All Terrain Tires for New 4runner

I recently got a new 2023 4runner ORP and would like to replace the stock tires with something more appropriate for off road driving. I plan to use the truck mostly on the road, but also for frequent off road driving in northern Michigan, so I would like a tire that is good both on and off road. Good performance in snow is also important.

I have read a number of tire threads here and right now I am most strongly considering the BF Goodrich K02. Does this sound like the right tire for my use, and are there other tires I should consider?

Also, I am new to off roading and don’t have much experience buying tires either. I think I would like to stick with the same tire size as the tires that came with the truck. When I go to the tire shop and tell them which tires I want, is it sufficient to tell them I want K02s the same size as my current tires, or is there more detail I’ll meed to give them?

 

https://www.4runners.com/forums/wheels-tires.2/

The sticky in that thread should more than answer all your questions:

https://www.4runners.com/threads/a-t-and-m-t-tire-options-lets-hear-your-reviews.1289/

 

IIRC, KO2s are not everyone's favorite snow tire...

 

KO2s are great tires for sure, you won’t be disappointed. I have them on my Land Cruiser and will be going to them on my 21 Venture when the stock Bridgestone Dueler HT684s are done. They’ll be a slight (very slight) bit louder (road noise) vs. the Duelers that come stock on your ORP, but nothing unbearable. Just tell the tire shop you want exactly the same size as your stock tires and they’ll understand.

Goes without saying but your low-mileage OEM tires have value as a used tire for a trade-in or private sale, or to keep for future use. Good luck!
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EDIT: Regarding the snow performance, I cannot attest to the KO2s performance in snow first hand. In the south where we live on the sandy shores of a lake 45 minutes north of Dallas, we really don't deal with snow very often (maybe 1 time a year), so please understand that limitation in my endorsement of KO2s. But I can attest to the KO2s performance in mud, sand, general trails, gravel, etc. In those conditions, I am happy with the performance. Good luck!

 

I put these on my 2023 ORP. Winter rated and aggressive enough for the driving i plan on doing in Colorado. Only available from Discount. They have the three peak winter rating if that's important to you.

 

I would recommend reading tire reviews, offroad tires have its pluses and minuses. Some of them too loud for some people, some of them have shorter life time, some of them are not greatest in rain or snow. Personally I settled for Goodyear Duratrac tires - they serverd me well on road and offroad, in snow and rain for many years. I guess there might be someting better around, but I don't want to change what it working for me.

 

Did you even search? There is another tire thread a few threads down and many many more if you search.

 

falken at3 or the bgf ko2 are my choices... getting ready to make the decision shortly for my 2022... .i have ran both on other vehicles and great tires all around. also considering these
Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus - LT265/70R17/E 121S Tire from sams , but i dont have experience with this specific model.

 

BFG KO2 Load C options are my favorite do it all tire. But I will tell that GY Wrangler Duratrac is better on ice on pavement than BFG KO. But I will not buy Duratrac again as the humming noise is annoying to me.

Other tires I use/used;
Falken Wildpeak AT3W, Toyo OC AT3, Nitto Terra Grappler

 

I thought you were currently running Toyo OC AT3's on your Pro?

 

The new Toyo R/T’s are pretty nice, just sayin.

 

Yes, you are correct. Toyo is what I run now. That's why I say "Other tires I use/used;"

 

I’m in the same boat actually. Just bought a 2023 4Runner ORP and want more appropriate tires. I’m probably going to go with KO2s (stock size). My last vehicle was a Wrangler. Had KO2s and loved them. They’re 3 peak rated and I never had an issue in the snow. They’re unquestionably good off-road, and I was surprised at how well they handled on road. Great handling and not at all unrefined on the highway. That said, you may also want to consider Toyo Open Country AT3s. I’ve done a bit of research lately, and they also seem to be quite good.

 

That is a great looking tire!

 

I live in SE MI but travel to Northern MI a lot, especially in the winter. I have a set of KO2's, but December-March I run DuraTrac's. The DT's are definitely louder and get worse MPG, but they are so much better in snow and ice than the KO2's.

 

If you never ran the DuraTracs in the summer, a lot of your fuel economy drop is probably coming from it being winter. These 5th gen engines lose a lot of efficiency in winter. I'm not saying the tires are doing nothing, but I run the same tires all year and hoooooooo boooooooy is the winter low fuel economy time.

