Recently, we were in need of some new tires for the BDS FJ Cruiser. This vehicle belongs to, and lives with our Rocky Mountain Rep in the mountains of Colorado, so due to the 4 seasons and the technical trails he was pretty picky about what tires he wanted to run on the Toyota. After doing some research and reaching out to some fellow off-roaders, he decided to go with the new Milestar Patagonia M/T. He decided on that tire for a couple of reasons. One, its an aggressive tire with a unique tread pattern. Two, in today’s market it is hard to find a quality tire that isn’t going to bankrupt you for a set of 5. And three, the people that he knows that have them are really happy with them.
Before we get into the tires, here is a little background on the vehicle and how it is used. This is a 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser with 96,000 miles. It has been off road since it was brand new, but it is also a daily driver that hauls a 5 year old too and from Kindergarten. This is important to mention because this is not a dedicated wheeling rig, nor is it a mall crawler. This vehicle is an everyday driven vehicle that the owner demands comfort and ride quality out of, while still trying to conquer some of the best trails in the country. The specs are as follows:
2011 FJ Cruiser w/ off road package (rear E-Locker)
– BDS (Prototype) 3” Coilover System w/ FOX 2.5 DSC RR
– BDS (Prototype) Performance Upper Control Arms
– Milestar Patagonia M/T tires – 315/75r16 (35×12.5×16)
– FN Wheels – Countersteer (16×9)
– Demello Offroad – Flat Top bumper and Dominator Sliders
– Expedition One – rear Swing-out bumper
– RCI – Full aluminum skids + lower A-arm skids + rear lower link mount skids
– Smittybilt – Winch
– Baja Rack – Expedition roof rack
– Baja Designs – 30” Onx6 Hi-Power light bar, Squadron Sports (amber), and RTL-s rear light bar
– ARB – Front locker and Fridge
– Revolution Gear and Axle 4.56 gears
– Functional Beer Tap on the back door
Now that you know about the vehicle, and the expectations that the owner demands we can get to the initial thoughts on the new Patagonia M/Ts, and how they are performing on and off-road during the fall in Colorado. They have been on the vehicle for about a month now, which has allowed a lot of around town driving, two small road trips on the highway, and two off road adventures. This is what Miles, our Rocky Mountain Rep has to say about them.
What gives us our initial reaction to anything… our senses, right? And since I wasn’t going to smell, or lick the tires, I decided to rely on sight, touch, and hearing.
I was really pleased to take a look at tread pattern when I got my tires in. One thing that I have ran into here in Colorado with previous tires is their ability to clear. There is a large amount of gravel and rocks that I drive on almost daily, and nothing makes you jump in your seat more than that “PING” when a rock lets go from the tread. I knew right off the bat that the Patagonia’s were not going to have that problem, and I have proven that to be true over the last month.
So they feel like rubber to me… Just kidding; obviously my sense of touch is tested when I am driving around on the new tires. That being said, I get a softer off road ride without having to air down as much with the Patagonia’s. I generally run my tires on the road at about 35 psi, off road I usually air down to about 20 psi unless I am in the rocks and then I will go down to about 12 psi (I don’t have beadlock’s so I try not to go lower than that). The Patagonia’s have impressed me this fall. I live in a very dry climate, so my fall wheeling consists of pretty light weight dirt and sand with rocks mixed in. I haven’t been able to really get into the rocks with the new tires, but they have conquered everything that I have thrown at them. I also had one really good rain storm that I drove through at highway speed, and the tires never felt like they were going to lift and hydroplane.
Next up is hearing, and this is a big one. We have all had or heard that off road rig that sounds like a helicopter coming down the road because of tire noise. I have been there myself, and I didn’t want to rely on music to drown out tire noise this time. I couldn’t be happier! For a mud terrain tire, these Patagonia’s are hands down the quietest that I have ever had. I can listen to my stereo at a reasonable level, or even have a conversation with my daughter in the back seat. I will be interested to see how the tire noise changes as the tires wear, but for now I’m stoked.
Overall, 30 days in, I am really happy with these tires. I am anxious to see how they perform in the snow this winter because I do enjoy going snow wheeling, and my daughter does still need to get to school. So far, I give you two thumbs up Milestar.
