20" XL to 17" KO3 "C", how's the ride?

[Rodo94]

Hi!

I'm looking for an advice on switching from the Geolandar X-CV 20" Load XL to BFG KO3 Load C in 17"...
About 13 extra pounds per wheel.
5.7 vs 7.9 of side wall
31.5 vs 32.7 diameter
265 vs 285

Pros/cons?

The 20"s run at 38 psi "warm", what would be the pressure on the KO3s?
Is it going to be stiffer or softer?


Platinum 2026

Sponsored

 

[TrdProGirl84]

I run the 285/70/R18 with a + 18 offset. And I’m running the Ko3’s. I keep my PSI between 33-35 bc I’m on E rates tires. It would be really rough if I aired to 38psi . It think the ride will be more comfortable for you if you run 35-36 psi on C rated.

 

[Cranberry]

i just wanted to throw some caution out here and i know this may be stirring a pot with some die hard followers of the KO3 / KO2 but i have real world experience of over 200,000 KM running the tires your thinking of and i would strongly steer you in another direction.

I live up in Canada and provide guiding and camping services throughout my Province. I typically guide from a highway drive of 2 - 5 hours to location followed by off road for another 2 - 4 hours through anything from logging roads to marsh bogs. We ran the KO2 and KO3 for about 5 years on our rigs thinking they were the bees knees but a shortage of the product forced us to switch to the Falcon Wilpeaks as of 2024.

Immediately upon the switch to the Wilpeaks AT4W E rated tire it was like night and day performance in all aspects of the ride.

The Wildpeaks were:
- Substantially more grippy on hot concrete, less likely to activate ABS on aggressive stop
- Not even comparable to the KO2 / KO3 in ice (the KO2/KO3 were like curling rocks in comparison)
- Aired down to 15PSI the E rated really shines with not 1 blow out experienced on the falcons as compared to the KO2/KO3 usually needing some TLC

If you are doing nothing but off road, the KO2/ KO3 will do you fine, but if you live on a highway or urban mall crawl, i think the Falcons or Duratracs are a substantially better option for you, giving you a quality experience in multiple conditions, a fantastic all around good tire.

Please note i am not meaning to sh*t on the KO2/KO3, i ran them for 5 years and they were not a bad tire, but when we could substantially see the diffrence in a good way when switching to Falcons, that speaks volumes IMO

 

[Joestac]

@Cranberry That is some great info that actually contradicts some of what I've been seeing in my research and really helpful. My two choices right now are either 265/70/18 Falken AT4W in E load, or the BFG KO3 in either D or E, is 265 they can do either.

I love the look of the KO3 and I was considering it because my long time issue running the KO2s on prior vehicles is how poor they do in the rain. Everything I am seeing says the KO3s are much better in the rain, quieter and roll better than the AT4W, and have better dry stopping power.

I have watched probably 15 different reviews on YT and read reviews on Discount Tires website, plus many a forum post search. I only have 6000 on the Toyos, but I know the time is coming. I also like that the AT4W is an actual 33" tire being 33.4" over the 32.6" of the KO3 in 265.

I love the AT3W we still have on our '24 Outback Wilderness. Almost 30,000 miles and no issues with doing regular 5 tire rotations every 5k.

 

[Cranberry]

@Cranberry That is some great info that actually contradicts some of what I've been seeing in my research and really helpful. My two choices right now are either 265/70/18 Falken AT4W in E load, or the BFG KO3 in either D or E, is 265 they can do either.

I love the look of the KO3 and I was considering it because my long time issue running the KO2s on prior vehicles is how poor they do in the rain. Everything I am seeing says the KO3s are much better in the rain, quieter and roll better than the AT4W, and have better dry stopping power.

I have watched probably 15 different reviews on YT and read reviews on Discount Tires website, plus many a forum post search. I only have 6000 on the Toyos, but I know the time is coming. I also like that the AT4W is an actual 33" tire being 33.4" over the 32.6" of the KO3 in 265.

I love the AT3W we still have on our '24 Outback Wilderness. Almost 30,000 miles and no issues with doing regular 5 tire rotations every 5k.

Thats awesome man, Appreciate you!

The KO3 was also substantially more expensive then the AT4W from my last readings, that was also a major set back for us as we do a full rig and trailer with spare swap when we do change overs (8 tires total per rig). I believe we saved almost $1000 total per rig and trailer when switching the the falcons as well.

Like i said, the KO2 / KO3 were not a bad tire, i would not have an issue running them again, but if i had the choice between the BFG's or the Falcons, I would be choosing the Falcons just from ride experience on them after having a chance to compare them to the BFG's

 

[Joestac]

Thats awesome man, Appreciate you!

