Best Mud Terrain Tyres in Australia: Buyer’s Guide

Looking for the best mud terrain tyres in Australia? Whether you’re building a hardcore off-road rig or just want maximum traction in mud, rocks and ruts, choosing the right muddies can make or break your setup.

In this guide, we break down the best mud terrain tyres you can buy right now, including premium options, budget picks and serious off-road performers.

Bolting up some muddies will involve some trade-offs. Road noise may increase after a few thousand kilometres, wear rates won’t be as good and cornering grip may take a step backward. Noticing a theme here? That’s right. All of the negatives are blacktop-based. As soon as you air down and engage low range, it’s nothing but net.

Anyway, if you want to bring the noise off-road or just look tougher when cruising the Maccas carpark (no judgement, this is a safe space), then buckle up for our Mud Terrain Buyers Guide.

If you’re not sure if muddies are right for you, check out our guide to all-terrain tyres instead.

Quick side note before we kick things off:

This is a yarn about aggressive yet road-going rubber. It’s not a list of hardcore competition-spec tyres, nor is it a hybrid AT buyers’ guide. It’s for tyres with the letters M and T stamped next to each other, in that order, on the sidewall.

Oh, and to make sure pricing is uniform across brands, we’ve kept the sizing to a defect-avoiding 265/70R17 (or as close to it as possible). If you’re chasing bigger tyres, they’ll cost more. Smaller tyres, less.

And just for the record, I read the social media comments, and apparently, I’ve never paid for anything in my life and am personally sponsored by famed billionaire Mickey Toyo Goodrich Von Cooper-Falken III. Sadly, this is not true. So, to avoid the accusations of favouritism that will inevitably come anyway, it’s going to be listed alphabetically.

Cool? Let’s get cracking with this quick comparison table. Scroll down a bit further for an in-depth look at each tyre.

Tyre	$$$*	Pros	Cons	Cost
BFGoodrich KM3 MT	$$$	One of the original and best. Big size range. Does the business on and off-road.	Not cheap. An influx of grey imports means warranties can be a nightmare.	Check price >>
Black Bear MT	$$$	Big size range. Designed in the US. Up to 21mm of tread depth.	Spendy for a new (to here) tyre. Reports of increased road noise and chunking.	Check price >>
Bridgestone Dueler MT 673	$$	Solid brand pedigree. Price point is solid for this quality.	On-road handling is a compromise. Wear rates are not fantastic.	Check price >>
Comforser CF3000	$	Strong sidewalls. Cheap in price, but solid performance as well.	Noisy on-road. Wet weather handling is a yeah-nah.	Check price >>
Cooper STT Pro	$$$	Top shelf brand. Great warranty. Beefy sidewall.	Expensive. Size range could use a boost.	Check price >>
Falken Wildpeak MT01	$$$	High level of on and off-road credentials. Decently priced.	Self-clearing could be better.	Check price >>
Federal Couragia MT	$$	Entry-level hardcore tyre. Available as a 37. Compound science is solid.	They used to be heaps cheaper. Size range blows.	Check price >>
Firestone Destination M/T2	$$$	One of the most puncture-resistant tyres on the market. They bang off-road. 3-ply sidewall.	Holy hell they’re exxy. Ultra-hard compound.	Check price >>
Goodride SL366	$$	The price is right. Strong off-road performance.	Wear rates are reportedly up there. Not great for heavier rigs.	Check price >>
Goodyear Wrangler Boulder MT	$$$	Strong off-road pedigree. All-round performance. Huge puncture resistance and solid wear rates ftw.	Long-term performance has a bit of a question mark (still only two years old).	Check price >>
Hankook Dynapro MT2	$$	Ticks the right boxes. Pricing is fair. Excellent all-round performer.	2-ply sidewall. Size range is minimal.	Check price >>
Kenda Klever M/T2 KR629	$$$	Excellent off-road tyre. Not terrible on-road. Terrific value.	A lot of pressure needs to be dropped before they bag.	Check price >>
Kumho Roadventure MT71	$$	Underrated. A muddy that does well on sand, yes please. 27 sizes in the range.	They get loud as they wear. Tread looks like, erm, “mushrooms,” which you can’t unsee.	Check price >>
Maxxis Razr MT772	$$$	Legit one of the best tyres on this list. Monster size range. Sidewall lugs that actually *gasp* work.	High grip is offset with increased wear rates.	Check price >>
Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ	$$$	One of the best brands. Plenty of solid tech. Performance is right up there.	The price is actually physically painful.	Check price >>
Milestar Patagonia MT	$$$	Tough yet pliable at low pressures. All-round performance is hard to beat.	Limited availability. Price is a shot to the nether regions.	Check price>>>
Monsta Mud Warrior MT	$$	Tread pattern is angry. Price is right.	On-road? Lol, no.	Check price >>
Nankang Conqueror MT-1	$$	Price is decent for what you get. Legit all-rounder	Jack of all trades but master of none.	Check price >>
Nexen Roadian MTX	$$	Cheap tyres make me happy. 3-ply sidewalls. Off-road performance is great.	Must be maintained religiously to avoid chunking. They’re heavy.	Check price >>
Nitto Trail Grappler M/T	$$$	Right at the pointy end in terms of quality. Puncture resistance is a winner. They actually handle in the wet.	Hard to get sometimes. They can start howling at more than 50% worn.	Check price >>
Pirelli Scorpion MTR	$$	Decent price, better-than-decent performance. Well-established brand and quality. Low on-road noise	Severely limited size range.	Check price >>
Predator New Mutant X-MT	$$	The rubber equivalent of an 80s action movie. Amazing off-road at an affordable price point.	Not an all-round proposition; off-road only.	Check price >>
Rapid Mud Contender	$$	Budget-friendly. Old school chunky-boi tread blocks.	Loud on the blacktop. Reportedly not much chop on sand.	Check price >>
Toyo Open Country M/T	$$$	Brand quality is tops. As an all-rounder, they rock. Wear rates kick arse.	Sidewalls are rigid. Price is as high as Snoop.	Check price >>
Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003	$$$	Price has exploded in the last couple of years. Rotations and pressure monitoring are not optional.	Price has exploded in the last couple of years.	Check price >>

