The Toyo Open Country M/T tire belongs to the Mud-Terrain family, made specifically for off-road enthusiasts while the Nitto ridge grappler has a hybrid nature and possesses qualities of both All-terrain and Mud-terrain tires. When we compare the Nitto Ridge Grappler with the Toyo M/T, we can easily distinguish them through their prominent features. Toyo has wider groove pattern to give excellent performance in deep mud terrains.
Grappler, of the Nitto Family, on the other hand, is built to maintain a balanced tread design that provides an overall satisfactory performance in all conditions. Its innovative hybrid tread pattern allows you to experience an efficient off-road adventure and a smooth on-road drive. Here are some interesting facts about the traction and performance of these tires that will help you decide which tire suits you the most according to your need.
Table of Contents
Comparing Toyo M/T with Nitto Ridge Grappler
Nitto Ridge Grappler
Toyo M/T
Vs
The innovative Hybrid tread design of the Ridge grappler makes it a good fit for all type of roads. The narrow-spaced tread pattern of Nitto provides the right balance of traction on highways to give a quiet, comfortable, and smooth ride. It has more contact patch which improves the stability and handling of the vehicle while going at high speeds.
The relatively lower void ratio increases grip with the surface in dry conditions. The symmetric shoulder pattern and dynamic lug blocks assist in lateral stability and its uniform tread design gives a smooth ride on paved roads.
Toyo M/T performs better in off-road conditions. The widely spaced tread pattern provides better mobility and traction in muddy swamps and snowy surfaces.
Its aggressive sidewall design enhances durability and provides side-impact protection. The wide grooves assist in the efficient cleaning of tires by throwing chunks of mud out of their way. The bold stone ejectors in the tread pattern block any stone from getting stuck between the grooves. The open scalloped shoulder design allows tire to provide maximum traction in rough surfaces.
On-Road Traction Comparison
The hybrid tread pattern design of Nitto makes it perform well in almost all terrains. It provides an overall balanced performance in smooth as well as rough conditions. The narrow spaced Lateral Z grooves are placed in zig zag pattern to increase the contact patch and provide additional traction. The efficiently designed sipes pattern assists in wet areas to wipe away water from the blocks and prevent the tire from skidding.
Toyo M/T has a bold shoulder design giving it an aggressive look. It comes with wider grooves, thus decreasing the contact patch, this reduces the rolling resistance and makes it not the perfect fit for the on-road drive. It is built specifically for rough surfaces and is not the best option for highways and straight roads where more speed is required. Due to the high void ratio, it gives less traction thus, increasing the braking distance and compromising stability at high speeds.
The wide spacing between the grooves puts Toyo at a disadvantage when it comes to driving on highways. Nitto having more contact patch due to narrower grooves provides better stability, grip, and handling on paved roads.
Comparing Off-Road Traction
Mud terrains
The blocks of Nitto are densely packed which decreases its efficiency in deep mud swamps as the narrow grooves get filled up with mud and dirt which makes the tire struggle to roll forward. The deep narrow grooves also compromise the handling in muddy areas as the tire loses its grip when filled with mud and dirt and loses its grip with the surface.
The Toyo M/T rules in the off-road areas as its performance is quite impressive. It has large tread blocks with wider grooves which allows it to move forward without much struggle on muddy roads. The wider groove channels throw chunks of mud by throwing it backwards and clear the path of the tire to move forward smoothly. The high void ratio helps the tire to maintain traction and stability in off-road conditions and continue its forward motion. The open shoulder blocks feature a widely spaced scalloped design that gives it better handling while turning.
The wider grooves of Toyo M/T give it an advantage in providing better traction in mud as compared to its competitor.
Snow Terrains
The tire with wider grooves will perform better in snowy areas as they assist in throwing the soft snow backward and prevents the tire from skidding. The hybrid tread design of Nitto has densely packed groove channels with relatively less spacing between tread blocks which could be filled up by snow which makes the tire slippery and may cause it to lose its grip.
The Toyo gives a satisfactory performance in snowy areas as the wider grooves efficiently help in scooping away more soft snow from tread blocks. More spacing in the tread design helps in clearing the snow out of the way, hence maintaining the mobility of the vehicle.
Toyo having wider grooves takes an edge over its competitor in soft snow terrains as well. The wide spacing in between tread blocks makes the removal of snow convenient.
Rocky terrains
Nitto with an innovative hybrid tread pattern design provides adequate performance on rocky terrains too. The narrow grooves do their work by maintaining the traction with the surface but one thing to notice is that rocky terrains contain plenty of small rocks which could get stuck between the deep tread pattern, causing stone drills and damage of the tire. Nitto has stone ejection feature but it is not efficient enough to get rid of all the stones and pebbles, getting stuck in the densely packed groove channels.
Toyo, having wider groove pattern does not struggle while propagating through rocky terrains. The open shoulder blocks give it a splendid traction performance on rough surfaces. The stone ejection feature in Toyo is quite effective in self-cleaning of the tire. The bold stone ejectors in the tread pattern prevent any stone to get stuck in the grooves or damage it. The wide shoulder blocks also assist in maintaining the traction and forward movement of tires on rough surfaces.
The wide groove channels and presence of bold stone ejectors make Toyo a splendid choice for rocky areas. Its stone ejection feature is quite satisfactory and gives better performance than Nitto.
Comparing Driving Comfort
One concern with M/T tires is that they are a bit noisy due to their aggressive tread pattern. Ridge grappler, being a hybrid of both types of tires, gives a satisfactory performance when it comes to having a smooth ride, particularly at higher speeds and on highways. It comes with 3D simulation and advanced sound analysis technology to provide more comfortable and peaceful ride. The narrow spacing between the grooves gives it an advantage when it comes to comfort as less air gets entrapped inside them thus, making the tire virtually inaudible. One thing to keep in mind is that more contact patch means more treadwear and as the tire wear sets in, it makes it louder.
Toyo has an aggressive and widely spaced tread pattern to give sufficient performance in rough areas which compromises comfort a little bit while going at high speeds. The high voids in the tread pattern make the tire louder as the air gets trapped in the voids and starts to strike the walls rapidly which compromises its comfort.
Durability and Treadwear
Nitto has more contact patch which reduces its tread life and mileage as more surface area in contact with the road leads to more treadwear. Besides that, it comes with a 3-Ply sidewall and a thick rubber tread giving it an additional layer to prevent punctures. The shoulder lugs wrap down the sidewall, which helps in providing additional protection without sacrificing stability. The mileage of these tires is not that good and can provide between 20,000 and 30,000 miles.
Toyo has a thick rubber compound layering to withstand off-road conditions. The efficient stone and mud ejectors aid in self-cleaning prevent the tire from damage and stone drills. It comes with a three-ply polyester casing which promotes puncture resistance. The rugged sidewall design extending over the shoulders helps in preventing cuts and scrapes in off-road surfaces. The mileage of Toyo M/T is quite good which is between 50,000 to 60,000 miles which is quite better than its competitor.
Price Comparison
The price of Toyo M/T is a bit high than Nitto. The users can select the tire of choice according to their requirements and applications. The slightly high price of the Toyo can be justified by its exceptional off-road performance and better mileage.
Quick Summary
- Toyo is an M/T tire built specifically for Off-road adventures while Nitto can be classified as a hybrid of both A/T and M/T tires to give an overall adequate performance.
- The high void ratio and wider grooves of Toyo provide impressive performance in mud and snowy areas.
- Nitto provides better traction and stability on road
- Toyo is a bit high priced than Nitto, but it provides better mileage and durability
