Achilles Desert Hawk XM/T review
The Achilles Desert Hawk XM/T is a polarizing mud-terrain tire that excels in off-road environments but faces significant criticism regarding its on-road safety. While many users praise its aggressive aesthetic, affordability, and impressive traction in mud, sand, and rock, a substantial portion of reviewers report dangerous handling characteristics on wet pavement.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
By owner reviews
76.9%What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 31 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.
The Achilles Desert Hawk XM/T is a polarizing mud-terrain tire that excels in off-road environments but faces significant criticism regarding its on-road safety. While many users praise its aggressive aesthetic, affordability, and impressive traction in mud, sand, and rock, a substantial portion of reviewers report dangerous handling characteristics on wet pavement.
Pros
- Exceptional off-road traction in mud, sand, and gravel
- High value-for-money proposition compared to premium brands
- Surprisingly low road noise for a mud-terrain tire
- Effective self-cleaning tread design
Cons
- Severe lack of grip on wet bitumen leading to fishtailing
- Inconsistent durability, with some reports of knobs detaching
- Poor performance on packed snow and ice due to lack of siping
- Rapid degradation of handling characteristics as the tire wears
Worth knowing
- Users with lighter 4x4s like the Jeep Wrangler reported better highway manners than those with heavier utility vehicles or utes.
- Drivers of rear-wheel-drive trucks frequently reported the rear end stepping out or spinning in wet conditions.