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Best Mud Terrain Tyres Compared

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BFGoodrich KM3 MT

BFG muddies have been around longer than spring-overs and chequerplate. They’re the grandaddy of proper off-road rubber and the latest KM3s, despite being around for nearly a decade now, are still considered one of the big-hitters in the league.

They have a good amount of modern tech, they bring home the bacon off-road and have solid blacktop manners and wear rates. There are a bunch of reasons the mighty Bee-Eff-Gees have been around for as long as they have. They flat out work.

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Black Bear MT

Aggressive and chunky sidewall blocks, decent voids, 3-ply sidewalls and everything you’d want to read on a mud-terrain description, really. The Black Bears are the new kids over here, but they’re designed in the US (generally a good thing) and have a solid reputation for performance.

The size range is great and they look as tough as Jason Statham pretends to be.

The downsides are that even though they’re a bit of an unproven thing over her, the price is still fairly high, and there are a few reports kicking around that they can start chunking fairly seriously once they’re worn in a bit. To be fair, that could be due to a variety of causes, so we’ll reserve judgement for now. Just quietly, they look like a winner to me, and should be a strong contender for anyone chasing their next set of aggressive donuts.

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Bridgestone Dueler M/T 673

Another brand that’s been clawing its way through bogholes since Jesus first inherited Joseph’s LJ50 Zook, Bridgestone’s MT 673 are chunky, basic and as graceful as a sledgehammer. But what they lose out on cool points is made up for with raw traction in the slop.

They’re a nice and soft compound, so rocks and high-traction surfaces are happily eaten up, and they’re overall an excellent, high-value proposition for any off-road rig. Especially for their price point.

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Comforser CF3000

Designed in the land of the free and the spiritual home of school shootings, built in the land of the ironically named People’s Republic of China, the Comforsers are not revolutionary, not the best by a long shot and are not going to win you the attention of anyone out of your league at your nearest airing down area.

