Radar Renegade R5 M/T Review

A mud-terrain tire designed for extreme off-road capability, the Renegade R5 M/T from Radar Tires boasts serious off-road racing credibility, though the tire-tech itself is a little dated.

PROS

  • Durable 3-ply construction
  • hooked shaped tread blocks really dig in
  • Good deals can be had

CONS

  • Tire tech a bit dated
  • Less capable than the R7
  • Limited sizes
  • sub-par warranty


Radar isn’t a household name so the brand set out to give legit off-road buyers confidence in the best way it could: by competing in the gruelling Baja races. And the results speak for themselves. Trucks show with Radars tires have not just competed but won prestigious races like the Baja 1000 and Baja 500 in 2013 to 2017.

Lessons learned helped Radar prove the R5 is a more than capable offering, while also using the experience as a real-world test facility to develop its next-generation tire: the Renegade R7 M/T.

The tire’s design gets most of the credit when it comes to off-road grip. Huge tread blocks help dig in to loose earth, sand, mud and gravel. At the outside of each tire, the scalloped tread blocks help scoop up the earth and toss it away thanks to massive areas of void that are excellent and staying clean.

The two interior rows of tread blocks have unique hooks to help dig in no matter the surface.

While designed for off-road use, the pattern does give some thought to on-road dynamics, allowing for solid contact with the paved road, and limiting the ponderous feeling that mud-terrain tires often have.

A sidewall design does more than just look aggressive (and frankly it’s more than we expect on a more budget-focused tire like this), it actually helps the tire claw through loose earth when it’s deep in it. On a purely aesthetic note, we do like the styling of this design in unison with the raised lettering on the tire.

Unfortunately not a lot of thought was given to sound deadening and these are below average when it comes to tire noise.

If there are other drawbacks to this tire, they include limited sizes, as well as the fact that with the newer R7 now on the market, it doesn’t have as many features (like the stone ejector technology) as it could.

Still, this is an impressive budget tire and with the new R7 around, if you’re willing to sacrifice some performance, you can likely pick up a set for a real bargain.

Radar Renegade R5 M/T Price

Pricing for the Radar Renegade R5 M/T tire ranges from $160 to roughly $210 though it can fluctuate quite a bit beyond that depending on the sizes available. (The R5 has been replaced by the R7, so you’re more likely to find your size in the R7. However, you’re also more likely to find a good deal on a set of R5s).

Radar Renegade R5 M/T Warranty

Radar’s standard warranty covers against defects in materials/workmanship for the first 12 months of first 2/32-inch of treadwear. It’s not a great warranty.

The Renegade R5 M/T doesn’t come with a milage guarantee or a road hazard warranty. (A previous version of this article claimed that it did. That was in error).

Radar Renegade R5 M/T Sizes

15-inch sizes
31X10.50R15LT
32X11.50R15LT 113Q C

16-inch sizes
LT235/85R16
LT245/75R16
LT265/75R16
LT285/75R16

17-inch sizes
LT265/70R17