Top 5 Best Cheap Mud Tires [2023 Review]

By Tire Expert, Joe Steffen
By Tire Expert, Joe Steffen

Do you need a new set of mud-terrain tires for your new vehicle? Tired of seeing lists of “cheap mud tires” only to find out they picked the most expensive tires on the market?

Look no further. I have hand-picked five mud terrains using my nine-plus years of experience in the tire industry.

In this list of mud terrains, you won’t see tires like the Falken Wildpeak AT3W or BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3. The Falken isn’t even a mud tire. It’s an all-terrain tire, and the BFGoodrich is one of the most expensive tires on the market.

You are here for the best mud tires for the lowest prices, and that’s precisely what you will get today.

What makes these top five picks unique is I know what I’m talking about when it comes to tires, and I’m not going to just throw products up on a list so that you will buy them. I have researched all the mud tires on the market and am excited to let you know what I found.

Let’s get started!

Our Top Pick
Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003
Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003
3.0/5
3.0
Best Budget
Milestar Patagonia M/T
Milestar Patagonia M/T
2.5/5
2.5
Best High End
General Grabber X3
General Grabber X3
3.0/5
3.0
Best For Daily Driving
Atturo Trail Blade MTS
Atturo Trail Blade MTS
3.0/5
3.0
Best For Highway Driving
Radar Renegade R/T
Radar Renegade R/T
3.0/5
3.0

Updated as of May 26, 2023

Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003

Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003
Our rating:
3.0/5
3.0/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:
3.0/5
Ride Handling:
4.0/5
Dry Traction:
3.0/5
Ride Noise:
3.0/5
Snow Traction:
2.5/5
Ride Comfort:
3.0/5
Tread Life:
3.5/5
Value For Money:
3.5/5

Mud-terrain tires will not be cheap. Even the lowest-priced ones will cost you over a thousand bucks installed out the door. The Yokohoma Geolandar M/T G003 is no different, but I picked it as number one overall because of the aggressive tread design and performance for the price.

They are almost identical to the Toyo Open Country M/T, but the Geolandar M/T won’t cost you thousands like the Toyo tire.

I have had these Yokohamas on my Toyota 4Runner, and you won’t even notice the difference when comparing them to top-tier quality competitors.

I took these Yokohama’s out onto multiple trail runs, and not once did they have me stuck or sliding around. The way the tread blocks grab the surface is beautiful, whether in deep mud or wet dirt road conditions.

When looking for mud terrains, everyone knows they have incredible off-road capability, but when it comes to on-road ride quality, they can be loud and rough.

The road noise when driving on the Yokohama Geolandar wasn’t that bad compared to other mud-terrains like the Cooper Discoverer STT Pro. For those who didn’t know, driving on the Cooper is the loudest tire ever, almost as if they used a rock compound for tread, not rubber.

Other than a slight hum from the Yokohama’s, I have no complaints. The one thing I did wish was better is traction in wet conditions. Driving on damp city roads was scary. This is not a Yokohama problem, more of a mud-terrain problem.

The Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 will be a perfect choice for anyone needing an aggressive tread pattern to perform in all serious off-road conditions.

Milestar Patagonia M/T

Milestar Patagonia M/T
Our rating:
2.5/5
2.5/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:
3.0/5
Ride Handling:
3.0/5
Dry Traction:
2.5/5
Ride Noise:
2.0/5
Snow Traction:
2.0/5
Ride Comfort:
2.0/5
Tread Life:
2.5/5
Value For Money:
4.0/5

I would say the Milestar Patagonia M/T is a very popular mud-terrain in the off-road community. I have seen countless customers come in with these tires and have nothing but high praise for their off-road performance.

I almost picked this tire number one just from the feedback alone on this tire. It has everything you want in a mud-terrain, including stone ejectors, large shoulder lugs, biting edges, and siping.

What deterred me from making this number one was quality. Just because a tire has everything that should make it perfect doesn’t mean it is. The Milestar Patagonia M/T has so many issues with road vibrations.

So many times have I sold these tires because someone was sold on the price and would bring them back for severe vibrations.

Anyone who has owned mud terrains knows they don’t ride as smooth as glass, but this is something you should be prepared for when going with the Patagonia M/T.

But we are here for the price, and when it comes to the cost, they are some of the lowest you will find while offering some of the best off-road capabilities in the market.

This is the perfect tire for anyone who wants to get into the off-roading game without breaking the bank. Most of us know how cars can be a money pit, especially if you are an enthusiast who uses your vehicle off-road.

