Head to head
Milestar Patagonia M/T-02 vs BFGoodrich KM3
The cheapest tire in our price tracker against the one most people think of first. On the published specifications the budget tire gives up surprisingly little — and in one size, something it is easy to miss.
By Bill Belcamino · Last verified 17 September 2026
What the published data supports
In LT285/70R17 the Milestar is $79.04 a tire cheaper, 4.9 lb lighter and 1/32″ deeper, at the identical Load Range E rating. Milestar also states a three-ply sidewall, which BFGoodrich does not publish for the KM3.
The BFGoodrich publishes engineering claims as measurable figures against its own predecessor, and a clearer warranty term. And in 33×12.50R17 the Milestar is listed a load range lower — Load Range D at 2,600 lb, against the KM3’s Load Range E at 3,085 lb.
Side by side
Specification
Milestar Patagonia M/T-02
BFGoodrich KM3
Price, LT285/70R17
$260.95
$339.99
LT285/70R17
62.2 lb · 19/32″ · 121/118Q (E)
67.1 lb · 18/32″ · 121/118Q (E)
33×12.50R17
65.1 lb · 19/32″ · 2,600 lb at 50 psi (D)
67.6 lb · 18/32″ · 3,085 lb at 65 psi (E)
35×12.50R17
Not listed in this size
74.4 lb · 18/32″ (E)
37×12.50R17
73.8 lb · 19/32″ (D)
77.4 lb · 18/32″ (D)
Sidewall
MILETECH 3-Ply Sidewall (Milestar)
CoreGard Max — ply count not published
Stated tread features
Cross-directional siping, high-void tread, stone ejectors
Mud-Phobic shoulder bars, Linear Flex Zone, Krawl-TEK compound
Numeric claims
None published
5% mud, 8% rock, 27% tougher sidewalls — all vs the KM2
Warranty
No treadwear warranty found for this model
Life of usable tread, or six years; no treadwear warranty
3PMSF certification
Not stated
Not stated
Construction and features are each manufacturer’s own. Size rows are from the tiresize specification pages. Prices are from our price tracker.
Where the published data favours the Milestar
Price: $260.95 against $339.99 in LT285/70R17 — $79.04 a tire, $316.16 across a set of four. The Milestar is the cheapest tire in our tracker.
Mass and depth, in every size where both are listed: 4.9 lb lighter and 1/32″ deeper in LT285/70R17, 3.6 lb lighter and 1/32″ deeper in 37×12.50R17.
A stated ply count. Milestar describes a MILETECH 3-Ply Sidewall “with added rigidity for maximum sidewall durability, yet still pliable and flexible” for airing down. BFGoodrich does not publish a ply count for the KM3 anywhere we have found.
Where the published data favours the BFGoodrich
Load range in 33×12.50R17: the KM3 is Load Range E at 3,085 lb and 65 psi, the Milestar Load Range D at 2,600 lb and 50 psi — 485 lb per tire less. Part of the Milestar’s weight advantage in that size is simply the lower load range. Check the part number, not the size.
Published engineering. BFGoodrich states measurable claims — 5% better mud traction, 8% better traction on rock and slick surfaces, and sidewalls 27% tougher on internal puncture testing, all against the KM2. Milestar describes features without figures.
A clearer warranty term: BFGoodrich’s covers the life of the usable tread or six years. We found no treadwear warranty for the Patagonia M/T-02, and none for the KM3 either.
What the evidence does not establish
Whether the $79 buys anything measurable. No independent test covers both tires for traction, noise or wear, and depth does not predict how fast a compound wears.
BFGoodrich’s claims are against its own predecessor; Milestar publishes no comparable figures. Neither can be placed on a common scale with the other.
Neither carries three-peak mountain snowflake certification. See budget mud tires for what the cheaper end of the market does and does not give up.
What they cost
Tire
LT285/70R17, per tire
Read
Milestar Patagonia M/T-02
$260.95
11 Sep 2026
BFGoodrich KM3
$339.99
11 Sep 2026
Across retailers on 10 September 2026 the KM3 ranged from $339.99 to $404.49 on the same day, so the real gap can be wider than the tracked reading.
Which matters for your use case
If price decides it, the Milestar is $316 cheaper across a set, and lighter and deeper on paper.
If you run 33×12.50R17 and need Load Range E, the source lists only the BFGoodrich in that load range.
If you want a manufacturer to commit to measurable performance claims, only BFGoodrich does.
If sidewall ply count is your deciding factor, only Milestar states one.
Model pages and data
BFGoodrich KM3 · specification database
Related
budget mud tires · Patagonia M/T-02 vs Open Country M/T · price tracker · sidewall plies and ply rating · load range explained
Sources
Milestar, Patagonia M/T-02 (milestar.com) · BFGoodrich, Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 (bfgoodrichtires.com), both read 17 September 2026 · Tire Size (tiresize.com), model specification pages, read 17 September 2026 · Mud Tires price tracker.
How these figures are gathered and what we refuse to estimate: our method.