Reviewed by Brenan Greene | www.trail4r.com | @trail4r
The Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T Hybrid Tires have been great so far. From the Rocky Mountains of South West Colorado to the extreme heat in Moab and back to the granite rocks in Northern California, we’ve put about 5,000K miles on these tires in the first couple of months – and we’re beyond impressed.
If you’ve been following @trail4r for some time, you know how much I love tires.
Tires are arguably the most important mod you will add to an off-road rig. I’ve run well over ten different tires ranging from highway tires and all-terrains to hybrids and mud-terrains. I’m super stoked to show you why the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T hybrid is arguably one of the most versatile tires on the market.
We’ve traveled through a ton of terrain types, and there wasn’t a single time I was disappointed.
Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T Hybrid Standout Features:
- All-Terrain & Mud-Terrain Characteristics: Great on-road manners and next-level strength off-road
- Road Noise: Very little road noise for how aggressive the tire looks
- Asymmetrical Tread Pattern: Reduced road-noise, increased off-road traction, and increased on-road handling
- Extreme Sidebiters: 150% deeper than Mickey Thompson’s Baja ATZP3
- Powerply XD: Better puncture resistance, quicker steering response, and greater stability
- Silica-Reinforced Compound: Longer life expectancy, cut and chip tolerant, improved wet handling, improved braking
- 50K-mile tread-wear warranty: The Baja Boss A/Ts are built to last
- 3PMS Symbol: Severe Snow Service Rated
AT FIRST GLANCE
They’re very quiet despite their incredibly aggressive tread pattern. On top of being whisper quiet on-road, they’re beyond impressive in wet conditions, including snow/ice. If you’re looking to crawl, lucky for you, they feature a massive contact patch that grips like a mother on rocks. In straight mud, they did okay. Don’t buy these if you’re planning on wheeling through mud bogs in Louisiana.
This is an impressive hybrid tire offering from Mickey Thompson that excels in wet or dry off-road conditions and will be a great daily driver – let’s jump in!
QUICK OVERVIEW
Off-Roading: Impressive
On the muddy/rocky/wet trail sections through Wheeler Lake in Colorado, I thought maybe the lugs weren’t spaced out enough to dig and grip, but the asymmetrical tread tore through loose rocks and climbed up wet granite faces with ease. When aired down, the shoulder lugs spanned out to provide an even larger contact patch, and they got to work crawling through just about everything. The ample siping really helped keep us STUCK to the wet and slick rocks.
ON-ROAD MANNERS – A TRUE A/T TIRE?
Yes, it’s a hybrid, but this tire feels just like an A/T on-road – It’s quiet.
On the long stretches of road in between trailheads from Central Colorado to Southwest Colorado, it was nice having an A/T for a change. I’ve been running M/Ts for the last three tires, so it could have been me coming from the Toyo M/Ts to these Baja Boss A/Ts, but these Mickey Thompson A/Ts are so incredibly mellow on-road, you can barely hear them. Seriously, they’re whisper-quiet.
They track incredibly well; however, they did take a bit of weight to get balanced. The dry traction was quick and responsive through gnarly switchbacks on the Million Dollar Highway in Ouray, Colorado. I was consistently impressed by the sound and responsiveness while on-road heading up the Black Bear Pass 4×4 road. I put my head out of the window several times to listen to them, and each time was stunned at the lack of noise.
COMPARED TO WHAT?
To date, my favorite “all-around” tire has been the Cooper EVO M/T, but that might change. These might just be better than the Cooper Evolution M/T (performance-wise) as an “all-around” tire. That said, looks come into play when buying tires, and the EVO M/T has a more aggressive pattern than these A/Ts; rightfully, they are M/Ts. While we’re on the topic of tread pattern, I am a huge fan of the STT Pros, Toyo Open Country M/Ts, and the new Yokohama Geolandar M/T.
The Baja Boss A/Ts feature shoulder lug characteristics of an M/T, with an asymmetrical tread pattern that makes the contact patch look very A/T. You get A/T vibes from the straight-on view, and from the sidewall and corner view, you get M/T vibes.
INITIAL THOUGHTS
The tires look great after 5,000K miles. No cupping, feathering, gashes, or deep cuts in the sidewall (how could there be, this sidewall is insane).
When it comes to rubber compounds, these feel softer than the Toyo Open Country A/Ts but much firmer than the Toyo M/Ts, Cooper EVO M/Ts, and Cooper STT Pros (to give you some perspective). These Baja Boss A/Ts feel incredibly firm compared to most compounds but aren’t noisy like the Toyo A/Ts. I have a lot of confidence that the Baja Boss A/T will push well past 40K and won’t scream at you during daily driving.
If you’re looking for true A/T manners on the road with tons of siping (great for ice/snow as they’re a 3PMS rated tire), all with a gnarly sidewall, aggressive shoulder scoops, and slight M/T characteristics off-road, this is shaping up to be a really nice tire.
ALL-TERRAIN HYBRID
The new Baja Boss A/T clearly delivers undisputed on-road handling, performance, and minimal signs of tread wear after our first 5,000K miles.
Adding to its impressive lineup of features, this asymmetrical tread pattern was poised to dominate when playing in the street and the mud. However, when tested in the mud, portions of the lugs stayed caked, and other portions were truly self-cleaning. Don’t let this get you down, though; these tires played in the mud all day with a few friends and kept up with some gnarly M/Ts. Whatever the actual M/Ts were up to, I was right behind them.