General Grabber X3

General Grabber X3
Our rating:
3.0/5
3.0/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:
2.5/5
Ride Handling:
3.0/5
Dry Traction:
3.0/5
Ride Noise:
3.0/5
Snow Traction:
3.0/5
Ride Comfort:
3.0/5
Tread Life:
2.0/5
Value For Money:
3.0/5

I was pretty disappointed that General tires stopped manufacturing the red lettering on the sidewalls of this tire line with the new X3. The Red Lettering was the staple of the Grabber tires, but after all the negative feedback, General Tire caved and brought it back.

Regardless of red lettering, it does not affect the performance, and the General Grabber X3 was picked as the best high-end for the category we are looking at “cheap.”

The General Grabber X3 offers excellent mud and sand traction kicking out debris like it was nothing. When a tire has this caliber of off-road performance typically means it will have a thunderous ride.

General uses Duragen technology in the rubber silica compound, making the tread blocks incredibly soft and providing a smooth, quiet ride. When a tire has a very soft rubber compound, as most mud-terrain tires do, they wear out quickly.

The Grabber X3 is the best high-end cheap mud tire because it comes with a ride satisfaction guarantee of forty-five days from the purchase date. Most low-end mud tires come with a “you get what you pay for warranty.” This means you won’t get a warranty with the tires.

If you happen to come across some extra spare change to throw at new tires, I listed some of the best high-end tires below.

The best mud terrain tires would be the Nitto Mud Grappler, Mickey Thompson Baja Boss M/T, and Goodyear Wrangler MTR W/ Kevlar.

Atturo Trail Blade MTS

Atturo Trail Blade MTS
Our rating:
3.0/5
3.0/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:
3.0/5
Ride Handling:
3.0/5
Dry Traction:
3.0/5
Ride Noise:
2.0/5
Snow Traction:
2.0/5
Ride Comfort:
2.5/5
Tread Life:
3.0/5
Value For Money:
3.5/5

When looking for the best cheap mud tires, you will come across many manufacturers you have never heard of. Atturo is definitely one of those manufacturers people have not heard of.

The reason I selected this tire for daily drivers was the fact that it has a much stiffer tread compound. A stiffer tread compound means the tire will last longer and handle better on the pavement.

This will be a great option if you are driving on your mud terrains daily because they will last longer and have much safer traction on the pavement. Whether you commute to work every day or only use your tires for errands, this tire is the best cheap option.

The Atturo Trail Blade MTS is a radial tire that comes in up to a 12-ply option that can carry any vehicle’s weight, from a half-ton pickup like the Ford F-150 to a one-ton truck like the Ram 3500. Mud terrains come in a 10-ply at the most for reference, and the more plies in the sidewall, the more weight it can carry.

While carrying the weight of any vehicle, they also have siping in the tread blocks to provide safer wet and snow traction. You typically won’t see siping in mud terrains because they need to be self-cleaning, and mud will get stuck in the siping.

I don’t recommend these tires if you do a lot of off-roading to their shoulder block’s inability to flex and grab rocks, dirt, and mud.

If you are always on the road and looking for an affordable, aggressive-looking mud-terrain, Atturo is the way to go, and they are one of the lowest-priced M/T tire brands out there.

Radar Renegade R/T

Radar Renegade R/T
Our rating:
3.0/5
3.0/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:
3.0/5
Ride Handling:
3.0/5
Dry Traction:
3.5/5
Ride Noise:
3.0/5
Snow Traction:
3.0/5
Ride Comfort:
3.0/5
Tread Life:
2.5/5
Value For Money:
3.0/5

Mud terrains are some of the roughest riding off-road tires out there. I had to go with a rugged-terrain tire option for the highways flyers in the Radar Renegade R/T.

Rugged terrains are slowly becoming popular because of their on-road and off-road performance. These tires are built using an all-terrain and mud-terrain tread design combined with an aggressive tread.

I said in the introduction I wouldn’t be picking tires that weren’t mud tires, and I did say that, but rugged terrains are considered mud terrains because they use a mud terrain tread design.

I chose the Radar tire because it provides the best highway driving experience for the price. If I had chosen a proper mud terrain like the Firestone Destination M/T2, it would drive you nuts on the highways.

The Radar Renegade R/T will be smooth and quiet when driving down the road at high speeds. The other benefit to this tire is it comes with a mileage warranty of forty-five thousand and a road hazard warranty.

Those are two big things for anyone who puts a lot of miles on their tires, especially the road hazard because you never know when you will get a flat tire or blow out.

