With a good four-wheel-drive SUV or truck, and the right tires, you can sling the mud as well as any politician. And what better time to play in the mud than summer?
Tires designated M/T are for Mud/Trails. They have an overtly aggressive tread and a strong carcass. They’re built to take the abuse heaped on the tires by unpaved surfaces, ruts, mud and rocks.
Mudders tend to be pricier than everyday tires, partly because they are built to high load ranges: 6-, 8- or 10-ply ratings, rather than the 4 ply rating of most passenger tires. Mud tires also have a lower top-speed rating—often Q. It’s good for 100 miles per hour, making these mudders perfectly acceptable for highway use. They produce a rougher highway ride than all-terrain tires. Given the friction, they generate on highways and off road, and the softer tread compound that helps them grip the uneven surfaces, they’re not the longest-lasting tires.
Mud tires require proper maintenance. Reinflate them back up to street pressures if you air them down for off-roading. And keep them balanced and rotated.
You do have plenty of mud tire choices at Priority Tire, and a range of performance attributes to best suit your needs.
Here are a few mud tires we like in different price ranges:
Key to Costs:
$ Budget-Priced compared with other tires of this type
$$ Affordable
$$$ Premium Tire
$$$$ Top-of-the-Line
Table of Contents:
Toyo Open Country M/T
The Toyo Open Country M/T has eared a prime reputation for its top-notch off-road performance. The tire’s hook-shaped, high-void blocks grab onto rocks, gravel, sand, and mud, and their scalloped shoulder blocks handle ruts. Sidewall tread elements enhance traction. Open Country M/T tires garner strength from a 3-ply polyester carcass. The tread is self-cleaning. The tires perform well on pavement, with siping in each block to encourage grip in rain and snow. The sipes also quiet the ride. Open Country M/T tires are more durable than most competitors.
Season: All-season
Best uses: Serious off-roading combined with comfortable everyday highway travel
Load Range: E (10 ply)
Cost: $$$$
Green Max Traveler M/T
A mud tire rated at 6, 8 or 10 plies, the Green Max Traveler M/T has highly aggressive, lug-style blocks across four ribs. The wide, deep voids prepare this tire for the worst off-road surfaces you might consider. Still, the Traveler M/T corners well on pavement, even of wet, improving street handling on trucks and SUVs compared with many lug-style, higher-ply tires. The price of this tire, sourced from Chinese maker Ling Long, makes this line truly affordable.
Season: All-season
Best uses: Serious off-roading, towing, street use where softer ride desired
Load Range: C (6 ply), D (8 ply), E (10 ply), depending on size
Cost: $
Centennial Dirt Commander M/T
An economical mud tire, the Centennial Dirt Commander M/T has a tread design that’s clearly ready for off-roading. Its four ribs have big, overlapping, irregularly shaped blocks with extra traction edges and deep voids to face dirt, mud, gravel, rocks and light snow. The Commander M/T is rated an all-season tire, making it suitable in light snow. It also does well in rain. A civilized highway demeanor belies this line’s aggressive off-road behavior.
Season: All-season
Best uses: Every day, serious off-roading, towing
Load Range: E (10 ply)
Cost: $$
BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2
Inspiring confidence is what the big-lugged BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tires do best if you go seriously off-road. This tire capably attacks not only muddy and rocky trails but also snow-covered pavement. Off-road, the Mud/Terrain T/A KM2 is extra stable because the tread gains strength from two steel belts and a nylon cap ply. Sidewall lugs supply extra traction. The tread is self-cleaning. Do you drive your mudder every day? You’ll get a smooth, quiet street ride for this type of tire.
Season: All-season
Best uses: Serious off-roading, everyday driving
Load Range: C (4 ply), D (6 ply), E (10 ply), depending on size
Cost: $$$
Kanati Mud Hog M/T
Get ready to rock and roll with the Indonesian Kanati Mud Hog M/T. The Kanati can negotiate even significantly rocky trails with its heavily blocked tread and strong carcass, but it travels with composure on the highway. It has extra-long shoulder lugs. The Kanati Mud Hog M/T is well-built, with 2 polyester plies, 2 steel plies and 2 nylon plies supporting the tread. The tread pattern is augmented by sidewall lugs that help protect the tire from damage.
Season: All-season
Best uses: Rocky, sandy trails combined with everyday driving
Load Range: C (6 ply), E (10 ply), depending on size
Cost: $$
Pirelli Scorpion MTR
The competitively priced Pirelli Scorpion MTR is a mud tire with dual-compound rubber, making the tread a little more flexible and grippy. The carcass is stiff enough for excellent stability. The C load range, while supplying off-road strength, provides a comfortable highway ride compared with some heavier builds. The tread has the obligatory lugs for muddy and rocky trails, but each is siped, improving performance in rain and light snow on pavement.
Season: All-season
Best uses: Balance of off-road and everyday highway travel
Load Range: C (6 ply)
Cost: $$
Atturo Trail Blade M/T
It’s not often that a tire is designed not only to handle mud, rocks and trails, but also to look good doing it. The Atturo Trail Blade M/T has tread blocks shaped like knife blades, chosen for the way the blades attack whatever object they are cutting. The result is a tire that gets you were you’re going off-road, and it looks quite stylish when your truck or SUV is parked. The Trail Blade runs a bit quieter than many mud tires.
Season: All-season
Best uses: Serious off-roading, reasonably comfortable everyday highway travel; showing off your ride
Load Range: C (6 ply), D (8 ply) or E (10 ply), depending on size
Cost: $$$
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