As you may know, SUVs and trucks are quite popular types of vehicles. The increased ground clearance, extra room, and plenty of other features make people like them more. You can do some things with an SUV that a sedan won’t do, and off-roading is one of them.
You will find plenty of people that drive their SUVs on the streets, meaning that they are more into comfort and space. On the other hand, other people tend to utilize the off-roading capabilities, which brings me to the tires.
In every driving situation, the tire is a crucial part of any vehicle because it is the only part that has contact with the surface. The choice of tires mainly depends on the driving conditions. Manufacturers can make some bold claims about tires that can work well in multiple conditions, but that is not entirely true. Even though they can work in multiple conditions, the performance would be average. To get the most out of a tire on a particular surface, it is ideal to get a dedicated tire for that surface.
Even in the off-roading world, some tires are designed to work better in some scenarios. Take mud, for example. Even though the tires are technically off-road ones, the primary goal is for them to excel in muddy terrains.
If you’re the type of person that goes primarily off-roading in mud, today’s article will be perfect for you. I will outline 10 of the best mud tires for your SUV or truck.
Top 10 Best Mud Tires Reviewed
- Kumho Road Venture MT71
- Cooper Discoverer STT Pro
- Toyo Open Country M/T
- Pro Comp Xtreme MT2
- Firestone Destination M/T2
- Federal Couragia M/T
- BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3
- General Grabber X3
- Goodyear Wrangler MT/R With Kevlar
- Hankook Dynapro MT2
#1. Kumho Road Venture MT71
I’ll be starting off this list with a tire from a brand that’s been known for making decently performing tires at an affordable cost. The Kumho Road Venture MT71 is the third version of the brand’s mud tires, which features many improvements.
On the mud performance side of things, the Road Venture MT71 is among the best in its class. You may find the tire to be comparable with its premium rivals in some scenarios.
The tire features deep lugs, which, combined with the tread pattern, provide excellent mud performance. Even deeper mud patches will pose no problem, making it worthy of this list. In other off-roading scenarios, the Road Venture MT71 performs equally impressive. Dirt roads, sand, or rocks won’t slow it down, meaning that even some extreme scenarios are perfectly drivable.
The tire isn’t particularly impressive on the road, something that should be expected from a terrain-built tire. Grip and traction on dry roads aren’t too bad, but far from something that you can push too hard. Once it starts raining, the Road Venture MT71’s performance decreases. In general, it’s an average-ish performance without anything to praise.
In winter conditions, the tire performs excellently, as long as the snow is unpacked. Thanks to the same features that give it the outstanding performance on mud, the tire will have no problem on snow. If it’s packed snow, then the performance is significantly reduced as the Road Venture MT71 doesn’t have enough biting force. This results in a below-average performance.
Comfort and noise levels are excellent for a tire of this category. The noise is decently low for an off-road tire which is impressive. Don’t expect touring-like properties in this category, but it’s a bit better than most off-road tires.
Pros
- Premium-like performance in mud
- Noise and comfort levels are excellent
- Noticeable improvements over the previous versions
- Marvelous off-road performance
Cons
- On-road performance is average, especially on wet snow and hard-packed snow
#2. Cooper Discoverer STT Pro
Cooper is another brand that also aims to provide decent performance at an affordable price. There are plenty of tire options in the brand’s lineup, and the one I’ll be mentioning is the Discoverer STT Pro.
Driving in the mud with the tire gives you the feeling that you are driving a premium tire. Thanks to the tread design and the tire’s lugs, you will get plenty of performance in deeper mud patches. They are strategically placed at the shoulders, enabling the tire to dig into the mud and find traction.
In terms of other off-road surfaces, the Discoverer STT Pro performs exceptionally well. With the performance aside, Cooper designed it also to be as robust as possible. This is thanks to the Armor Tek3 technology that the company utilized.
Road performance is acceptable enough but far from something that touring or high-performance tires can offer. Dry and wet performance is good enough for everyday driving, and if you get a bit carried away, you should expect some slip.
