Head to head
BFGoodrich KM3 vs Toyo Open Country M/T
One publishes percentage improvements against its own predecessor and a concrete warranty term. The other publishes a composite retailer rating and an unusually clear position on snow. Neither has been measured against the other.
By Cole Harlan · Last reviewed 22 October 2026
What the published data supports
BFGoodrich publishes a six-year warranty term and a set of percentage improvements measured against its own KM2. Toyo lists only a limited warranty with no mileage term, and no noise figure, but carries the highest traction rating of any tire in our set on the one composite scale that rates it.
Neither carries three-peak mountain snowflake certification. No independent test has measured these two against each other, so this page sets out what each manufacturer publishes rather than ranking them.
Side by side
Specification
BFGoodrich KM3
Toyo Open Country M/T
Tread depth (LT285/70R17)
18/32″
18.9/32″
Load index / speed (LT285/70R17)
121/118Q
121/118P
Load at pressure (LT285/70R17)
3,195 lb at 80 psi
3,195 lb at 80 psi
Weight (33×12.50R17)
67.6 lb
70.0 lb
Tread depth (33×12.50R17)
18/32″
21/32″
Measured diameter (37×12.50R17)
36.5″
36.8″
Load at pressure (37×12.50R17)
3,525 lb at 50 psi
3,525 lb at 50 psi
Composite retailer rating
Not rated on this scale
9.1 overall
Traction rating
Not rated
9.7
Durability rating
Not rated
9.5
Longevity rating
Not rated
8.3
3PMSF certification
Not stated
Not stated
Published noise figure
None published
None published
Ply count
Not published
Three-ply sidewall, polyester construction (SimpleTire)
Warranty
Life of original usable tread, or six years
Limited warranty; no mileage term (Toyo)
Composite figures are SimpleTire’s SimpleScore, a composite of one retailer’s own rating categories rather than an independent laboratory measurement. Tread depth, weight and load figures for both tires are from the tiresize specification pages. Cells reading “not published” are gaps in the published data, not poor results.
Where the BFGoodrich has documented advantages
BFGoodrich publishes a concrete warranty term: the life of the original usable tread, or six years from purchase. Toyo lists only a limited warranty for the Open Country M/T, with no mileage term. For a tire likely fitted to a low-mileage vehicle a time-based term is worth more than it first appears; warranties compared sets out what these documents actually promise.
BFGoodrich also states its engineering claims as numbers: 5% better mud traction and 8% better traction on rock and slick surfaces than the KM2, and sidewalls it describes as 27% tougher on internal sidewall puncture testing against the same tire. Those are claims against its own predecessor rather than against the Toyo, but they are measurable statements a buyer can hold the company to.
In 37×12.50R17 the BFGoodrich measures 36.5″ against the Toyo’s 36.8″. Neither reaches a true 37 inches, and the BFGoodrich is the smaller of the two, which matters if you are working to a clearance limit. 37-inch mud tires covers how far nominal sizes drift from measured ones.
Where the Toyo has documented advantages
On SimpleTire’s composite scale the Open Country M/T rates 9.1 overall, with 9.7 for traction (the highest traction figure of any tire in our current set), 9.5 for durability and 8.3 for longevity (LT285/70R17 listing, read 22 October 2026). The BFGoodrich is not rated on that scale at all, so this is a figure for one tire rather than a measured comparison between the two.
In 33×12.50R17 the Toyo lists 21/32″ of tread against the BFGoodrich’s 18/32″, a 3/32″ gap and the widest between any two tires in that size. Tread depth is the only wear-life figure a buyer can check before paying on tires with no mileage warranty.
Neither manufacturer makes a three-peak mountain snowflake claim. Toyo describes the Open Country M/T as built for roads that turn muddy, snowy and rocky; BFGoodrich states nothing either way. Neither is a severe-snow tire, whatever the tread looks like.
What the evidence does not establish
No independent test has measured these two tires against each other. BFGoodrich’s percentages are measured against the KM2; Toyo’s ratings come from a retailer’s composite scale. The two cannot be placed on a common scale, and any ranking between them would be invented.
BFGoodrich publishes no ply count for the KM3. For the Toyo, a three-ply sidewall and polyester construction are described in SimpleTire’s listing rather than on Toyo’s own page. Tread depth and load index for both tires come from the tiresize specification pages. See the specification database.
Neither publishes a noise figure. Neither carries 3PMSF certification. Neither publishes a mileage warranty, which is normal for light-truck-sized tires.
What they cost
Readings from the price tracker, re-checked weekly against the same retailer and the same size.
Tire
Per tire, LT285/70R17
Read
BFGoodrich KM3
$339.99
14 Oct 2026
Toyo Open Country M/T
$434.97
14 Oct 2026
The Toyo is the most expensive of the six tires tracked, and after the KM3 fell $49.00 on 8 October and another $9.00 on 14 October 2026 the BFGoodrich is the second cheapest, behind only the Milestar Patagonia M/T-02: a $94.98 gap per tire against the Toyo, or $379.92 across a set of four. Across retailers on 10 September 2026 the KM3 ranged from $339.99 to $404.49 on the same day, so the gap narrows or widens depending where you buy.
Which matters for your use case
If a written warranty term matters to you, the BFGoodrich is the only one of the two that publishes one.
If you are buying on the strongest available third-party signal, the Toyo carries it, with the caveat that it is a retailer composite rather than a test result.
If you are fitting 37s to a clearance-limited vehicle, the BFGoodrich measures 0.3″ smaller.
If you are buying on tread depth, the Toyo lists 3/32″ more in 33×12.50R17.
If you drive in sustained snow, neither belongs on the shortlist. See mud tires in snow.
Model pages
Full published specifications for each tire: BFGoodrich KM3 · Toyo Open Country M/T
Related
Sources
BFGoodrich, Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 product page (bfgoodrichtires.com) · Toyo Tires, Open Country M/T (toyotires.com) · SimpleTire, Open Country M/T and KM3 (simpletire.com) · Tire Size, model specification pages (tiresize.com). Re-checked 22 October 2026.
How these figures are gathered and what we refuse to estimate: our method.
Cite this page: Mud Tires, “BFGoodrich KM3 vs Toyo Open Country M/T”, mudtires.org/km3-vs-open-country-mt/ (updated ).