BFG All-Terrain T/A KO2 vs Toyo Open Country C/T

I've got a 2016 Tacoma DCSB 6MT TRD Sport arriving in a week or two, need some help deciding on tires. Anyone have experience with both of these? I believe the Toyo C/T is only available in Canada.

I do a mix of city, highway, forest roads (some in disrepair), and winter trips to northern BC.

I'll likely go with the 17x7 TRD black wheels and LT265/70R17 tires.

Thanks

 

KO2

 

I have had the BFG AT KO and KO2's for most of my trucks. GREAT tire! JUst make sure you know the difference between the C rated and E rated before you buy. The E rated is for more weight but is heavier and will hurt your MPG.

 

Good to know, I was wondering what the difference was between those.

 

Looking at the weight, I think I'll go with the C rated K02s. I don't expect to be hauling much.

LT265/70R17 Weight:
Toyo C/T 54.6 lbs
BFG KO2 (E rated) 53.4 lbs
BFG KO2 (C rated) 45.4 lbs

The Toyo C/T is described as a commercial tire, and comparing the weight I can see why.

 

E rated tires are also tougher and wear longer. Might be something to consider driving unmaintained mountain roads with rocky terrain, ruts, and roots sticking out of the ground. Make sure and get something with a beefy sidewall as well or those sharp objects will puncture the sidewall in the most inconvenient of times. C rated tires have much better highway manners, ride smoother, and get slightly better traction on slippery surfaces because they are softer so won't last as long as E rated, so it's really all up in the air for which you want.

A. Heavier tires that last longer and are better suited for rugged terrain but have mediocre highway manners and will knock a small dent in fuel economy.
B. Lighter tires that won't last as long, are more prone to punctures on rough trails, but have much better road handling characteristics and slightly higher traction on slick surfaces with the possibility of better fuel economy.

 

The BFG rubber compound gets pretty hard in cold weather and I always found they sucked in winter FWIW. People who praise their winter capabilities must have never used a winter tire.

Have you considered a Cooper? I'd do ATW, AT3 (available in C rated) or ST Maxx before either of your 2 choices.

 

I personally would go with AT3's myself if I was in his shoes. The BFG was good in it's day, but there are several much more advanced and better tires out there for cheaper than BFG's and handle way better in the snow. The BFG's that came on my truck never really impressed me all that much. Maybe the KO2's are different, but so far, the KO's don't get much praise from me and I know I could get a lot better tire for less.

 

I've been happy with my KO2s in Mammoth and Big Bear. Yes the rubber gets hard, probably harder that most other A/Ts, which is why these tires are getting good mileage reports for an A/T, but I found them more then acceptable for the terrain you are going to spend time on.