Published December 29, 2025
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Length: (17:52)
Off-Road All-Terrain
LT265/70R17
Off-Road Maximum Traction
LT265/70R17
On-Road All-Terrain
LT265/70R17
Rugged All-Terrain
LT265/70R17
2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road
For years, we've been testing All-Terrain tires alongside the rest of the tire categories we carry, and in a similar manner. We evaluate how they feel on the road, how they handle the hard inputs and the immediate traction demands of emergency situations by pushing them on a track, testing their abilities in winter and wet conditions, and generally try to replicate what drivers experience day-to-day. Except for how they perform off-road.
Tire testing is what we do - so it certainly hasn't been for a lack of desire. We've heard the requests for dedicated off-road tire testing, and we've been talking internally about this for years. The thing is: off-road testing is notoriously difficult to do properly.
For a start, the immediate question that demands an answer is "What kind of off-road tire testing?" Literally speaking, anything not on a paved surface is off-road, from grassy fields to sand to mud to rock crawling and more. To put it mildly, there are a wide variety of differences of off-road conditions to consider and try to test for, and that's before we get into how the terrain changes with each attempt... or from day-to-day as temperatures and precipitation change. We try to control for these variables during regular testing too, but an unpaved surface offers so much more to consider, and we wanted to make sure the trust we've built up over the decades has been well-placed.
So, we've been in contact for some time with our friends and partners at the Treadwell Research Park to develop an objective, repeatable off-road tire test that we can feel good about, and we're closer now to making that happen than ever. At the same time, we wanted to get started as the off-road and 4x4 truck tire segment maintains its popularity as we get our boots figuratively dirty (and our tires literally so).
That brings us to this evaluation. This is not our typical tire test: our team looked at 3 criteria we could reasonably offer subjective thoughts on, and scouted a local(ish) place a short road trip away: the Badlands Offroad Park in Attica, Indiana. The 3 criteria we tested for are: Acceleration Traction, Steering Traction & Response, and Rear Axle Traction & Stability. We then loaded up four sets of off-road tires for our 4th Gen Toyota Tacoma test truck from the four all-terrain subcategories available for sale on tirerack.com, similar to our cross-category evaluations where the results are as much about the differences that can be seen between tire subcategories in broad strokes as they are about the individual tires.
We chose from the most popular tires in each all-terrain category to give a representative sample ranging from more on-road focused all-terrain tires to the most aggressive "mud tires" or Off-Road Maximum Traction. Each tire was mounted to our 17x8.5 Method MR703 test wheels, in size LT265/70R17 Load Range E and aired down to 20 psi.
The four tires we chose for this outing were:
Each one of these tires has been previously tested on the road, in the wet, dry, snow, and ice.
See those results here:
For this evaluation, we're looking at multiple types of surfaces within the Badlands Park. There are three "major" locations, with the first (what we'll call the "dunes") having sort of three separate sub-surfaces to evaluate, before moving over to the second location (the Dirt Loop), and finishing up on the Badlands' dirt field "drag strip."
The Hill Climb was just as it sounds: how far does each tire make it, given the same inputs? How does it feel? The River Rock Pit is, again, clear in its description - a large swath of loose stones that moves and shifts easily under the weight and movement of our truck.
The Sand Loop was a tilting, uneven surface resting at an angle on a large hill that provided a good additional loose surface to evaluate with a more granular texture. We moved from there to doing laps on the Dirt Loop, which presents its own unique challenges for traversal, and finally the drag strip, which is a more tightly packed dirt surface.
For the drag strip, our drivers used the manual shifting feature on the Tacoma, built to 2,000 RPM and launched multiple 0-30 runs in each direction on the strip to reduce surface variability. Results were measured in feet instead of seconds, because more distance to hit target speed meant more wheel spin, less positive interaction with the surface.
On all surfaces, we kept the Tacoma in 2WD for consistency and the broadest applicability for results. We weren't looking to evaluate the vehicle's 4WD system, and if we reference its use, that means the truck needed to be unstuck.