Winter performance is slightly disappointing, mainly in terms of snow. The Discoverer STT Pro will be fine in light snow conditions and struggle if things get extremer. Ice performance also isn’t something impressive as the tire doesn’t have enough traction for a decent driving experience.
Comfort and noise levels surprised me, considering the technology used to make the tire rugged. It drives very comfortably with almost no vibrations in the cabin, perfectly smoothing out road imperfections. Noise levels are also decently low when you consider that this is an off-road tire.
Pros
- Excellent performance at an affordable price
- Marvelous mud performance
- Comfortable and quiet
- On-road performance is decently good
Cons
- Winter performance could use some improvement
#3. Toyo Open Country M/T
Certain tire brands aren’t associated with off-road, and Toyo is one of those. The brand is mainly known for providing performance tires, and as a brand, it’s uncommon to see an off-roading model like the Open Country M/T.
In terms of mud performance, this is a tire that will have no problems with mud. The tread design and bigger blocks are designed to enable the tire to dig into mud and find traction. The blocks go over the shoulders, which enables the sides of the tire also to have some biting force in muddy situations. Another excellent feature that the Open Country M/T has is self-cleaning technology. This enables the tire to keep the tread clean maximizing performance on mud and other off-road scenarios.
Road performance is also good, slightly better than some of the off-road contenders on this list. Don’t expect wonders in terms of grip and traction, but you’ll get decently good performance. As soon as it starts raining, the performance improves slightly. The best part about the Open Country M/T is the aquaplaning resistance. Thanks to the tread design and big grooves, the tire can easily evacuate water, making it very stable when driving on water.
In winter, the performance is good in some areas and not so good in others. It will handle unpacked snow proving it to be an excellent snow performer. Hard-packed snow is problematic, and you will notice the tire struggling for grip and traction.
When it comes to refinement, there are good and bad sides. The Open Country M/T is a very comfortable tire, capable of ironing out most of the road imperfections. The biggest downside is the noise. I know that off-road tires are generally noisy, but this one isn’t on the lower end of the spectrum.
Pros
- Excellent aquaplaning resistance
- Winter performance is marvelous
- Long-lasting
- One of the best mud tires in the category
Cons
- Noisier than some of its competitors
#4. Pro Comp Xtreme MT2
Regardless of how good premium tires are, some people cannot afford them, so I include a budget-friendly option. Don’t feel bad if you haven’t heard of Pro Comp; it’s not a popular brand. Despite that, it has a mud tire that deserves to be on this list – the Xtreme MT2.
The tire features a very aggressive tread pattern, which gives it excellent performance in mud. Even if you need to drive over deeper patches, the Xtreme MT2 will have no problem with that. This is also thanks to the self-cleaning grooves, which remain mud and rock-free to provide maximum performance at all times.
Pro Comp designed it with a 3-ply construction, which results in a tire that can handle some serious off-roading even when deflated. As a result, rock-crawling can be a safe adventure, knowing that the tire won’t get damaged. Dirt roads or sand are also situations where the Xtreme MT2 will provide excellent results.
Like most off-road tires, this one won’t impress you with its performance on paved roads. If the road is dry, the Xtreme MT2 will provide decent levels of grip and traction, but it doesn’t like getting pushed to the limit. You will get a slightly better performance on wet roads because the tire’s tread design enables it to stick better to the road. The best of all is the aquaplaning resistance, an area in which the tire excels.
Winter performance is also impressive, an area where other tires may struggle. Snow will pose no problem for the Xtreme MT2, regardless of how deep it is. This is thanks to the tread design, which helps the tire find traction in less-than-ideal situations. The problem occurs in hard-packed snow, a situation where the tire will struggle for traction.
Comfort levels were average, and the tire does a decent-ish job of providing a smooth ride. Noise levels were not really good as the tire exhibited quite a lot of roar, especially when driven at higher speeds.
Pros
- Budget-oriented tire
- Marvelous snow performance
- Great wet performance
- Durable for extreme off-roading
Cons
- The tire can get loud at higher speeds
#5. Firestone Destination M/T2
It’s not very common to see a brand like Firestone near the top on any list, but it’s still a decent tire brand. Good enough performance, combined with a lower than premium price, is what makes it so attractive. In its lineup, Firestone has a mud tire called the Destination M/T2.
