If you’ve got a light truck or SUV that’s equipped with four-wheel-drive, chances are you probably want to get the most out of that vehicle’s traction and performance with the occasional trip off-road. You need a tire you can depend on for durability and traction in rough conditions like gravel, mud, sand, rocks, snow and difficult terrain, but you also probably spend most of your time on streets and highways so you’re also looking for a tire that can deliver a comfortable ride, good road manners and handling, a civilized noise level and long wear. If that sounds like you and your situation, you should consider the Mastercraft Stratus AP.

Mastercraft is a wholly-owned brand from Cooper Tire, and the Stratus AP is a great value in an all-terrain tire that can check all the boxes for the criteria listed in the above paragraph. It’s designed for tough off-road performance and value, at a price that comes in well below some premium brands. But you shouldn’t just take our word for it – let’s take a closer look with this Mastercraft Stratus AP review.

Features and Benefits

Here’s a few of the features that make the Mastercraft Stratus AP such a strong performer:

• A durable rubber compound and reinforced 10-ply rated internal construction for extra strength and durability
• All-terrain tread with robust tread blocks and high groove/block void ratio for easy expulsion of stones, mud, snow, debris
• Zigzag grooves deliver traction while impeding air flow through and under the tire, helping to keep road noise lower
• Full-depth sipes provide hundreds of extra biting edges to dig into snow and slush
• Notches at shoulder help deliver good lateral traction for cornering or clawing out of ruts
• 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty
• Polyester casing with two steel belts and a spiral wound nylon cap overlay for durability and high-speed stability
• Tread pitch is computer tuned to help keep road noise low
• Lateral grooves and angled grooves work with sipes to deliver traction on soft surfaces
• M+S rated for mud/snow traction

Pros and Cons

So, is this Mastercraft tire right for your ride and budget? Before you decide, let’s take a look at the tire’s strengths and weaknesses:

PROS:

• Quiet and surprisingly comfortable ride quality
• Tread elements work together to deliver dependable traction on or off the pavement
• Spiral overlay in subtread contributes to ride quality, road manners at highway speed
• Generous tread life warranty

CONS:

• Snow traction could be better
• Should not be used in moderate to severe winter weather conditions
• Not the most fuel efficient tire

SimpleTire’s view on Mastercraft Stratus AP tires

The market for affordable all-terrain tires for light trucks and SUVs is pretty crowded, but the Mastercraft Stratus AP is really a standout, in our view. Ride quality is surprisingly forgiving and quiet - some drivers say the Mastercraft Stratus AP is quieter than OEM tires – and it’s a tire that’s built to take some of the worst punishment you can dole out for an all-terrain tire. Its tread pattern isn’t especially innovative but it’s a proven design and can deliver when you need to negotiate sand, mud, rocks and rough terrain.

Some reports do indicate that the Mastercraft Stratus AP doesn’t perform well in deeper snow. That’s probably not a big surprise, since that’s not what most all-terrain tires excel at anyway. The 50,000 mile tread life warranty certainly adds value, especially considering how many all-terrain tires don’t come with any treadwear coverage at all from the factory. All in all, we feel that this is a tire that’s not going to do you wrong if you’re looking for affordable performance for your light truck or SUV.

Vehicles the Mastercraft Stratus AP is a good replacement tire for

• Chevrolet Tahoe
• Dodge Durango
• Ford F-150
• GMC Yukon
• Honda Ridgeline
• Hyundai Santa Cruz
• Jeep Wrangler
• Kia Telluride
• Nissan Titan
• RAM 2500
• Toyota Tacoma
• Volkswagen Atlas