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Last updated 6/19/2024 - Originally published 6/19/2024
Written by SimpleTire
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The Italian tire giant Pirelli manufactures some of the best ultra-high-performance tires in the world, while the local American lad, Mickey Thompson is revered for its incredible range of off-road tires. What will happen when Pirelli takes a stab at creating a premium all-terrain tire and puts it up against the seasoned Mickey Thompson? We dive deep to know the details.
The Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus from Pirelli and the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP claim to offer superb traction, durability, and longevity when put to play on some of the toughest terrains. Both offer civilized manners on paved roads, while they display their real character when you take them off the road on your light truck, Jeep, or SUV. At the end of the day, you can put a single set of tires on your vehicle, right? So which one should you go for? Let’s compare Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus against Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP based on our proprietary SimpleScore to figure out the winner.
Replacing the aging Pirelli Scorpion ATR, the Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus was introduced in the USA in 2018. Designed for CUVs, SUVs, Jeeps, and light trucks, the Scorpion All Terrain Plus features increased tread blocks for enhanced traction on mud and grass. Combining aesthetics and performance, this Pirelli tire features solid shoulder blocks for increased durability and damage resistance, irregular blocks with sharp edges for superior traction in off-road conditions, and high-density siping for extra grip and control in dry, wet, and snowy conditions. The Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certificate assures great performance in moderate to severe winter weather conditions. Lastly, it comes with a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.
With a fantastic SimpleScore of 8.4 out of 10, the Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus offers great looks, grip, traction, and on and off-the-road performance even in severe winter weather conditions.
Coming from the off-road tire expert Mickey Thompson, the Baja Legend EXP has an aggressive tread pattern with solid shoulder blocks and well-defined inner tread. While the circumferential and lateral grooves help in quick water, mud, and snow evacuation from the tread, the T4 silica-based rubber compound provides extra durability for consistent performance. Made in the US, the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP features lightweight construction for enhanced steering response, ride comfort, and a longer tread life. Backed by a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, the Baja offers enhanced traction and grip on and off the road thanks to the large surface elements, sidebiters, and excellent void ratio.
Scoring an average SimpleScore of 8.2, the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP offers great durability, grip, traction, and performance.
Traction ensures the tire remains in constant contact with the surface and does not skid. Whether on or off the road, it plays a vital role in ensuring safety. Both tirelines assure great grip and traction.
Boasting an 8.6 score for traction, the Scorpion All Terrain Plus features irregular, large blocks with sharp edges that provide enhanced grip and traction on dry, wet, snowy, and slippery surfaces – on and off the road. The presence of high-density siping allows extra biting edges for great control and grip on snowy terrains. The Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification assures superior winter performance.
Similarly, the Baja Legend EXP scores 8.2 in traction thanks to the large tread blocks and wide voids that help in quick water, mud, snow, and muck out of the tread for consistent grip and traction in dry, wet, and snowy conditions. The T4 silica-reinforced rubber compound ensures improved wet handling and braking performance, while Sidebiters provide extra traction in adverse conditions. Therefore, the Mickey Thompson falls short of its competitor and loses the traction battle to Pirelli.
ADVANTAGE: Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus
While traction is an essential feature of a tire, it’s nothing without control, making handling the next best trait to look for in a tire. Both all-terrain tires promise responsive steering on and off the road.
With an 8.5 handling score, the Pirelli assures great handling on paved and unpaved roads. Thanks to the dense siping and solid shoulder blocks, the Scorpion All Terrain Plus offers improved steering response while driving on highways or exploring the countryside.
On the other hand, the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP scores 8.3 in handling thanks to the optimized tread design and T4 silica-reinforced rubber compound that assures enhanced steering feedback in dry and wet conditions. The broad inner and solid outer tread boost handling and stability on and off the road.
With the score leveled, the handling section witnesses a tie. However, the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol gives the Pirelli an edge in handling.
ADVANTAGE: Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus
A tire’s worth is usually calculated through the miles/years it can survive, making longevity another critical aspect to watch out for during your tire purchase.
Scoring a decent 8.1 in longevity, the Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus features groove cones that promote self-cleaning and assure safety during off-road expeditions. While an optimized contact patch distributes pressure evenly for a longer tread life, the self-cleaning attribute boosts safety. It gets a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.
With a fantastic longevity score of 8.4, the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP features a special T4 rubber compound that resists cuts, chips, and abrasions and delivers long-lasting tread wear. Backed by a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, the next-gen lightweight high tensile body plies boost durability and tread life.
The Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP wins the longevity battle, beating the Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus convincingly.
ADVANTAGE: Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP
All-terrain tires are a good option for a mix of on and off-the-road driving. These tires offer excellent grip, traction, and durability on smooth roads, while their tough character returns superb off-road performance with optimum grip and traction. However, if you rarely go off the beaten path, highway tires would suit your pickup truck.
If your work involves driving in challenging conditions of mud, muck, sand, or gravel, mud terrain tires can be used as they offer reinforced construction and larger tread blocks with deep grooves for maximum traction and durability in these conditions. You can even check out the rugged terrain tires – a cross between an all-terrain and mud-terrain tire – if you wish to drive your truck equally on and off the road.
To sum up, there’s no clear winner here as the Pirelli offers better traction and grip while the Mickey Thompson is more long-lasting, and for steering response, the scores are leveled. So, it boils down to your preferences as the ones looking for a better all-terrain tire with great traction, the Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus is a good option, while for someone who wants a tire that lasts long, the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP is the answer. With both offering the same 50,000 mile limited treadwear warranty, the only difference is Pirelli’s Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification, which slightly pulls the match in its favor.
Comparing their prices, for LT265/65R17 tire size, the Pirelli costs $216 per tire and four such tires cost $864, while the Mickey Thompson costs $273 per tire and four tires cost $1092 (a difference of $228).
Based on the SimpleScore, you can pick the Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus if you:
You should go for the Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP if you:
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.
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