When it comes to the off-roading segment of the tire market, there’s nothing more extreme than a mud tire. It’s the ultimate tool for off-roading, and the Falken Wildepeak M/T aims to impress in not only muddy terrain, but also highway performance. The market hasn’t seen a lot of worthy contenders with that set of qualities, as it’s rare for a mud tire to be comfortable and quiet on the highways.
Let me start this review off by saying that you shouldn’t compare the highway capabilities of an M/T tire to that of a grand-touring truck tire. The Falken Wildpeak M/T isn’t going to provide similar levels of ride suspension or road noise reduction, but it aims to make your on-road experience bearable. Keep in mind that when you go shopping for a muddy terrain tire, peace and quiet are probably the last two things on your mind.
With that said, the Falken Wildpeak M/T is one of the baddest boys in the off-road realm, and we’re here to take an in-depth look at its features, capabilities, and performance in dry and wet conditions. So without further ado, let’s jump right in.
Falken Wildpeak M/T — Features
Falken didn’t make any compromises on the Wildpeak M/T’s off-road capabilities. They’ve constructed the tire with every feature it needs to cruise through murky and deep mud, river crossings, rock formations, giant boulders, and any other intimidating challenge you might come across on an off-road adventure.
For instance, the tire features Falken’s three-ply Duraspec sidewall — the brand’s proprietary tech for ensuring desirable performance and reliability in the toughest off-road scenarios.
The tire also has twin-ply turn-ups to add an extra protective layer against potential punctures from chip damage. The tread design features big and hard tread blocks, with a similar step-down design of the tread blocks on the Wildpeak A/T3W. They’re effective at preventing stone retention between the tread blocks, leading to superior off-road grip.
Falken has implemented solid rock and mud defense features between the tread blocks to prevent penetrations and potential punctures in the tread base. The Falken Wildpeak M/T’s lower sidewall continuously dissipates heat through advanced heat shield technology.
On paper, the tire has everything it needs to be a star performer off-road — so let’s see how it performs.
Highway Performance
Unlike most muddy terrain tires, the Falken Wildpeak M/T has some level of competence on the road. At highway speeds, you’ll have to deal with some tire roar but it’s quieter than most similarly priced competitors in the M/T tire segment. The ride quality is also pretty stiff, but not as bad as some other M/T tires that are simply hopeless on the road.
As long as you drive at safe speeds, the ride quality and road noise shouldn’t get too annoying. We found that the tire roar only starts to creep in at speeds between 60 to 80 miles per hour, and the noise gets more and more jarring as you go faster than that. Keep in mind that mud tires aren’t designed for a comfortable ride, so any noise muting or suspension you get out of the Falken Wildpeak M/T is a plus.
For its price, the Wildpeak M/T shows a lot of promise on the roads when compared to some popular brands. All things considered, the tire’s ride quality is pretty impressive.
Dry and Wet Grip
If you mostly keep your SUV or truck on the road, you shouldn’t get the Wildpeak M/T — or any mud tire for that matter. A set of all-terrain tires would be more suitable.
However, if you’re an off-road enthusiast and like to keep your vehicle tuned for those rough conditions, the Falken Wildpeak M/T is a promising choice. It offers above-average comfort levels for those occasional highway cruises.
With that said, no matter how dry or wet the road gets, you can’t expect a set of M/T tires to provide you with impeccable high-speed stability and reliable handling or cornering grip in wet conditions. If that’s the type of qualities you need, you should look at performance truck tires, or some highway or all-terrain tires for your truck.
Conclusion
The Falken Wildpeak M/T provides a respectable level of ride comfort and quietness for its segment, though it’s not going to be stable enough at high-speed highway tours.
But on rough terrain like loose gravel mud, dirt, grass, sand, it’s a formidable tire to have under your truck or SUV. No matter the conditions, it won’t let you down on any off-road track. That’s not something we can say about highway or performance tires, so it all comes down to your personal needs and preferences.
If you’re looking for a tire with absolutely no compromises on off-road capabilities, the Wildpeak M/T might be all you’re looking for! It comes at a pretty affordable price, which makes the tire’s beastly off-road potential even more compelling. This tire gets a pretty easy recommendation from us!