But at under a gee for four new muddies – who gives a shit? The CF3000 is surprisingly good off-road, and in terms of being a bang-for-buck candidate, let’s just say Gina Rinehart probably has Comforser on speed dial. Wouldn’t hesitate to run these on a cheap and cheerful wheeling rig or anything that handles so poorly that tyres wouldn’t make a difference anyway (anything with front and rear leaves, basically).

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Cooper STT Pro

The STT Pro has been around a while now, and as with all Cooper tyres, you probably already have a good idea of what you’re getting. Solid performance everywhere, big thick sidewalls, blocky tread and that industry-leading 80,000km warranty.

This is the most aggressive tyre Cooper offers, but they haven’t just slapped some angry tread on and called it good. It’s a high-tech feat of engineering, with nifty inclusions like mechanically infused silica into the rubber compound and their Armor-Tek 3 (not an anime series) sidewall that’s stronger than the smell of those prawn heads you slipped behind the door trim in your ex’s car (which we would never condone).

Not cheap, but at this end of the market, you are paying for and getting a premium product.

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Falken Wildpeak MT01

Maybe five to ten years ago, the Wildpeaks came out of seemingly nowhere and are now considered one of the GOATs of the mid-to-upper-tier muddies. They’re a tyre that’s built for the rough stuff, but somehow manages to have decent on-road manners too. As such, they’re a fave among dual-cab and mid-size wagon owners.

The three-pitch tread is nice and quiet, while the compound seems to walk that razor’s edge of providing decent grip without having massive amounts of tread wear. Chasing an all-rounder that isn’t priced ricockulously? The Falkens may be just the scratch for your itch.

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Federal Couragia MT

These guys used to be one of the cheapest muddies in the haystack. They came with a big-n-chunky tread pattern that basically said, “to hell with on-road manners and longevity, we’re here to fight stuff in low range!”

They seem to be getting phased out though, with low stock levels and prices creeping up. Still, they can be found and are one of the more hardcore off-road tyres. But now that they’re up in price, it’s difficult to recommend them as an all-rounder. But if you’re building a mud-plugger or dedicated off-road rig, they’re still a great choice for wheeling duties.

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Firestone Destination M/T2

You’d think a tyre like the Firestone M/T2 would be a track killer. And you’d be right. The aggressive as my uncle at the family BBQ after a few champales tread pattern, and the carcass that’s tougher than Chuck Norris in a bulletproof vest make for a tyre that goes hard off-road.

But it’s at the other end of the spectrum that they start to look a little anaemic. They are not fun in the wet on-road, and the hard compound is not great for blacktop grippiness either. And at well over two gorillas for a set of four, they fall short of a solid all-rounder. But again, if you’re buying muddies for on-road performance, then your priorities may be a little skewed. Still, safe space, we’re just dropping some soft truth over here. Carry on.

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Goodride SL366

The Goodride SL366 is another budget-end-of-the-scale entry on our list that has a price low enough to temper many on-road performance expectations. From the few people we spoke to who had actual experience with them, they reportedly deliver off-road, but the guy who said that drove a JAC, so, you know, grain of salt that bad boy.

To be fair, everyone had the same opinion. They’re amazing for the price, which, let’s be honest, is a huge deciding factor. Even just looking at the tread pattern and the sheer size range the value is easy to spot. Another strong bang-for-buck contender.

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Goodyear Wrangler Boulder MT

The Goodyear Wrangler Boulders have been around for a couple of years now, and as you’d expect, both from this brand and at this price point, they’re pretty effin’ awesome. Big voids in the tread for self-clearing (with the aid of some jandal), triple-ply tech to make them one of the more puncture-resistant tyres in the game, and a Kevlar-infused compound for both toughness and excellent wear, and it sounds vaguely tacticool. Win-win.

Want something that’ll last, have decent on-road characteristics, excellent off-road performance and look the business when rolling up to the next Cars and Coffee? Look no further.

