Kenda Klever RT – One Year Review

TL;DR - The Kenda's have performed VERY well in all conditions (better than the S/T Maxx) and have been a great tire. I'm trying to find a way to get lighter wheels so I can keep running them.

The 33x10.5 R17 Kenda Klever RT.

It's hard to believe but it was now a full year ago that I switched over to Kenda Klever RT tires. I swapped over at the same time that I swapped to 17" Sequioa wheels - hoping that I'd have more tire options than I was finding with 16" wheels - and through the first several reviews, I had a hard time separating my thoughts on the entire setup from my thoughts on just the tires.

My conclusion was that I really liked the look of the setup, but that the overall weight and slightly wider tires made me want to go back to a 255/85R16 setup (or similar).

I still really like the look of the full setup. If only it wasn't so heavy.

Now, after another six months of use, I've changed my mind. The performance and ride of the Kenda's has been great, and I want my next set of tires to be another set of Kenda's. What I really want to change are the wheels, so that I can get a little less weight on each corner of the truck. Right now, I'm thinking some 17" FN Six Shooters - which weight 5lbs less per wheel than the Sequoias' - would be my ideal choice, though I'm having a hard time finding them used.

What Changed / What I Realized after 12 Months and 25,000 Miles

These are all really things that fall into the "Pro / Good" side of my impressions, but I'll call them out here separately for ease of consumption.

✅ The performance of the tires in various conditions - mud, snow, rain, rocks, pavement, sand, etc. - has been great. I thought the S/T Maxx were good in various conditions, but the Klever RT have been even better.

Sticky on rock and sticky on sand.
✅ Even though they are E-rated tires, they ride great when aired down. Dropping from my 40psi pavement pressures to 18psi on dirt, the Klever's bulge out nicely and soak up rocks, washboard, potholes, and more. This is in stark contrast to the S/T Maxx, which still felt like rocks when they were aired down. I attribute this to the Kenda's using a softer rubber compound, though I have no proof of that.
✅ They haven't shown the same scalloping that the S/T Maxx showed after a similar number of miles.
✅ They've remained quiet on the freeway. Note: in my six-month review, I mentioned that they were getting noisier on the highway, but I've not noticed that since.
✅ My fuel economy doesn't seem to be affected by the additional width as much as I thought it would be (I'm sure it doesn't help, but it's not a big deal.)
✅ Durability against trail damage seems to be on par with the S/T Maxx, which is good. I've found myself in a couple sticky situations where I've caught a sidewall or run through terrain full of sharp rocks. The tires have a few gashes and scars, but they've held up extremely well.
🟨 Lifetime might be the weak point. I've still not worked my way through the first set, but at 25,000 miles, I'd say I'm a little more than halfway through the life of the tire; I suspect that 35-40,000 miles is all I will get from a set of 5 tires. This would be significantly less than the 60-70,000 miles I was able to get with the S/T Maxx, and would make sense given the traction and ride characteristics of the Klever RT, which I've noted feel "softer."

With all that, it's probably also worth including my pros and cons from previous iterations of my review - again, just to get everything into one place.

Good

They are a hybrid tire, and perhaps a little more aggressive than the S/T Maxx.
Road noise isn't bad. I don't think these are any quieter than the S/T Maxx, but they aren't a lot louder, if they are louder at all.
The rubber compound seems "softer" and "more flexible." This means that they conform to variations in the road quite nicely and provide a nicer ride than the S/T Maxx at the same tire pressures (15-19psi).
They are less expensive than the S/T Maxx, with each tire costing around $265, or nearly $100 less.
They are a little taller (larger diameter) than the S/T Maxx. This doesn't matter all that much because the difference is probably less than one inch, but it's still nice.
The beginning tread depth is great - 19/32nds of an inch. Lots of traction with those deep lugs.
They look good. Again, not all that important.

Bad

They are heavy. Each tire weighs in at 61 lbs 13.5oz. I don't know exactly how much heavier the wheel+tire combo is than the S/T Maxx, but it is noticeable when handling the tires for rotations, loading onto the spare tire carrier, etc. This can't be good for gas mileage.
They are wider than the S/T Maxx. Even though they aren't that much wider (0.5"), this makes for more rubbing in the wheel well, and for more mud flinging (though I've not yet experienced these tires in mud).
After sitting overnight in cold weather and when aired down (usually to about 16psi), the Klevers tend to develop a flat spot on the tire. Rolling down the road in the morning is then a bump-bump-bump experience in the morning. Eventually, after rolling and warming up for a bit, the flat spots work themselves out, but they weren't something that I ever experienced with the S/T Maxx. Note: I've not experienced this since the first time I noticed it, but as temperatures drop through winter 25-26, I'll stay vigilant.