An ardent recommendation
My 2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited has a pretty extensive history with BFGoodrich. When it first came into my life, it was fitted with KO2 AT tires. The previous owner told me that in his almost 15 years of owning it, this was his third pair. In his hometown of Moab, Utah, it was the only tire that could truly handle all seasons and climb up the red rocks in the desert. When I visited him for the first time six years ago, he’d taken us through Hell’s Revenge, Poison Spider, and Fins N’ Things–all without it breaking a sweat. He, of course, credited the entire off-road jaunt to Canyonlands National Park to his KO2s. When I told him I was looking to get new tires for it (since the manufacturer date was 2011), he was so passionate about the KO2s that he called me to rave about them.
So, a fresh set is what’s on my Jeep. In Central Oregon, with its unpredictable bouts of rain and snow and rocky trails, getting tires that were rated for snow and had a good rating for traction on wet surfaces was a must. The tighter-knit tread patterns made me a bit nervous about off-road, but once I felt the softer tread blocks, I knew BFGoodrich meant business. After they were installed, I headed straight to my nearest trail to try them out. Do I think they’re worth the hype and especially the price? It only took me about half an hour to find out.
They perform well even on the road
Since the tires on my Jeep were over 10 years old, they were cracking between the tread blocks (which were still remarkably soft, despite being exposed to the desert sun of Moab), making them incredibly loud, the Jeep tended to wander more, and while there was still plenty of traction off-road, it was obvious age had gotten to them. They definitely needed to be replaced–but I was impressed by how well they still performed for a 10+ year old tire.
When my husband installed the new KO2s, the difference was night and day. It was finally quiet in the cabin–so quiet I could put on my music and actually hear it. Additionally, the Jeep felt much more surefooted on the pavement. It no longer wandered at high freeway speeds like it used to, which made the Jeep actually fun to drive (I’m not going to lie–before they were replaced, driving it scared me a little, because the wandering was pretty dramatic). Now I’ll happily volunteer to take the Jeep to Safeway, because it feels so much better. And yes, I know they’re so quiet because they’re new and they’ll get noisier as they age–I’m just soaking it in for now.
Off-road driving was easy, breezy, and beautiful
Even though the old tires were on their way out, I was still impressed by their capabilities off-road. I was able to complete the grueling off-road course at the Overland Expo PNW with them, and they worked just as intended. There were steep, rocky inclines, and holes were dug out of the rocky path to simulate trail washouts (and promote articulation), steep off-camber climbs, steep declines, and more. You would have never known the tires were as old as they were.
However, the new tires are significantly better. The traction, even before airing down, truly inspires confidence when driving off-road. There’s almost nothing that tire can’t handle when the pavement ends. After airing down to about 15 psi or so, the difference was undeniable. The improved tread along the sidewall (BFG calls it a Serated Shoulder) increased the tire’s overall footprint, making climbing over rocks, fallen trees, and tackling rocky inclines so much easier. BFG says the sidewalls are 20% tougher compared to the previous design, and I believe it. I know they’re new, so the rubber is soft, but if my 10+ year old tires performed as well, then I’ve signed up for a very healthy long-term relationship.
Price varies, but regardless, they’re expensive
Since it’s a popular tire, there’s a wide range of sizes. The cheapest I’ve seen brand-new KO2s go for is around $216 per tire, but I’ve seen them as pricey as $665 on Tire Rack for a larger 40+ inch truck tire. My tires are 35 inches, and on most sites, that translates to a cost of about $350 per tire. My neighbor, who owns a construction company, uses them on his work trucks because he loves the traction and durability for towing and hauling heavy loads. He says they’re absolutely worth the money, especially since they’re highly rated for ice and snow.
Based on my first impression, I would say they’re worth every penny. I can’t wait to see how they perform when I do my annual cabin trip this fall. It will involve a three-hour drive and lots of off-roading and rock crawling in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.
Final thoughts
When it comes to tires, I’ve learned that more expensive tires are usually worth it. I learned that with the all-season Michelin tires I had on my Subaru, and I’m now learning that with the BFGoodrich KO2s on my Jeep. Being a brand under the Michelin umbrella, their research and development team is huge and tirelessly working to improve their products, and it shows. I’ll be sure to update reviews as I put more miles on these tires, but for the time being, I’m very impressed.
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the Reviews section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Comments