Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3 Review: Versatile Performance both On-/Off-Road

Having an off-road-capable vehicle can be very useful. With it, you can go seemingly everywhere you want. Parking near the beach? No problem. Climbing to the top of a big mountain? Piece of cake. Sure, most people buy SUVs and trucks only for the image, but there is no denying that these vehicles open many possibilities.

That is, of course, if you own the right set of tires. If your SUV has touring or highway tires, good luck climbing big mountains. The tires simply don’t have enough traction. On the contrary, real off-road tires might be cumbersome to drive on the road. That is especially true if you visit the wilderness only once in a while. Well, that’s where the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3 comes in.

Bridgestone’s newest all-terrain tire focuses more on the road side of the spectrum, unlike say, the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2. However, it also offers much better off-road traction than touring and highway tires. With a set of Revo 3’s, you can enjoy a safe and comfortable drive on the road, but also have the ability to attack some more serious terrain.

But how good is it? Well, to answer that question, I prepared a detailed Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3 review. Here, I’ll cover every aspect of the tire, including on-road and off-road traction, comfort levels, and durability.

I’ll also touch some comparisons with other all-terrain tires. That’s because although these products are from the same category, they focus on different buyers. The all-terrain category has some on-road focused tires and some real off-road beasts. So, where does the Revo 3 belong? Well, read on to find out!

What are the features of the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3?

According to Bridgestone, the Revo 3 is a tire made with advanced engineering, featuring the company’s Traction Claw technology. Moreover, the company states that the tire offers versatile performance for trucks, SUVs, and CUVs, comfortable ride, confident traction on dry and wet surfaces, and technologies that help deliver durability and long tread life.

To achieve those things, Bridgestone utilized a chip- and tear-resistant all-terrain compound. The rubber is molded into a balanced, symmetric tread pattern designed for easy rotation. Furthermore, the strong shoulders provide better stability during high-speed cornering. Meanwhile, the groove stepping stabilizes the tread blocks while also maintaining a high-void area for off-road traction.

The tread is reasonably deep and features wide circumferential grooves for better hydroplaning resistance and traction over wet and slushy roads. The tire also features in-block sipes for added traction over snow-covered roads. For better traction on soft terrain, Bridgestone included staggered shoulder lugs with 3D steps. Ultimately, the Traction Claw Technology improves traction in deep snow.

The internal construction of the tire consists of a 2-ply polyester casing of all sizes. Some tires in this category come with 3-ply casings, which improve off-road durability, but also reduce comfort. The casing is aided by two wide high-strength steel belts and nylon reinforcement ply to increase handling response and stability.

The Revo 3 also doesn’t come in large off-road-focused sizes. In other words, if you own a lifted truck, you can’t find a fitting Revo 3 size. Nonetheless, Bridgestone didn’t even focus on those drivers with its new all-terrain tire. For the most part, if you own an SUV or truck, there will be a size that fits well.

What are the maintenance indicators?

Bridgestone utilized the industry-standard tread wear indicators (TWI’s) on the Dueler Revo 3. These are narrow rubber bars built into the grooves of the tire, heavily recessed when the tire is new. However, as the tread wears down, they become more visible.

The minimum legal tread on this tire is 2/32-inch. When the tread reaches that point, the TWI’s will be completely flush with the surface. This is when you should immediately replace the tires. Otherwise, you risk severely worsened wet traction and almost non-existent snow traction.

Fortunately, the Dueler A/T Revo 3 has an extremely long treadlife. This is one of the longest-lasting all-terrain tires, especially if you mostly use it on the road. Besides, Bridgestone provides a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, which is the highest you can get from such a tire.

The 2-ply construction isn’t very tough, though, which makes the tire less usable on rocky surfaces. Also, the Revo 3 doesn’t protect the rims as well as some more aggressive all-terrain options. So, if you plan on using your tires for extreme off-roading, I suggest going for 3-ply all-terrain tires.

How does it behave on a dry tarmac?

The first impression is that the Revo 3 is very responsive for an all-terrain tire. It reacts almost as quickly as a highway tire to the driver’s inputs, which is a welcome surprise.

However, it doesn’t provide much feedback from the road, especially at the limit. Not that you should expect that from an all-terrain tire, but some competitors, such as the Continental TerrainContact A/T, fare even better.

In terms of handling, the Revo 3 is excellent. Considering the category, I couldn’t find any fault with how this tire drivers through the corners. The grip is excellent, and the tire feels stable at higher speeds.

Nevertheless, I found one irritating issue – the stopping distances are longer than the best tires in the category. On a more positive note, the low-rolling-resistance improves the fuel economy when compared to more aggressive all-terrain tires.

How is it over wet and slippery roads?

Overall, this is one of the best wet tires in the category. The handling is very safe handling, accompanied by excellent hydroplaning resistance.

Moreover, the tire feels very balanced, and it’s easy to drive in the rain. It instills a lot of confidence on wet roads, something that few other all-terrain tires manage.

The braking distances are also reasonably short, especially when you compare it to most all-terrain tires.

With that being said, how is it on snowy roads?

Even though the Revo 3 doesn’t carry the 3PMSF symbol, it’s actually among the best all-terrain tires for snow. The traction levels are excellent, especially when driving over loose snow. The braking distances also aren’t very long.

And, thanks to the high-void area, there is ample slush traction. The only place where the Revo 3 suffers is ice traction, but that’s the case with most all-terrain tires. That’s especially when you compare it to a proper winter tire, which will perform much better in every scenario.

Is it good for off-road driving?

In terms of off-road traction, the Revo 3 isn’t your best choice of an all-terrain tire. When fully inflated, it trails behind the more aggressive options, such as the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 and Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar.

Fortunately, the traction increases when you deflate the Revo 3 to around 15 psi. Moreover, thanks to the 2-ply construction, the ride quality on uneven terrains, such as gravel and rocks, is much better than the more aggressive 3-ply options.

However, there is a higher risk of cuts and punctures here. In my opinion, that’s actually the largest negative for the Revo 3 when it comes to off-roading. A more rigid construction would make the tire much more usable for extreme surfaces.

Is it comfortable and refined?

Perhaps thanks to the 2-ply construction, the ride is very soft, even over some rough patches on the road. This might come as a surprise to seasoned off-road drivers, especially those used to 3-ply tires.

You can feel some boominess when the tire hits larger potholes, though. However, don’t forget that this is an all-terrain tire – most such products show their presence over bumps.

In terms of noise, the Revo 3 is pretty quiet for the category, even at higher speeds. There is a slight tread growl, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3 Review – Should I buy?

Overall, the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3 is an excellent all-terrain tire. It isn’t without its faults, sure. For instance, it trails behind the Continental TerrainContact A/T on the road. Also, it can’t compare to the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 and Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure for off-road traction and durability.

What the Revo 3 can do is give you a balanced set of qualities. It doesn’t shine in any category, but it also doesn’t do anything bad. That being said, I would still recommend it to people that drive mostly on the road. There, the tire feels responsive and safe, regardless of the surface is dry, wet, or snowy. The usable off-road traction is only a bonus here.