Off-Road All-Terrain
LT265/70R17
Backed by decades of real-world testing, the KO family has long set the benchmark for durability and traction for the off-road-focused all-terrain tire category, and proven to be exceedingly popular even outside the enthusiast market. Given that pedigree, we expect the latest KO3 to be a formidable entry in the Off-Road All-Terrain segment. (We even raced on it in the 2025 Baja 1000!)
Hill Climb, River Rock Pit & Sand Loop: More progress on the climb, particularly compared to the on-road tire, roughly a half-truck length before it bogged down and we had to lift to avoid rutting the lane. It felt more assured, less likely to slip (or "crab") sideways during the attempt. We again saw improvement in the river rock pit, consistently making progress, more slow clawing power, even if it did eventually get stuck and require 4WD, it was unquestionably good. This carried over in the sand as well - the All-Terrain T/A KO3 found grip and built speed without feeling like it was sliding around or wasting energy. The front end was responsive, authoritative in steering response. Driving off-road can feel a bit like being along for the ride at times, but this felt like it brought the experience under control.
Dirt Loop: On the tightly-packed ground of the Dirt Loop, the KO3 delivered solid acceleration with a noticeable surge when the rear tires spun up, and overall traction felt consistent and effective. Steering response seemed to favor big, aggressive movement. Anything more subtle, and it felt delayed after a good initial "bite" in, which occasionally required earlier steering to stay on line. Even so, the balance was mostly stable, the rear stayed in check, and it behaved predictably.
Drag Strip: The All-Terrain T/A KO3 posted a 90.3 ft average to reach the target speed, which was (narrowly) the strongest objective result of the tires tested.
Off-Road Maximum Traction
LT265/70R17
The BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 is the brand’s current-generation Off-Road Maximum Traction (sometimes called "Mud Terrain" or mud tires), engineered for off-road enthusiasts who need maximum traction in mud, rock, and loose soil. Drawing on decades of experience, the KM3 is designed to provide enhanced grip, toughness, and control in the most challenging terrain and will be a key reference point for real-world off-road performance.
Hill Climb, River Rock Pit & Sand Loop: Very good forward progress climbing up the hill, and while it had arguably the strongest ability to bite down into firmer surfaces to keep accelerating, it needed a lot of wheel spin to find that purchase, which ultimately would tear up the hill. The Rock Pit was no better, though not really worse, than any of the other tires. In the Sand Loop, particularly during the upwards drift, there was crabbing movement, but once it could bite down, forward progress was strong, even as it got bogged down in the deeper sand.
Dirt Loop: Solid front-end bite that required a bit of input to wake up, but once engaged it held its line well. The steering and front traction felt... not particularly sharp, but appropriately deliberate for off-road use. The rear axle had noticeably less grip than the front, which made it more prone to step out around corners and move around under throttle. As long as we were prepared for it, that rotation felt controllable, felt useful when cornering and added a fun bit of character. Unfortunately, in a straight line it didn't just settle down, and that same movement translated to a lot of useless or actively detrimental rear-end action. Still good - just not up to the same level as everything else in the rear at speed.
Drag Strip: Without much loose material to grab, the Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 took the furthest to reach target speed at 98.8 feet.
On-Road All-Terrain
LT265/70R17
The brand's newest contender, offering an impressively even blend of performance across dry pavement, wet conditions, and light snow. In our other evaluations, it stood out for its refined balance, and we're eager to see how this road-friendly all-terrain stacks up against more aggressive competitors.
Hill Climb, River Rock Pit & Sand Loop: Ironically for the "Ascent" part of its name, there were initially some failed attempts at the hill climb: it was relying on momentum to make forward progress rather than digging in and creating holds out of the available terrain. Once that momentum faded, progress stalled. This was true during the river rock pit as well, and required switching to 4WD to get out. During the Sand Loop, the rear stepped out quickly when accelerating, though after getting sideways we could settle it into some slow forward progress. Deeper sand, somewhat unsurprisingly, bogged down the front-end input, we couldn't be quick with it; everything was moving vaguely in the right direction but felt far from precise.
Dirt Loop: The trail was firm, well-packed down, which made a good surface for the Dueler A/T Ascent to make the most of. Steering felt responsive and allowed quick side to side movements to dodge obstacles on the trail, and it was easy to line up the right path through the ruts. Acceleration stayed solid with very little wheel spin, and the rear end stayed mostly in check. The front axle had good bite and responsiveness, so you could place the vehicle where you wanted with real speed. Power delivery was strong with only a touch of instability at the back, and even that stayed within controllable realms.
