Goodyear Wrangler MT/R or Conti CrossContact AT

[YOLO110]

I am interested in some feedback about the pro's/cons of these 2 offerings on my new 110 please! i.e.: the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R versus the Conti Cross Contact AT. Both tyres seem to offer very good tyre life, so that is not an issue.

I am planning a 'lap' so just want to get the tyre from the get-go that will be best suited to this. I don't intend to do Cape York BTW, but do intend to get a bit off the beaten track as part of the adventure!

Thoughts and experiences with both would be most welcome!

Cheers, Pete :)

[Aguy]

I have the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R. They came with the car. They are a little noisy on road but I have never had 4wd tyres before so it's hard to compare. They seem pretty good off road.

[Tombie]

Conti is the only option on the 90.
So that's what we have!
Handled well on Saturday - loose stone and gravel with some residual mud up in the flinders...

Great on road..

Had the MTR before, also good rubber...

[EastFreo]

I have the Cross Contis and I am very happy with them. Surprisingly quiet on road and the small amount of off road I have done to date they have also been really good. In fact a couple of months ago I went with no problem where a Prado, a land cruiser and a Titan struggled on some muddy wet ground.

[LandyAndy]

I have the Cross Contis and I am very happy with them. Surprisingly quiet on road and the small amount of off road I have done to date they have also been really good. In fact a couple of months ago I went with no problem where a Prado, a land cruiser and a Titan struggled on some muddy wet ground.

Thats a vehicle choice problem,not a tyre choice problem;)
;););););)
Andrew

[loneranger]

I've got the Wrangler's on my 110 and my wife has the Conti's on her 90. The Conti's are a lot quieter on road at high speed. The Wrangler's are only an issue if you don't like loud music. :D

Can't comment on the off-road capability of either tyre yet. :(

[PAT303]

You couldn't give me another set of MT/R's,they have one use only and thats land fill,the Conti's on the other hand,two sets with nary a flat. Pat

[DiscoMick]

MTRs are much more of an off road tyre that the Conti ATs, so its horses for courses.

Sent from my GT-P5210 using AULRO mobile app

[Slunnie]

My opinion is that the MTR has the strongest carcass out there for that type of tyre. The old MTR was the benchmark now equaled by the BFG MT, the new MTR Kevlar is now the bench mark. That said you can puncture anything but I think for reliability, the MTR is where its at. The MTR pattern is also smooth rolling despite what it looks like, even when cornering and travelling slowly. Its more open in pattern so will hook up and gain traction off-road, likewise clear mud, this MTR is designed to clear where the other wasnt. That said, without having used the Conti, I would imagine the Conti is better on the road.

This said, if it has good Conti's on it, then I would just run them.

[AndyG]

Happy with the conti , I choose them because I plan to do mostly touring, which means lots of bitumen and good dirt.
They do like to flick stones.

[Tombie]

Don't they just Andy!!!

The Conti are a great tyre for A/T. Big blocks, plenty of sipping and sharp edge blocks for lateral grip.

We wanted the MTR but no longer an option on the 90 for some reason.

Most travel up here is dirt, sand, rock and gravel so will suit the Conti just fine.

Will hit the mud when the opportunity arises and try them out in that. If they do half as well as my Dueller 697 on the D4 I will be happy.

[Lagerfan]

Have the MTRs here and very happy with them, 35k and wearing pretty well.

My 2c is same as others have said, they're slightly noisy on-road (to be expected) plus I would also add 0.5-1l/100km on your fuel bill with them compared to the Contis.

[PAT303]

My opinion is that the MTR has the strongest carcass out there for that type of tyre. The old MTR was the benchmark now equaled by the BFG MT, the new MTR Kevlar is now the bench mark. That said you can puncture anything but I think for reliability, the MTR is where its at. The MTR pattern is also smooth rolling despite what it looks like, even when cornering and travelling slowly. Its more open in pattern so will hook up and gain traction off-road, likewise clear mud, this MTR is designed to clear where the other wasnt. That said, without having used the Conti, I would imagine the Conti is better on the road.

This said, if it has good Conti's on it, then I would just run them.

What a load of crap,I've had two brands fail,and I mean FAIL in remote Australia,Cooper A/T's and MT/R's.In my case both brands had the tyre all but come apart,MT/Rs are the benchmark?????,maybe for people who do all their travelling on the internet. Pat

[PAT303]

Don't they just Andy!!!

