Practical enough for everyday...
Practical enough for everyday use on the pavement, the Baja ATZ from Mickey Thompson is an adept off-pavement performer.
The Baja ATZ has a plethora of siping. These small cuts in the blocks provide additional traction on slick surfaces. We can certainly attest that these tires work very well on snowpacked, wet, or ice-slicked streets, as we had an ample chance to test these characteristics this spring.
The ATZ comes in two flavors: the ATZ and the ATZ Plus. The ATZ Plus has actually been around the longer of the two siblings and happens to be a tire that we have been enjoying for the last several years. Having run both tires on the same truck for considerable miles, we can make some comparisons. The "new" ATZ is definitely the better looking of the two if you want to make a statement. The larger tread blocks make it appear a closer cousin to a full-on mud tire than a street-oriented tread. The ATZ Plus is quieter on the pavement due to its extra center rib. The ATZ is by no means loud, but the ATZ Plus is quieter yet. Another characteristic we noticed is that the ATZ doesn't pick up as many stones. In fact, the ATZ even advertises "stone kicker rock ejectors" as a feature. For most of us, picking up stones isn't that big a deal. However, we live on a dirt road, and the transition to pavement on the ATZ Plus was sometimes accompanied by an annoying "tick, tick, tick" sound. No more! We aren't quite sure what the engineers did, but the ATZ just doesn't pick up rocks.
After a thousand miles on the "new" ATZ, we can say with confidence that this tire does an excellent job of resolving the old conundrum of what tire to buy for a dual-use truck. Mickey Thompson has done a first-rate job of utilizing new materials and technology to create a tire that works very well both on- and off-road. If you are forced to live and wheel in two worlds with one truck, then the Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ is a tire that merits serious consideration.
 The tread pattern features...  The tread pattern features enough void, so that the tire works extremely well on both loose and hard-packed dirt. The tires propelled the Jeep on both surfaces with ease. |  We can't help it. If there...  We can't help it. If there are rocks nearby, we have to play! The Baja ATZ performed admirably, even on this steep, slick, and dust-covered outcropping. |  Quite frankly, we were surprised...  Quite frankly, we were surprised how well this tire performed on the relatively low-traction rocks we found nearby. |
 Aired down to 16 psi, the...  Aired down to 16 psi, the Baja ATZ responded with a nice sidewall bulge and a much smoother ride than we expected from a load range E rating. With a max load of over 3,400 pounds per tire, they also would be at home on a much larger (and heavier) truck. |  The Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ...  The Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ is very much at home in the backcountry but will happily haul you back and forth to work every day. And you will be happy with them in both worlds. | |