Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated January 2025.
Although Achilles - a budget brand, the ability of these tires on the roads is impressive, especially considering the price. Achilles is not very stable behavior on the roads, but firm sidewall eventually allowed them to enter the top three.
Winner: Goodyear Wrangler MT R
Every independent test of the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT, newest first
How comfortable and quiet are the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT?
Owners rate the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT 6.6 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 14 reviews.
How well do the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT 6.1 out of 10 for wear across 14 reviews. 7 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 15,000 miles.
Would owners buy the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT again?
54% of owners say they would buy the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT again, based on the 13 owner reviews that answered the question. 31% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT's off-road traction?
Of the 14 owner reviews analyzed for the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT, 10 mention off-road traction: 9 praise it (strong off-road traction) and 1 criticise it (weak off-road traction). One owner wrote: "Off road though tires are second to none". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT's tread life?
Of the 14 owner reviews analyzed for the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT, 9 mention tread life: 7 praise it (long-lasting) and 2 criticise it (wears quickly). One owner wrote: "I got over 45,000 miles (70,000km) out of them in some very hard conditions". Read those reviews
Questions and Answers for the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT
What pressure do these run at? (265-75-R16) 10 ply laid E
September 1, 2017
The tire pressure for the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT is vehicle and load specific. The correct tire pressure for your vehicle can usually be found on a sticker in the door shut of the driver's door, or in the manufacturer's handbook.
Across 15 owner ratings the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT averages 55%. Owners rate Dry Grip highest at 7.1 out of 10 and Ice Grip lowest at 4. 7 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 31% of owners score it 70% or better.
Owner ratings averaged from 15 ratings
Owner score55%
Dry Grip71%
Comfort66%
Wear61%
Road Feedback55%
Handling54%
Snow Grip50%
Wet Grip42%
Ice Grip40%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 51%
“Last for ages! Had for 2 years have been really dangerous in wet weather even light rain, towing a 1ton trailer in slight rain, vehicle slips. Whenever it is raining I have to put the truck in 4 wheel drive. Reaplcing...”
“Had these for 28,000km and I can only say they are offroad ONLY. On the blacktop they are very noisy and the grip is poor at best. After 28kkm they are at about 30% tread so that means only around 40kkm total life. They...”
“I had these tires on my fully loaded work vehicle. I do a lot of miles on the highway and when I get to the work site I do a lot of driving off road, mostly in mud. These tires handled very well in all conditions. Grip...”
Last for ages! Had for 2 years have been really dangerous in wet weather even light rain, towing a 1ton trailer in slight rain, vehicle slips. Whenever it is raining I have to put the truck in 4 wheel drive. Reaplcing due to this, still heaps of tread left. Off road though tires are second to none
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
Make no mistake, these are not the best daily-driver tires. The large lugs are good for deep snow, mud, rocks, soft dirt, but with no siping makes them poor for packed road snow and wet traction. These get me from home to off-road location and back, but I change the way I drive when on the highway. If you know what you are buying, and are honest with how they will be used, these are great tires for the cost. My 2000 Jeep XJ goes the same places as guys running 37s and 38s, and they have out lasted much more expensive tires, running the same off-road areas.
Which tires do you drive?
Researching the Achilles Desert Hawk XMT? Rate the tires you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.
Had these for 28,000km and I can only say they are offroad ONLY. On the blacktop they are very noisy and the grip is poor at best. After 28kkm they are at about 30% tread so that means only around 40kkm total life. They get noisier as they wear.
Offroad they are good. Sand, mud & rock seem to be quite ok.
Member
Isuzu
265/50 R20 Q
500 miles
Mostly Motorways
Spirited
I have just recently purchased an Isuzu D-Max 4 x 4 with these Dessert Hawks fitted, driving in the rain I had to make a sudden maneuver to avoid a collision and the entire back of the ute fish tailed, immediately I decided to replace them for road tires. New Zealand is always wet
I've been running a set of these in 31/10.5/R15 for the last year and the only complaint I have is they are shocking on wet bitumen like the slightest turn of the wheel and you are sliding about. In saying themat tho after about 30 minutes of driving the tires handle slightly better in the rain. I've been through bug holes without a problem. I've snatched mates up hills you can't walk up on foot. The amount of grip these tires have is unbelievable, you add that with the self cleaning and they are unstoppable. I'll defin buy them again. I've done 25,000 ks on them and still have around 50% tired left on them. I would have more but let's just say they wear a lot when spinning the wheels on bitumen.
I had a set of xmts on my stx450 navara and they were deadly with he slightest hint of rain on the road, they lasted me 20,000km before they came off my Ute because they were getting worse and worse and knobs had started coming off after 15,000km
I puke never buy these again and I urge people for their own safety to steer clear
I've had these on my truck now for a year. They are great tires! Very good traction in the mud, self cleaning works well. They ride smooth with little noise, good handling on wet or dry pavement. Show little signs of wear. I would purchase them again.
If you need a tire to take you anywhere your vehicle is capable of going, this is the tire that will get you there. I've driven thousands of miles on the open road across terrain from rough pot-holed city streets to mud, sand, gravel, snow and 12000 feet above sea level crossing the Rocky Mountains and exploring desolate regions of Southern Utah in winter, at times making my own road. I would have have trusted my life to these tires when help would either have taken days to reach me or not at all. I rarely run a set of mud terrain type tires more than a couple of years (averaging 15,000 miles/year) and when it's time for my next set I will be reordering these. I only wish the raised black letter outlines came in white so I wouldn't have to paint them myself.
Tires are a good value for the money. I have about 4000 miles on them, no sign of wear yet. Tires size 31-10.50 r 15, are on 97 Jeep Wrangler, no lift, fairly stock setup, 4cylinder 5 gear. For an aggressive mud tire, they are surprisingly quiet on highway, with reasonable handling manners at 50- 60 mph. As good as any Goodyears or BFGoodrich I've had in past.
Good grip in dirt / gravel, seem to clear ok in moderate mud. Looking forward to seeing how they run in snow soon; I live in northern New England.
I had these tires on my fully loaded work vehicle. I do a lot of miles on the highway and when I get to the work site I do a lot of driving off road, mostly in mud.
These tires handled very well in all conditions. Grip is fine in the dry, never had any problems.
Tires were excellent on wet roads and really seem to disperse water - you can see jets of water being thrown out the side as it drives along. Never had any problems with traction in the wet.
They work very well off road. Driven slowly in mud they manage to grip the surface without breaking it. So forward traction is maintained and the wheels did not bog in or sink. When full of mud they cleaned themselves very quickly.
They are noisy on the highway.
I frequently drive over stakes and nails on work sites but had no problems with punctures.
The thing I liked most was the fantastic life of the tires. I got over 45,000 miles (70,000km) out of them in some very hard conditions. When I replaced them they still had some good useable tread left.
Yes - I replaced them with another new set of Achilles X-MT. I have had a few brands and these have been the best so far. I even managed to sell my old set for a decent amount of money because they still weren't worn out!
