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Head-to-head Updated

Continental Cross Contact A/T vs Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 14 + 688 owner reviews. How we score

Discoverer AT3 4S is ahead, 77–62

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Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S
Tire BCooper

Discoverer AT3 4S

All-Terrain tire

Tests – · 1 test Owners 81 · 688 reviews

Best test result: #5 of 18 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Terrain Truck Tires (tested tread life (miles))

“Got some 225/75/16 Cooper Discoverer AT3 4s - Great fit on stock setup.”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 64

    Dry

    Discoverer AT3 4S +14
    78
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TDiscoverer AT3 4S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online6284

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 65.5 (est.) + 40% × 62.2 = 64

    Discoverer AT3 4S: 60% × 74.3 (est.) + 40% × 84 = 78

    No road tests of dry for Cross Contact A/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    No road tests of dry for Discoverer AT3 4S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 64

    Wet

    Discoverer AT3 4S +17
    81
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TDiscoverer AT3 4S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 78 (est.)
    Reviews found online6385

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 62.5 = 64

    Discoverer AT3 4S: 60% × 78.5 (est.) + 40% × 85.3 = 81

    No road tests of wet for Cross Contact A/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    No road tests of wet for Discoverer AT3 4S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 53

    Snow

    Discoverer AT3 4S +19
    72
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TDiscoverer AT3 4S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 60 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online4173

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 60.4 (est.) + 40% × 41.3 = 53

    Discoverer AT3 4S: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 73.3 = 72

    No road tests of snow for Cross Contact A/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

    No road tests of snow for Discoverer AT3 4S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 65

    Comfort

    Discoverer AT3 4S +11
    76
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TDiscoverer AT3 4S
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online6082

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 67.6 (est.) + 40% × 60.4 = 65

    Discoverer AT3 4S: 60% × 71.4 (est.) + 40% × 82.3 = 76

    No road tests of comfort for Cross Contact A/T or Discoverer AT3 4S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    73
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TDiscoverer AT3 4S
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online–81

    Discoverer AT3 4S: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 80.9 = 73

    No road tests of noise for Discoverer AT3 4S. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 65

    Treadwear

    Discoverer AT3 4S +8
    73
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TDiscoverer AT3 4S
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 65 (est.)71
    Reviews found online6477

    Cross Contact A/T: 60% × 65.2 (est.) + 40% × 64.4 = 65

    Discoverer AT3 4S: 60% × 70.9 + 40% × 77 = 73

    No road tests of treadwear for Cross Contact A/T. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 62

    Handling (owners)

    Discoverer AT3 4S +15
    77
    Why this score
    SourceCross Contact A/TDiscoverer AT3 4S
    Reviews found online6277
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental Cross Contact A/TCooper Discoverer AT3 4S
Relative Score 62 77
Dry 64 78
Wet 64 81
Snow 53 72
Comfort 65 76
Noise – 73
Treadwear 65 73
Handling (owners) 62 77

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Cross Contact A/T

Discoverer AT3 4S

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryCross Contact A/TDiscoverer AT3 4SΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #7/7 2017 Drive Out Off Road 4x4 Tyre Test #5/18 2022 Consumer Reports All Terrain Truck Tires – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Cross Contact A/T

Pros

  • Excellent on-road comfort and handling with acceptable noise levels
  • High potential longevity and mileage for many users, with sets lasting upwards of 50,000 to 80,000 km/miles
  • Competent dry and wet performance on paved surfaces

Cons

  • Susceptibility to punctures and fragile sidewalls reported by some drivers
  • Rapid, premature tread wear experienced by certain users
  • Poor traction and spinning issues in winter conditions such as snow and ice
All owner themes in the Cross Contact A/T review

Tire B Discoverer AT3 4S

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and smooth on-road ride compared to typical all-terrain tires
  • Superb traction in wet, rainy, and deep winter snow conditions
  • Strong value and competitive pricing relative to performance and lifespan

Cons

  • Potential for accelerated tread wear under heavy off-road use or demanding mountain driving
  • Occasional reports of balancing issues or out-of-round tires requiring multiple adjustments
  • Minor fuel economy drop or increased rolling resistance when switching from standard highway tires
All owner themes in the Discoverer AT3 4S review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Continental Cross Contact A/T

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S

Positive

Community sentiment for the Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S is predominantly positive, with drivers praising its quiet highway ride, strong traction across snow, rain, and dry pavement, and appealing appearance. Several owners note that while it handles light off-road duties and daily driving well, tread life occasionally falls short of mileage expectations. In addition, multiple posts highlight frustration and concern regarding availability and recent discontinuation across various sizes.

