Looking for some all-terrain tires that won't hurt MPG...

I have a 2011 Ext Cab 4-cyl 5-speed (2x4). I like the ride height and don't want to make it "look" offroad, per say. But I do want the added comfort of knowing I can fair well enough when i do take her off the beaten path. I'm also trying to hold my average 23mpg that i've been getting lately. Any chance? Also, can i keep the stock rims or will those have to be upgraded?

It's only 2x4 so i don't plan on doing anything hardcore. I was just wondering if y'all have any recommendations... pics too would be GREAT. I'm trying to keep it as "stock" looking as i can if possible. Thanks guys.

 

http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/tire-selector/name/all-terrain-t-a-ko-tires

Probably your best bet. These are reasonably priced, EVERYONE runs em, and they 'look' good. You will lose a little mpg, but too much. You can keep the stock rims

 

You don't need to change the rims unless you want to go much larger than stock. There are a lot of options depending on how aggressive of a tire you want. I went with Cooper Discovery ATRs, they aren't as aggressive as the BFGs but are fairly well mannered on pavement and capable on trails, snow and mud. You can look at my pictures if you want to see what they look like or Cooper's website.

 

I was in the same boat as you a couple months ago, and I went with the Bridgestone Duelers A/T. They're definitely cheaper than BF Goodrich, and I'm still getting 21-22mpg in my V6 double cab, so you might look into a set of those...good luck

 

I understand that as soon as you start increasing the size of the tire, you lose mpg. Is it as simple as just changing tread type? What really makes an "All-Terrain" tire all terrain besides it's tread (and height)?

I'm looking for something that still looks "standard" but can perform on light offroading, mud, and maybe snow. I guess i just fear getting stuck w/ my stock treads if the ground is too loose or wet.

 

I have general grabber AT2, nice all terrain and didn't lose any mileage.

 

All-terrain tires have nothing to do with height, it's a tread pattern. You can get all-terrain tires in your stock size, no height increase at all. Increasing tire size is a personal choice. I'm still running stock size all-terrains. You lose MPG for a number of reason. With a more aggressive tread pattern you have more resistance and you may lose a little (very minor). If you increase the tire size, or width, you'll lose a little more to rolling resistance. If you go up in load range you end up with a heavier tire and you could lose some MPGs by doing that also. Some like I mentioned (the Cooper) has a solid centerline which makes it quieter on the road but an open tread pattern on the outside which allows it to get through mud and loose stuff. It's still an all-terrain tire but with street manners. Something like the BFG All-Terrain has no solid centerline but will perform much better off road because of the deep lugs and open tread pattern.

 

its a double edged sword.
If you go offroading you won't get good mileage.
A good offroad tire won't make good mileage.
Which is of the most importance?
With that said, I'm happy with my rare 20mpg I can achieve with 33's. So if I were you I'd get an AT with stock height tire.

 

Thanks for all the input.

I may see 10, perhaps 15% offroading (and my definition of offroading isn't anything extreme). So the MAJORITY of the time i'm going to be caring about street manners and gas mileage. I was just wondering if it'd be possible to have the peace of mind that my 4x2 could perform if the occasion arose to drive off the road or through some loose ground, muddy, slippery conditions.

 

Oh buddy your truck is very capable.

 

I like the Firestone Destination A/T's ( cause I drive 300miles a day interstate), they are the best I personally have found.

I got 105 K miles out of one set on my old Tundra.

Great reviews on tire rack too. i never got stuck with them.

 

What are the stock tires you have on now?
I changed my stock Dunlops out for Goodyear Silent Armors on a recommendation from PB over at TN. They've been a great tire in all conditions though I do have snows now for the winter. The tire does have the snowflake rating and handles well in all the conditions.
I did not really notice any loss in mpg from my tires. My thule rack did that.

 

Michelin LTX AT sounds pretty good from what I've heard...

 

It says "Dunlop Grandtrek AT 20"

 

X2. I went to them with no change in mileage. They're quiet and perform great. As said above, check out Tire Rack's ratings, they are way above BFG and all the rest.

 

Question about sizing:

It says my tire specs are 215/70R15 but if i plug that into TireRack I'll only get 3 results, all from Dunlop. Do the tires have to meet those EXACT numbers?

 

Hankook dynapro atm rf10. I love mine!

 

My 255/85/16 cooper ST they haven't reduced milage at all for me.

 

255/75/17, 32" GY Silent Armors here. They've been good to me so far

 

You're running a 33" tire with no mpg loss? Compared to what did you have before?