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Last updated 9/09/2024 - Originally published 9/09/2024
Written by SimpleTire
Two of the highly acclaimed all-terrain tire brands, Falken and Mickey Thompson, have an incredible lineup of capable rugged tires that offer superior performance on some of the toughest trails. While the Falken is a Japanese Sumitomo tire brand subsidiary, Mickey Thompson is a sub-brand of the American tire brand Cooper Tires. Since their introductions, their famous all-terrain lines Falken Wildpeak and Mickey Thompson Baja have been hot favorites among adventure enthusiasts who cherish performance and value.
Engineered for Jeeps, SUVs, 4x4s, and pickup trucks, the Falken Wildpeak A/T4W and Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP promise to deliver great value owing to their enhanced durability, handling, traction, and control on paved and rough roads. While they offer dependable off-road performance, their on-road manners are civilized too. Large tread blocks, deep voids, and solid shoulder patterns ensure they easily conquer rocky, slushy, and muddy terrains without compromising their on-road attributes.
So which tire should you go for? Let’s compare Falken Wildpeak A/T4W vs Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP based on our proprietary SimpleScore to figure out the winner.
Falken Wildpeak A/T4W tires
Boasting a high-strength casing and rugged construction, the Falken Wildpeak A/T4W features fantastic tread rigidity and heat diffuser technology for exceptional towing capacity, performance, and handling throughout the year. Designed for SUVs and light trucks, the Wildpeak A/T4W can take on dry, wet, and moderate to severe winter weather conditions thanks to a unique rubber compound that remains flexible even in freezing temperatures. The Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification is a testament to that fact. While the deep grooves boost off-road grip and traction, the solid sidewall design lends extra durability for tackling tough terrains. For complete peace of mind, it is also backed by a 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.
With a superior 9.5 average SimpleScore, the Falken Wildpeak A/T4W assures incredible durability, traction, stability, and tread life.
Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP tires
The Baja series from Mickey Thompson doesn’t need an introduction. They’ve been inspiring and entertaining avid travelers for years, and the Baja Legend EXP is no exception. With an aggressive tread design and solid shoulder design, the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP offers strong grip, traction, and control on and off the road. While its optimized lightweight construction ensures precise handling, better control, and excellent wearability, the wide circumferential and lateral grooves clear water, mud, slush, and snow from the tread. The sidebiters and large tread blocks of the Mickey Thompson do a great job of keeping stones and debris away from the tread. Laced with the T4 silica-based rubber compound, the Baja Legend EXP returns extra durability for consistent performance. It’s backed by a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.
Scoring an 8.3 SimpleScore, the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP returns enhanced grip, traction, and durability.
Falken Wildpeak A/T4W vs Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP tires on traction
Traction ensures the tire remains in consistent contact with the surface and does not skid. Be it on or off the road, both tires promise enhanced traction and grip.
With an incredible 9.8 traction score, the Falken Wildpeak A/T4W features an aggressive tread pattern with staggered shoulder blocks and a zigzag tread pattern that not only boosts dry and wet grip but also improves ice and snow performance. With Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification, the unique rubber compound of the Falken tire remains flexible in extreme temperatures.
Contrarily, the Mickey Thompson scores a modest 8.2 thanks to its bigger tread elements and strategic voids that help evacuate snow, water, debris, and mud out of the tread to resist hydroplaning and deliver consistent traction in different driving conditions. While sidebiters of the Baja Legend EXP provide extra traction, the T4 silica-based rubber compound boosts wet braking and handling performance.
With a comprehensive lead, the Wildpeak A/T4W turns out to be wilder than the Baja Legend EXP.
ADVANTAGE: Falken Wildpeak A/T4W
Falken Wildpeak A/T4W vs Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP tires on handling
Power is nothing without control. You need exceptional steering response to direct power and speed on and off the road.
Continuing its impressive run, the Wildpeak A/T4W scores 9.5 in handling thanks to its exceptional steering response that delivers superior on and off-road performance. While the solid shoulder pattern allows superior steering response, the strong central blocks improve stability.
Boasting an 8.3 in handling, the Baja Legend EXP features a special T4 silica-reinforced rubber compound and optimized tread design for improved handling and stability in dry, wet, and snowy conditions. The inner contact patch is broad while the outer one is tough to enhance steering response on and off the road.
The Wildpeak A/T4W leaves no margin for the Baja Legend EXP in handling and beats it comprehensively.
ADVANTAGE: Falken Wildpeak A/T4W
Falken Wildpeak A/T4W vs Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP tires on longevity
Longevity is defined by the number of years or miles a tire can survive. You expect adequate tread life from all-terrain tires with decent mileage warranties.
Scoring an exceptional 9.2 in longevity, the Wildpeak A/T4W features a proprietary 3-ply DURASPEC sidewall technology and deep tread depth for safeguarding tread against irregular wear and ensuring it lasts long. It is backed by a solid 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.
One last time, the Baja Legend EXP tries to improve performance but is unable to score more than 8.4 in longevity. With an innovative T4 rubber compound, the Mickey Thompson tire limits chips, cuts, and snags for a longer service life. The next-generation lightweight, high-tensile body plies allow maximum wearability and enhanced durability. It is backed by a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, significantly lower than the Falken.
From the above, it is clear that the Falken Wildpeak A/T4W wins the longevity section too.
ADVANTAGE: Falken Wildpeak A/T4W
When to use each
All-terrain tires are engineered for SUV and light truck owners who frequently drop off-road for fun or work. Their high-strength sidewall design and optimized tread pattern ensure consistent performance on and off the road. If you rarely go off the beaten path, you can pick the highway terrain tires as they’re meant to offer reliable all-season performance in dry, wet, and light snow.
Those looking for the made-in-America option that encounters more off-road terrain and less snow can select the Mickey Thompson. On the other hand, the Falken is the better overall tire here on several fronts, including movement on heavy snow (Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol). However, if your route encounters too much mud, snow, gravel, rocks, or sand, you should pick the mud-terrain tires as they feature larger tread blocks and wider grooves for optimum traction and grip on challenging surfaces.
Which one should you choose?
To conclude, it’s the Falken Wildpeak A/T4W all over, be it traction, handling, or longevity. The Falken wins the comparison 3-0! Even when it comes to a limited mileage warranty, the Wildpeak A/T4W has better coverage. Besides, it’s the Falken that comes with the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification, which assures improved winter weather performance. Let’s have a look at their price to see whether it could make a difference to your buying decision.
Comparing their prices, for LT265/70R18 tire size, the Falken costs $281 per tire and four such tires cost $1124, while the Mickey Thompson costs $284 per tire and four tires cost $1136 (a difference of $12).
The Falken Wildpeak A/T4W is a good option if you:
- Drive vehicles like the Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, and Ford F-250.
- Want better traction (9.8 vs. 8.2) and handling (9.5 vs. 8.3)
- Prefer long-lasting tires (9.2 vs. 8.4)
- Want a higher mileage warranty (65,000 vs. 50,000 miles)
You should go for the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP if you:
- Drive vehicles like the Dodge Durango, Ford Ranger, and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
- Want quieter all-terrain tires
- Want to undertake more off-road travel
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents will be more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.