Hankook Dynapro AT2 Review: a Solid Choice for Adventure-Seekers

hankook-dynapro-at2-review
Dry
95%
Wet
80%
Winter/Snow
70%
Off-Road
90%
Comfort
90%
Noise
90%
Treadwear
92%
Overall
87%

Pros

Cons

The lockout brought people back to the wilderness, teaching us that we are one with nature. As a result, the sales of off-road capable SUVs and trucks are on an all-time high, with people waiting for months to get one.

This also has an effect on the rubber industry, with the demand for all-terrain tires also rising to unprecedented levels. Hence, the market today is flooded with such tires, which makes the purchasing decision a bit hard.

Fortunately, we have reviews of the most popular all-terrain tires out there, like the Hankook Dynapro AT2. Read on to find out in our in-detail Hankook Dynapro AT2 review if it deserves to be your adventure companion.

The Hankook Dynapro AT2 is an all-terrain all-season tire designed to deliver a blend of on-road and off-road traction and drivability.

So what are the available tire sizes on Hankook Dynapro AT2? Well, you can see, Hankook offers it in multiple sizes, ranging from 15-inch to 22-inch wheel diameter, with both regular and LT-metric models available.

Hence, it will fit smaller SUVs and trucks, full-size trucks, and even some heavy-duty machines.

hankook-dynapro-at2-review

The tire comes with the industry-standard TWIs (tread wear indicators). These narrow rubber bars sit recessed in the grooves, which you can use to monitor tread depth.

That’s crucial for safety – without sufficient depth, the tire won’t provide good hydroplaning resistance in wet conditions and almost no traction on snow.

When the TWIs become flush with the rest of the tread, you should immediately replace your tires. Otherwise, you risk your safety, and you can even get a fine in some places.

Fortunately, the Dynapro AT2 has an excellent treadlife, especially for an all-terrain tire. It also comes with a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, the best in the category.

Features and Performance of the Hankook Dynapro AT2

Hankook’s main focus when designing the Dynapro AT2 was to deliver driving satisfaction both on paved roads and uneven terrains.

Among the improvements is a much quieter tread pattern, which is something that most modern all-terrain tires have a problem delivering. So did it succeed?

With that said, let’s go through each feature and technology of the tire and see if it makes a difference in the real world, after our driving tests.

1. Off-Road Traction and Durability

hankook-dynapro-at2-review

Test drive on sand and gravel road

Hankook went to great lengths to improve the off-roading abilities of the Dynapro AT2.

For starters, the tire features a cut- and chip-resistant casing, which is crucial if you plan on exploring the wilderness. It not only keeps the tire from damage but also provides you with peace of mind.

Furthermore, the directional grooves and sipes are designed to find traction in any direction, also important for off-roading.

To prove this statement, I tested the tires on gravel, thin coastal sand and shallow mud.

With about 2 miles of test driver on sandy and gravel roads, I noticed that the Dynapro AT2 is among the most capable all-terrain tires on uneven terrain.

The tire is excellent on hardpacked surfaces, such as dirt and gravel, with excellent traction and grip, but it also provides excellent traction when those surfaces become wet.

Besides, there is also enough traction for driving in shallow mud, I don’t have any problems driving on this surface. And the rock-crawling abilities are also impressive considering the category.

Finally, Hankook employed a three-ply casing, which helps with puncture resistance but also lets you air down the tires for increased off-road traction.

Thus, as a whole, I’m completely satisfied with the off-road abilities of the Dynapro AT2.

2. Dry Grip and Traction

All-terrain all-season tires usually suffer on smooth, dry roads since the contact patch is smaller than on a highway or a touring tire.

Hankook tried to combat that with rigid tie bars in the tread blocks and the use of an advanced silica tread compound.

According to our dry road test, the result is quite astonishing. Despite the aggressive pattern with deep and wide tread grooves, the Dynapro AT2 holds itself very well in daily driving scenarios.

The longitudinal traction is excellent, the stopping distances are very short, and there is ample grip in the corners.

hankook-dynapro-at2-review

Test drive on dry surface

As a whole, there is not much to protest about here. As far as all-terrain tires go, there are only a handful of models that can compete with the Dynapro AT2, and Hankook’s is mostly preferable to those.

And on-road grip and traction are crucial here since all-terrain tires still spend most of their time on paved roads.

3. Handling and Steering Feel

In the past, most all-terrain tires felt cumbersome to drive since they lacked responsiveness and directness. However, things are changed today, and the Dynapro AT2 is a testament to that.