The Conti are a great tyre for A/T. Big blocks, plenty of sipping and sharp edge blocks for lateral grip.

We wanted the MTR but no longer an option on the 90 for some reason.

Most travel up here is dirt, sand, rock and gravel so will suit the Conti just fine.

Will hit the mud when the opportunity arises and try them out in that. If they do half as well as my Dueller 697 on the D4 I will be happy.

If you travel into the rock country towards the Anne Beadell the last thing you want is MT/Rs,trust me after one set of them and two sets of conti's you've had the right choice made for you. Pat

[Rustbucket]

Can't comment on theMTR. Have a set of the Continentals and have recently travelled Flinders, Oodnadatta, Simpson, Strezlecki etc. and had two punctures in 6k of driving. Did everything quite we'll though.
However, the General Grabbers which are the original tyres have done 50k without a puncture and have also been excellent.

[Slunnie]

What a load of crap,I've had two brands fail,and I mean FAIL in remote Australia,Cooper A/T's and MT/R's.In my case both brands had the tyre all but come apart,MT/Rs are the benchmark?????,maybe for people who do all their travelling on the internet. Pat
I really couldn't give a crap what you think. Come to terms with it, there is no tyre with a stronger carcass and yes they still can be punctured. I expected this from you and your opinion isn't definitive.

[PAT303]

Have you had a set of MT/R's and driven in outback Oz?,using a complete repair kit,two tubes of silastic and a tube of rubber adhesive and needing to deviate off my intended route to buy a complete replacement set of BFG tyres is not an opinion.They may have a strong carcass,when you have two of your five tyres have a 4'' and 5'' square piece of tread come off you get to actually see it. Pat

[Slunnie]

Have you had a set of MT/R's and driven in outback Oz?,using a complete repair kit,two tubes of silastic and a tube of rubber adhesive and needing to deviate off my intended route to buy a complete replacement set of BFG tyres is not an opinion.They may have a strong carcass,when you have two of your five tyres have a 4'' and 5'' square piece of tread come off you get to actually see it. Pat
Of course I have driven in outback Oz, that's exactly what I have them for. I've been on them for well over 10 years and no punctures. If any tyre is delaminating (maybe except Coopers), then you're doing it wrong. For touring there is no better tyre in my opinion than the MTR. A great carcass, smooth on the road and they hook up.

[PAT303]

I must have got it wrong with one set of MTR's and one set of coopers yet got it right with a dozen or so sets of BFG's,Michelin and Continentals. Pat

[jackdef90]

Ive had BFG all terrains on all my vehicles, Ive never had an issue, theyre solid
Im running BFG MTs at the moment, Ill see how they go

[carlosbeldia]

You are trying to compare two completly different worlds... the Continental ones are like a Freelander and the MT-R's are like a Defender. You can go in a really smoot way with the Conti, they are quieter, safer and have a longer life than the MTR. If you want to use the Defender to their limits, you have to go for the MT-R. In any terrain, the MT-R and the BFG are really good, both equally capable. I have seen both in action and have something in common: both tyres were better in their former path, new ones are not as good in off road, both are better now for the road.

I have in my car the former Pirelli Scorpio AT, they were in the top-5 AT tyres. They are smooth, really safe, very quiet and can have a hit in the mud, but not up to the task if you want to use your Defender to their real capabilities. The Conti come as standar in the Kia Sportage they sell here in Colombia, so they have to be really good on road, but for their off road abilities....:(

[carlosbeldia]

Mitsu in Continental, HCPU in Adventuro MT (extremely cheap chinese tires but were the best in overall during this "rally"), NAS in Mickey Thompson:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/11/150.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/11/151.jpg

BT-50 in Hankook AT-M (really bad in the mud):

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/11/152.jpg

Toyota in BFG MT (new thread), 110 in General SAG:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/11/153.jpg

Yokohama "stuck"lander (were the worst, all the Toyotas that had them were stucked all the time....)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/11/154.jpg

Sometimes it doesn't matter if you have the best mud tire:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/11/155.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/11/156.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/11/157.jpg

[AndyG]

Everyone will have their preferences, but may I suggest how you treat your tyres, pressure, speed, avoiding damaging objects, skill!, may be more important than the differences between two quality brands.
My first venture into the outback I was paranoid about tyre reliability and the Contis were faultless, it could easily have been different if I had ignored the copious advice on this forum.

