Sometimes you just need to throw caution to the wind, let the chips fall where they may, take the bull by the horns, mix some metaphors and buy some damn mud-terrain tyres.
Yeah, they’re not as grippy on wet bitumen as less aggressive rubber (although many are now better than decent). Yeah, they tend not to last as long. And yeah, Mud Terrain tyres can deliver a lot of road noise once they’ve worn past the first 20%. But all of that is offset when you hit the sticky stuff and need the most traction in the mud, dirt and rocks you can possibly get.
Also – because we live in the age of Instagram, TikTok and vindication for your life choices from complete strangers – mud-terrain tyres just plain look cool. Sure, if that’s the only reason you’re thinking about buying them, there’s a fair chance you don’t habitually make sage financial decisions, but who are we to judge?
Whatever the reason you’re looking to take a big step backward on-road and a giant leap forward off-road (except arguably on sand, but that’s another article altogether), then welcome to our buyer’s guide for muddies.
Quick note real quick:
This is a list of mud-terrain tyres. It’s not a list of hardcore competition rubber, nor a list of hybrid AT/MT rubber. Just a cross-section of what’s available at the time of publication. If you’re wondering why we haven’t included Super Swampers or Nitto Ridge Grapplers, now you know.
To keep things kosher, we’re sticking with the commonly available 265/70R17 sizing (or as close as they get) for all tyres. Bigger tyres will cost more, and smaller tyres will cost less. Oh, and they’re all in alphabetic order. Not in order of preference, not because my Dad rocks Dunlops (Volleys, for those curious), not because we started drinking at 8 am this morning, nor for any other kooky reason you imagine we get up to. Cool? Cool.
BFGoodrich KM3 MT
Probably the muddy that all others are measured against, the BFG MT is an icon for wheelers and, since the inception of the KM2, has been up there with the best of them (let’s not dwell on the KM1s *shudder*). The KM3s are pretty much everything you’d want in a mud-terrain tyre. High-tech, high performing, not treacherous on-road and hard-wearing.
Yeah, look, some folks reckon they’re noisy (it’s muddy; they pretty much all are), and some have had issues buying cheap non-American-built imports (duh), but there are plenty of others who have nothing but good things to say about the BFGs. If you’re shopping for the high end of town, then the KM3s need to be on your shortlist.

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Bridgestone Dueler M/T 673
Bridgestone has been around since molten rubber was first poured into round moulds, slapped onto some rims and bolted up to Model A Fords and VDJ79s (probably). They have several muddies on offer, but their most popular one is the MT 673. As far as new tech and raw sex appeal go, these mud-terrain tyres are not the strongest contenders, but for pure traction in the goo, they’re up to the task.
They’re a decently soft compound, although some owners complain the tread blocks are a little close together and can clog up with clay. Overall, however, they offer great value at a decent price, so you can’t really knock them.

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Comforser CF3000
Under a grand for a set of 4 new muddies? Right this way sir/madam/prefer not to specify.
The US-designed, Chinese-built Comforsers have been around for a few years now in Australia, and the people who rock them reckon that the cheap buy-in price and surprisingly good performance off-road make the CF3000 the bang-for-buck top gong contender of mud-terrain tyres.
At this end of the tread design (and price) spectrum, there are always going to be a few trade-offs. Most commonly, these seem to come in the form of minimal wet-road grip and a fair amount of tyre noise once they’ve worn a bit. We think of them as a rusted-out Mazda MX-5 with an LS conversion. You’re not going to amaze anyone at the car shows, but you’ll keep up with old mate’s Ferrari no problem, with a lot less outlay.

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Cooper Rugged Trek
The ‘Rugged Trek’ may be a name that’s cheesier than a plate of Bega Nachos, but Cooper reckons this is “the best 4WD tyre ever made.” And it’s difficult to argue with them, to be fair. With a 30% silica compound, a whizz-bang tread design, and Cooper’s brand-defining 80,000km warranty, the Rugged Trek has all of the characteristics of a mud-terrain tyre while maintaining the road manners of something a lot gentler and more refined.
They’re fairly new in the Aussie market, so time will tell how they perform in the long term. However, the overseas markets seem to love them, and the early signs from owners down here are very positive. They’re not cheap, but they’re also a premier brand with a premier warranty and premier performance, so you’re getting what you pay for. We’re keen to throw a set on and give them a whirl.

