Performing Overland Journal's test was professional driver Joe Bacal, who is skilled in testing off-highway vehicles, the magazine said. He is a former lead evaluation specialist for Toyota Motor Corp, a Baja 250, 500 and 1000 winner with Team Lexus and, according to the journal, “is regarded as one of the foremost four-wheel drive performance evaluators” in the U.S. “He pushed the tires to the limit,” Overland Journal continued, “and assessed which all-terrain products excelled through dirt and pavement testing.”
“We are gratified that Overland Journal recognized the innovative features, performance and value of the A/T3 to give it the Editor's Choice and Value Award,” said Scott Jamieson, Cooper's director of product management. “Since its debut, this tire has become one of Cooper's most sought-after light truck tires. The success of the Discoverer A/T3, coupled with this accolade, is evidence of our focus on crafting quality tires that perform and meet the real-life performance needs of consumers.”
Scott Brady, chief evaluator and publisher of Overland Journal, said the A/T3 “demonstrated superior ride quality, NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) and skid pad handling; it cannot be overstated how well the tire performed overall on the pavement.
“In the end, the Cooper Discoverer A/T3 was also the overwhelming champ at speed on the dirt as well. After a controlled 75-mph drift on the gravel oval, Joe Bacal summed the tire up as ‘ridiculously fast.' The Cooper is smooth and effective at speed, with limited oversteer and no notable overshoot upon countersteer.”
According to Cooper, Overland Journal is using the Discoverer A/T3 on its in-house vehicle, a Land Rover Range Rover Sport, in part thanks to the tire's “aggressive five-rib all-terrain design, silica based tread compound and dual draft tread element walls, lateral groove protectors and broken center rib.”
Begun in 2007, Overland Journal is a journal-format publication dedicated to expedition travel and exploration in North America and around the world. It is published five times per year and has a circulation of 14,000 copies. The magazine features 128 pages of expedition vehicles, travel stories, equipment reviews, conservation and industry news and photography. More information is available on the Overland Journal website and on its Facebook page.