[noyakfat]

Of course everyone will likely have a different experience. Ask anyone about any brand/make and there will be as many horror stories as there are praises. (Probably as many as if you were to ask the question, "should I buy a defender or a patrol or a land cruiser?").

Personally, I on-sold the Conti's from my 2014 a day after I picked it up, just because I found an alternative that I wanted to try and at a sensational price. I had also made this decision long before taking delivery of the vehicle.

The drive home on Conti's from the dealer had me thinking I was under machine-gun attack, due to the multitude of gravel pieces striking the undercarriage (the Conti's do tend to grab stones).

However, they have received a good review from plenty of long term users.

I think all terrains are a good choice for a vehicle that will do a lot of touring duty, including the hard-to-avoid long stretches of bitumen from time to time.

My own use is a daily drive to/from work of approx 35km per day, and play time trips into the Brindabellas. I elected to try a set of mud terrains (in this case 265/75R16 Hankook Dynapro RT03's) as I got a very good price and had read good reviews.

I love these tyres, and have no complaints after 10,000 km. However, I'm sure there are probably just as many folks out there that will tell you they are rubbish :)

Make your decision based on your intended use, decide which compromise will be greater (we all have them with tyre choice), and go for it !!!

Then you will be able to share your experience with others.

All the best,
Nige

[justinc]

Yokohama "stuck"lander (were the worst, all the Toyotas that had them were stucked all the time....)



Mostly probably due to the sheer weight of the Toyotas too...:o

JC

[Tombie]

Another good point to be aware of..
I've fitted the same tyre size make and model to two different vehicles (both 4wd) and had completely different performance from them.

Some tyres suit certain vehicle configurations better...


For me, all my Landies have had Mud/Claw style tyres - until the current 2.

Am I satisfied with the performance of these 2 on ATs - absolutely...

Do I miss that little bit of extra grip when it gets sloppy.. Yes.. But it's manageable.

The current MTRs seen like a good tyre - they do howl a fair bit though with the outer edge Voids being as big as they are now.

Biggest suggestion...

Be honest to yourself about your use... Living with noise, vibration etc for 90% of the time for a 10% event or use isn't really a fun way to go.

If you intent to tour, daily and occasional mud play - consider staying with the Conti...

[Loubrey]

Ive had BFG all terrains on all my vehicles, Ive never had an issue, theyre solid
Im running BFG MTs at the moment, Ill see how they go

jackdef90,

Everybody has their preference, but 16 years of BFG use has never let me doubt them. I ran AT's doing construction work in Central Africa and they worked perfectly in the long distance and varying conditions stakes. I finally decided they needed changing after I had a blow out (probably sidewall failure on some exposed shale) at 87,000km with 80% + of that offroad!

My current KM2's have now got 58,000km on them and they still have an average of 11mm left on them (measured by LR during my last service - 265/75/16 starts off with 18mm).

At least half of those kilos were done on the gravel roads of the Pilbara and the rest on black top. At 11mm they might not be at their optimum in the mud any more, but as you know we don't see too much of that over here in the west. Having said that, during the past winter they performed faultlessly when called upon in the mud (Harvey etc).

Cheers,

Lou

[Orkney]

I ordered my 2013 110 with the MTR's & have found them to be great on & off road however I think next time I will go with something less aggressive due to noise.

Hopefully the nwe BFG KO2 is released in time for my next set.

[Scallops]

In my opinion, and in the context of what the OP has said he is primarily concerned with - a lap of outback Australia without the Cape, the All Terrain Conti tyre option would be a far better choice. Be prepared to adjust tyre pressures and driving style for different environments too.

They might look cool, but you just don't need a Mud Tyre for this type of trip. All the pics in the mud above are great - but these type of conditions are rare in the outback especially at the times of year when tourists traverse such areas. What you are likely to find are gibber (stone) plains, hard/soft packed dirt and sand, but as above, not too much mud! Indeed, a mud tyre can be (is) a bad option in such environments as Pat has mentioned. Conversely, the all terrain tyre will likely be perfect for your needs.

[YOLO110]

Many thanks for all the great replies and advice guys!

My new Defender is coming with MTR's on the black 'Sawtooth' wheels and I was wondering about trying to get the dealer to swap the tyres over with another one that has Conti's!

If I was back in the wet muddy UK, perhaps it would be a different story! :D

I did take both tyres cars for a test drive on the bitumen and did not really notice a huge difference in tyre noise... perhaps that the good stereo however!!! ;)

[Orkney 90]

I have the standard Continentals on my 90 and it seems to be the perfect tyre for me. I use my 90 as an everyday driver with occasional off road use. I do a fair bit of freeway driving, local and city driving. The road noise from the Conti's is minimal at higher speeds and feels very smooth. In wet weather it is probably the best tyres I have ever driven with. However, as mentioned by others, the Conti's do pick up gravel in the tread very easily and then you get that annoying click-click sound as you drive along. Easy enough to pick out the gravel when you get home though. I would seriously consider buying another set when these wear out, providing they are available for purchase here in Australia. I note that mine are made in the Czech Republic.

[PAT303]

In regards to the noise of both MTR's and Conti's I ran both at lower pressure than LR recommended,34 front 32 rear unloaded,the difference in noise was huge. Pat

[noyakfat]

That's a good point to consider, Pat.

I run my Hankooks on-road (unloaded) at 36 psi all around, as recommended by tyre specialist. Ride is great, wear is minimal, yet I do notice a bit of howling once I get up around 85-90 km/hr if the bitumen is very smooth.

Once these tyres wear out I will revisit the decision between M/T and A/T. I'll probably hunt for A/T's next time, as my planned usage will have changed by then.

In the end, my decision may weigh heavily in favour of price, as I have certainly been very happy in all terrains/conditions with the Hankooks. I understand their price has gone up recently, so if I can find a good A/T for cheaper than I may give them a go.

Cheers,
Nige

[Graeme]

34 front 32 rear unloaded
That's unusual isn't it - fronts higher pressure than the rears?

[Loubrey]

Not really... we all have the perception that it should be the other way, but an empty Defender certainly has more weight in its nose than its tail and harder tyres up front give you more responsive steering.

I drive a 90 and they are slightly inclined to porpoise on hard tyres. I run mine on 30 psi (all 4 though) with no ill effect and my current set of MT tyres are well on their way to getting to 70 - 80K again.

Cheers,

lou

[ezyrama]

Mine has the conti's and I have to admit they are great in all types of terrain and have never had a flat yet. As for noise on the highway, I can't hear them over the bloody roof rack:p and old mate at the local 4WD shop cant tell me when my new one arrive's.
Cheers Ian

[DiscoMick]

Yes, my MTRs were pretty noisy on road, but great off the bitumen.

[PAT303]

That's unusual isn't it - fronts higher pressure than the rears?

When unloaded all the weights in the front so the fronts are higher,people don't think about that in regards to tyre pressure. Pat

[PAT303]

Not really... we all have the perception that it should be the other way, but an empty Defender certainly has more weight in its nose than its tail and harder tyres up front give you more responsive steering.

I drive a 90 and they are slightly inclined to porpoise on hard tyres. I run mine on 30 psi (all 4 though) with no ill effect and my current set of MT tyres are well on their way to getting to 70 - 80K again.

Cheers,

lou

Lou,we are starting to agree on too many things :cool:,I forgot to write that I like positive turn in with my steering another thing higher front pressure gives. Pat

[AndyG]

On my last trip i used the TPMS temperatures as a guide to try and get equal temps all around, not quite sure why, when i think about it.

[Graeme]

When unloaded all the weights in the front so the fronts are higher,people don't think about that in regards to tyre pressure. Pat
We do think about tyre pressures but not knowing that the 90 is light in the rear means that we can come to an inappropriate conclusion. I am surprised though that higher front pressures even with a light rear doesn't make such a SWB vehicle twitchy.

[Loubrey]

We do think about tyre pressures but not knowing that the 90 is light in the rear means that we can come to an inappropriate conclusion. I am surprised though that higher front pressures even with a light rear doesn't make such a SWB vehicle twitchy.

The 90 is very well balanced and that's the reason it will actually porpoise (vertical undulations) on very hard tyres. I prefer the same pressure front and back on the 90 and 30psi completely cuts the bouncing out, but with a very mild vagueness to the steering which I've gotten used to in the past 16 years.

There is also a remarkable difference in handling between 30 and 32 which I use when loaded with recovery gear and fridge on a day trip with the club.

Most 90 drivers will tell you with the rear roll dampener in place it handles almost like a sports car... almost :D:D:D

Cheers,

Lou

[YOLO110]

A great developing and informative thread guys. Many thanks.

