ST Maxx or Geolander G003 in 255/85r16 size

Hello all! I could really use some input on which pizza cutter size tire to buy.

Just punctured the sidewall on one of my old Cooper ST's in 255/85r16 size, so I already know I love the size and feel of pizza cutter tires, it is just time for some new ones.

My driving habits in my 2015 Tacoma are 80% road, 20% off road on dunes and desert sand, dirt and mud, fire roads, and occasional snowy passes and mountains in the winter time. I am beginning to escalate the amount of time I spend off road and have been going harder than ever when I am out there!

I am leaning towards the Yokohama Geolander G003 MT's, because they are about 80 dollars cheaper per tire and stand a true 33.2" tall per Discount Tire's info on the website. Based on pictures I have seen online, they appear to be a true tall and skinny tire and in honesty just look super aggressive which suits my tastes. My only hesitation is running an aggressive MT here in the PNW where wet and snowy fall and winter months can present hazards both on and off road.

The Discoverer ST Maxx's to my understanding are a hybrid terrain, somewhere between a MT and an AT tire. They are the successor to my current Cooper ST's on my truck. Reviews on these tires seem to be pretty mixed, some are in love with them and some can't criticize them enough for varying reasons. I have one on my truck as a spare right now and it appears to be ever so slightly shorter and wider in this 255/85r16 size than my previous Cooper ST's.

What do you all think? I appreciate any recommendation and thoughts!

 

I'm one of the folks who have not had good experiences with the Coopers. I would happily try out the G003 before I'd go back to the Maxx.

 

I've got the Cooper ST Maxx in 255/85/16 and they're good but I want to go to full-width 285s next time and might try Cooper's sub-brand Mickey Thompson Baja Boss ATs. The skinnies are a little harder to track straight than my regular-width 265/75/16 Blizzaks.

 

Free bump because I have pretty much the exact same question.

 

I ended up going with the Geolandar's! I am super impressed with them. They are definitely a tall pizza cutter tire, just the right amount if skinny but have a super aggressive appearance and performance. At 35 psi all around the ride on pavement has been outstandingly comfortable and no louder than my previous Cooper ST (old edition before the ST Maxx). The price was also right! With my 2.5" lift, I did have to do some trimming on the plastic fender-well's and around the front mudflap mounting area with a box cutter for some rubbing, but altogether the fit is fantastic!

 

How are these holding up?

 

Any Installed pics?

 

They are holding up really well! I have just a little over 2000 miles now on them and they have been really great in all kinds of terrain I have thrown at them, even semi-respectable in the snow! I have been most impressed by how quiet and tame they are on road. Also, they have been great for towing my father in law's trailer and 4-seater Polaris RZR! Altogether, for the price, I am impressed by these and how rugged they are in both appearance and actual performance off road. Here are some installed photos from my photo reel! https://imgur.com/a/osDuo6R

 

How's the road noise?

 

Not bad at all, has a light rumble at low speeds (less than 20MPH), transitions to more of a mild hum at speeds of 20MPH and above. At above 65mph, it does start to turn into a pretty noticeable whine, but nothing that some low volume music or podcast audio can't cover up. I am actually really surprised by how well mannered they are on road. A tread as aggressive as this has no right to be this quiet in my opinion! I am really happy with them.

 

I currently have duratracs and they have gotten loud. I actually tried soundproofing about a month ago and it help drastically, but they are pretty loud. That's my only reservation. I've looked at the Geos, Toyo's, and Coopers and just can't decide.

 

Are you looking for a M/T tire or are you pretty flexible with getting an A/T etc.? We all know of course that M/T's will generally have more road noise that A/T counterparts. From the reviews I have read, the Geo G003's are commended for their low noise compared to other M/Ts. What really sold me was the great price. These are some spendy shoes we put on our trucks and money saved on a good tire goes along way when it comes to buying 4 or 5 of them!

 

How are they wearing?

 

So far they are doing really well at almost 5000 miles. I consistently run them around 35 PSI front and rear and that seems to be wearing evenly. Additionally, I am running a 5th as my full size spare, so I will be doing 5-tire rotations to increase the longevity!

 

80% on road is neither of those tires.

 

"Let each man wear which shoes that he may and they will take him where he doth wish to tread"

 

This is very true. On the other hand, it’s hard to make sense of the justification of looking cooler with the price of replacing tires more frequently.

 

Obligatory Post Updating how these Yoko G003 M/T tires are doing:

https://imgur.com/a/MLTrp05

So far so good! Just hit the 5,000 mile mark and decided to get them rotated since I am doing a 5 tire rotation with the spare and want to keep things wearing evenly. So far running them at 35-36 PSI has not amounted to any uneven tread-wear that could be identified by myself or the Discount Tire staff. They balanced out really well and look good altogether.

I have continued to tackle some fun and diverse terrain with these! They absolutely crush it in the sand dunes beyond even my wildest expectations. At 12PSI front and 14PSI rear, I was bombing around for two days straight at the Oregon Coast dunes and never got stuck even one time. On river rocks and sand they also kill it, to the point where when I reach my favorite spot on the river that requires mild 4x4 off-roading, I don't even bother airing them down. Sure it is best practice and a little jouncier as my wife and I drive along the rocks, but these tires are so tough I am no longer even worried about the safety at street pressures on the rock bars.

Light snow and icy roads are where these tires have found their defeat on my truck. Snow patches that even my little passenger rated Yoko G015 A/T's used to effortlessly waltz through are now a slip-n-slide obstacle course for these Yoko's, even aired down to single digits. Did I really expect them to perform like a winter or 3-peak rated tire? No. But since I live in the PNW, a lot of our best wheeling is in the winter months and I will honestly have to consider a different tire for future winter offroading. Maybe a set of the 255/85r16 S/T Maxx's with studs for just the winter months? I am considering it.

Admittedly, I have not driven in deep mud with my mud terrain tires. Why? Because I have a history of destroying my rigs in mud, not to mention I hate cleaning mud off my vehicle and my HOA president lives down the road and is an absolutely annoying ass about muddy driveways.

On that merit alone, I am keenly aware that an A/T or S/T tire would have suited me perfectly well and not left me stranded on the trails I go on. But to revisit my original decision making, these G003's were 90 dollars less per tire than the S/T Maxx's when I first bought them and they are also the tallest 255/85r16 that I could find at a reasonable price. One might argue that since they are M/T and they spend a lot of time on the highway, I will get a shorter service life out of them and will therefore end up spending more money anyways replacing them sooner than I would have had to for a A/T alternative. However, these tires honestly give me tons of confidence for all of the offroad driving we do (except in snow as stated above) and that is worth it to me in congress with the upfront savings we benefited from.

What I really need, and will speak into the universe, is for one of the reliable 3-peak rate A/T's like the AT3Ws to be made available in this perfect tire size for me of 255/85r16!

Hope this was an interesting write up! I will keep coming back intermittently if anything comes up or for just routine updates.

 

Move to 17 inch rims and 255/80r17 Wildpeaks or Toyo AT3s. Snow problem solved. If you go in mud, I bet the Toyo AT3s are a bit better. I used them in mud and was very impressed.