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Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT vs Sumitomo Encounter AT — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Discoverer AT3 LT leads, 74–70 Narrow edge

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Category by category

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

  1. 77

    Dry

    Discoverer AT3 LT +5
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDiscoverer AT3 LTEncounter AT
    Reviews found online8375
  2. 79

    Wet

    Discoverer AT3 LT +4
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDiscoverer AT3 LTEncounter AT
    Reviews found online8277
  3. 71

    Snow

    Discoverer AT3 LT +3
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDiscoverer AT3 LTEncounter AT
    Reviews found online7268
  4. 72

    Comfort

    Discoverer AT3 LT +3
    69
    Why this score
    SourceDiscoverer AT3 LTEncounter AT
    Reviews found online7569
  5. 71

    Noise

    Discoverer AT3 LT +3
    68
    Why this score
    SourceDiscoverer AT3 LTEncounter AT
    Reviews found online7869
  6. 71

    Treadwear

    Discoverer AT3 LT +5
    66
    Why this score
    SourceDiscoverer AT3 LTEncounter AT
    Reviews found online7466
  7. 70

    Handling

    Encounter AT +1
    71
    Why this score
    SourceDiscoverer AT3 LTEncounter AT
    Reviews found online7071
Scores at a glance
CategoryCooper Discoverer AT3 LTSumitomo Encounter AT
Relative Score 74 70
Dry 77 72
Wet 79 75
Snow 71 68
Comfort 72 69
Noise 71 68
Treadwear 71 66
Handling 70 71

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

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Discoverer AT3 LT

Encounter AT

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Discoverer AT3 LT

Pros

  • Excellent towing stability with minimal sidewall flex under heavy loads
  • Surprisingly quiet and smooth on the highway for an all-terrain tire
  • Strong durability and wear resistance on rough gravel, rock, and dirt roads

Cons

  • Subpar performance in heavy snow, ice, or deep mud for some users
  • Occasional reports of balancing difficulties or initial cold-weather tire thumping
  • Isolated incidents of sidewall splitting or premature wear
All owner themes in the Discoverer AT3 LT review

Tire B Encounter AT

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT B · Sumitomo Encounter AT
CategoryPremium Touring All Season tire—
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available1415
Rim diameters16″ – 18″16″ – 20″
Tread depth16 - 17/32″13/32″
UTQG—660 A B
Treadwear warranty60,000 mi60,000 mi
SidewallBlack Side Wall - Raised Outline White LetteringBlackwall
Max pressure50 - 80 psi51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT

Sumitomo Encounter AT

Winner: Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT — better dry, treadwear and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT scores 77 vs 72 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT scores 71 vs 66 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT scores 79 vs 75 on wet.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT scores 71 vs 68 on snow.

Tire A · Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Sumitomo Encounter AT
Check price on Amazon

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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.

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

74

Narrow edge

Discoverer AT3 LT

Amazon