How To Choose Off Road Tires

Whether you live out in the backcountry or simply love to go out mudding, you want to make sure that you have the right off-road tires on your vehicle.

For highway driving and occasional off-roading, light off-road tires are ideal. For intermediate off-roading with occasional high-way driving, mud terrain tires are the way to go. However, for advanced off-roading, you are going to want to have a set of extreme terrain tires on your vehicle.

The technology behind off-road tires just gets better and better over the years, which is great news for those of us that have to drive on rough roads on a regular basis.

The last thing that you want to do is get stuck in the mud while off-roading because you did not have the right tires installed on your car, which is why you want to choose the right tire for your vehicle before you hit any rough terrain.

However, there is not just one type of off-road tire out there for you to consider. Off-road tires are incredibly dynamic and can be used for a wide variety of different types of terrain.

What you need to do before you pick the right off-road tire is to reflect on exactly how rough the terrain is that you drive on and whether you want tires that are solely for off-roading or ones that are suitable for the city and highway driving as well.

To help you understand this further, we are going to take a closer look at different types of off-road tires so that you can choose the right one for your vehicle.

After years of working as a mechanic who loves to go off-roading, I have had an extensive amount of experience testing out various types of off-road tires. My experience has taught me that the best way to choose an off-road tire is to match its capabilities with your driving needs.

‍Choosing Off-Road Tires

The reality is that not all off-road tires are made equal. You should think about the tires of your car the same way that you do the shoes on your feet - they all serve a similar purpose but at the end of the day, some are just going to be more suitable for certain activities. The same thing goes for tires and especially off-road tires that need to be ready to handle extremely rough terrains.

Now, with that being said, you should know that while off-road tires can be great for hitting those rough country roads and rocky terrains, they can actually be quite a nuisance when you have to drive on normal streets. Off-road tires were designed to be great for terrains such as mud, sand, dirt, snow, rocks, in some cases - even boulders, but ironically they can sometimes be rougher on normal roads than they are while off-roading.

The reason for this is that off-road tires have a different kind of tread that is designed for traction, which can make your driving experience on casual streets incredibly bumpy and uncomfortable. In addition to the constant bumps, you are going to have to put up with a lot of noise while you drive on highways and city streets, which can become very annoying after a while.

So, if you are driving exclusively on rough roads with your vehicle - opting for a heavy-duty off-road tire that is suitable for your terrain will be the way to go. However, if you are the kind of driver who occasionally finds themselves hitting rough terrain that is not overly intense or muddy, you might want to consider an off-road tire that is more well-rounded for multi-purpose driving. The questions that you should ask yourself before you make any decision on an off-road tire are ‘how much traction am I really going to need’ and ‘how much off-roading am I legitimately going to be doing’. Keep reading to learn more about how to choose the right off-road tire.

Light-Off Road Tires

The introductory level of off-road tires is designed for light-off roading use. These are commonly referred to in the industry as All-terrain Tires.

These are not going to be your best pick if you really need to get out into the sticks and drive on high-level off-road terrains, but they are great for casual off-roading. Most light-off road tires that you see on the market will generally be designed for driving on terrains such as snow, dirt, gravel, and light mud conditions.

You would be surprised by what you can get away with when having All-terrain tires installed on your vehicle. Although they were not designed for real off-roading, many drivers can take their vehicles out in pretty rough conditions and get by just fine. With that being said, part of this has to do with not only the tire but also the person behind the wheel, as knowing how to handle off-road conditions can often be half the battle when driving on rough terrains.

What is really great about light-off road tires is that they are multi-purpose. All-terrain tires can be seen on so many different vehicles simply for the fact that you can drive them anywhere (just about). These are the perfect tires for a person that finds themselves driving on a combination of different types of terrain. If you want to be able to drive in the city with as much comfort and reliability as you do on dirt and gravel roads, you really can’t go wrong with an All-terrain tire, as they will get the job done just fine.

All-terrain tires are the definition of a well-rounded tire. They are great for city and highway driving, but they will also take care of your basic off-roading needs. In addition, if you live somewhere with snow conditions, light-off road tires like these are the perfect medium to having to put chains on your tires, as they were designed to handle snowy conditions.

Lastly, what you want to consider when selecting a light-off road tire is that these tires are also going to be comfortable. Given that their primary function is not to solely hit off-road terrains, they have a design that makes them perfect for taking care of your street and highway driving, as they are quiet and smooth. Let’s take a look at our top pick for light-off road tires.

Pirelli Scorpion

If you are looking for a tire that is praised by the off-road community for being universal in functionality, the Pirelli Scorpion is at the top of the list for so many drivers.

This is a great option for drivers that want a tire that is perfect for handling light to intermediate levels of off-roading. The Pirelli Scorpion has been tested on dirt, gravel, and even light levels of mud terrain with little to no issues. It has excellent tread with grooves that provide traction for a wide variety of different off-road activities.

However, what the Pirelli Scorpion really excels in is snow. These tires were tested extensively on rough snow conditions and they passed the test with flying colors. So, if you live in an area with cold weather and want to not only drive comfortably in the snow but safely, you are going to want to highly consider getting a set of Pirelli Scorpions on your vehicle.

In addition to its stellar off-road capabilities, the Pirelli Scorpion offers a very smooth and comfortable drive when you need to hit casual streets and highways. You will also find that they are great for conditions that are both dry and wet. All in all, this is a great All-terrain tire.

Mud Terrain Tires

Now, if you feel that an All-terrain tire is just not going to do the trick to take care of your off-roading needs, then you are probably going to want to get something that is more equipped for the terrain that you drive on.

The next level of off-road tires is classified as mud terrain. These are going to be much more appropriate for those of you that find yourselves driving predominantly on backcountry roads and off-roading. You are going to have much more reliability with a mud terrain tire as these were designed specifically to keep people from getting stuck in the mud.

Mud terrain tires are equipped with a much more rugged design - with tread blocks that are considerably larger and wider apart than a light-terrain tire. The wide tread blocks that come with mud-terrain tries enable you to have better traction when off-roading - they easily grip onto surfaces and push through most off-road terrains. The width of the mud blocks keeps debris and mud from getting lodged in between the grooves of the tire. This is what generally results in most drivers getting stuck on rough and muddy terrains.

There are many different types of mud-terrain tires out there but, for the most part, you will find that they are designed for one purpose - getting you through the mud. Of course, these tires are great for dirt and gravel but they excel in heavy-duty mud and even rocks. With that being said, mud-terrain tires are excellent for off-roading, but they are not going to be a great choice for someone who finds themselves often in the city or on highways. The more capable your tire becomes at handling off-road conditions, the worse you should expect the performance to be when driving on casual streets.

Mud terrain tires will come with different levels of comfort on paved roads but you will find that the vast majority of them are going to be quite loud and bumpy. This can become a real issue for a lot of drivers that want to take their mud terrain tires on long-distance trips (on-road). If you have to do short and casual drives into town to run errands, the comfort level of mud terrain tires is tolerable, but if you need to drive in the city or hit the highway on a regular basis, then you may want to consider something that is not quite as rugged. Let’s take a look at our top pick for mud-terrain tires.

Toyo Open Country

Toyo is no stranger to delivering some of the best off-road tires out there and their Toyo Open Country model is hands down one of the best options for mud terrain tires that you can buy.

These tires are critically acclaimed by the off-roading and mudding community for their incredible performance. The durability of these things can withstand just about anything that you throw it, as they have been tested on just about every intermediate and advanced terrain that you can drive on.

They are great for both wet and dry conditions, so you know that they are equipped to hit the road no matter the weather. In addition, they have great traction for even the worst kinds of mud terrains. The tread design is excellent and is perfect for slicing through the mud like butter. The tread blocks are nice and wide and prevent debris from getting caught in your tire, which means that not only are you going to avoid getting stuck but you do not have to get your tires cleaned as often.

In addition to mud traction, the Toyo Open Country is a great set of tires for people who need to get through snow conditions. With that being said, the Open Country set from Toyo is surprisingly comfortable for casual driving. You shouldn’t expect the same level of comfort as with an All-terrain tire, but for the most part, they are as quiet as you could ask for a tire that has this level of off-road performance. This is really a tire that you cannot go wrong with if you need to go off-roading.

Extreme Terrain Tires

The majority of drivers out there that are going off-roading will be able to get by just fine with an All-terrain tire or a mud-terrain tire, as these are quite capable of handling most terrains.

However, there are a few of you out there that many need something even more heavy-duty than a mud-terrain tire. If that is the case, you are going to want to consider getting a set of extreme terrain tires on your vehicle.

With a set of extreme terrain tires on, your car will be built like a tank and should be able to handle just about anything. These tires are heavy-duty, to say the least, and their performance as far as off-road use is concerned is impeccable. This is not going to be an option for someone who needs to do casual off-roading and street driving.

If you find yourself driving exclusively on rough terrain and need something that has pique performance, you should highly consider investing in some extreme terrain tires for your vehicle. They will plow through dirt, mud, rocks, snow, and even boulders. Getting stuck in the mud is really not an option with extreme terrain tires, as they were designed solely for rough terrains and off-roading.

With that being said, you need to make sure that your vehicle is even capable of handling an extreme terrain tire. These were designed to be installed on vehicles that are as tough as the tire, which means that if you are driving a normal car such as a sedan or a minivan, you can forget about getting an extreme terrain tire on your vehicle without some serious modifications being done first.

These are tires that are meant primarily for trucks, jeeps, and heavy-duty vehicles. Once installed, these tires can take a beating. Whatever, off-road terrain you need to drive on, your extreme terrain tires should be able to handle it just fine, so long as your vehicle can.

Now, while these are incredible tires for off-roading and mudding, you should know that these are probably going to be the worst possible tires that you can pick for casual driving. If you try taking your car out on a highway with extreme terrain tries installed, you are going to be in for one uncomfortable ride. Let’s take a look at our top pick for extreme terrain tires.

Nitto Mud Grappler

There are some great options for extreme terrain tires on the market but few compare to the performance and reliability of the Nitto Mud Grappler.

This is a pricey tire but you really get what you pay for, as they are top-of-the-line extreme terrain tires. Drivers that have pushed these tires to the limit have been more than impressed with what they can handle - which is practically everything and anything.

The Nitto Mud Grappler is great for wet, dry, and snow conditions. In addition, they are going to handle some of the most intense mud terrains and rock terrains out there. If that is still not enough for you, the Nitto Mud Grappler can literally drive over boulders, so long as your vehicle can push through.

With that being said, this is not a tire for paved streets. They are loud and bumpy, which is going to be a real nuisance if you try to drive on the highway. In addition, much like with all tires that are designed for rough off-roading, taking them out on paved roads can actually damage the tire quite quickly as the rubber will deteriorate. So, stay off of casual streets as much as possible. If you want a tire that offers the best of the best for off-road performance, look no further as the Nitto MudGrapplere is going to be the way to go.