Bridgestone Dueler A/T 002 – Tyres are perhaps the most important part of a vehicle, yet often overlooked. With the increasing popularity of AWD SUV’s and 4WD’s, owners often will stay on the blacktop and never venture further afield.
But what if they want to. Almost all SUV’s and 4WD’s will come with a road biased tyre as standard fit. Owners will have to upgrade.
Well, obviously there are All Terrain tyres. These are tyres designed for 4WD work without being too hard core.
However, they are a light truck tyre with the heavy-duty construction that comes with that. They also have different tread and side lug designs.
This is great when you are being adventurous. But most times your SUV or 4WD will be driving on normal roads. We have done some reader surveys and that can be around 90% of the time.
These All Terrains have different ride and handling characteristics to normal car tyres. They perform differently in the wet and we all know the tyre roar of All Terrains.
Well, I just got back from a drive program with Bridgestone where they were demonstrating a new tyre that seems to solve that issue.
This is the Bridgestone Dueler A/T 002.
Bridgestone Dueler A/T 002
It’s different because the Dueler A/T 002 utilises passenger construction design rather than Light Truck construction.
Meaning it’s quieter, lighter and more flexible than Bridgestone’s flagship Dueler A/T 697.
Providing it with noise, comfort and fuel economy characteristics more like a highway terrain than an all-terrain pattern.
The Dueler A/T 002 is positioned as the start of the true off-road range with an intended skew of 80% on-road and 20% off-road.
This is a step up when it comes to capability compared to the original equipment focused highway terrain patterns.
The Dueler A/T 002 is also the convergence of form and function, with the modern hexagonal block shape and architecture.
Optimised to deliver strong traction on a range of surfaces such as on-road, sand, dirt and gravel.
The wrap around shoulder blocks provide a seamless integration between the face and sidewall for greater traction in sandy, snowy, and light-medium muddy conditions.
While the pattern has practical benefits, the aggressive tread design provides an aesthetic edge over original equipment tyres and visual upgrade to almost any 4×4 on the market.
Dueler A/T 697 on my own Pajero
I actually run the flagship Dueler A/T 697 on my own Pajero. This tyre is a true All Terrain with light truck construction and is intended for up to 30% off-road use, with extra cut and chip resistance and rigidity.
I have driven these tyres through the Flinders Ranges, Oodnadatta track, Birdsville Track, Development Road to Innaminka, Cordillo Downs, Strzelecki Track.
They have also been paddock bashing on the farm, through the Watagan forest trails and numerous beach drives. They are an ideal A/T for mostly highway driving along with more adventurous off-road work.
Throughout all those drives there wasn’t a puncture (touch wood), tyre chip, cut or any issues.
I’m extremely happy with them. But I do more than most 4WD/SUV owners will.
So how did the Dueler A/T 002 tyres perform
On the test the tyres were on Isuzu D-Max and Isuzu MU-X vehicles in a range of profiles and sizes.
The test encompassed normal suburban roads, some dirt roads, a lot of beach driving as well as a long stretch of highway.
So, in other words what a normal owner of a SUV or 4WD might do on a weekend adventure with the family.
In short, The Dueler A/T 002 were fantastic.
On the road they soaked up a lot of road irregularities with ease. The softer sidewall construction was noticeable.
The difference between these and the normal highway tyres was imperceptible.
Yet the Dueler A/T 002 provides more possibilities.
On the highway they were quiet. They didn’t have the typical A/T roar as you were driving.
On dirt roads and the beach, they were excellent. Enough deep tread to clear the crap. Enough side lugs to provide extra grip.
Final Thoughts
Most 4WD, SUV or Ute owners spend most of their time on road. But if they want to venture further afield one thing is always in the back of the mind. Will my tyres cope.
The Bridgestone Dueler A/T 002 will give 4WD and SUV owners the confidence to be adventurous combined with more normal ride and handling characteristics.
They are ideal for owners that spend most of their time doing the mundane daily drives, but want the more adventurous excursions, without compromising on comfort, on-road handling, or economy.