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Falken Wildpeak MT01
The Wildpeaks are fast gaining a reputation amongst wheelers as being a solid all-round mud-terrain tyre choice for wear, price and performance on and off-road. While Falken has sunk plenty of R&D time into making these a viable roadgoing affair, make no mistake; they’re built for wheeling first and foremost.
Nevertheless, people really seem to like pointing out how good these things are on-road. The three-pitch tread pattern keeps the howl to a minimum while the compound is soft enough to maintain grip yet hard enough to allow a decent working life.

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Federal Couragia MT
Look, let’s not pretend that a tyre that costs less than most politicians’ daily cocaine budget is going to set any record for performance. But even a cursory glance at the Federal MTs and their big tread blocks spaced further apart than the original cast members of Hey Dad will tell you that they’re exactly what it says on the sidewall: designed for mud.
Do they work well on-road? Lol no. Do they do well for tow rigs or heavier vehicles? Also no. Do they get it off-road? Well, that seems to depend on who you ask. Some wheelers swear black and blue that the Federals are the greatest mud-terrain tyres since Boggers. Others will tell you to run far and fast. The only real way is to grab a set for yourself and find out. At this price, you can afford to take the punt.

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Firestone Destination M/T2
Bridgestone’s slightly less-cool cousin, Firestone Destination M/T2, was released five years ago on the Aussie market, and the early signs were good. A rowdy-looking mud-terrain tyre with stout three-ply sidewalls and a tread design that was more aggressive than a commercial radio advertisement for Viagra. They worked off-road too, with the fat-n-deep tread blocks flinging mud and dirt away with abandon, and they flat out supplied plenty of grip, even on wet rocks.
On-road, they were… not great. Road noise was high, handling was squirrely, and while the hard rubber compound is great for longevity, things could get slidey quickly. Are they a great all-rounder? Nope. But if you’re chasing off-road performance as your first criterion, then these things are your guy.

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General Grabber SRL
The Grabber ‘Smooth Red Letter’ is actually designated as an AT and not a mud-terrain tyre, but come on, look at that monster. That’s an off-road performance tyre, and they have the competition wins to back it up. Brought in by Continental Australia, these things are solid – in the literal sense – weighing in at about 3T per tyre.
While they do the job exceptionally well off-road, there are a few things working against them. Number one: they’re very difficult to find in stock, more often having to be brought in as a special order. They’re also a decade old now and are well overdue for an update. However, if you can find a set and are chasing a tyre designed for heavy-duty use in harsh environments, then these are your huckleberry.

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Goodride SL378
They call these things the “Mud Legend,” which makes me want to slap a toddler, but hey, for the price and better-than-decent performance off-road, you can’t get too slap-happy at the toads in pinstripe who call themselves “in marketing” (pfft). Anyway, the SL378 is incredibly well-priced, and while you’d be forgiven for having low expectations from these mud-terrain tyres, by all accounts, they actually go pretty hard off-road.
Given the small market share the brand has and the relative newness of the Mud Legend (ugh), we couldn’t get in touch with anyone who could give us much of a long-term impression, but more than a couple of folks told us they were stoked with the off-road capabilities, so you have to hand it to them. Especially given the cost.

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Goodyear Wrangler Boulder MT
The Boulder MTs are brand-spanking from Goodyear, and while reports on performance and longevity are thin on the ground, they look like they’ll deliver the goods across the board. The brand is no stranger to putting out top-tier tyres, so expectations for these mud-terrains are high.
Like a lot of their hardcore rubber, the Boulders feature Kevlar in the compound for ultra-bulletproof cool points. The sidewalls are also three-ply for toughness, and while the price is at the champagne end of the beer scale, we have a strong feeling these will be worth the coin. Time will tell, though.

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Hankook Dynapro MT2
The Hankooks don’t have a lot of cool points for when you’re launching your jet-ski behind your jacked-up Luxy with the back-window-covering “Salt Life” sticker at the boat ramp, but apart from that, they’re a very highly regarded tyre. Great on and off-road, long-wearing and quiet on the highway. Pretty difficult to fault, really.
So why aren’t they more common or even better known? Probably mainly due to a simple lack of awareness by the general wheeling masses, and again, they don’t have the raw sex appeal of some of the bigger names. But that just means you can pick up a cracker of a mud-terrain tyre at a relatively low price. Score.

