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Last updated 7/11/2024 - Originally published 7/11/2024
Written by SimpleTire
So, what’s the story with highway-terrain tires? The highway terrain tires are something that’s mainly (but not exclusively) confined to the world of light trucks and SUVs. As the name implies, highway-terrain tires are for vehicles that spend most of their time on the pavement and are designed with an all-season tread pattern for year-round performance. Like automotive all-season or grand touring tires, highway-terrain designs deliver year-round grip, long wear, a quiet and comfortable ride, and capable and predictable handling, except with an enhanced load rating that makes it more suitable for light trucks that might haul heavy loads or tow trailers. In other words, you can think of a highway-terrain tire as being a somewhat more robust version of an automotive all-season or Grand Touring tire. Today we’re going to take a look at two very good premium highway-terrain tires: the Wildpeak H/T02 from Falken, and the Dynapro HT (RH12) from Hankook.
Are you familiar with SimpleTire’s SimpleScore system? It is the rating method that our team developed to give you a quick at-a-glance idea of any tire’s performance and value. We look at a tire’s reviews, specs, and other data points, then take that information and process it into a 1-10 numerical score. For the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 and Hankook Dynapro HT (RH12), the SimpleScore ratings shake out like this:
Hankook Dynapro HT (RH12):
- Traction: 8.4
- Handling: 8.4
- Longevity: 8.4
- Overall average SimpleScore: 8.5
Falken Wildpeak H/T02:
- Traction: 8.3
- Handling: 8.3
- Longevity: 9.1
- Overall average SimpleScore: 8.5
As you can see, the Hankook and the Falken are pretty evenly matched in SimpleScore rankings, although both have their distinct strengths and weaknesses. As handy as SimpleScore is, though, it’s 30,000 foot view that doesn’t give you the whole picture and the real details you need to make an informed decision. Let’s go in for a closer look at this product line comparison:
Falken Wildpeak H/T02 tires
Technically, the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 might be classed as an all-season highway-terrain tire, but don’t be fooled – this is a durable, tough tire for light trucks and SUVs, complete with Heavy Duty LT designation that denotes extra load capacity and a durable construction. The Wildpeak H/T 02 is nothing if not resilient; it’s designed with a rugged upper sidewall, damage-resistant tread compound, “support bridge” tread blocks that add extra rigidity and stability, and a 75,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty (50,000 miles for LT-metric sizes). Put it all together and it comes out to a SimpleScore of 9.7 for longevity. It’s designed for year-round performance, with a silica-rich tread formulation and a tread pattern that incorporates four circumferential and lateral grooves with 3D Canyon Sipes, for a SimpleScore of 8.7 for traction. Steering response, braking performance, road manners, and cornering are all composed and precise, and we give the Wildpeak H/T 02 a SimpleScore of 8.5 for handling. Overall SimpleScore for the Falken Wildpeak H/T 02 is a very respectable 9.1. SimpleTire’s price on the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 starts around $119 per tire.
Hankook Dynapro HT (RH12) tires
Here at SimpleTire, we’ve been pretty consistently impressed with everything from the Hankook family of tires, and the Dynapro HT (RH12) is no exception. This highway-terrain tire is a great choice and great value for sporty trucks, SUVs, and crossovers. Its all-season tread features circumferential and angled grooves for wet-weather performance and a dense network of sipes to multiply the tread’s surface area and traction with hundreds of tiny biting edges to slice through snow or slush. SimpleScore for traction: 8.4. Its redesigned contact patch ensures better rubber-to-road contact for improved braking and handling as well as long, even wear. A stiffened, solid center rib gives the Dynapro HT (RH12) an edge in handling and steering response for a SimpleScore rating of (again) 8.4. Hankook covers the Dynapro HT (RH12) with a 70,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty (40,000 miles for LT-metric sizes or staggered fitments) for a SimpleScore of (surprise!) 8.4 for longevity. SimpleTire’s price on the Hankook Dynapro HP (RH12) starts around $110 per tire.
Falken Wildpeak H/T02 vs Hankook Dynapro HT (RH12) tires on traction
With a SimpleScore of 8.4 for the Hankook and 8.3 for the Falken in the traction category, this one is a pretty tough call. Both tires have similar tread features like circumferential grooves, sipes, angled/lateral grooves, and silica-rich tread formulations that perform well in wet weather. Also, notably, neither tire has the M+S rating for mud/snow traction or the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification for severe winter service, though both do well in light snow. In cases like this, we defer to customer reviews, and in this instance, customer reviews point to the Falken falling a bit short when it comes to traction in wet or wintry weather. Our decision:
ADVANTAGE: Hankook Dynapro HT (RH12)
Falken Wildpeak H/T02 vs Hankook Dynapro HT (RH12) tires on handling
In the handling category, it’s an equally close shave with the Hankook registering a SimpleScore of 8.4 vs 8.3 for the Falken. Both tires are capable and predictable when it comes to handling, with little tendency toward understeer or oversteer, and road manners that are composed and balanced even on rough or uneven pavement. The solid center rib in the tread of both tires gives them a steering response that’s quick and light without ever being overly touchy or jumpy. Again, we chalk this one up to customer reviews that point to the Hankook having handling properties that are a bit more refined even when pushed close to the limit. Our decision:
ADVANTAGE: Hankook Dynapro HT (RH12)
Falken Wildpeak H/T02 vs Hankook Dynapro HT (RH12) tires on longevity
This one is quite a bit more clear-cut, with the Falken coming in hot with a SimpleScore of 9.1 for longevity vs 8.4 for the Hankook. Like in most cases, we mark this up to a difference in limited manufacturer’s tread life coverage: 75,000 miles for the Falken, 70,000 miles for the Hankook. We like it when it’s this easy, so our decision:
ADVANTAGE: Falken Wildpeak H/T02
When to use each
To be really honest, both the Hankook and the Falken are very good choices for a light truck or SUV. They’re both premium tires that offer premium performance, with everything you’d expect from a Grand Touring tire: sharp and precise handling, a quiet and refined ride, long, even tread life, and year-round traction in about every kind of condition other than heavy snow and ice. They’re also both tires that are robust enough for heavy loads and trailer-towing duty– tough enough for commercial vehicles, in fact. Where we’d avoid using the Falken or the Hankook, though, is in heavier snow or off-road use in sticky mud or loose dirt, since that’s not what tires like these are designed for.
Which one should you choose?
When it comes down to which tire is the go-to choice, that’s a difficult needle to thread. Both the Hankook and the Falken stack up well against each other in all the SimpleScore categories, except for longevity where the Falken comes out on top. With that in mind, let’s think about the price spread: $110 per tire for the Falken vs $119 per tire for the Hankook. In our estimation, that makes the Falken a better bang for the buck, when you weigh price vs features and performance. Our call would be for the Falken, but you can’t go wrong with either one.
Based on SimpleScore, you should consider the Wildpeak H/T02 if you:
- Drive a full-size pickup truck like the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, a half-ton truck like the Nissan Titan XD, or a full-size pickup like the GMC Sierra 1500
- Need tires that are long-lasting (9.1 vs 8.4 in longevity)
- Need tires that cost less and also do not disappoint with the performance
- Need tires that are good for on-road use in dry, wet, and light winter weather conditions
On the other hand, you should pick the Hankook Dynapro HT (RH12) if you:
- Drive a heavy-duty pickup truck like the Ford F-350, a mid-size pickup like the Toyota Tacoma, or a 3-row SUV like the Nissan Pathfinder
- Need tires that offer better traction performance (8.4 vs 8.3 in traction)
- Need tires that offer better handling performance (8.4 vs 8.3 in handling)
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.