When it comes to tyres, every four-wheel driver knows they can make or break a trip. You can spend thousands on suspension, accessories and recovery gear, but if your tyres aren’t up to the job, you’ll come unstuck fast.

For the past 25,000km I’ve been running Kumho Road Venture MT51 (265/60R18) mud-terrain tyres on my Isuzu D-MAX, and they’ve seen just about everything Australia can throw at them. From the rocky climbs of the Victorian High Country to the endless sand of the Canning Stock Route, they’ve performed faultlessly – and, more importantly, they’ve given me the confidence to keep pushing further.

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Where they’ve been put to the test

I don’t baby my tyres, but I do respect them. Over the past 25,000km, the Kumho MT51s have seen:

  • Victorian High Country: steep, rocky tracks, sharp shale and wet clay descents.
  • Canning Stock Route: 1800km of remote desert tracks, corrugations, dunes and soft sand.
  • Mary River National Park (NT): bulldust, deep sand, muddy sections and loose soils.
  • Litchfield National Park (NT): red dirt, rocky tracks and tropical humidity.
  • Outback dirt roads and long stretches of bitumen: from highway hauls to remote station tracks.
  • NT beaches: soft sand that will bog you instantly if you don’t set your pressures right.
  • Tracks like the Telfer Road (WA): tyre-eating stones used to cap the roads.

In every one of these environments, the MT51s have handled themselves perfectly. Robustness, grip, stability and wear have all been impressive – and considering the mix of terrain, that’s no small achievement.

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Tread pattern explained

These are proper mud-terrain tyres. The MT51s are built for mud, rocks, loose soil and extreme off-road conditions. The tread pattern is aggressive, with deep, blocky lugs, and the sidewalls are reinforced to resist cuts and damage. If you plan to spend time in dense mud, clay or steep, rocky terrain, these are the tyres you want.

Selecting the correct tyre pressure

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over years of touring is that tyre performance isn’t just about tread pattern – it’s about pressure management. The MT51s are excellent, but only when set up correctly for the terrain.

On the Canning Stock Route, I ran them at 20psi through the soft desert sands and dunes. The tyres floated beautifully over the surface, giving me the grip I needed without digging in. In the Victorian High Country, lower pressures were supported by the side biters and three-ply sidewalls, adding strength and stability on rocky climbs. On NT beaches, dropping them down gave me confidence to cruise the soft sand without getting bogged. In the Mary River region, I adjusted pressures depending on whether I was battling bulldust, mud or sandy tracks.

The D-MAX’s built-in tyre pressure monitoring system has been invaluable, providing constant pressure readings and temperature feedback. If a tyre starts heating up too much, I know it’s working harder than it should – a clear sign to add more air. On long corrugated roads, that feedback can be the difference between a trouble-free run and shredded rubber.

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Rotation, checks and maintenance

The MT51s have now clocked 25,000km, and wear has been extremely even. I put this down to a strict but simple routine:

  • Rotation every 10,000km, as recommended by Tyrepower, who look after my wheels – including the two spares.
  • Visual inspection whenever I stop, checking for cuts, chips, bulges or embedded stones.
  • Constant pressure and temperature monitoring via the Isuzu system.

These habits ensure the tyres are always in peak condition, which is probably why they remain in such excellent shape after traversing varied terrain. The sidewalls still look solid, the tread blocks are holding their edges, and there’s plenty of depth left.

On-road performance

Most of us still spend a fair chunk of time on the bitumen. A tyre can be brilliant off-road, but if it drones like a jet engine or feels vague on the highway, it’s a deal-breaker.

On road, the Kumho MT51s are rougher than a standard all-terrain, but surprisingly tolerable for what they’re designed for. Road noise is more noticeable due to the deep lugs, but it’s manageable unless you’re actively listening for it. Handling is predictably firm – especially through corners – and wet grip is noticeably better than many other mud-terrains I’ve used. I’ve covered thousands of highway kilometres between trips, and they haven’t given me a single moment’s doubt about control or safety.

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Off-road performance

Where the MT51s really shine is once you leave the blacktop. In the Victorian High Country, I tackled sharp, rocky climbs and loose shale without issue. The tyres gripped consistently, and the tread blocks and side biters took a pounding but came through intact.

On the Canning Stock Route, the combination of sand, corrugations and sheer remoteness is the ultimate tyre test. Running them at 20psi, they floated across the dunes and stayed composed over the corrugations. Despite two weeks of constant punishment, I didn’t suffer a single puncture or sidewall issue – and that reliability alone is worth its weight in gold when you’re hundreds of kilometres from help.

In the Mary River National Park, the mix of bulldust, soft sand and muddy sections gave the MT51s a proper workout. They dug through deep mud, held traction in slippery clay and handled soft sand with ease – provided pressures were right. And in Litchfield National Park, the tyres managed red dirt, river crossings and rocky trails without complaint. Even on NT beaches, where soft sand can swallow vehicles whole, the MT51s performed beautifully.

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Tyre life and value

With more than 25,000km under them, I’m impressed at how well they’ve held up.

Even with constant rotation and careful pressure management, tyres that see this variety of terrain often start looking rough around the edges. The MT51s still look solid and have plenty of tread left, giving me confidence they’ll easily push past 50,000km – depending on how harshly you treat them.

Considering the MT51’s price point compared to premium mud-terrains, they represent excellent value. You’re getting a serious off-road tyre that can handle desert, rock, sand, clay and highway without paying extra just for a brand name.

Verdict

For me, tyres are all about confidence. When I’m tackling the Canning Stock Route solo or dropping into a steep High Country track, I need to know my tyres will hold up. After 25,000km across some of Australia’s harshest and most varied conditions, the Kumho MT51s have more than earned my trust.

The MT51s have proven robust and exceptionally durable. The strength of their carcass construction is evident in the twin steel belts, polyester casing, jointless nylon cap ply and three-ply sidewalls. The tread compound offers strong cut and chip resistance, and the blocks have held their shape remarkably well.

They are noisier on the highway than all-terrains, but that’s expected. Off-road, they’ve been sure-footed in mud, strong in sand when aired down, grippy on rock and resilient over corrugations. With sensible pressure management, regular rotations and a watchful eye on condition, they’ve delivered everything I could ask for in a mud-terrain touring tyre.

For anyone chasing a reliable, great-value mud-terrain that won’t let you down when the going gets tough, I can confidently recommend the Kumho MT51. They prove you don’t need to spend top dollar to achieve top performance.

  • RRP: From $270 each (varies by retailer)
MORE More info at Kumho