 

Got to tirerack.com and look at reviews. They have ratings and reviews, this is where you need to do your research. If you go with the KO2’s, the best advice I can give you is stay with load range C, do not throw on E’s.

I can say that I have load range C KO2’s on my 4 runner and I can’t wait to get them off. I will have 45,000 miles on them and they are horrible in the rain, I mean scary loose. They have gotten loud and,they make my 4 runner drive like crap, they are done. I rotated every 5,000 like recommended as well. They were great for many thousands of miles, but they have run their course.

I do not hard core 4 wheel like I used to so I am going with something more road focused next time. I am currently leaning toward Firestone Destination AT2’s which have great road manners and are snow rated. You should also look at Cooper AT3 4s. They are snow rated and highly regarded for what your looking for.

 

I have stock size Toyo AT3's. I've only had them on snow and ice a couple of times, they worked well. They're very good in the rain. No loss in mpg or ride quality, maybe a teeny bit louder than the Bridgestones.

 

I just put stock size Falken Wildpeaks on my 2023 ORP after a week of ownership. They were $222 each + tax at Tire rack, with free shipping directly to Discount Tire, arrived in 2 days and installed for $96. Sold the stock tires for $400 with 500 miles on them.

I ski a lot in winter so I wanted an AT tire with really good snow performance and so far they've been great. We had 40" of snow in 48 hours this week and I drove up and down to the local ski area twice when the roads were crap and people were sliding around and getting stuck all over. They churned through the slop really well, and handled the icy spots well enough. They get better reviews than the K02s in most if not all areas and seem to be the best value for a good all around AT tire.

BTW the price was better ordering from Tire Rack vs getting the same tires from Discount Tire, even though Discount Tire now owns Tire Rack. Discount Tire would have had to order them too. And Tire Rack has great customer service reps you can talk to on the phone if you have questions before ordering.

 

Same tires here, same size. No complaints at all.

 

@JerryC
Are you happy with Toyo T3 in bad Snowstorm in 2WD mode. No groaning and shimmies on the highways.
Am trying to narrow search for my next OEM replacement in a few years
NB - I don't off-road

 

I did drive in 2wd in a couple inches of mixed snow, slush and ice last year. No problems steering but slippery inclines were doable but 4wd was of course much better.

No groaning or shimmy on the hwy, I have a few hundred mile plus trips at speeds up 75mph. One trip through Missouri was in severe crosswinds just after Tornadoes had swept through and other than holding the wheel against the wind it tracked straight and true.

The above poster mention Wildpeaks, they came stock on my Bronco Sport that I had for a year and they are really, really good in the snow and ice. The reason I did not put on the 4R was weight compared to the Toyos, and this was before I had the Bronco Sport or I might have changed my mind.

 

If you do not do any off road, I would suggest checking out the Michelin Defender LTX. I do not have personal experience with them but have heard they are a phenomenal highway tire.

 

Eight responses will get you 9 different opinions!!

 

I've run the Michelin Defenders on my 2010 Limited, my Acura RDX and now have them on my wife's Acura MDX. Hands down the best tire that I have ever owned, hence the reason why I keep purchasing them. I am currently running Toyo AT3's on my '22 Runner but it was a tough decision between the Defenders and the AT3's. The only reason that I picked the AT3's is because I wanted to try an AT tire after having used the Michelins for so long. I do not regret the choice as I absolutely love the AT3's, but outside of having a slight edge (yes, I said slight) off-road, the Defenders beat the AT3's in every other category. There's the Defender and then there's everyone else, it's in a class of it's own.

 

This is the usual consensus when it comes to Defender's. If I did not prefer AT's myself, I would also try Defenders.

 

I had the dealer swap the OEM tires for Toyo OC AT3's before I even picked it up. Wanted 275's but they were backordered so I just went with stock size (but LT). I can't compare them to anything else on the 4Runner because I never drove one with any other tires. I've had KO2's on F150's and was not impressed. Falken AT3Ws were good, Toyo OC AT2's were good on the F150.

It has not really snowed since I picked up the 4runner, at least nothing that has required 4wd yet.

 

Any rubbing with the stock Toyo and pro wheels? I'm looking to go with Toyo and 0 offset wheels. I believe the pro wheels are 4mm offset. Thanks.

 

None at all.

*added to clarify, these are the wheels that came stock on my 21 Venture.

 

What about the Michelin LTX A/T-2? I'm strongly considering them since I've had such great luck with the Defenders on my wife's cars and want an A/T on mine.