For most UK drivers, road (highway) tyres are the right choice, not all-terrain. All-terrain tyres look purposeful, but on tarmac, where almost all UK miles happen, they stop longer in the wet, make more noise, wear faster and use more fuel. All-terrain tyres only earn their keep if you genuinely drive off-road on mud, gravel or green lanes on a regular basis.
The honest difference
It comes down to the tread. Road tyres have a tighter, more closed tread tuned to grip and brake on tarmac and clear rainwater. All-terrain tyres have big, open blocks designed to bite into loose ground and clear mud. Each is brilliant in its element and a compromise outside it. The mistake is fitting an off-road tread to a vehicle that almost never leaves the road. The rubber compound differs too: all-terrain compounds are built to resist cuts and chipping on stone, not to maximise grip on cold, wet tarmac.
Where all-terrain tyres win
- Regular driving on mud, gravel, fields, farm tracks or green lanes.
- Towing or working off sealed roads.
- Light snow and rough surfaces, where the chunky tread digs in.
If that's your weekly reality, a genuine all-terrain tyre is worth the compromises. For occasional soft ground, a good all-season or road tyre often copes fine.
Where road tyres win
- Wet braking: noticeably shorter on tarmac, which is a pure safety gain.
- Noise and comfort: quieter and smoother at motorway speed.
- Longevity and economy: they last longer and use less fuel.
For the school run, the commute and the motorway, road tyres win on every measure that matters. Wet braking is the one to prioritise, because that is where tyre grip shows up most in an emergency stop, and a closed road tread clears water far better than an open off-road block. You can read it off the wet-grip grade on the EU tyre label.
Which should you choose?
Be honest about how often you actually leave tarmac. If it's rare, choose road tyres and enjoy the safety, quiet and longer life. If you regularly drive off-road, all-terrain tyres are the right tool. There's also a middle ground: all-season tyres such as the Michelin CrossClimate 2, which cope with the occasional muddy lane better than a summer tyre, without the on-road penalties of full all-terrains. For more on matching tyres to a heavy vehicle, see tyres for SUVs and 4x4s.
The tyre categories explained
All-terrain sits in the middle of a spectrum that runs from road tyres at one end to mud-terrain at the other. Knowing where each category sits stops you buying more off-road ability than you can use.
| Category | Tread | Designed for | On-road trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road (H/T, highway) | Closed, fine grooves and sipes | Tarmac in all weathers | None; this is the baseline |
| All-season | Road pattern with extra siping | Tarmac year-round, light snow, the occasional muddy lane | Slightly longer dry braking than a summer tyre |
| All-terrain (A/T) | Open blocks, wide voids | Mixed tarmac and gravel, tracks, fields | Longer wet braking, more noise, faster wear |
| Mud-terrain (M/T) | Very large blocks, huge voids | Deep mud and rock | Poor wet grip, loud, heavy, quick to wear |
Two markings help you read a tyre's intentions. M+S (mud and snow) is a manufacturer's own claim about the tread shape and is not backed by a test. The three-peak mountain snowflake symbol means the tyre has passed a snow-traction test, and many all-terrain tyres carry it.
If winter driving is your real reason for looking at all-terrains, a snowflake-marked all-season or winter tyre may do the job with fewer compromises.
What changes on tarmac when you fit all-terrains
Expect five things to change on the road, and only one of them is an improvement. The improvement is puncture resistance, because all-terrain casings are tougher. The rest are costs.
- Wet braking. Big voids clear mud, but the smaller contact patch and stiffer blocks give less bite on wet tarmac. Leave a longer gap in the rain.
- Noise. Open blocks generate a hum at speed. Compare the noise figure in decibels on the EU tyre label, where all-terrains usually sit at the louder end.
- Fuel. Heavier casings and a coarser tread mean higher rolling resistance, which shows up as a poorer label grade and more fuel used.
- Steering feel. Tall, flexible blocks make the steering feel softer and slower to respond.
- Wear. Block treads wear faster on tarmac and can wear unevenly if not rotated, so check tread depth more often and rotate as the handbook advises.
Check the ratings too. Some all-terrain sizes carry a lower speed rating or a different load index than the road tyre the car came with. The tyre must still meet the vehicle's required load index and speed rating, as our guide to load and speed ratings explains.
Fitting a taller size also changes the speedometer reading and can foul the arches on full lock, so stay with a size the manufacturer approves. Our tyre size calculator compares two sizes and shows the diameter and speedometer difference.
Can you mix all-terrain and road tyres?
Not across an axle, and on a four-wheel-drive vehicle ideally not at all. Tyres on the same axle must be the same size and should be the same type, because two tyres with different grip and different tread stiffness pull unevenly under braking and cornering. That is unsettling on a dry road and can be dangerous on a wet one.
Four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive systems add a second problem. An all-terrain tyre and a road tyre of nominally the same size can differ slightly in rolling circumference because of the deeper tread.
On a permanent or automatic four-wheel-drive system, that difference makes the front and rear axles turn at slightly different speeds, and the centre differential or coupling has to absorb it constantly. Over time that wears the drivetrain, which is why most 4x4 handbooks insist on four matching tyres.
The practical rules:
- Never mix types on the same axle.
- On a two-wheel-drive car, fit all four the same or, at the very least, keep the road tyres, with their better wet grip, on the rear axle, so the back of the car does not lose grip before the front in the wet.
- On a 4x4, replace all four together and keep tread depths similar.
- If a single all-terrain tyre is damaged and the others are part-worn, ask about a matching replacement of the same model rather than a different type.
If you do go all-terrain: a checklist
All-terrains are the right choice for some drivers, and these checks make sure they are safe and legal on the road as well as off it.
- Confirm the size is approved. Use the placard in the door shut or handbook. A taller or wider tyre can rub the arch and throw the speedometer out.
- Match the load index and speed rating. Equal to or higher than the original, never lower. Many all-terrains are commercial-style constructions with their own ratings.
- Set pressures from the vehicle, not the tyre. The maximum on the sidewall is not the running pressure. Use the placard figure, and remember that the correct pressure rises when the vehicle is loaded.
- Fit all four. Especially on a 4x4.
- Rotate regularly. Block treads wear unevenly and can develop a saw-tooth pattern that gets noisy.
- Allow for longer stopping distances. Particularly in the wet and in the cold.
- Check the snowflake mark if winter traction is part of the reason.
- Check tread depth monthly. Deep-looking tread can still be below 1.6mm in the centre grooves, and the law on tyre safety (GOV.UK) applies exactly the same to an off-road tread.
If you tow, remember that all-terrain tyres on the tow car do not change the tyres on the trailer, and a caravan's own tyres need their own checks before a trip.
We fit both
We can supply road, all-season and all-terrain options and will give you a straight recommendation based on how you actually drive, then fit them at your home or work. We work from one base at Brent Cross, NW2, and tell you on the call whether we can reach you. Call or book online for a fitting.