As I mentioned earlier, this tire is pretty aggressive looking for an A/T, has an incredibly gnarly sidewall, great manners on-road, VERY low road noise, TONS of siping, it 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMS) severe-weather rated, and with its all-new asymmetrical tread pattern – it’s an animal on wet, slick rocks.
ASYMMETRICAL TREAD PATTERN
The asymmetrical tread pattern is optimized for reduced noise, all-weather performance, off-road traction, and on-road handling. I was initially skeptical as I’ve never run an asymmetrical tread pattern, but I’m impressed. They do provide an unbelievable low level of noise on the road. I can hear everything else on my truck – not the tires.
EXTREME SIDEBITERS
Extreme Sidebiters are 150% deeper than the Baja ATZP3 (Mickey Thompson’s previous A/T). This new sidewall offers potent off-road traction and protection. If you’re looking for a deep sidewall, this new Extreme Sidebiter is the deepest sidewall I have ever seen on a tire, much less an A/T. Usually, A/T tires have a minimal sidewall design, not the Baja Boss A/T, which is a huge standout feature on this tire.
POWERPLY XD
The new Powerply XD adds 50% heavier denier cord to the angled third ply providing better puncture resistance, quicker steering response, and greater stability. Mickey Thompson offers the Baja Boss A/T in a load range D (35X12.5R17) and load range E (315/70R17). For those that aren’t familiar, load range D has a weight capacity of 1,220 lbs at 65 psi, whereas load range E has a capacity of 1,520 lbs at 80 psi. Load range E is more for towing and features a higher ply rating.
The downsides of going with higher load ranges may include loss in MPGs, a more rigid ride, and sometimes less flotation off-road depending on the brand. I typically stay with load range D tires as they offer the best of both worlds between C (fairly soft) and E (fairly firm). Load range D offers comfort on-road without sacrificing MPGs while providing nice floatation off-road.
The Powerply XD on the load range D (the tire we are running) makes it feel like an E. I first noticed how stiff these tires were off-road. When aired down to 18psi, the tires didn’t look aired down at all. Because of this, I dropped them down to 15psi for our first run, and although you don’t see much tire bulge, you can feel the flotation over the rocks. The flotation was nothing like a Cooper STT Pro or Cooper EVO M/T (which is weird because those are both load range E tires). The Baja Boss A/Ts felt like they still had more pressure to give.
These tires did great off-road. I have no complaints yet, but I am still feeling them out. If the load range D felt like an E, I can’t imagine how firm those E-rated tires are. Those must be VERY FIRM.
SILICA-REINFORCED COMPOUND
The Baja Boss A/T features a silica-reinforced compound for on-road tread wear, cut and chip resistance, and improved wet handling and braking performance. This also might have something to do with how firm these tires felt. They remind me of a Toyo A/T II, but without the road noise. After 5,000+ miles, these tires look amazing. It makes sense with how firm and reinforced these load range D tires are.
SEVERE SNOW RATED
Everything in the Baja Boss A/T lineup at 12.5″ (315) and lower is stamped 3PMS (3-Peak Mountain Snowflake). If you’re in a climate where ice, snow, and wet roads are common, you want the 3PMS stamp. Not many tires feature this stamp of approval, so know it’s a huge selling point when you see it.
These tires are animals in the snow!! Wow, man, impressive stuff. We headed up to the snow for the day, aired down to 18psi, and started on a couple of feet of fresh powder in the High Sierras. The tires didn’t break loose once from sheets of ice on the road coming into a few feet of packed snow we were driving on. I was pushing them, too. They didn’t budge.
Once we hit pockets of slushy snow on top of the snowpack, the tires started to break loose when I hit the gas and started going in on them. They aren’t bulletproof, but they sure do hold their own in the snow and on the ice. I was able to hook a U-turn on a tight, narrow trail in the snow and didn’t get stuck.
Eventually, I hit the send button a little too hard and landed in a snowdrift of fresh powder, leaving me stuck and high-centered. Here is a shot of Jade high-centered just before we winched out. These tires are amazing in the snow, and I was pretty confident in them – almost too confident. If you’re looking for an excellent snow tire, this is a real candidate. I had a blast ripping around in the snow and through the ice with these.
50K-MILE TREADWEAR WARRANTY
50,000-mile treadwear warranty instills confidence that the Baja Boss A/Ts are built to last. But what does this really mean? Car tire warranties work in the delta. Let’s say you run this tire for 40K miles, and for some reason, the tire tread is just destroyed. In that case, Mickey Thompson would credit you a 10K-mile difference or credit towards a new tire. It’s nice when tire companies back their offerings with a warranty.
And as you can see here, Mickey Thompson says that this tire will last you 50K miles. What do I think? After 5,000K miles of some rough abuse, they look great. I’ll let you decide.
WEIGHT (35X12.5R17)
For an A/T Tire, they’re on the heavy side. But then again, they aren’t all-terrains – they’re hybrid-terrains. So with that said, when compared to some other hybrid tires, it’s not all that different.
Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T (Hybrid): 73lbs
Nitto Ridge Grappler (Hybrid): 73lbs
Toyo R/T (Hybrid): 74lbs
FINAL THOUGHTS
They are almost shockingly quiet, considering it’s such an aggressive pattern. I still keep coming back to the fact that they are as quiet as they are on the road.
These will be great for someone with a daily driver in the mountains who occasionally wheels and who doesn’t see very much mud. They are a solid option if you are a weekend warrior who also commutes up through the mountains and you need a reliable tire through ice and snow. This is a tire that belongs in Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and throughout the mountains of Utah and Colorado.