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Kenda Klever M/T2 KR629
The Klevers have exploded in popularity on the Aussie wheeling scene over the past few years, and it’s easy to see why. A solid carcass with a three-ply sidewall and a tread design that looks like it called Mike Tyson a pussy and got away with it. And due to the relatively unpopular brand, they’re easily one of the most underrated mud-terrain tyres in the game.
Yeah, they’re loud. Yeah, they won’t wear well due to the soft compound (did we mention they slap off-road, though?), but for an aggressive muddy that handles business on the tracks and looks like a way fancier tyre than the name on the sidewall would suggest, they’re hard to go by.

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Kumho Roadventure MT71
A replacement for the venerable KL71, the MT71 is another tyre that has some pretty hardcore devotees among those who run them. Sure, they look a bit funky, and they’re not a member of the cool kids’ club, but they work incredibly well off-road and do the job way better than you might expect on the blacktop.
With a proper three-ply sidewall, you’d think they’d be a lot stiffer than they are, but they mould well to the terrain and are even good on sand, which you can’t say for every muddy out there. Overall, if you don’t want an AT because you’re off-road a lot but want to retain decent road manners, then the Kumho’s are well worth some further investigation.

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Mastercraft Courser MXT
Mastercraft are made by Cooper and are the value arm of the company. That doesn’t mean they’re low quality, though. They’re a heavy tyre with an aggressive tread pattern, so don’t expect F1 handling or a huge increase in fuel economy, but they party off-road and won’t require a third mortgage to get a set bolted up to your rig.
While not the latest or the greatest mud-terrain tyre, they are an honest tyre that’ll do the job once you’ve aired down. They’re a two-ply sidewall, so bag nicely, and the wear rates are supposedly better than average as well. The sizing could be better, and they’re hardly available everywhere, but for the money and the quality you get, they’re not easy to pass up.

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Maxxis MT772 Razr
If you were to poll 100 4WDers, chances are more than a few of them would rate the RAZR as the off-road GOAT for mud-terrain tyres. The tremendously popular muddy has an enviable reputation as one of the best overall performers in the category. Quiet, hard-wearing, high-performing across all terrains, and just nice to live with. The Maxxis simply delivers.
One area they don’t exactly excel at is wear rates due to the soft-ish compound, but that just means more traction – nothing is free. Other than that, it all seems to be gravy. Price is up there, but so is the quality, so you can’t really quibble. I mean, you can, but you should probably know that it makes you look bad, and it’s why your friends never invite you anywhere.

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Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ
Mickey-Tee has a few mud-terrain tytres on offer, but seeing as their more-butch Baja Boss range starts at a 33in diameter (and don’t stop until they hit 40in), we thought we’d stick to the well-proven MTZs. They don’t really need much by way of introductions, having been on the market since your grandad was punting his AU Falcon across the Simmo (legend), but the MTZs still hold up on today’s market. In fact, they remain one of the best options available.
The newest Baja Legend (which sounds like a shitty rip-off of Wolf Creek), MTZ has all the tech, all of the silica compounds and all of the off-road performance you’d expect at this price point. It really is a market leader, and the newer versions have only set the bar higher over the previous P3 tyres.

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Milestar Patagonia M/T
California-based Milestar has taken the US market by storm over the past few years, even racking up wins in comps like King Of The Hammers, so they’re a proven performer. The tread is aggressive without being overbearing, the carcass is tough while still being pliable at lower pressures, and the on-road handling is right up there with the best of them.
Off-road, these things straddle the all-rounder line perfectly as mud-terrain tyres, delivering fantastic performance across the gamut of Australian conditions. The Patagonia’s Achilles’ heel is probably the wear rates. While far from the worst, they’re not up there with the best either. Still, getting roughly 50,000km out of a set of rubber that works so well no matter where you’re driving is a small price to pay for some (us, for example).

