Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek Review

With the brand new Discoverer Rugged Trek, Cooper has brought to market a tire that has the style pickup truck and SUV drivers want, while retaining the civilized performance they demand.

PROS

  • Awesome looks
  • Surprisingly quiet
  • Long life

CONS

  • Limites sizes
  • A bit pricey

     

In short, the Discoverer Rugged Trek looks like an amazing off-road tire, but performs like a quality all-season. And that’s quite an achievement.

On-road handling is optimized thanks to Cooper’s Stable Trac Technology, where the inside tread blocks feature siping running in multiple directions to give added grip, particularly in the wet. The deep void space between each tread lug also helps prevent hydroplaning, while more sipes on the external tread blocks act to give even more wet-weather grip.

Shoulder tread blocks feature tie bars or “stone blockades” that serve numerous purposes, forcing out rocks from sticking into the tread off-road (thus prolonging tread life) while on-road they connect the blocks for added stability in cornering, while also allowing for longer tread life by flexing less under acceleration and braking.

Visible on the sides of the internal tread blocks are edges that Cooper calls “Whisper Grooves.” These work to cut the noise from air flowing through the tire – common with aggressive tread patterns like this. Owners reporting genuinely surprised at how quiet this aggressive-looking tire really is.

The tire isn’t entirely on-road focused, however. The large tread lugs and significant void spaces naturally give plenty of off-road grip, while the “Earth Diggers” the run along the shoulder of the tire help give further grip in loose surfaces, while also providing an added layer of protection to the sidewall.

Ribs that run between the external tread blocks also work as stone ejectors to prevent rocks from getting caught in the tread pattern, which can limit grip, create uneven wear and reduce tread life.

All this goes to say that Cooper did still build this tire to handle some real off-roading, and like any Discoverer tire, it impresses.

And as mentioned above, the Discoverer Rugged Trek looks the part of a true off-road tire, not only on the tread surface but on that sidewall where owners have the choice of sidewall design. There’s a conventional “Knife-Edge” look or the more aggressive “Mountain Pass” design, which we particularly love!

cooper discoverer rugged trek review

Delivering on the promise of being an excellent all-season, Cooper even goes so far as to deliver a solid on-road tread life with a 60,000 mile warranty for most models and a 55,000 mile warranty for LT sizes. That’s certainly less than a conventional all-season, but there has to be some compromise for such an aggressive design.

Built for those who want off-road style with on-road comfort, it seems highly likely that these tires will be a hit with the aftermarket crowd who don’t intend to hit the trails. As a result, it’s nice to see that Cooper offers some lower-profile options. (We are disappointed in the limited selection overall, but we expect more sizes to be added soon).

As for pricing, it’s hard to judge these tires as they are unique. As far as all-season tires go, they are on the expensive side. And yet, if you compare them to mud-terrain tires (which is what they look like) they’re a considerable bargain. And they’ve even better when you consider they’ll probably last twice as long as a set of MT tires.

 

Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek Price

Pricing for the Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek ranges from around $180 per tire for a 16-inch fitment and goes up to just around $300 for a 22-inch fitment.

     

Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek Warranty

Cooper backs the Discoverer Rugged Trek with a 60,000 mile tread life warranty for standard p-metric sizes and a 55,000 mile warranty for LT sizes.

Cooper’s standard limited warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship with a free replacement for any defects found on a tire during the first year of ownership. After that point, and down to the final 2/32-inch of tread life, Cooper will replace defective tires on a pro-rated basis.

Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek Sizes

16-inch sizes
265/70R16

17-inch sizes
265/70R17
LT265/70R17
LT285/70R17

18-inch sizes
255/70R18
265/65R18
265/60R18
LT275/70R18
LT275/65R18

20-inch sizes
275/60R20
275/55R20
265/50R20
LT275/65R20
LT265/60R20
LT285/55R20
LT305/55R20
35X12.50R20LT

22-inch sizes
285/45R22

How Many Ply is the Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek?

In terms of the sidewall, the Rugged Trek makes use of a conventional 2-ply setup, rather than the 3-ply you’ll find common on Mud Terrain tires.

As for what Ply the tires are in terms of load range, several versions are available in 10-ply (Load Range E) or 12-ply (Load Range F) setups for heavy duty trucks.

Is the Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek Good in Snow?

Despite its siping and overall aggressive look, the Rugged Trek is no more capable in snow than a conventional all-season tire.