Sure, it isn’t as responsive as a highway tire, but it’s more than good enough for the majority of people. Besides, you probably won’t be driving like a maniac with these tires on, so responsiveness becomes less important.

Regardless, I really liked how the Dynapro AT2 handles. It communicates well with the driver and reacts to the steering inputs fairly quickly.

The only area where I’d like to see improvement is the on-center feel, where Hankook’s all-terrain offering feels a bit artificial. Still, I’m nitpicking here – as a whole, the driving experience is great.

4. Wet Grip, Traction, and Braking

Hankook utilized highly dispersible silica in the tread compound, which in theory should help disperse water more easily and increase wet traction.

Moreover, the Dynapro AT2 features open shoulders and wide grooves, which further improve hydroplaning resistance.

But how does the Dynapro AT2 handle the rain in the real world? Well, for starters, I wasn’t really concerned about the hydroplaning resistance.

The grooves are wide and deep enough to channel a significant amount of water, hence improving stability, even in very heavy rain.

According to our wet road test, although the tire is resistant to hydroplaning, it’s far from the best when it comes to traction.

Notably, it quickly loses traction when I hit the throttle hard out of a corner, I feel like I’m driving on ice, a behavior I didn’t expect from a modern tire.

Even worse, the cornering grip is a step behind the competition, like, for instance, the super-popular BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2.

The Dynapro AT2 loses the front end much sooner than competing tires, exhibiting an understeer that can quickly snap to oversteer when you hit the throttle – not a behavior that a regular driver can easily handle.

Lastly, the stopping distances are also longer than the main competition, making Dynapro AT2’s performance in the rain poorer overall.

Now, you might not experience this attitude in daily driving, even when it pours rain. The tire is very safe for driving at regular speeds on public roads, largely thanks to the outstanding hydroplaning resistance.

Nonetheless, traction and grip at the limit matter when you have to do an evasive maneuver or a panic stop, and that’s where the Dynapro AT2 stumbles.

5. Snow Ice and Traction

hankook-dynapro-at2-review

Test drive on the snow surface

The Dynapro AT2 is an all-terrain all-season tire, meaning it’s designed to work throughout the year.

It also comes with the 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake) symbol, meaning it was tested for longitudinal snow traction that’s higher than regular M+S tires.

Hankook also employed independent tread blocks that create extra biting edges for added traction on snow and multiple sipes across the tread blocks.

So how does it handle snowy conditions? Well, not great, not terrible. That’s my opinion after 3 hours of testing this tire in the snow earlier this year in Lewiston, Idaho.

The road we tested had about 2 inches of snow, and the car easily skimmed the snow surface with ease with excellent longitudinal traction, I’m not stuck in the snow with such deep snow, and the stopping distances aren’t very long.

However, it doesn’t handle as well as its main competitors, like the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2. Notably, the rear end feels nervous during cornering, making the whole experience more stressful.

Overall, I’d have no problems driving over light snow, although with a little more caution.

Comfort and Noise

The Dynapro AT2 features stepped block edges, which reduce airborne noise coming from the symmetrical tread pattern. And while there is a noticeable tread growl, just like in any other all-terrain tire, it’s very subdued.

You can hear it mostly on rough patches, but it settles down on the smooth tarmac. Overall, this is one of the quietest all-terrain tires, and my ears didn’t rebel after covering hundreds of miles on the highway.

Meanwhile, the ride quality is firm, primarily because of the three-ply construction.

However, it never becomes bothersome – the tire still soaks up smaller bumps with ease and doesn’t transmit a lot of vibrations in the cabin when I hit a larger bump.

As a whole, I prefer firm yet comfortable tires since they don’t produce secondary movement when you hit a pothole. This makes the whole drive feel more solid and secure, which people tend to like more than a super-soft and wobbly ride.

Hence, if you are an explorer like me and want a serene driving experience for those long road trips, you’ll definitely get it from the Dynapro AT2.

You can see more Hankook Dynapro AT2 review here: Video created by Adventuring Today

Should I Buy the Hankook Dynapro AT2?

The Hankook Dynapro AT2 is a very accomplished all-terrain tire, especially for people seeking great off-road traction and durability.

It also drives well on the road, with good responsiveness, high levels of grip and traction, and excellent comfort.

However, the Dynapro AT2 doesn’t deserve my highly recommended moniker for one simple reason – it doesn’t handle rainy conditions quite like its main competitors. It’s not bad, but not excellent either. Hence, it’s on you to decide if that will bother you or not.

Leave a Comment