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Hankook Dynapro MT2

Hankook has always seemed to be a bit of a second-tier player in the league. It’s an undeserved reputation, because they’re quality tyres that aren’t outrageously overpriced and they quietly get the job done both on and off-road.

They may not have the sex appeal of a more aggressive muddy, and the 2-ply sidewall may be cause for concern to some people (but they bag better at low pressures), but if you want something that’s reliable, honest and hardworking, these are the 4^th-year apprentice who’s better than most qualified tradesfolk, hasn’t missed a single day, doesn’t whine and brings his mum’s cupcakes for smoko on Fridays. Worth their weight.

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Kenda Klever M/T2 KR629

The Klevers were one of the first to the game and have built a solid reputation as performing up there with the big boys at a lower buy-in point. Underrated by those who haven’t run them, loved by those who do. They have a butch carcass with 3 plies and a tread design that looks like it needs to go to anger management classes. They’re also available with raised red lettering if you enjoy that sort of peacocking.

If on-road driving is your thing, these may not be the droids you’re looking for. They’re loud and the compound is soft and will wear relatively quickly. But yeah, that’s the price you pay for, er, not paying top dollar and having top-flight off-road chops.

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Kumho Roadventure MT71

Another dark horse without much in the way of cred among off-roaders that actually delivers the goods. The hilarious-if-you-say-it-phonetically Kumho MT71 may look a bit goofy (subjective, I know, but that’s my take), but the people who run them love them, and the real surprise is how well they do not only on the tracks, but on the bitumen as well.

They’ve got a stout 3-ply sidewall, yet they mould well to rocks and ruts and are one of the better MT performers on sand, which is quite the cap feather. This is the tyre to buy if you’re chasing hybrid AT on-road performance but still want a dedicated muddy

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Maxxis MT772 Razr

The RAZRs really need no introduction. They’re the blonde cheerleader in every high school comedy flick. Super popular, super good-looking and will almost certainly be voted most likely to succeed in its yearbook. These things are just plain old good. No matter which metric you measure them by.

Okay, maybe not EVERY metric. The wear rates are not fantastic due to the soft compound, but that’s offset by the prodigious amounts of traction you get from these things.

They’re also not amazingly cheap, but as a genuine all-rounder that can do everything well and doesn’t really suck at anything, it’s the cost of being the boss.

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Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ

There are a few muddies with Mickey-Tee embossed on the sidewall, but we’re going with the MTZ because the Baja Boss MTs start around the 33in mark and keep going north until they hit 40in diameter, which puts them out of the running for our list.

The MTZs have been around for a while and nothing has changed, they’re still one of the top players in the game. Heaps of tech in the compound, heaps of performance everywhere and, to the surprise of nobody, is a market leader for a bunch of good reasons. If you’re shopping at the pointy end of town, these are well worth the investment.

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Milestar Patagonia M/T

As far as all-rounder mud terrains go, the Nankang-produced, California-based Milestar Patagonia range is right up there. They’ve notched up competition wins, have an updated and refined tread pattern, and the on-road performance is better than decent. Off-road, they’re simply fantastic on whatever you point them at.

They have two problems, though. One is the reported wear rates. Though, with most folks racking up 50,000km out of a set, it’s hardly awful, but nor is it spectacular. The arguably bigger issue is finding them. They’re on social media, and there are several companies that import them, but yeah, they can be tricky to locate.

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Monsta Mud Warrior MT

Edging perilously close to an outright hardcore tyre designation, the Monsta Mud Warrior (another naming effort that can get in the sea) is exactly what it says on the box. They’re for off-road driving, they’re inexpensive and that’s pretty much the rundown.

In the wet, on-road and ride comfort suffer. Wear rates and noise levels are not great either. But again, you don’t pay for any of that. You pay for them to party in the dirty stuff, and party they do. They also look more aggressive than a half-starved honey badger, which will give your Kia Tasman some much-needed credibility on the jobsite. If that’s your jam.

Nankang Conqueror MT-1

Nankang are one of the biggest names in the rubber biz, so you’d expect their tyres to be pretty good. The MT-1s are one of those solid, middle-of-the-pack choices that a lot of people will love. They do everything well and are dependable performers, yet they won’t really excel in any particular area.