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2026-09-08

“Tire Recs for F150 - mostly highway and some muddy field edges - Cooper or Falken? I mostly put highway miles on my 2011 F150 but Im a bow hunter so October and November I spend a decent amount of time driving on field edges to get to hinting spots. When its wet, these field edges get pretty sloppy. I have Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S currently. While Ive never gotten stuck, there's been a few sweaty moments where it felt close. These have been great on road tires with low road noise, great fuel efficiency, and impressive handling in wet, dry, and snow. I want to maintain on road performance as thats 90% of my use, but curious if there are any thoughts on the new Cooper Discoverer Road + Trail AT, vs Falken Rubitrek, or Falken Wildpeak AT3 or AT4. Im leaning going Coopers again and hoping for the best on those occasional muddy mornings. Let me know thoughts and experiences. Read more”
ramforum.com ·2023-01-27

“Installed new Cooper Discoverer AT3 4s tires on my 1500 today. Took off a set that I put on three years ago when the stock tires wore out. I think I got good performance from the first set, but they didn't last as long as I would have hoped. They were getting pretty close to the wear bars, so had some life left. The guy at the tire shop estimated that I would get another 10000 miles out of them. They had a little less than 40 K miles. We got a bit of snow here this week, and I could tell that they were not gripping nearly as well as they did before. If it was spring/summer, they would have stayed on the truck. I will be driving to Maine next week, pulling a snowmobile trailer, so I decided that it was time to buy now, rather than risking a wreck. New tires look similar to the old ones. Still made in USA (good), no longer available with white letters, black wall only, in cast that is important to you.”
f150forum.com

“I went with the Cooper Discoverer AT3 4s (275/65/18). The Michelin Primacy XC were on there when I purchased and they were terrible. I like the looks of the Coopers...the ride is much more controlled and a bit softer over broken surfaces. They do have some slip off the line of you give it full throttle real similar to the XCs. I was looking for an AT that would be great at hooking up in dry weather but probably not gong to find an AT that is sticky enough. They're brand-new so I'll give an update after a few hundred miles or so (I don't put a lot of miles so it'll take time). Thanks to the Forum for the info!”
Top themes
#Snow and wet traction#Quiet highway ride#Tread life and longevity#Discontinuation and availability#Comfortable ride quality#Mild off-road performance

Based on 27 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental Cross Contact A/T B · Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S
CategoryAll-Terrain tireAll-Terrain tire
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available—14
Rim diameters—15″ – 22″
Tread depth—12 - 14/32″
UTQG—620 A B
Treadwear warranty—65,000 mi
Sidewall—Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure—44 - 50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental Cross Contact A/T

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S

Winner: Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S — better snow, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. Continental Cross Contact A/T rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S scores 72 vs 53 on snow.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S scores 81 vs 64 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S scores 77 vs 62 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S scores 78 vs 64 on dry.

Tire A · Continental Cross Contact A/T
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Tire B · Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S
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Cross Contact A/T or Discoverer AT3 4S?

Which is better in the wet, Cross Contact A/T or Discoverer AT3 4S?

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S, 81 vs 64 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Cross Contact A/T or Discoverer AT3 4S?

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S, 78 vs 64 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Cross Contact A/T or Discoverer AT3 4S?

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S, 72 vs 53 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Cross Contact A/T or Discoverer AT3 4S?

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S, 76 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Cross Contact A/T or Discoverer AT3 4S?

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S, 73 vs 65 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology