Chaps...I'm badly in need of some advice re tyre choice. So reading lots, but not getting to the nub of the issue.

So these BF Goodrich tyres have increased sidewall strength and hard tread...all very well but what are they like to drive on the road, where I spend 90% of my time. Does increased sidewall strength mean extra stiffness therefore a harsher ride? Size I'm looking for is 265/75/R16

Really what I want is a tyre with a nice high sidewall for comfort, but is also capable off-road for the odd diversion.

Any other suggestions welcome also.

The BFG ATs are the defacto choice for serious overlanders because they are exceptionally enduring and versatile. I put a set on my previous D2 and they made the old girl almost unstoppable - only deep cloggy mud managed to overwhelm them. However, their tread appears to be made of a progressive hardness - when they were new they were resonably quiet, but they did become noticably more noisy after 10k miles or so - I'm guessing that this harder tread is what gives them their longevity. The sidewalls are tough and very stiff - the difference between them and the Cooper Discoverer ATR that they replaced was amazing - you could easily bend the sidewall on the ATRs but the BFG ATs sidewalls were like metal plates lol. I did notice that the ride was much harder when the ATs were fitted - BUT that coincided with me replacing the entire suspension with OME springs and TerraFirmer shocks, which must have had a similar contribution to the change in ride quality.

I've just fitted some Cooper ST Maxx tyres to my D1 and these are a compromise between the BFG AT and the old style Discoverer ATR sidewall wise - the tyres are still a heavy duty build with stiff sidewalls, but not quite as stiff as the ATs. To be honest I reckon they're very underrated - they're surprisingly quiet, very comfy on tarmac and great greenlaning. At around £110 a corner from Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX 265/75 R16 123/120 Q » Oponeo.co.uk they're a bargain and I can highly recommend them.

HTH

Thanks Artic...some nice detail and to the point.

Yeah the super stiff sidewall worries me when I'm really after some improvement in comfort. I've currently got 255/55/R18's on and find them too harsh, so last thing I want to do is go to all that expense and trouble to goto 265/75/R16 and find its even worse! Going straight to your link for a look.