Four Actual Seasons, One Real Year, 13,000 hard miles – on BFGoodrich All‑Terrain T/A K02s (Review)

That aint snow… these BFGoodrich All‑Terrain T/A K02 tires sit on top of a salty desert. Yep, that’s the Bonneville Salt Flats!

Before I installed the BFGoodrich All‑Terrain T/A K02 tires on my 2008 Nissan Pathfinder family truckster, I was rolling on Goodyear Tracker 2 tires. Through no fault of their own, the Goodyears were well used and slightly off balance. Still, they were grippy and traction was good on slushy snow and gravel.

This shows the Nissan on old Goodyear tires.

My Nissan Pathfinder (which is one of the best SUVs I’ve owned) was immediately put to use as a third family vehicle. It towed, charged through deep snow and occasionally took me deep into the Rocky Mountains searching for that elusive fishing hole.

BFGoodrich All‑Terrain T/A K02 tires rain-soaked in California.

My spouse (“she-who-must-be-obeyed”) grew rather fond of the Nissan for its utility and capability, but she was displeased with its ride and performance on ice.

We live in Denver, Colorado. Capable tires on slippery surfaces are a must!

While I had good luck with Goodyear and Yokohama tires in the past, BFG’s were (usually) on the top of my list.

The old BFG Mud Terrain KMs on our Motor Mountain USA Jeep Wrangler did not perform well in snow.

My only issue with the ones I had in the past was their mediocre grip in light snow and poor grip in deep snow. After talking to a few experts, I decided to give it a go. In November 2017, I acquired a set of 265/65R17 BFGoodrich K02 tires.

My goal was to put on at least 10,000 miles in four seasons and report the results to you.

The BFGoodrich All‑Terrain T/A K02 tires drew compliments for their macho looks. Gas mileage after 12-months averaged about the same. BFGoodrich gave us the All‑Terrain T/A K02s to review.

Off-road, the BFGoodrich All‑Terrain T/A K02 tires proved to have tenacious grip in mud and on rock. Deep snow and slush were met with a high level of grip as well. The only surface that challenged the BFGoodrich All‑Terrain T/A K02 tires was ice. On slick ice, the tires lost grip just about as often as a set of Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S tires I tested a few years back on a similar surface. Just like those Geolanders, the BFGs fought and, eventually regained some bite.

On all other surfaces, the BFGoodrich All‑Terrain T/A K02 tires were unstoppable. I was especially impressed with their highway ride. Every year, we head to the West Coast from Denver in a 2,500-ish mile round trip. Usually, we fight snow, rain and bumper-to-bumper traffic and these tires were compliant, surefooted and (to my surprise) remarkably quiet.

I intend to do another review next year as these tires begin to wear. As of right now, they have surprised me in unexpected ways. Impressive.

Nathan Adlen
Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism - Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum. Brought up in the California car culture and educated in theater, childhood education, film, journalism and history, Nathan now lives with his family in Denver, CO. His words, good humor and video are enjoyed worldwide.