Maxxis Zilla Tires – Everything You Need To Know

Your tires are your UTV’s or ATV’s interface with the ground, controlling its ability to accelerate, brake, and turn. Selecting the right tires is essential, but with so many choices on the market, it can be hard to know what will work for you, and what won’t. Enter our “Everything You Need To Know” tire series, which aims to equip you with as much information as you need to make a wholly informed purchase. In this article, we’ll look at the Maxxis Zilla, going over its features, sizing options, comparable alternatives, and reviews from real users.

Maxxis Zilla Features

The Maxxis Zilla was designed specifically for ATVs, with 6-ply construction resulting in a durable, lightweight tire. Rotating mass being a major component in acceleration and braking, the Maxxis Zilla’s lightweight construction helps optimize both. Its aggressive tread is designed to find traction even in extreme mud, while still providing a relatively smooth ride on the trail, with predictable high-speed performance.

Mud is where the ‘Zilla is most at-home, but it’s not averse to snow-covered trails, either. That said, the ‘Zilla is really a specialized tire, not a general-purpose all-rounder, making it an ideal tool for soft terrain, but only adequate on the firmer stuff. That said, its bias-ply construction makes it a somewhat pliable tire, meaning it can safely be aired-down if need be, without an outsize risk of puncture.

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Maxxis Zilla Sizes

The Maxxis Zilla can be purchased in a wide array of different sizes, suitable for wheels measuring from 9 to 14 inches in diameter, with a range of 22 to 28 inches in overall height. See the chart below for detailed information about available sizes.

Maxxis Zilla Weight

True to its mission, thanks to its 6-ply construction, the Maxxis Zilla is a lightweight ATV tire. A 25.2×9.4×12 ‘Zilla rear tire, for example, weighs just 17.9 to 20.5 pounds, depending on whether you opt for the shallower 24/32” tread or the deeper 38/32” tread. At the top end of the size range, a big 30x11x14 ‘Zilla tips the scales at 31.85 pounds – nearly two pounds lighter than an 8-ply 30x10x14 Maxxis Carnivore, despite having an extra inch of section width.

Here’s a sample of Maxxis Zilla tire sizes and their respective weights in pounds.

• AT22x10-9 (rear) – 15.45 pounds
• AT25x11-10 (rear) – 19.65 pounds
• AT24x10-11 (rear) – 16.5 pounds
• AT25x10-12 (24/32” tread, rear) – 17.9 pounds
• AT25x10-12 (38/32” tread, rear) – 20.5 pounds
• AT28x10-12 (38/32” tread, front) – 25.6 pounds
• AT30x11-14 (38/32” tread, rear) – 31.85 pounds
• AT28x9-14 (38/32” tread, front) – 22.6 pounds

Alternatives

There are a number of comparable alternatives on the market, if the Maxxis Zilla isn’t quite what you’re looking for. The ITP Mega Mayhem Mud-Terrain ATV tire, for example, has a similar design and 6-ply construction, but an “ultra-deep” 1.5-inch tread depth for tackling even muddier trails, with a range of sizes covering 12” and 14” diameter wheels. That said, the ITP Mega Mayhem is substantially heavier than the ‘Zilla; a 28x9x14 front tire weighing in at 30.7 pounds to the Zilla’s 22.6 pounds.

Another option is the SunF Warrior AT Mud & Trail ATV/UTV tire, which again covers wheels measuring 12” or 14” in diameter. It, too, is a 6-ply tire with bias-ply construction, and a 38/32” tread depth for trudging through thick mud. The SunF Warrior’s composition and large void areas make it adept at self-cleaning, and it boasts a durable, extended-wear rubber compound that ought to deliver thousands of miles of riding enjoyment. Like the ITP Mega Mayhem, however, the SunF Warrior can’t touch the Maxxis ‘Zilla’s low weight.

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User Reviews

Of course, a tire is only worth its weight in salt if it can actually perform, so we’ve taken a good, in-depth look at what real-life users have to say about the Maxxis Zilla.

The most common theme: reviewers rave about the ability of the ‘Zilla to find traction in the sort of deep, thick mud they were designed for. Owners reported a night-and-day difference between these tires and their factory ATV rubber in soft, wet conditions, with one owner even saying their ATV “can’t be stopped” in the mud.

Comments on the Maxxis Zilla’s ability to handle hard-packed trails were scarce, although at least one owner said it’s a “well-mannered” tire on such terrain. Another, who says they’ve put some 3,500 miles on the tires, claimed they perform well even on rocks and pavement. And of course, reviewers were enthusiastic about the tire’s light weight, which makes it a standout in the mud-terrain class.

If there is one common complaint about the Maxxis Zilla, it’s that the sizing appears to run small; one reviewer noted that his 26” tires actually measure 25” tall. But that small sizing also appears to extend to the tire’s width, with some owners reporting a slightly narrower section width than advertised.

Ultimately, though, the Maxxis Zilla has amassed far more fans than detractors, consistently earning top marks and effusive praise from real-life buyers.

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