- A short note here: As a former Bridgestone engineer, I strongly recommend checking Discount Tire - Treadwell out. Now, you can effortlessly get recommendations based on value, performance, and local favorites without going to the Discount Tire store.
TRIED & TRUSTED!
Nitto Exo Grappler and Ridge Grappler are Nitto’s rugged-terrain tires. While Nitto Exo Grappler stands as ‘Commercial All-Weather Tire’, Nitto Ridge Grappler is a rugged terrain that has fulfilling on-road manners. At first, it looks like they meet different kinds of customer needs. Yet, they intersect in some applications. Let’s see what’re these applications and which one is a better fit for you!
At a Glance
| Nitto Ridge Grappler | Nitto Exo Grappler | |
|---|---|---|
| Better for | Dry regions, mostly highway driving, SUVs, CUVs, and 1/2 ton trucks | Squishy and icy regions, hauling & towing, heavy-duty working trucks, 3/4 ton or above trucks full-size SUVs |
| Pros | Smooth and quiet ride, wet and dry traction | Insane wet and snow traction, mild & severe off-road traction, durability |
| Cons | Tread life is questionable for 3/4 ton or above working trucks | Can be noisy for daily driving |
| Available on | DiscountTire: Check Price TireRack: Check Price SimpleTire: Check Price | DiscountTire: Check Price SimpleTire: Check Price Amazon: Check Price |
As a former Bridgestone engineer, from my standpoint, Nitto Ridge Grappler is lighter, quieter, and offers a smoother ride. It offers decent wet performance. Moreover, due to lower rolling resistance, it consumes less fuel which is highly important in terms of current gas prices. However, it can only handle mild off-road conditions. Nitto Exo Grappler is a more durable tire. It has superior winter performance and a slightly better grip on wet. Furthermore, its tread lasts longer. I recommend it for 3/4 ton or above pickups and full-size SUVs.
All-Terrain Tires Cheat Sheet
Finding the most suitable one for you among thousands of tires is very difficult.
My team & I have analyzed 100 different tires and generated this ‘Quick Answer Sheet‘ for those who don’t wanna spend too much time during tire selection.
Before we start, here are the incredibly helpful articles I highly recommend to take a look at;
- How to keep tire noise down?
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-noise - What is the 3PMSF symbol?
https://tireterrain.com/what-is-3pmsf-symbol/ - Off-Road Tire Buyer’s Guide
https://tireterrain.com/off-road-tire-buyers-guide/ - Tire rating charts & reviews
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/rating-chart&reviews - Are all-terrain tires good for daily driving?
https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-good-for-daily-driving/ - Most aggressive all-terrain tires
https://tireterrain.com/most-aggressive-all-terrain-tires/
Below the table, you can find my favorite tires that I have classified according to your needs.
If you’re in a hurry, here are the tires worth every penny;
- Toyo Open Country AT3 – Best All-Round & Longevity
- Falken Wildpeak AT3W – Best All-Round & Squishy Regions
- BF Goodrich KO2 – Best All-Round & Off-Road Adventure
- Falken Wildpeak AT Trail – Best All-Round for CUV/SUV & Severe Off-Road
- Nitto Recon Grappler – Best All-Round for CUV/SUV & Smooth and Quiet Ride
- General Grabber ATX – Best All-Round for 3/4-ton or above trucks
- Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac – Best On/Off Road tire for 3/4-ton or above trucks
- Cooper Discoverer 4S XLT – Best Commercial All-Terrain Tire & Hauling and Towing
If you’re looking for something at a bargain price;
- Vredestein Pinza AT – Best All-Round for CUV/SUV & Smooth and Quiet Ride
- Kenda Klever A/T2 – Best All-Round for Medium & Light Duty Usage
- Kenda Klever R/T – Best All-Round for Heavy-Duty Usage
Depending on your needs, also the below articles might help;
- https://tireterrain.com/best-all-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-3-4-ton-truck-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-mud-terrain-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-rt-tires/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-tires-for-snow-plowing/
I highly recommend checking the below pages out before making any purchase:
- DiscountTire Deals:
https://www.discounttire.com/promotions - TireRack Deals:
https://www.tirerack.com/specialoffers - SimpleTire Deals:
https://simpletire.com/tire-deals
Table of Contents
Sizes
I generally start my articles with a dry traction section. Things are different this time. Nitto Exo Grappler has a limited product range. For this reason, I would like to share these sizes right now. If these sizes don’t match your vehicle, you might stop reading and enjoy the smooth ride of Nitto Ridge Grappler.
