SHED: TOYOTA HILUX
JIMMY’S HILUX GETS A SET OF MUD-SLINGING, DIRT-DIGGING COOPER EVOLUTION TYRES.
THE HILUX got a bit of well-overdue track time and I got to put the new Cooper Evolution M/T tyres through their paces. Going from a 265/65R16 to a 285/70R17 the Hilux gained an extra inch-and-a-half of lift, adding to overall clearance and a larger footprint increasing available grip. It was a tight squeeze fitting the 285s under the guards and I had to modify a few innerguard plastic wear points, but so far there have been no issues.
Being a mud-terrain tyre, the Evolution has the typical aggressive tread pattern and wide tread blocks that can be quite noisy on-road. However, considering it’s a fresh design, Cooper has incorporated some new technologies to address noise and wear, while also increasing sidewall strength and using the aptly named Mud Slinger and Earth Digger features for added grip.
Cooper claims the Earth Diggers’ large lugs at the edge of the tyre, with the alternating scoops at every other tread block, give you extra grip by forcefully digging into loose dirt, sand and sticky mud, providing extra traction in tough situations. The Mud Slingers, which are massive grooves in-between the large Earth Digger lugs, allow continuous cleaning away of stones and thick mud, for improved traction off-road. The lugs and side walls are designed to work with the rest of the tread design to wear more evenly, resulting in a decrease in noise. Meanwhile, keeping the tyres’ servicing, rotation and balancing up to date is the best way to extend their lifespans, as well as reduce premature wear and noise.
First impressions on bitumen showed no sign of excessive noise; they are really quiet for a mud-terrain tyre and the ride is comfortable around town and on the highway. Off-road, I put the Evos through their paces in sandy soil, dry, rocky hills and rutted-out muddy tracks, with impressive amounts of grip on offer in all situations. The Evolutions performed well on steep downgrades and under hard braking, too. On trails where I have previously needed to
engage the rear locker, I was confident enough with the grip level to attempt these without engaging it with success. This can be attributed to a few factors including increased clearance and, of course, greater amounts of grip and footprint provided by the tyres. As they are a true mud-terrain tyre they performed as expected in muddy conditions and were impressive in sticky clay, where the mud tends to turn a tyre into a mud donut. The Mud Slingers did their job and ejected excessive mud quickly, resulting in grip when I needed it.
Due to the increase in size (going from a 265/65R16 to a 285/70R17), as well as mud-terrain tyres having an aggressive tread pattern, they tend to rob a bit of power on-road. In the case of the Hilux, this was only really noticeable in second-gear acceleration, justifying my need for a diesel chip to claw back any lost acceleration and turn the wick up just that little bit more.
As this is only a first impression of the Cooper Evolution M/T conducted over a short period of time, wear and fuel consumption can’t be evaluated as yet. However, first thoughts are that Cooper has developed a mud-terrain tyre that ticks a lot of boxes in noise, grip levels and overall comfort.