In terms of mud performance, I will say that it’s a bit disappointing if I’m honest. Despite me recommending it as a mud tire, there are some scenarios where it won’t perform as well. In lighter mud scenarios, the Destination M/T2 will perform marvelously. The problem with the tire will happen in deeper mud, in which case, the tire will begin to struggle.
As for the remaining off-road capabilities, the Destination M/T2 is excellent. Thanks to the 3-ply construction, the tire can handle deflating in rock-crawling scenarios. The same goes for gravel or sand, conditions in which the tire will have no problems.
Road performance is as decent as you’d expect from an off-road tire. The Destination M/T2 provides decent levels of grip, more than enough for most people’s needs. You will notice the tire slipping if you decide to push it too much. It’s a similar story on wet roads, as the tire will hold pretty well in corners. The aquaplaning resistance isn’t the best, but it is still pretty good for its category.
As for snow performance, the Destination M/T2 excelled in pretty much all scenarios. Like with most mud tires, the tread pattern gives it an excellent performance on unpacked snow, even if it’s deeper. What was surprising was the packed snow, and the tire managed to provide a decent amount of grip.
Noise and comfort levels are generally good, but nothing to write home about. The comfort levels are good enough, and you can expect to get a smooth ride. The tire roar is a bit on the higher side, and things can get a bit noisy.
Pros
- Durable and long-lasting
- Excellent performance on snow
- Good levels of comfort
- Decent off-road performance
Cons
- The tire will struggle in deeper mud
#6. Federal Couragia M/T
Another budget-friendly brand that I’ll be mentioning today is Federal. This is a company that you probably won’t find on many lists of the most popular brands. With that said, the company’s Couragia M/T is a decent mud tire that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
To be honest, the mud performance cannot be compared with tires from the premium segment. As for its class, the Couragia M/T is one of the best mud performers there is. Unlike some of its competitors, the grooves are deeper, and combined with the tread design; you will get excellent traction even in deeper mud.
For the other off-road surfaces, the tire seems to struggle with dirt and gravel. It’s not the worst performer, but some tires in this category may offer a bit more. Federal designed the Couragia M/T with extreme off-roading in mind, meaning that even rock-crawling will be marvelous.
Road performance takes a hit and doesn’t feel as good as I was hoping. I know that it’s a cheaper tire, but the grip and traction are barely average. Wet performance isn’t also something particularly good. It will be decently good under normal driving conditions and may start to lose grip a bit.
On snow, the performance is surprisingly good, which is due to the tread pattern. It will have plenty of traction in shallow and deeper snow and is among the best in its class. Even if the snow is packed, the tire will have no problem digging in and performing well.
When it comes to refinement, the Couragia M/T disappoints. The comfort levels are not the worst I’ve seen, but they are also not very good either. Despite being softer, the tires feel harsher over bumps, and you can feel a lot of vibrations from the road.
Pros
- Affordable
- Marvelous performance on mud
- Off-road performance is excellent
- No problem with snow traction
Cons
- Not very comfortable or quiet
#7. BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3
BFGoodrich is a brand you have heard of and is known for making plenty of excellently performing tires. The company has a special lineup of tires designed specifically for mud performance. The Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 is the third version, and the brand promises some improvements over the previous one.
As you can guess from the name, the tire is designed for mud and, in my opinion, is one of the best mud tires in the industry. You can throw it in any kind of mud with any depth and will find traction with ease. BFGoodrich tweaked the tread pattern so that it offers the best performance in these conditions.
The same goes for the rest of the off-road scenarios like dirt, sand, or rocks. You will get excellent all-around off-road performance from a tire that will also be as long-lasting as possible. This is thanks to the reinforced sidewall, which will ensure that it won’t get damaged in these conditions.
Road performance is also impressively good. You won’t see me compare it with a touring tire, but you won’t find too many better options for an off-road tire. There is plenty of grip in the corners, and the tire will remain planted even if you push it too hard. In rainy conditions, you won’t feel the grip and traction lacking. Combine that with the excellent aquaplaning resistance, and you get plenty of stability in these conditions.
The Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 will have plenty of snow performance in winter, almost as good as some winter tires. You can drive it in various snow conditions, and the tire will perform marvelously.
The Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 is among the most comfortable and quietest off-road tires you’ll find on the market. Almost all unevenness in the road will be smoothed out, and when you combine that with the low noise levels, you get a very refined tire.
Pros
- On-road performance is excellent
- One of the best off-roading tires on the market
- High comfort and low noise levels
- Will deliver plenty of snow performance
Cons
- Not the most affordable option
#8. General Grabber X3
Affordable tires don’t always mean that they will come from foreign countries. From the US brand lineup, we have General, which has been making excellent tires for quite a while. The brand has plenty of tire options, among which is the Grabber X3.
General designed it to be an excellent off-roading tire, and it delivers on that front. On mud, the Grabber X3 is a superb tire, capable of providing plenty of performance. As a mid-range tire, I was surprised that in some scenarios, it was capable of trading blows with its premium counterparts.
For the rest of the off-road performance, the Grabber X3 is just as equally impressive. Dirt roads, sand, and even rock-crawling are situations where the tire won’t struggle a bit. The sidewall is decently beefed up, meaning that sharper rocks won’t damage it too easily. On top of that, the reinforcement means that you can deflate it without worrying about damaging it.
Unlike some of its competitors, the Grabber X3 isn’t as impressive on-road as it is off-road. The tire remains safe to be driven on paved roads, but unfortunately, it won’t offer as much grip and traction as some of its competitors. In rainy conditions, the story remains the same. You will feel the tire struggling for grip if you push it a bit harder. The only area where it performs slightly better is with aquaplaning resistance.
Snow performance is decent enough, but it won’t win any awards. Even though the tire will find traction eventually, some of the other tires on this list seem to do a better job.
Comfort and noise levels are also a letdown. In terms of comfort, the tire isn’t the smoothest one in the world, which is probably due to all the reinforcement in the sidewall. Noise levels are also on the higher side of the scale, and the Grabber X3 is among the noisiest ones in its class.
Pros
- Reinforced sidewall for rock-crawling
- Affordable
- Long-lasting
- Excellent mud performance
Cons
- Not the best road performance
#9. Goodyear Wrangler MT/R With Kevlar
Check out any list for tires, and you’ll find Goodyear one near the top and with good reason. The company has been making excellent premium brands for decades, and the Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar is one of them. Looking at the name alone, it’s apparent that adding Kevlar to a tire will improve its sturdiness.
As an off-road tire, you should expect plenty of mud performance, and you won’t be disappointed. The Wrangler MT/R is a tire that will have loads of traction in muddy situations, regardless of the depth. It will have no problem in situations where some tires will struggle.
Considering that it’s reinforced with Kevlar, the tire is durable and can take some beating. The sidewall is a lot more durable, and Goodyear claims that it is 35% more resistant to cut and puncture. As a result, rock-crawling is excellent and will not disappoint.
On the road, the Wrangler MT/R is excellent, as much as an off-road tire can be. Grip and traction levels on dry roads are outstanding, even to a point where the tire can handle being pushed a bit. Once it starts raining, you will notice the performance drop slightly but will still remain very stable. Thanks to the wide grooves, you should expect excellent aquaplaning resistance.
In the winter, the snow performance of the Wrangler MT/R is excellent in both shallow and deep snow. It will struggle with hard-packed snow a bit, so you can expect to find better performers in this list.
Refinement has its good and bad sides. The Wrangler MT/R is a very smooth riding tire and can absorb most of the road’s imperfections. Noise levels, on the other hand, are not the best of the best. The tire isn’t too loud at lower speeds, but the levels will start to increase as the speed increases.
Pros
- Mud performance is one of the best
- Durable thanks to the Kevlar reinforcing
- Excellent on-road performance
- Comfortable
Cons
- It can get loud at higher speeds
#10. Hankook Dynapro MT2
Hankook is another brand that has been known for offering us excellent bang for the buck tires. Affordable prices and decent performance are all about the company, and the same goes for the DynaproMT2. As the second version of the MT lineup, Hankook promises to bring some improvements.
