Federal Couragia MT vs Thunderer Trac Grip MT: Mud terrain tires are a variation of the more common all-terrain tires. They are specifically designed for drivers to use when driving through mud, dirt, sand, or gravel. They offer a more aggressive tread pattern than a standard tire and are built to have a stiffer sidewall.
The deep treads of the tires also help withstand punctures and cuts from pieces of broken glass or nails if the driver gets stuck somewhere. Usually, mud terrain tires are equipped on trucks or SUVs used for off-roading in rough terrains. Mud terrain tire tread patterns can also be seen on some cars that have the option of switching the tires from normal to off-road mode. Tire tread patterns are designed for different types of off-road use. So, mud terrain tires feature tread patterns that give them the ability to travel through soft and loose surfaces and plow through trenches.
Examine the treads on these tires closely. They hold the key to knowing which to choose. In fact if you visit my "tread design" page, picking the right tire would never bother you.
Table of Contents
Overall Comparison of Federal Couragia MT and Thunderer Trac MT
Federal Couragia M/T
Vs
Whether you’re driving in the city or on the highway, our Thunderer Trac grip tires are for you. With aggressive tread and a high void ratio, these tires are noisy on the road but offer good Traction and have a long tread life.
Whether you are planning to go on an off-road adventure or travel on such conditions for work, M/T tires are for you.
Federal courage is an M/T tire specifically designed for exceptional mud performance. They have an aggressive tread pattern, high void ratio, outer and inner grooves that give your vehicle a rather rugged look.
Thunderer Trac grip, on the other hand, is designed for mud as well as off-road performance. The tread pattern features an aggressive design with segregated treads, which enhance the off-road performance. The tread features open shoulder lugs which helps to channel mud, sand, and any other debris away from the tread. Another feature of the Thunderer Trac Grip M/T is “open and tiered block elements” the wide spacing lugs in the tread ensure that the tire has sufficient grip and contact patch with the rugged surfaces.
Comparing Traction
M/T tires, as the name suggests, primarily focus on Mud Traction rather than any other terrain. With that being said, it is fair to assume dry and wet Traction are not their strong suits.
Federal Couragia features peculiar tread blocks with spacing to remove any stones or debris stuck within the tread. The larger and deeper tread blocks. The larger and deeper shoulder tread further aid in removing excess dirt and mud. The segregated tread is not optimized for Traction on the highway or a wet pavement when it comes to dry and wet Traction.
On the other hand, Trac grip gives a marvelous off-road performance with better snow performance than Federal Couragia. The max touch construction provides this tire with more Traction and grip on dry surfaces. Trac Grip’s performance (handling, cornering, and braking) is not up to par under wet pavements, whereas in terms of mud performance, we conclude that Trac Grip M/T has the edge over Couragia. The open shoulder lugs and higher void ratio tread pattern are optimized to remove any mud or debris sticking into the tread.
Georgia features The inner tread blocks, which are primarily added to aid in rock climbing, but also aid in snow performance. Unlike most M/T tires, Federal Couragia is M+S rated. Unlike Couragia, Track grip is M+S rated, but upon testing, we observed that it performed better than Couragia on snow.
Treadwear and Durability
The more challenging the terrain, the faster your tire will wear.
Couragia features a reinforced tread compound that makes sit somewhat resistant to cuts, chips, and tears. Federal uses a much higher silica compound in Couragia’s tread to provide a longer tread life.
The specially designed tread voids give Couragia its desired flexibility to counter the wear and tear associated with muddy or marshy terrain and promote even wear at the same time.
We found the Thunderer Trac grip to be a lot more durable than Couragia. It features an Extra tough tread formulation that allows it to resist cuts, chips, and tears, whereas the open and wide shoulder lugs help remove any debris from getting stuck. Thunderer has added Traction bars that add a certain degree of protection for the casing.
When tested against each other, we found Trac grip to be much more durable than Federal courage. Neither of the tires offers any treadwear warranty on the tread but, Thunderer offers a No Question Asked 35/365 free replacement limited protection policy on all the sizes of Trac grip.
Comfort Comparison
Out of all the families of tires that we have, M/T tires possess the most aggressive tread design so far and are justified given the kind of conditions they have to tackle. But, the more aggressive the tread, the higher the noise and lesser the comfort.
M/T tires are by far the noisiest tires out there; if you’re planning on taking Federal Couragia on a highway, you’re in for a loud ride. The wide tread gaps do an excellent job in providing exceptional mud and off-road performance, but they also make your tires quite noisy in comparison to Trac grip. We also observed some handling issues associated with Federal Couragia.
Similar to Couragia, Trac Grip’s aggressive tread design makes it challenging to handle. In terms of Noise reduction, these tires are fairly noisy but not as loud as Federal Couragia. We tested the 6-ply model of Thunderer Trac Grip and found it to be decently quiet on rocks, snow, and gravel but not on the highway.
Off-Road Performance
When it comes to off-road performance, Federal Couragia has the lead. Couragia provides an outstanding off-road performance. It features an aggressive tread design that gives excellent off-road Traction. In contrast, the strengthened shoulder lugs help Couragia maintain its shape under off-road conditions to prevent your tire from wobbling.
The incremental block edges help remove any dirt or debris from within the tread to maintain the performance.
Couragia features two types of tread blocks; outer and inner. The outer tread blocks are claw-shaped, giving your tire the grip necessary to cope with the harsh conditions. On the other hand, the Inner tread blocks are sharp edged, enhancing rock climbing and snow performance.
Trac grip, on the other hand, features open tread lugs. This peculiar tread design allows the quick evacuation of sand, dirt, gravel, and other debris to maintain the off-road grip. With the help of its open and tiered tread elements, Trac grip retains its grip on various terrains, be it mud, rocks, or even snow.
To tackle the rough wear and tear of rocky terrain, Trac Grip features a extra tough tread formulation that resists chips, cuts, tears, and punctures.
Comparing Price
We think that Federal Couragia is more expensive given its performance against Thunderer Trac Grip in terms of price.
Trac grip m/t gives exceptional mud, snow performance, Fair Noise reduction and comes with a durable tread, yet it is one of the cheapest M/T tires in the market.
So which one is a better tire?
We tested both tires as per our standards for M/T tires, and we received mixed results; we conclude that Thunderer Trac Grip has the lead over Federal Couragia.
Thunderer Trac Grip performed better in mud as well as snow. Couragia, on the other hand, had good mud performance but, its snow Traction was not up to the mark. We also found Couragia to be noisier than Trac Grip M/T on the highway and under off-road conditions.
Both tires gave tremendous results in mud in terms of off-road performance, but Federal Couragia has the edge when it comes to rock climbing. With that being said, Thunderer Trac Grip costs a lot less than Federal Couragia.