| 17” | 18” | 20” |
|---|---|---|
| LT235/80R17 | LT275/70R18 | LT275/65R20 |
| LT245/75R17 | LT285/70R18 | LT285/65R20 |
| LT265/70R17 | LT265/65R18 | LT275/60R20 |
| LT285/70R17 | LT275/65R18 | LT285/60R20 |
| 37X13.50R17LT | LT285/65R18 | LT325/60R20 |
| 35X12.50R17LT | 35X12.50R18 | LT275/55R20 |
| LT285/55R20 | ||
| LT295/55R20 | ||
| LT305/55R20 | ||
| 37X13.50R20LT | ||
| 35X12.50R20LT | ||
| 35X11.50R20LT |
| Nitto Ridge Grappler Load Range | |
|---|---|
| LT285/70R17 | E & SL |
| 37X13.50R17LT | E |
| 35X12.50R17LT | E |
| LT275/70R18 | E |
| LT285/70R18 | E |
| LT265/65R18 | E & XL |
| LT275/65R18 | E & XL |
| LT285/65R18 | E |
| 35X12.50R18 | F |
| LT275/65R20 | E |
| LT285/65R20 | E |
| LT275/60R20 | E & XL |
| LT285/60R20 | E |
| LT325/60R20 | E |
| LT275/55R20 | E & XL |
| LT285/55R20 | E |
| LT295/55R20 | E |
| LT305/55R20 | F & SL |
| 37X13.50R20LT | E |
| 35X12.50R20LT | F |
Most tire sizes begin with modifier letters(P, LT, etc.) that identify the type of vehicle or type of service for which they were designed. Here is a perfect guide for reading tire size –> https://tireterrain.com/how-to-read-tire-size/
Note: Nitto Exo Grappler AWT is only available for the E load range.
Technical Comparison
- Nitto Ridge Grappler is a lighter tire(around 0-5 lbs depends on size)
- Nitto Exo Grappler is a higher tire
- Nitto Exo Grappler AWT is a slightly broader tire
- Nitto Exo Grappler AWT has a deeper tread groove (2mm deeper on average)
- Nitto Exo Grappler AWT has groove teeth(increases grip on loose grounds)
- Nitto Exo Grappler AWT has beefier sidewalls
- Nitto Ridge Grappler AWT has stone ejectors
- Nitto Exo Grappler AWT has a 3-peak mountain snowflake marking
- Nitto Exo Grappler AWT has a stud option
Tread Appearance
Nitto Ridge Grappler and Exo Grappler have very similar tread appearances. They have some crucial differences that affect their performances.
Let’s start with the center section. Nitto Ridge Grappler has a border center section with a narrower void area. Well, these features improve its on-road manners significantly. However, Nitto Exo Grappler has smaller center lugs with a broader void area. Well, its off-road performance promises more.
Regarding the shoulder, things don’t change much. Nitto Exo Grappler has broader and vertically staggered shoulder lugs. These specific shoulder designs are generally used on mud-terrain tires. Due to its increased biting area, Nitto Exo Grappler has better loose ground performance. On the other hand, Nitto Ridge Grappler’s shoulders are a bit smoother. Yet, its shoulders are also staggered but horizontally. Thus, its loose ground performance is limited.
Lastly sidewalls. Nitto Exo Grappler has tougher and thicker sidewall biters that are reinforced with a 3-ply cord. Furthermore, they look way much aggressive than Nitto Ridge Grappler.
Dry Performance
Dry performance can be evaluated under 3 different dimensions. Dry traction, steering response, and cornering stability. Due to their high traction capability, all-terrain and mud-terrain tires don’t have an issue with dry traction. So, I will focus on steering response and cornering stability for this section.