In mud scenarios, the Dynapro MT2 offers good performance and will handle most scenarios. The tread pattern works with the shoulder blocks to provide decent traction. Deeper mud patches may pose a slight problem as the tire will begin to struggle for traction.
For the rest of the off-road performance, the Dynapro MT2 is decent, as long as you don’t do something extreme. There are better-performing options on this list, but that doesn’t make this a bad tire.
Road performance is surprisingly good. Grip and traction levels are good enough for daily driving them, and you shouldn’t expect the Dynapro MT2 to be as good as a touring tire. Wet performance is surprisingly better, as the tire seems to have more traction if the roads are wet. In heavy rain, the aquaplaning resistance is excellent, resulting in a very stable tire at higher speeds.
When it comes to snow, don’t expect too much. The Dynapro MT2 will handle snow decently, thanks to the tread design. One surprising aspect is that it offers a decent performance over packed snow, an area where some more expensive tires struggled.
Comfort with the Dynapro MT2 takes a hit. It’s not the worst riding tire in the world, but it feels harsher than some of the other competitors on this list. In terms of noise, the levels are acceptable. It’s still an off-road tire, and you should expect some noise, but it’s not as loud as its competitors.
Pros
- Dry and wet traction is good
- Marvelous aquaplaning resistance
- Decently quiet
- Will tackle most off-roading scenarios
Cons
- Not the smoothest ride quality
Mud Tires FAQs
This section will answer some of the most commonly asked questions in terms of mud and off-road tires in general.
How to read mud tire sizes?
Some people may get confused by the sizes of off-road tires, as they are a bit different. For example, an off-road tire’s dimensions may look like this: 33.1X10/16. The measurements are in inches where the first number is the total diameter of the tire, the second one is the width, and the third one is the diameter of the rim. Converting this in the metric measurements would be 255/85R16.
Are mud tires safe to be driven on roads?
Yes. Mud and off-road tires are generally safe for roads, as long as you don’t expect too much from them. The road performance is decent enough to provide a safe driving experience, but keep in mind that they won’t be as good as touring tires.
How to choose the right mud tires?
This is something that will depend on your personal preference and needs. Each off-road tire has some feature that stands out, so for mud performance, you should pay closer attention to that. Reviews like this or other people’s options are a good source for figuring out which models excel in those conditions. On the other hand, if you don’t need the absolute best mud performance, and drive most of the time on the road, then you might want to look at some better performers for those conditions.
The next thing to pay attention to is the price. Premium tires generally perform better but are also more expensive. Going for the mid-range options means that you will sacrifice some of that performance for an affordable price.
Size is another aspect worth mentioning, as manufacturers have different size options for various models. Check the retailer or the manufacturer’s websites to confirm that the size you need is available.
Are there quiet mud tires?
No, mud tires are not quiet, and for some, you can even say that they are loud. Due to the tread design and deeper grooves, the tires are much louder than touring tires.
How long should I expect mud tires to last?
The short answer is that you shouldn’t. Most off-road tires don’t come with any treadwear warranty, meaning that the manufacturer cannot guarantee longevity. Yes, they are designed to be durable, but considering the off-road conditions most people use them for, it’s impossible to say how many miles they’ll last.
Are mud tires good for snow?
For the most part, mud tires are all-season, meaning they should have some decent performance on snow. Even though the rubber compound is made so that it’s pliable in winter, the tread pattern and a few other factors determine the snow performance. Most of them fair pretty well with snow-covered roads, but for the best winter performance, I would recommend going for a proper winter tire.
Conclusion
Off-roading is a serious activity, where the tire choice can be crucial and can make or break your day. Mud is particularly tricky, as in those cases, many people with inadequate tires get stuck.
For the best performance, check out any of the 10 tires I outlined in today’s article, and you’ll be good to go. Keep in mind that some of them will perform better than others, so choose them accordingly.