Don’t read that as me saying they’re bad, because they’re honestly not at all. It’s more just that everything about them is in the “satisfactory” category rather than in the “flipping excellent” or “good lord, it’s awful” categories. They’re a solid, honest choice that may be just the thing you’re chasing.

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Nexen Roadian MTX

Cheap muddies like the Nexen Roadian MTX would have made 20-year-old-me so happy. It provides excellent off-road performance and livable blacktop manners while being affordable. What’s not to like?

Okay, the name “Roadian” needs to go straight to jail, but as we know, Nexen are hardly the only one committing these atrocities. Other than that, they’re heavy tyres and need to be balanced with care, have their pressures maintained with an OCD-level of discipline, and be rotated on time every time. Other than that, fantastic product at a great price.

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Nitto Trail Grappler M/T

The Trail Grapplers are an off-roader’s wet dream. They simply do everything right. They’re a premium tyre at a premium price, but so is the performance. No matter what you’re driving on, they are legitimately difficult to fault.

There’s always a “but” though. With the Nittos it’s availability. When they’re in the country, they’re easily found, but when the supply dries up, they can be difficult to line up. But if you’re tyre shopping and there’s a set in your size, grab em. You will not be disappointed.

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Pirelli Scorpion MTR

One of the unsung heroes of mud tyres, the Pirellis are one of the better performers that somehow don’t have as much of a following as some of the bigger names. It’s not a game-changer, and it’s not showy or heavily marketed. It’s just a solid piece of rubber engineering that goes about the job quietly and competently.

And we mean the quiet part, too. On-road, they’re one of the least noisy muddies we’ve ever experienced. Off-road, they’re an honest and capable tyre. If you fit into the head-shakingly tiny sizing range, then they’re an excellent option.

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Predator New Mutant X-MT

While the Predators only come in a size range of big or bigger, they really are an excellent product at a decent price. They’re built not so much as an all-rounder as a purposeful track decimator. They don’t roll over terrain so much as beat it up, take its lunch money and call its mother an unkind name. 

On-road, they are not great, but nobody expects them to be. They’re built for purpose and that purpose is wheeling. We freaking love them. If you’re in the market for something that’s going to handle on the racetrack, look elsewhere. If you want something that gets it once low-range is engaged, these are the only tyres that are scientifically proven to lower your voice an octave and make your arms more muscular.

Rapid Mud Contender

Another budget muddy from our mates over in China, the Rapid Mud Contender (Dear Rapid, please find whoever was responsible for naming this tyre and prevent them from doing any more crimes). Look, we haven’t had a chance to run these tyres, but we have a few mates who do, and the off-road reviews (excluding sand) are glowing. On-road, not so much.  Reportedly loud and wear rates are hit and miss, but they are super affordable and would suit a weekend wheeler nicely. 

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Toyo Open Country M/T

In the interest of fairness, I should probably tell you that I‘ve been running these on my daily driver for the past few years, so personal bias is probs going to be a factor in my appraisal of the Toyos. With that said, I love them. As an all-rounder, they’re hard to fault, even in the wet. They don’t exactly look like the toughest dog in the yard, but they’re built for off-road driving and are dependably great across all terrains.

Pressures have to be watched like a hawk, and regular rotations are a must, but I’m on track to get at least 70,000km out of these things on a 2500kg 4X4. So yeah, pretty stoked overall.

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Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003

The last few years have seen the Yokies go from an outsider option to one of the top rungs on the ladder. It’s not difficult to see why. These things are rad under pretty much any circumstance. They utilise high-tech wizardry like variable tread pitches and compound sorcery to deliver one of the quietest on-road rides we’ve seen (or, er, heard). Off-road, they’re still aggressive enough to fit in with the most toxically masculine person you know.

They used to be fairly cheap; however, for some reason, they’re now as spendy as the top-tier brands, so capitalism, I guess? Dunno. They are worth the outlay, though. These things work. 

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FAQs: Mud Terrain Tyres

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