways, HT tires deliver excellent performance at a lower price point.
For off-road enthusiasts or those needing all-terrain versatility, AT tires provide greater capability despite their higher initial investment.
Assessing individual needs and usage determines which tire type makes the most economic sense for any given driver.
When to Choose Each
When deciding between HT and AT tires, the main factors to consider are how you plan to use your vehicle.
HT (highway terrain) tires are best suited for street and highway driving. They have a tread pattern optimized for grip and stability on paved roads.
The tread blocks are designed to minimize road noise and provide a smooth, quiet ride. Since the focus is on road performance, HT tires achieve better fuel economy compared to more aggressive AT tires.
AT (all-terrain) tires are made for off-road adventures while still being capable on the street.
They have an aggressive tread pattern with large knobs and deep grooves to provide traction in mud, sand, gravel, and other loose surfaces.
The tread is also siped to allow the tire to conform over rocks and uneven terrain. AT tires provide more capability for overlanding and off-roading pursuits, at the expense of worse road noise, ride comfort, and fuel economy compared to HT tires.
So in summary, choose HT tires if you primarily drive on streets and highways. But for off-road enthusiasts who still need to drive to trailheads, AT tires offer traction and durability for off-road use while retaining enough on-road manners. Evaluate your own needs to decide which type of tire makes the most sense.
