Lionhart is one of the newer tire companies, but don’t let that fool you into thinking they don’t know what they are doing. These LionClaw MTs are a very competent off-road tire that doesn’t sacrifice too much on-road comfort.
Quick Facts
- Type: Mud-Terrain LT
- Sizes: 16-20
- Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG): 320 A A
- Speed Rating: Q
- Warranty:
- Price: $$$$
What Sets It Apart
On the surface, the Lionhart LionClaw MTs are pretty standard mid-tier off-road tires. They will get you up the trail, hold their own when it snows, and bite into mud should the need arise. They aren’t the most aggressive tire you can buy, but they will make your Jeep look like it actually leaves the pavement, and sometimes that’s important.
More importantly, though, is that the LionClaw MTs aren’t going to cause you to go deaf and numb if you have to drive on the highway. Unlike a lot of more aggressive MTs, you can enjoy a drive through the city with these tires. That means they strike a good balance between an all-terrain that doesn’t quite have enough grip and a hardcore mud tire that will drive you insane if you need to spend time on the pavement.
Comfort and Performance
We mentioned it above, but for an MT tire, these LionClaws are a really good compromise between all-out comfort and all-out performance. They will grip most surfaces. You won’t have an issue with snow, mud, or wet pavement, and if you need to put it in four low and crawl over some rocks, you’ll be fine.
Just keep in mind that they are a bit of a compromise. You won’t get the same performance off the road that a set of Super Swampers or Mickey Thompsons will get you. What you will get, though, is some ok on-road performance too.
We really do mean ok, though, and not great. A cheap touring tire is more than good enough to keep you on the highway, and at least those will track straight and true. The soft, aggressive tread on the Lionhart’s is prone to wandering and will add a ton of rolling resistance. You can kiss that gas mileage goodbye. It’s not worse than any other MT; it just feels worse because you might actually want to take these MTs on the highway.
Safety and Durability
Often, when people talk about safety and tires, what they mean is that the tires will keep you on the road and bring you to a stop. The sheer amount of grip that the LionClaw MTs offer makes them safe. They will bring you to a stop. In fact, they are safer than some dedicated road tires because they’ll still bring you to a stop even if the road is covered in mud or other debris.
If it all sounds too good to be true, we have some bad news. There are always sacrifices that have to be made for amazing traction and comfort, and in the LionClaw’s case, that sacrifice is durability. If they lasted forever, you’d never have to think about buying anything else. As it stands, you can consider yourself lucky to reach 40k with these.
What makes that hurt even more is that there is only a very basic warranty on the tires. If there was a defect from the manufacturer, you might be able to get them replaced. That’s not much of a guarantee, and while we understand that MT tires are meant to be abused, there are companies like Kumho that will slap a 6-year workmanship with free replacement warranty on their MTs.
Who It’s For
The way we see it, there are two types of people that will really love these tires. The first group consists of people who do a lot of off-roading but still need to drive into town from time to time. Hunters, ranchers, fire-road enthusiasts, and really anyone that owns a truck or SUV that’s covered in mud more often than it’s not will be happy with these tires.
The other group of people are the ones who live in a place where the roads are terrible. These tires will grip anything, so the potholes and gravel won’t stop you from getting to work. Once you get onto the pavement, you’ll be thankful for the extra comfort the LionClaw MTs provide.
In short, just about anyone that wants to add a bit more terrain to their all-terrain tires will love the LionClaw MTs.
