Pros
- Supremely quiet and comfortable for an off-road tire
- Excellent traction in off-road conditions
- Very good handling on dry pavement
- Usable on loose snow
Cons
- Wet traction is limited
The biggest drawback of owning an SUV or truck with a set of aggressive off-road tires is worsened comfort. These tires are so noisy that driving on the highway can become tiring even after 15 minutes, and they’re also not the luckiest choice for driving on bumpy roads. Luckily, in the past decade, tire manufacturers paid more attention to making these tires quieter and more comfortable.
The Toyo Open Country R/T is a great example of that – it provides smooth and silent driving experience on the street, which makes it a great choice for people that want a set of capable off-road tires, but still don’t want to give up everyday drivability. But, how does the Toyo compare to other rugged off-road tires in the wilderness? Find out in this detailed Toyo Open Country R/T review.
However, to understand why the R/T exists in Toyo’s lineup, we first need to clear some things out. Today, SUV and truck tires are mostly divided into three categories. Highway tires are made specifically for driving on the street, all-terrain tires are designed to offer a comfortable ride on the street and advanced traction in off-road conditions, while mud-terrain tires are designed to offer the best possible off-road traction.
The Open Country R/T is a rugged off-road tire. According to Toyo, it sits between their Open Country A/T II all-terrain tire and Open Country M/T mud-terrain tire. In other words, it should still offer a quiet and comfortable experience on the road with much better traction on mud-terrain surfaces, as well as rocky surfaces and sand. A more purposeful all-terrain tire if you want it that way. The tire is available in many sizes ranging from 15-22 inches, so every single SUV and truck owner is covered. Models that are best-suited to these tires are the following: Ford pickups (F-150 and Ranger), Ford Bronco, Toyota 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Tacoma, Tundra and FJ Cruiser, Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, Hummer H3, Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram, Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover, etc.
This also puts the Toyo Open Country R/T in a category for itself – not a lot of competitors offer the same qualities. Let’s see how Toyo achieved all of this in the Tire Overview section, and then we will have a look at how it performs on different surfaces.
Toyo Open Country R/T Tire Overview
The Open Country R/T is as rugged as its name suggests – it has high turn-up 3-ply polyester construction. Thanks to this, it has exceptional strength and durability, but also more responsive handling on the road. The tread contains open, scalloped shoulder blocks, like most mud-terrain tires. These help the Toyo dig into and spit out mud, sand, and snow for incredible off-road traction. Nevertheless, the tread pattern is optimized for lower noise and more comfortable ride, which is something that you don’t often see in tires as aggressive as this one.
Continuing with the rugged aesthetic, the Toyo has aggressive sidewall design with a different look on each side so the driver can choose which side to display. The sidewalls aren’t for looks only – the durable sidewall compound prevents damage and further improves traction in mud. The stone and mud ejectors additionally help the Toyo remain unscathed, even when the owner uses them in the most demanding off-road conditions. The 45,000-mile treadwear warranty is only a testament to how durable the Open Country R/T is – most competitors have shorter warranties.
Toyo Open Country R/T Detailed Review
Treadwear and Durability
The Toyo Open Country R/T is as tough as it gets. Even the most extreme conditions, like rocky surfaces, will do little to no damage to the Toyo. The sidewalls can also withstand a lot of weight, which means that you can also use these tires for hauling or towing. In the end, the warranty is one of the best in the category, despite the lower price than most premium competitors.
Dry Traction and Grip
Even though quietness and comfort were the focus of Toyo’s engineers, the Open Country R/T shows also excellent handling prowess on the road. I was surprised by how the tire responded to turning the steering wheel. Traction is also very good, even on more powerful trucks, while the grip is as good as it gets in this category. Overall, I was very pleased with the handling abilities of the Open Country R/T and would recommend it even for a daily driver.
Wet Traction
This is the only category where the Toyo isn’t at its best. While it is completely safe to drive with a set of these tires in heavy rain, they still don’t offer as much traction as highway tires or some all-terrain tires. Your truck or SUV might move from side to side under heavy cornering so be gentle. Braking is also somewhat limited in the rain, especially when compared to highway tires.
Snow Traction and Braking Performance
Like most mud-terrain tires, the Open Country R/T can easily lug into loose snow, but it completely loses traction on hard-packed snow and ice. This means that it is completely usable for driving on snow for fun (out of the road), but it may suffer on the street. Still, I’ve seen much worse all-terrain tires and mud-terrain tires in the snow.
Off-road performance
Overall, the Open Country R/T is not the best off-road tire on the market – the BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 takes that spot. However, the Toyo wasn’t designed to be the best here and, in all honesty, it is more than good enough for the average off-road enthusiast. It provides high levels of traction on every type of surface you encounter. For example, you can easily get away from deep mud, and also easily crawl over large rocks. The Toyo is even good in sand, which is not something you can say for most mud-terrain tires. And while we’re comparing, the Open Country R/T is much, much better than all-terrain tires in off-road conditions.
Comfort & Noise
The little traction you lose when compared to mud-terrain tires pays its dividends in this category. Sure, highway tires will offer an even quieter ride, but these Toyo’s are as quiet as it gets in this category. I had no problem driving 70mph for hours with a set of these tires, and I don’t remember the last time doing that with its competitors. The ride quality is also very good, and I don’t have complaints there either.
Toyo Open Country R/T Review: Final thoughts
Toyo made the impossible with the Open Country R/T. They designed a tire that offers as much off-road traction as the average off-road enthusiast needs, yet still a tire that is completely usable on the street, especially when it comes to comfort and quietness. I highly recommend the Open Country R/T for anyone that wants a usable set of tires both on the highway and in the wasteland.