- First Name
- JT
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2025
- Threads
- 12
- Messages
- 147
- Reaction score
- 160
- Location
- Canton, MI
- Vehicle(s)
- 2025 Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter, 2015 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
- Thread starter
- #1
Fuel Economy
I'd rather not reopen the entire discussion of who gets 29 MPG in their Trailhunter versus those getting 12. Based on my prior analysis of forum threads, that seems largely driven by driving style and cruising speed.
From a stoplight, I'm probably "average+". It's a truck, and I enjoy driving it, but I'm not out trying to set quarter-mile records. I've got other vehicles for that. On the highway, I'm typically running around 75 MPH and rarely over 80, even where higher speeds are permitted.
Reviewing every fuel stop over the past year, Riddick has averaged approximately 15.5 MPG overall. That's across daily driving, commuting, long-distance road trips, mountain roads, and overlanding travel.
Could I get better mileage? Certainly. If I slowed down and drove with fuel economy as the primary objective, the number would improve. But the truck was purchased to be used, not as a fuel economy experiment.
For perspective, two of our more significant trips included a Detroit-to-San Antonio round-trip covering roughly 3,200 miles in five days and a Detroit-to-Asheville round-trip adding another 1,500 miles. Those aren't ideal conditions for maximizing MPG, but they are representative of how we actually use the truck.
Ride Quality and Handling
One concern often raised with larger, heavier LT tires is their impact on ride quality and handling.
In practice, I've found the Baja Boss to be surprisingly civilized for such a heavy, aggressively treaded tire. They're certainly more noticeable from a road-noise perspective than either the factory tires or the KO/KO2s I've run previously. At highway speeds they're clearly audible, especially at this mileage point, but they've never crossed into objectionable territory.
On our recent trip to North Carolina, I even asked my wife what she thought of them. Her response was, "...I like them, I wouldn't replace them." For her to have an opinion on tires at all is noteworthy in itself.
Perhaps the biggest surprise has been handling. Deal's Gap (The Dragon) provided an excellent test. Despite the aggressive tread pattern, the tires remained predictable and stable, with no unpleasant surprises when pushed through corners at a brisk pace. I had a lot of fun doing it, the Harley behind me was never on my bumper (admittedly a low bar), and my expectations were appropriate. I was driving a 5,600-pound truck, not my FJR1300.
Road Noise
Let's address the obvious question.
Are they louder than KO2s?
Yes.
Are they obnoxious?
No.
The Baja Boss has a noticeable hum, particularly as the tread wears and develops some feathering. However, it's never reached a point where conversations, music, podcasts, or phone calls were impacted.
Anyone expecting the silence of a highway tire will be disappointed. Anyone expecting mud-tire levels of noise will likely be pleasantly surprised.
Off-Road Performance
Most of my mileage is pavement, so I won't pretend to be the authority on rock crawling or deep mud performance.
What I can say is that on gravel, forest roads, loose surfaces, wet conditions, and general overland travel, they've been completely confidence-inspiring. Traction has never been a concern, and I've yet to encounter a situation where I felt the tires were the limiting factor.
In January, I took the truck north to SnoBlind 2026, MudChuggers.com's annual snow-wheeling event. We encountered fresh snow, packed snow, and some light icing in places. The Baja Boss handled all of it without issue.
Would I Buy Them Again?
Absolutely.
The Baja Boss has delivered exactly what I was looking for: a more aggressive appearance, excellent road manners, strong all-weather performance, and tread life that appears capable of reaching 45,000-70,000 miles, depending on replacement criteria.
For me, the sweet spot will likely be replacement at around 6 mm of remaining tread depth, which projects to roughly 46,000 miles of total service life. That's a very respectable result for a tire that many people initially mistake for a mud tire.
The tire isn't perfect. It requires regular rotation, develops some feathering, and gives up a bit of refinement compared to less aggressive all-terrain options.
But after a year and 17,000 miles, I have zero regrets about choosing the Baja Boss over another set of KO-series tires.