Drag Strip: It took an average of 91.2 ft for the Dueler A/T Ascent to reach the target speed of 30 mph.
Rugged All-Terrain
LT265/70R17
The Nitto Ridge Grappler has become one of the most recognizable tires in this emerging category, and consequently sets the standard for what a hybrid A/T-M/T tire aims to be. Does its performance truly bridge that gap or is its "Rugged All-Terrain" label more about the image than real capability?
Hill Climb, River Rock Pit & Sand Loop: The Ridge Grappler showed some initial strength during the Hill Climb portion, about matching the KO3 in performance. Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly as adept in the Rock Pit - relying more on momentum to make progress than actually creating enough traction to move. It did a commendable job maintaining that momentum, but once off throttle, it was back to 4WD to free ourselves. In the sand, it tended to crab a bit more than ideal, with rear-axle stability sitting firmly in the low end of the group. Acceleration came on well once the tires found purchase and hooked in, but the steering response lagged in the same way; it took time to bite, and by the time it did, the moment had passed. Bluntly, and blunt is the operative term here, precision was not a strong point, further harried by the rear end's clear willingness to step out.
Dirt Loop: On the dirt loop, steering felt slower to respond and carried a noticeable amount of understeer, which kept the rear end calm but also limited how much rotation you could coax from the chassis. All four tires tended to push together, making it feel less capable when trying to drive it quickly. Acceleration was solid and generally in line with the better performers, with an edge in resisting wheelspin compared to its Off-Road All-Terrain competitor, but ultimately front-end traction remained the clear limiting factor.
Drag Strip: The Ridge Grappler was a step back from both the On- and Off-Road All-Terrain tires, taking 97.7 ft on average to reach the target speed of 30 mph.
For a first recorded outing, this was not only an encouraging start for us, but an absolute treat for how interesting and varied the experience of evaluating different tires can be. This was a blast on a personal note, but also showed us some fascinating results. The River Rock pit, for instance, seemed to be one of the great equalizers, with no tire really excelling.
It likely won't surprise many, given the tire line's popularity, but BFGoodrich's All-Terrain T/A KO3 was a fantastic representative both for its category and off-roading in general. It was balanced, delivering biting grip on both axles in every environment we asked it to perform, and was our collective favorite in every respect.
The lack of mud didn't really give the Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 a chance to play to its strengths, but it was more than versatile enough to be a reliable second option. Perhaps more importantly to the broader discussion about categories - it also showed off how different "off road" can be. It was definitely more at home in loose ground than hard packed surfaces, but evidenced that simply picking a more aggressive tire is not a guarantee that you'll get more traction as a result.
The Nitto Ridge Grappler is an interesting tire among this group, as much for its own sake as for its role as the representative of the Rugged All-Terrain category. In theory, we've seen these tires positioned as more aggressive than Off-Road All-Terrain tires, the "in-between" of that category and Off-Road Maximum Traction but in practice here, it was closer to the in-between of on-road and off-road.
Finally, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the On-Road All-Terrain tire, Bridgestone's Dueler A/T Ascent was not as at home in loose rock, dirt, and sand as it was on harder-packed surfaces like the dirt loop, or drag strip, where it could get more rubber in contact with the surface. It commanded a good lead over the others there, but as a dedicated off-road option, this was not its comfort zone.
Again - that's a large part of what makes off-road tires such a compelling part of the industry - for some drivers, their off-road use might be "soft-roading" grass fields, gravel and dirt fire roads. For others, it's a trip down the dunes for a beachside picnic, or more extreme rock-climbing and mud-fording. There's a wide variety of terrains to consider and very few, if any, tires are going to excel in all of them. Ultimately that makes for some exciting testing opportunities for future off-road and truck-focused tire tests, and with more planned, we couldn't be looking forward to it more - including a future update to this report that factors in gravel road cut and chip durability testing coming in 2026.
Ready to find your next set of off-road tires? With over 10,000 Recommended Installer tire shops ready to install your order, Tire Rack has what you need to get your vehicle back on the trail.
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