I will 'test drive' both types again tomorrow and go from there. I think the dealer will be ok about swapping if required!!! ;)

Cheers,

Pete. :)

[PAT303]

Pete,I was very harsh earlier towards MTR's,the interior in December is no place for failures and they failed big time,if you drive around the Sydney basin or trips out west either tyre would do it,but conti's,BFG or Michelin when you really need to trust them. Pat

[YOLO110]

Think it may well be the Conti's going on then Pat! I plan on doing both!

Cheers, Pete

[dawsey]

as most 110 mine came with contis..not really my first choice of tire , but they work, very quite on the bitumen but drive down a gavel road and you will be hearing the rocks flying for weeks as already posted. I wont take them off till they need changing,,cause I paid for them..but when the time comes I will be going a bit more towards a lightweight muddy ..maxis bighorn or trep or similar.had them before and they work for me ..Just a better all round tire ..but drop the air on the conti and it handles great in the sand and big rocks..

[YOLO110]

Given much of a lap will be on bitumen but also a lot of gravel, I am not sure if constant Conti machine gun fire is better than constant droning!

(Need to leave the other half behind then)!! :D

[Tombie]

For a big lap I'd be putting some sound attenuation in the back of a Defender anyway :)

[Graeme]

I don't hear stones any more from the Contis on my D4 that have done 20K. I recall hearing them initially but think with some wear they no longer pickup but the D4's good sound insulation probably helps a lot. I travel fast gravel roads daily but also note that tread voids can differ across tyre sizes.

[PAT303]

For a big lap I'd be putting some sound attenuation in the back of a Defender anyway :)

Most of the noise comes from the rear wheel tubs,I spray mine with under sealer on the out side and I'm going to get Rhino linings to spray their covering on the inside. Pat

[YOLO110]

In regards to the noise of both MTR's and Conti's I ran both at lower pressure than LR recommended,34 front 32 rear unloaded,the difference in noise was huge. Pat

Hi Pat,

Was this huge difference in noise louder or quieter please!

Cheers, Pete :)

[stewie110]

I am interested in some feedback about the pro's/cons of these 2 offerings on my new 110 please! i.e.: the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R versus the Conti Cross Contact AT. Both tyres seem to offer very good tyre life, so that is not an issue.

I am planning a 'lap' so just want to get the tyre from the get-go that will be best suited to this. I don't intend to do Cape York BTW, but do intend to get a bit off the beaten track as part of the adventure!

Thoughts and experiences with both would be most welcome!

Cheers, Pete :)

The last two sets of tires I have had are BFG MTR's and I've got amazing life out of them with no flats/punctures etc even with several outback trips and numerous weekend trips around Sydney.

Before these I used to run the Goodyears. I didn't have any major problems with them and got pretty good durability. The only reason I changed was because I couldn't get them in the town where I needed to buy tires at the time (because I had worse than expected wear doing Carnegie Road from near Meekathurra towards the Gibson Desert in November (heat wave, very bad terrain, tires didn't like it but to be fair they had already done many kilometers and would have been replaced anyway upon return to Sydney).

[PAT303]

Hi Pat,

Was this huge difference in noise louder or quieter please!

Cheers, Pete :)

A lot quieter,the droning all but disappeared. Pat

[PAT303]

The last two sets of tires I have had are BFG MTR's and I've got amazing life out of them with no flats/punctures etc even with several outback trips and numerous weekend trips around Sydney.

Before these I used to run the Goodyears. I didn't have any major problems with them and got pretty good durability. The only reason I changed was because I couldn't get them in the town where I needed to buy tires at the time (because I had worse than expected wear doing Carnegie Road from near Meekathurra towards the Gibson Desert in November (heat wave, very bad terrain, tires didn't like it but to be fair they had already done many kilometers and would have been replaced anyway upon return to Sydney).
The very same country my MTR's fell to bits,funny how you also had worse than expected wear from the benchmark in tough tyres. Pat

[YOLO110]

Well, with the kind help of my dealer, I made my decision today and have gone for the Conti's on the black Sawtooth's! :cool:

Took both for another test drive at 100 kph and the Conti's were not only a lot quieter, they felt much more direct with better feedback that the MT/R's.

Not planning on meeting much mud anyway so I think all will be good.

Thanks for all the great feedback that made this decision easier!

Cheers,

Pete. :)