The KO3 was also substantially more expensive then the AT4W from my last readings, that was also a major set back for us as we do a full rig and trailer with spare swap when we do change overs (8 tires total per rig). I believe we saved almost $1000 total per rig and trailer when switching the the falcons as well.

Like i said, the KO2 / KO3 were not a bad tire, i would not have an issue running them again, but if i had the choice between the BFG's or the Falcons, I would be choosing the Falcons just from ride experience on them after having a chance to compare them to the BFG's

Cost is not as bad right now so that hasn't been a factor for me. Really just want the best tire coming from a pretty great factory one, just want a beefier sidewall for off road use. I'm on the highway 4 days a week with a 2 hour round-trip commute, so also a factor is that on road comfort and rain performance.

 

[Rodo94]

The AT4w comes in SL and E, I believe the E is comparable to the KO3 C.
@Cranberry was your issue temperature related?
I do like the look of it for sure, narrower channels…
I checked Craigslist and FB Marketplace, I do see a lot more “new”ish Falkens than KO3s

I don’t go offroading a lot, I’m trying to level out road imperfections + going thru speed bumps, railway crossings… at speed.
I climb on street curbs daily and our streets are coated with all kinds of nails, thanks to roofers and carpenters.

From what I understand, a E load sounds like more problems on the stiffer 6th gen.
From the reviews everyone agrees the KO3 is a quieter and lighter tire. No complaints about highway use.

back to my original question, I believe C is very close to XL in terms of construction, so my ride should be softer in general even with added weight?

I would have to replace all 5 wheels so I don’t want to make a costly mistake.

 

[Joestac]

@Rodo94 Looks like the Yoko XL is 2-ply where the C load BFG is 6-ply, so you'll have a stiffer ride. You can always play with the PSI to make it not so bad. The 6-ply should cause less worry about hitting rough stuff on the road and cause a puncture, but I would not expect to have a smoother ride going from the tire you have now to a beefy all terrain.

 

[Cranberry]

The AT4w comes in SL and E, I believe the E is comparable to the KO3 C.
@Cranberry was your issue temperature related?
I do like the look of it for sure, narrower channels…
I checked Craigslist and FB Marketplace, I do see a lot more “new”ish Falkens than KO3s

I don’t go offroading a lot, I’m trying to level out road imperfections + going thru speed bumps, railway crossings… at speed.
I climb on street curbs daily and our streets are coated with all kinds of nails, thanks to roofers and carpenters.

From what I understand, a E load sounds like more problems on the stiffer 6th gen.
From the reviews everyone agrees the KO3 is a quieter and lighter tire. No complaints about highway use.

back to my original question, I believe C is very close to XL in terms of construction, so my ride should be softer in general even with added weight?

I would have to replace all 5 wheels so I don’t want to make a costly mistake.

the KO2 / KO3 issues were not temperature related. Stopping distance, failure rate and ride quality remained the same in summer vs winter. That being said, when you hit ice, have fun keeping it straight. The BFG's were one of the worst all terrain tires i have ever used in winter conditions. The second we hit any ice they just slide.

In comparison my Duratracs and Falcons i can lock up on our loading ramps at work in winter with no issues, when i had my KO3's on the same ramp it needed a running start or it would slide back down with all 4 wheels locked.

 

[Rodo94]

One option I have (and much cheaper cause I keep the rims)
is the Falken AT4w 28844627 - 275/60R20 - XL
Diameter goes from 31.5 to 33
Weight from 36lb to 51lb

Very heavy for an XL, that's the weight of the KO3 in 17" - C


Is that a good option? added weight and little to no sidewall improvement... idk

 

[Joestac]

Really, it is going to have to come down to personal preference.

I am in the same boat regarding weight on my current wheel choices. Looks like I am going to be adding 20lbs per tire going up to the 265/70/18 AT4W from my Toyo OC AT3. While I haven't had an issue yet, I want a stronger sidewall for off-roading since I will likely be by myself a lot.

If you are just trying to have a better ride in general, which I hear is an issue with the Limited and Platinum trims, maybe upgrading the shocks/suspension instead of tires first?

 

[Rodo94]

Sounds like I can't fight the stiff on street ride too much.
A bigger tire in anything lower than C will accentuate the bouncy ride at highway speed, that's already the case on the 20" XL, I can feel a delay in steering movements.

The 17" C would technically fix that part.

Upgrading the suspension is on the table, but those are active suspensions, it kinda works great keeping the vehicle flat at high speed turns, I would lose that.... maybe the rear springs, softer ones.
Most of the stiffness is coming from the rear

Sponsored