Finally, a serious rival for the BFGoodrich All-Terrain tyre. Despite a marketplace overflowing with all-terrains, I've considered the BFG to be the best overall, an opinion based on personal experience and watching them perform on many types of vehicle in a wide range of conditions. Their disadvantage is that they cost more than some competitors, but it's a price I'd be willing to pay. However, I've just spent a fair bit of time with the Continental CrossContact AT, in 235/85 x 16 size on the Defender 110 (above). It's a tyre I'd not seen before and wouldn't expect them to be widely available, but if ever there's a contender for the AT championship, this is it.
The pictures show a tread pattern quite different from the BFG's, and with decent voids that help move mud and, like the American tyre, has the makings of side lugs. I was impressed with how well they handled a wide range of off-road conditions without needing to air-down. On the road, they handle well in wet and dry and are not particularly noisy. They're not going to take you into Centipede country any more than a BFG or any other all-terrain, but they're well worth a look as a possibility for an all-rounder that won't embarrass you on safaris and non-extreme club trips.
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