Tests – · none yet Owners 73 · 36 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Nokian Outpost nAT vs Sumitomo Encounter AT2 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 36 + 0 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: Outpost nAT and Encounter AT2 are level at 71.
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Tests 72 · 1 test Owners – · none yet
Best test result: #2 of 9 in 2025 Tire Rack All Terrain Tyre Test (dry braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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71
Dry
Level71Why this score
Source Outpost nAT Encounter AT2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 70 (est.) 72 Reviews found online 73 ≈ 70 (est.) Outpost nAT: 60% × 70.2 (est.) + 40% × 73.1 = 71
Encounter AT2: 60% × 72.4 + 40% × 69.9 (est.) = 71
No road tests of dry for Outpost nAT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
No owner ratings of dry for Encounter AT2. The owner half is estimated from its road-test score, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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75
Wet
Outpost nAT +273Why this score
Source Outpost nAT Encounter AT2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 74 (est.) 74 Reviews found online 76 ≈ 73 (est.) Outpost nAT: 60% × 73.8 (est.) + 40% × 76.2 = 75
Encounter AT2: 60% × 74.1 + 40% × 72.6 (est.) = 73
No road tests of wet for Outpost nAT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.54).
No owner ratings of wet for Encounter AT2. The owner half is estimated from its road-test score, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.54).
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71
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Outpost nAT Encounter AT2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) – Reviews found online 72 – Outpost nAT: 60% × 70.8 (est.) + 40% × 71.9 = 71
No road tests of snow for Outpost nAT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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68
Comfort
Encounter AT2 +169Why this score
Source Outpost nAT Encounter AT2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 69 Reviews found online 68 ≈ 69 (est.) Outpost nAT: 40% × 68.9 (est.) + 60% × 68 = 68
Encounter AT2: 40% × 69 + 60% × 69.1 (est.) = 69
No road tests of comfort for Outpost nAT. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
No owner ratings of comfort for Encounter AT2. The owner half is the owners’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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63
Noise
Encounter AT2 +467Why this score
Source Outpost nAT Encounter AT2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 67 Reviews found online 57 ≈ 67 (est.) Outpost nAT: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 57.2 = 63
Encounter AT2: 60% × 67.3 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 67
No road tests of noise for Outpost nAT. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
No owner ratings of noise for Encounter AT2. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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72
Treadwear
No comparison–Why this score
Source Outpost nAT Encounter AT2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) – Reviews found online 76 – Outpost nAT: 60% × 69.8 (est.) + 40% × 75.9 = 72
No road tests of treadwear for Outpost nAT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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71
Handling (owners)
No comparison–Why this score
Source Outpost nAT Encounter AT2 Reviews found online 71 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Nokian Outpost nAT | Sumitomo Encounter AT2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 71 | 71 |
| Dry | 71 | 71 |
| Wet | 75 | 73 |
| Snow | 71 | – |
| Comfort | 68 | 69 |
| Noise | 63 | 67 |
| Treadwear | 72 | – |
| Handling (owners) | 71 | – |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
71
/ 100
Outpost nAT
71
/ 100
Encounter AT2
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Outpost nAT
Pros
- Exceptional winter weather traction in deep snow, packed snow, and ice
- Strong wet and dry on-road grip with a planted, firm feel
- Relatively lightweight construction compared to traditional all-terrain alternatives
Cons
- Some users experience moderate tread noise or a droning sound at highway speeds
- Occasional reports of a rougher ride compared to factory highway tires
- Rare quality control issues such as tire hop or balancing difficulties
Tire B Encounter AT2
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Nokian Outpost nAT | B · Sumitomo Encounter AT2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | All-Terrain tire |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | 47 | 30 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 22″ | 16″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | 14/32″ | 12/32″ |
| UTQG | 700 A A | 660 B B |
| Treadwear warranty | 60,000 mi | 65,000 mi |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 27 | 27 |
Which one should you actually buy?
71
/ 100
Nokian Outpost nAT
71
/ 100
Sumitomo Encounter AT2
Too close to call: Nokian Outpost nAT and Sumitomo Encounter AT2 are within 2 points overall. Sumitomo Encounter AT2 is stronger on noise. Sumitomo Encounter AT2 rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 0 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Sumitomo Encounter AT2 scores 67 vs 63 on noise.
Tire A · Nokian Outpost nAT
Tire B · Sumitomo Encounter AT2
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Outpost nAT or Encounter AT2?
Which is better in the wet, Outpost nAT or Encounter AT2?
Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 73 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Which grips better on dry roads, Outpost nAT or Encounter AT2?
Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 71 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is quieter, Outpost nAT or Encounter AT2?
Sumitomo Encounter AT2, 67 vs 63 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Outpost nAT or Encounter AT2?
Neither, by our numbers: 68 vs 69 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
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