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Monsta Mud Warrior MT
While Monsta Mud Warrior sounds like one of the villains from Captain Planet, these mud-terrain tyres are also pretty decent hardcore tyres with an aggressive tread pattern and “reinforced sidewall”. On the website, the raised white lettering is listed as the second feature, so we can all probably infer that not heaps of R&D have gone into making them comfy or road-friendly.
With that said, for an off-road tyre that won’t bankrupt you, they look like they’ll be up to the task in the tricky stuff. Or, worst case, they’ll make your lifted D-Max not look like absolute rubbish in the job site carpark if that’s important to you. No judgement. You’re in a safe space.

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Nexen Roadian MTX
Another cheap and cheerful mud-terrain tyre on our list is the Nexen Roadian (ugh) MTX. With dual sidewall designs for maximum vehicle customisation (again, ugh), and a nice chunky tread design, there are a lot worse things you could spend your hard-earned on. While road noise is up there, the Nexens are a legit wheeling tyre with three-ply sidewalls and a nice soft compound that has big ticks in both the grip and moulding-over-terrain columns.
That compound that delivers the goods off-road, however, is a touch too soft for the blacktop and wear rates and chunking will happen if pressures are not fastidiously maintained. Similarly, wear rates suffer for the same reason. Hashtag worth it, though.

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Nitto Trail Grappler M/T
The Nittos are an off-roader’s off-road tyre. They’re big, tough, heavy and built tougher than an Abrams tank. The minimal siping delivers in the wet. The void ratio is bang on for mud clearing, noise and traction. Put simply, they really do almost nothing wrong, which is what you’d expect from a top dog like Nitto.
The only real issue we’ve ever encountered with these mud-terrain tyres is finding them. Sometimes every tyre joint in the country has pallet-loads of them, other times you’d be lucky to find a single one anywhere. If they’re available when you’re next tyre shopping, our advice would be to grab a set while you can.

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Pirelli Scorpion MTR
The Pirelli Scorpion label has long been seen as one of the better, if less aggressive, ATs on the market, and the crankier-looking mud-terrain tyre brings the noise as well. It’s nothing revolutionary, it has no gimmicks or glitzy marketing nonsense. It’s just an aggressive tyre that does aggressive tyre shit.
It has all of the usual mud tyre disadvantages like getting tail happy in the wet but the big issue is that they can be difficult to find in the right measurements (there’s only one size available in a 17in rim for example). But still, they’re surprisingly quiet for a MT and the price is not exactly a size 13 to the nethers. Overall, a great option, providing you fit into the narrow size-segment.

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Predator New Mutant X-MT
They’re only available in three sizes (the smallest being 285/70R17), the name sounds like yet another awful Marvel movie spinoff, and the tread is angrier than a Taylor Swift fan defending her worst album. Even so, the X-MT is an absolute animal off-road and frankly, we should all be running them…
…as long as we don’t drive on-road again. One look at that mud-terrain tread will tell you this tyre is not designed for high-speed handling around the Nürburgring. But this isn’t an article about HT tyres, this is a muddy yarn, baby, and these things kick arse. But yeah, on paved sections of the planet, there may be better options.

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Toyo Open Country M/T
Full disclosure: I run these on my rig (paid retail for them, just in case you were wondering) and honestly don’t have many bad things to say about them. They don’t light the insatiable lust fires in the soul that a Swamper or a Sticky Trep might when you look at them, but for a predictable, dependable and oh-so-reliable mud-terrain tyre that gets it both on and off-road, these fit the bill.
As you’d expect from Toyo, the R&D has been extensive, and while the price is not what you’d call cheap, if you don’t mind paying for quality, then it’s hardly what you’d call expensive either. As far as all-around capability goes, yeah, they’re good at that, too. The sidewalls are stiff as buggery (not a bad thing IMO), so they do need to be aired down a little further that brings more risk from a bead blowing out, but I’m yet to experience that personally. The wear rates are bananas, and wet weather performance is hard to fault as well.

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Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003
Yokohama have always been a bit of an outside option on the Aussie wheeling scene, but over the past decade or so, they’ve become more and more popular. For good reason too. Their mud-terrain tyres are one of the nicest all-rounders on the market and are available at a cracking price.
They have all the tech, like variably pitched treads and high-density compounds for noise-cancelling and longevity on-road while still being aggressive enough to party with the rowdy kids off-road. As with most mud terrains there are a few drawbacks, but overall the Yokies are nobody’s idea of a crappy tyre, and you could do a lot worse when you factor in the super nice performance and better-then-decent price point.

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