Moose95
Active Member
- Thread starter
- #1
I purchased a set of KO3 tires (size 285/70-17) about six weeks ago and wanted to give my initial opinion after about 2500 miles. The “TL/DR” is that these are awesome tires, and I wholeheartedly recommend them.
Background: I have a 2020 Overland that I use primarily as a commuter and suburban pickup (lots of trips to Lowes or Home Depot for landscaping stuff and hauling junk & brush to the dump). I have done a few offroad trails, but nothing major (Peter’s Mill Run BOH trial, some farm trails). I originally had the stock Overland wheels & tires (Bridgestone Dueler 255/70-18) , then swapped them for a set of Mojave wheel/tire take-offs (Falken Wildpeak A/T3W T285/70-17) after 25k miles. The Falkens were MUCH heavier than the Bridgestones, and significantly louder on the highway. Over time, the Falkens became even louder, to the point that it was uncomfortable on long trips. After about 40k miles on the Falkens, I purchased the KO3’s, so I had significant experience with both sets of tires.
My impression of the KO3’s:
They are quiet! I had forgotten how much wind noise there is with the Gladiator, because the Falkens were so loud that you could not hear it over the tire howl. It felt like the KO3’s were about as loud as the original Overland Bridgestone’s, and dramatically quieter than the Falkens.
They are also much, much smoother riding than the Falkens on-road, and feeling almost like they are aired-down when driving on dirt or gravel roads (I even double-checked the tire pressure because they felt so soft). The handling in dry weather is very good, tracking well on the highway and seeming to have good grip – I’m not slaloming with it, but it seems fine. I took a 1500-mile round trip from Virginia to Maine, and the ride was great – and quiet – the whole way. On the way home, we ran into about 200 miles of rain, sometimes torrential, and it was EXCELLENT in wet weather, cutting through large puddles on the interstate without a hint of hydroplaning. I have not taken these offroad, except for some dirt roads in Maine and gravel roads here in VA, but they handled that really well.
Overall, these are the best tires I have had on the Jeep, combining the quiet, smooth riding nature of the Bridgestones with the aggressive tread of the Falkens. Time will tell about the lifespan of these tires, but I would recommend them to anyone looking for new tires if your use case is similar to mine. I can't speak to someone looking for hard-core off-roading tires. I hope this helps people who were wondering about the KO3’s.
Background: I have a 2020 Overland that I use primarily as a commuter and suburban pickup (lots of trips to Lowes or Home Depot for landscaping stuff and hauling junk & brush to the dump). I have done a few offroad trails, but nothing major (Peter’s Mill Run BOH trial, some farm trails). I originally had the stock Overland wheels & tires (Bridgestone Dueler 255/70-18) , then swapped them for a set of Mojave wheel/tire take-offs (Falken Wildpeak A/T3W T285/70-17) after 25k miles. The Falkens were MUCH heavier than the Bridgestones, and significantly louder on the highway. Over time, the Falkens became even louder, to the point that it was uncomfortable on long trips. After about 40k miles on the Falkens, I purchased the KO3’s, so I had significant experience with both sets of tires.
My impression of the KO3’s:
They are quiet! I had forgotten how much wind noise there is with the Gladiator, because the Falkens were so loud that you could not hear it over the tire howl. It felt like the KO3’s were about as loud as the original Overland Bridgestone’s, and dramatically quieter than the Falkens.
They are also much, much smoother riding than the Falkens on-road, and feeling almost like they are aired-down when driving on dirt or gravel roads (I even double-checked the tire pressure because they felt so soft). The handling in dry weather is very good, tracking well on the highway and seeming to have good grip – I’m not slaloming with it, but it seems fine. I took a 1500-mile round trip from Virginia to Maine, and the ride was great – and quiet – the whole way. On the way home, we ran into about 200 miles of rain, sometimes torrential, and it was EXCELLENT in wet weather, cutting through large puddles on the interstate without a hint of hydroplaning. I have not taken these offroad, except for some dirt roads in Maine and gravel roads here in VA, but they handled that really well.
Overall, these are the best tires I have had on the Jeep, combining the quiet, smooth riding nature of the Bridgestones with the aggressive tread of the Falkens. Time will tell about the lifespan of these tires, but I would recommend them to anyone looking for new tires if your use case is similar to mine. I can't speak to someone looking for hard-core off-roading tires. I hope this helps people who were wondering about the KO3’s.
Sponsored
. I think they prioritize quiet and low weight over toughness and off-road performance.
