Full review
This review is a comprehensive summary of the Cooper STT Pro tire for SUVs and 4x4s.
Our conclusions about this tire come from careful research and in-depth comparisons to provide you the best and most correct information possible to help you decide if this tire is suitable for your needs or not.
We use real users and their feedback to get a sense of how this tire stacks up against the competition. By drawing on their experience and the opinions and data they offer, we have collected enough information for a reliable review.
Don’t have time to read everything? Here’s a quick summary of our review as well as pros & cons listed.
If you want to know if the STT Pro is right for you and your vehicle, you’ve come to the right place. Our research offers much more insight than a quick comparison, so you can make an educated decision when shopping for new tires for your vehicle.
Cooper STT Pro – Overview
The Cooper STT Pro is a fairly durable tire, intended primarily for use on mid-range SUVs and light-duty 4×4 vehicles that occasionally need to be driven off of paved surfaces. They’re a bit beefier and more aggressive than tires for compact cars, and they’re not as performance-oriented as high-end sports car tires.
Instead, they offer very good value and the ability to take them off the roadway and onto access roads, muddy drives, and other rugged terrains. Cooper tires, in general, are pretty much in the middle-range of manufacturers and often offered with competitive pricing. This particular model is in specific sizes that are common on Jeeps and other 4×4 SUVs.
Performance
This tire exceeds in places where others can’t go: Mud and rugged terrain. That off-road capability comes at the expense of on-road comfort, and wet traction.
However, for an off-road capable tire, the Cooper STT Pro delivers reasonable comfort, excellent tread life, and relatively competitive braking distance in a head-to-head comparison conducted by an independent tester.
Handling
Recognizing that off-road prowess often comes at the expense of sharp steering and on-road performance, the STT Pros offer decent manners when driven on a paved surface.
However, many reviews report that as the tire is asked to perform harder at faster speeds and with more abrupt cornering, it has a quick drop-off in performance.
Noise and comfort
When an off-road or all-terrain tire leaves the mud and returns to the pavement, one of the most pervasive complaints is that the tires become very noisy. That’s also the case with these tires, but they’re nowhere near as noisy as some. But, it’s also fair to say that this tire performs much better on pavement than some of the previous offerings in the world of all-terrain tires, so drivers are a bit more surprised by the noise they hear when on-road.
To achieve the off-road abilities you need, it is really a matter of determining what level of road noise you can tolerate.
Overall, they’re quite comfortable on the highway, so the slight hum of rolling down a paved road on these all-terrain tires is a reminder that you sacrificed a bit of on-road comfort and road noise for the ability to hit the trails with confidence. It’s not anywhere as annoying as some budget models.
Durability
Durability is a key metric for most tire purchasers. Users report that this tire has good to excellent durability. They do not come with a tread life warranty, but Cooper will replace any tire that shows a lack of uniformity during its first 2/32” of wear or any defects in manufacturing within the same period. After that, the warranty for defects is prorated until it expires at the end of six years.
We didn’t see a single user report of warranty issues or any complaints about the quality of the tires. However, some users reported that the tires didn’t last quite as long as they expected.
Price
For mid-range tires, these Coopers are a little bit expensive, especially in their largest 20” size. But, when you factor in their proven durability, spending around $1,000 for a set of 20” tires isn’t unreasonable. And for smaller sizes, like 16” or 17” versions where a complete set only costs around $600, these tires are very competitive.
Cooper STT Pro Recommendations & Conclusions
If you’re shopping for a tire that can take you from paved roads and highways to campsites, backwoods, and muddy off-road trails, you should definitely consider the Cooper STT Pro. There are better tires, but there aren’t many that are as affordable or balanced in terms of on-road and off-road performance.
The BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 is a similarly priced competitor that does slightly better on the road but isn’t quite as able to deliver off-road. So, consider how often you’ll be in the mud before you buy one or the other. And if you’re actually going to be spending more of your time off-road, consider the General Grabber X3, a tire that excels off-road but may cost a bit more.
After sorting through all of the reviews and reports from users like you, we think that the Cooper STT Pro is a solid choice for those who spend more time on the roadway than on the trailways. If you’re primarily off-road, you might want to think about something a little bit more aggressive, with less compromise. In addition, if you live in an area with a lot of wet and slippery weather, the traction on this tire might not be up to it.
If you’re in the market for a set of all-terrain tires for your mostly-on-the-road and sometimes-in-the-mud SUV, Jeep, or 4×4, the Cooper STT Pro model is an outstanding tire at an affordable price. Just don’t expect it to have the same manners and performance as a dedicated on-road tire or an all-terrain model that costs twice as much.