The last thing anyone wants on a road trip is to pay full price for an unrepairable tire replacement. The Renegade R/T comes with a 3-ply sidewall construction that reduces the risk of tire punctures.

Are you on the highway a lot but occasionally enjoy taking off-road adventures?

That’s another beauty of the R/T. It will give you the traction you need to conquer any terrain, even deep mud.

If this tire had the same capability with a proper mud-terrain tread design, it probably would have been the top pick, but I chose it for being the best highway driving and affordability.

What To Look For When Buying The Best Tires For Cheap Mud Tires?

When looking for cheap mud tires, it’s not always straightforward. Here are a few things that you want to look for.

Who Is The Manufacturer?

The manufacturer will have a considerable impact on the quality and how much it’s going to cost you. Manufacturers with high-quality tires will charge more for their products, like BFGoodrich, Toyo, Nitto, and Cooper mud terrains. These manufacturers have some of the most expensive tires on the market, which doesn’t necessarily make them better.

Does The Tread Consist Of Large Open Tread Blocks Or Smaller Compacted Tread Blocks?

Whether the tire consists of large open or small compacted tread blocks makes a huge difference on a mud-terrain. If the tire doesn’t have large open tread blocks, it won’t be able to clear mud out of the tire as effectively, causing it to lose severe traction in the mud. That’s why all terrains consist of smaller, more compacted tread blocks.

Do They Come With A Warranty?

When looking for a cheap mud tire option, you will want to ensure the tires come with a warranty. Nobody wants to pay full price for a tire that had something go wrong.

How Much Do Cheap Mud Tires Typically Cost?

Mud-terrain tires are costly, and even the cheapest set can cost you quite a bit of money. That’s why I have listed some prices you should expect below.

Four New Tires

After checking prices from retailers like Amazon, TireRack, and Discount Tire, I found that you can expect to pay between $800 and $1,600 for a set of cheap mud-terrain tires.

Two New Tires

I found that when only buying two brand new tires, you can expect to pay between $400 and $1000.

It is always recommended to replace all four tires simultaneously, especially with mud-terrain tires, since they come with so much tread when brand new.

Single Tire

If you only are looking to buy one brand new mud-terrain tire, it will cost you between $150 and $500.

It is never recommended to only replace one of your tires unless your other three have brand new tread. Replacing one tire can cause your new one to wear out much faster and change how the vehicle handles. Remember this if only considering one new.

Are Mud Tires Worth It?

Mud tires have a lot of benefits that are all in off-road performance. For me, my vehicle spends most of its time on the roads, and it would not be worth buying mud terrains since their traction in wet, dry, and snow is much lower than all-season tires.

However, mud tires would greatly value you if you constantly find yourself off-road, whether for work or fun.

Unfortunately, it all depends on what you do with the vehicle to answer the question, are mud tires worth it?

Think about where your vehicle spends most of its time, and that will give you the answer.

How Long Should Your Mud Tires Last?

I have seen such a wide range of mileage come from mud tires, anywhere from twenty-thousand miles to sixty-thousand miles.

If I had to put an average on them, I would say you can expect between thirty to fifty thousand miles. It will significantly depend on your ability to maintain the tires and mud tires are no exception as they are extremely prone to irregular wear.

Does the Year of Your Vehicle Matter When Buying New Mud Tires Tires?

No! Mud tires can go on any year vehicle. I have seen mud tires get installed on a 1980s Jeep Wrangler before. It all will depend on what you use the vehicle for to determine if mud tires are right for you.

Anything Else Worth Knowing When Buying Cheap Mud Tires?

There’s an age-old saying, “you get what you pay for,” and mud tires are no exception; anything that is cheap will have a lower quality. Few and far between consumers swear by cheap tires, but the number of consumers who have told me they will never repurchase a cheap tire far outweighs those few.

Cheap mud tires will be loud, wear out faster, and have a higher rate of defecting because of their quality. If you can, I recommend holding off on buying the cheap tires and saving up some money because a high-quality mud tire will be worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, mud tires get worse gas mileage because of how heavy they are and have high rolling resistance. The rolling resistance of a tire is how much resistance the rubber compound has when trying to roll on a surface.
Yes, mud tires utilize a soft rubber compound to provide the tread blocks with enough flex to grab and grip off-road surfaces. The downside to a soft rubber is that it wears out much faster.
Yes, and No, when it comes to the snow traction, they do well in off-road snow traction because of their ability to pack in and grab the uneven surface below. When it comes to on-road traction in the snow, they are horrible because the road is an even surface that the big tread blocks slide on.

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