If I were ordering tires for Riddick again tomorrow, the Baja Boss would be at the top of the shortlist.
I'd rather not reopen the entire discussion of who gets 29 MPG in their Trailhunter versus those getting 12. Based on my prior analysis of forum threads, that seems largely driven by driving style and cruising speed.
From a stoplight, I'm probably "average+". It's a truck, and I enjoy driving it, but I'm not out trying to set quarter-mile records. I've got other vehicles for that. On the highway, I'm typically running around 75 MPH and rarely over 80, even where higher speeds are permitted.
Reviewing every fuel stop over the past year, Riddick has averaged approximately 15.5 MPG overall. That's across daily driving, commuting, long-distance road trips, mountain roads, and overlanding travel.
Could I get better mileage? Certainly. If I slowed down and drove with fuel economy as the primary objective, the number would improve. But the truck was purchased to be used, not as a fuel economy experiment.
For perspective, two of our more significant trips included a Detroit-to-San Antonio round-trip covering roughly 3,200 miles in five days and a Detroit-to-Asheville round-trip adding another 1,500 miles. Those aren't ideal conditions for maximizing MPG, but they are representative of how we actually use the truck.
Ride Quality and Handling
One concern often raised with larger, heavier LT tires is their impact on ride quality and handling.
In practice, I've found the Baja Boss to be surprisingly civilized for such a heavy, aggressively treaded tire. They're certainly more noticeable from a road-noise perspective than either the factory tires or the KO/KO2s I've run previously. At highway speeds they're clearly audible, especially at this mileage point, but they've never crossed into objectionable territory.
On our recent trip to North Carolina, I even asked my wife what she thought of them. Her response was, "...I like them, I wouldn't replace them." For her to have an opinion on tires at all is noteworthy in itself.
Perhaps the biggest surprise has been handling. Deal's Gap (The Dragon) provided an excellent test. Despite the aggressive tread pattern, the tires remained predictable and stable, with no unpleasant surprises when pushed through corners at a brisk pace. I had a lot of fun doing it, the Harley behind me was never on my bumper (admittedly a low bar), and my expectations were appropriate. I was driving a 5,600-pound truck, not my FJR1300.
Road Noise
Let's address the obvious question.
Are they louder than KO2s?
Yes.
Are they obnoxious?
No.
The Baja Boss has a noticeable hum, particularly as the tread wears and develops some feathering. However, it's never reached a point where conversations, music, podcasts, or phone calls were impacted.
Anyone expecting the silence of a highway tire will be disappointed. Anyone expecting mud-tire levels of noise will likely be pleasantly surprised.
Off-Road Performance
Most of my mileage is pavement, so I won't pretend to be the authority on rock crawling or deep mud performance.
What I can say is that on gravel, forest roads, loose surfaces, wet conditions, and general overland travel, they've been completely confidence-inspiring. Traction has never been a concern, and I've yet to encounter a situation where I felt the tires were the limiting factor.
In January, I took the truck north to SnoBlind 2026, MudChuggers.com's annual snow-wheeling event. We encountered fresh snow, packed snow, and some light icing in places. The Baja Boss handled all of it without issue.
Would I Buy Them Again?
Absolutely.
The Baja Boss has delivered exactly what I was looking for: a more aggressive appearance, excellent road manners, strong all-weather performance, and tread life that appears capable of reaching 45,000-70,000 miles, depending on replacement criteria.
For me, the sweet spot will likely be replacement at around 6 mm of remaining tread depth, which projects to roughly 46,000 miles of total service life. That's a very respectable result for a tire that many people initially mistake for a mud tire.
The tire isn't perfect. It requires regular rotation, develops some feathering, and gives up a bit of refinement compared to less aggressive all-terrain options.
But after a year and 17,000 miles, I have zero regrets about choosing the Baja Boss over another set of KO-series tires.
If I were ordering tires for Riddick again tomorrow, the Baja Boss would be at the top of the shortlist.
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