Research desk · Updated 9 September 2026
Best mud tires for daily driving
Mud-terrains are a compromise the moment you leave the trail. This page compares the M/Ts that give up the least on pavement — noise, wet grip and winter capability — using manufacturer specifications and published rating data, with every claim sourced.
How this comparison was built
Every figure below comes from either the manufacturer’s own published specification or a third-party rating platform, and each is attributed in the sources section. Where a manufacturer makes a performance claim, it is labelled as their claim rather than presented as an independent finding.
What this page is not: we have not yet run first-hand testing on these tires. Until we do, nothing here is presented as our own measurement. Entries will be revised as independent data becomes available.
Side by side
On-road characteristics compared
Tire
On-road noise
Published score
3PMSF
Nitto Trail Grappler M/T
Nitto claims 34% quieter at street speeds, 36% at highway, vs its Mud Grappler
Not rated
Not stated
Toyo Open Country M/T
No manufacturer noise figure published
9.3 overall (SimpleTire)
No
Falken Wildpeak M/T01
Tread pattern stated to reduce road hum vs older M/T designs
8.4 overall (SimpleTire)
Not stated
Scores are SimpleTire’s SimpleScore, a composite of their own rating categories — not an independent laboratory measurement. A blank is a genuine gap in published data, not a low score.
Detail
What the data actually says
Nitto Trail Grappler M/T
The only tire here with a published noise reduction figure. Nitto states the tread was developed using 3D computer simulation to vary block size, shape and position, and quotes 34% and 36% reductions against its own Mud Grappler — a comparison to a notoriously loud tire, not to the category. Deep centre sipes are claimed to reduce hydroplaning. Offered in load ranges C through F across 63 sizes from 15 to 26 inches.
Source: Nitto Tire product page
Toyo Open Country M/T
Carries the strongest published composite rating of the three, at 9.3 overall with 9.8 for traction, 9.4 durability and 8.8 longevity. It is not 3PMSF certified, so it is not rated for severe snow service even though it is described as having usable grip in light snow. No manufacturer noise figure is published, which is a meaningful gap for a daily-driven tire.
Source: SimpleTire comparison data
Falken Wildpeak M/T01
Rates 8.4 overall, with 8.5 durability and 8.6 longevity — behind the Toyo on the same scale, and typically the cheaper tire, which is the trade-off worth weighing if cost per mile matters more than outright traction. The tread is described as optimised to cut road hum against older M/T designs, though no measured figure is given.
Source: SimpleTire comparison data
Still to be assessed
BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3, Mickey Thompson Baja Boss M/T, Cooper Discoverer STT Pro and Maxxis Razr MT are all credible candidates for this list. They are not included yet because we have not sourced comparable published data for them. They will be added as that data is verified rather than filled in from memory.
Before you buy
Every published noise figure uses a different baseline, so none can be compared directly with another.
Three things that decide this
Noise grows with wear. A mud-terrain that is tolerable new can become genuinely tiring at half tread, as the blocks wear unevenly. Manufacturer noise claims are measured on new tires.
3PMSF matters if you see real winter. None of the tires above carries the three-peak mountain snowflake mark. Aggressive tread is not the same as certified severe-snow capability, and insurers and some jurisdictions treat the mark as the standard.
Load range changes the ride. An E or F rated tire on a half-ton truck rides harder than a C or D and costs fuel economy. Match the load range to what you actually tow, not to the badge.
Watch
Tire Rack testing off-road-biased tires on pavement. Published by Tire Rack; we did not conduct this test.
Watch on YouTube →Sources
Nitto Tire, Trail Grappler M/T product specifications (nittotire.com) · SimpleTire, Falken Wildpeak M/T01 vs Toyo Open Country M/T comparison (simpletire.com). Retrieved 9 September 2026.
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