Steering Response
Steering response is highly related to tires’ contact patch. So, tires with a bigger void area generally have a disadvantage. Well, in that case, Nitto Ridge Grappler is our winner. However, I will give Exo Grappler its due. Even though it has a super aggressive tread pattern, its solid and narrower center section blocks improve its steering response in a good way.
Nitto Ridge Grappler and Exo Grappler AWT are both have quick steering responses. Yet, Ridge Grappler is slightly better.
Cornering Stability
Cornering stability is related to internal structure and sidewalls.
These two have very similar internal structures. Furthermore, I’m making this comparison only for tires with an E load range. Well, their internal structure doesn’t have much to discuss. However, Nitto Exo Grappler steps ahead with its 3-ply sidewalls. Its sidewalls can tolerate horizontal force while cornering.
Nitto Exo Grappler has slightly better cornering stability. However, if Exo Grappler is a Superman, Ridge Grappler is a Batman. Both are very trustworthy options.
Wet Performance
Wet performance consists of 2 different features. Wet grip and hydroplaning resistance. Let’s examine them one by one.
Wet Grip
In that case, siping is crucial. These are off-road tires. These tires are somewhere between mud and all-terrain tires. Well, they have a lack of siping. Therefore, their wet grip abilities are limited.
Nitto Exo Grappler is has a better siping and relatively slicker compound. Hence, it has a better-wet grip.
Note: Nitto Ridge Grappler has a decent wet grip. Yet, I don’t recommend it for over 3/4 ton diesel pickups. It almost have no siping. Spinning is inevitable for heavy vehicles.
Hydroplaning Resistance
Hydroplaning resistance is crucial at high speeds. Even though, I don’t recommend using all-terrain and mud-terrain tires at high speeds, if you have to pick one go with Nitto Exo Grappler.
Nitto Exo Grappler has very well-defined circumferential grooves and widely open shoulders that impros its water evacuation ability. I’m not saying Nitto Ridge Grappler is bad. Yet, its center section grooves are too narrow. Sometimes water evacuation takes time with these grooves.
Nitto Exo Grappler has slightly better hydroplaning resistance.
Note: Hydroplaning is vital for a safe ride under the pouring rain. However, it might occur even with the best tire. Maybe you can’t prevent it but if you know what it is and how to deal with it, you can easily stay on the safe side.
Here is an extremely efficient guide about ‘How to Deal with Hydroplaning?‘ –> https://www.discounttire.com/learn/hydroplaning
Winter Performance
Winter performance is where these two are separating. AWT on Nitto Exo Grappler’s name means all-weather tire. So, it’s designed for massive winter performance. Furthermore, it’s labeled with 3PMSF which means it meets with industry severe-snow needs. Let’s dig into winter performance and see their performances for specific conditions.
Light-Snow Performance
Light-snow performance is similar to wet performance. It’s affected by the siping and self-cleaning ability.
Nitto Exo Grappler is a better tire for light snow. It has better siping. Moreover, it has at least a 10% softer compound due to its 3PMSF marking. Therefore, its grip ability is also superior.
Deep Snow
There is no competition for this section. Due to its toothed and deeper grooves, it has better loose ground traction and self-cleaning ability.
Nitto Exo Grappler is the only tire that pretends to the throne in this comparison.
Ice
You need a high contact patch and very well siping for decent ice performance. Well, both tires don’t meet these expectations. For this reason, I don’t recommend you to use them on freezing grounds. Yet, Nitto Exo Grappler will serve better with studs. Moreover, you should trust 3PMSF.
You can check this article out for a solid performance on ice!
Road Noise and Comfort
As I’ve mentioned earlier, Nitto Ridge Grappler is mainly built for good on-road manners. Well, it’s the superior tire for this section.
Due to its fewer center void area and more flexible structure, Nitto Ridge Grappler is a significantly less vocal and more cozy tire. Yet worth reminding, if comfort and road noise is your priority, you should go with XL or SL-rated tires. These tires have a better internal design for good on-road manners.
A side note here: Even though some tires tend to make noise because of their tread patterns, it’s still possible to keep your tire noise down.
I’m leaving a perfect explanation below from DiscountTire for those who need it;
How to Keep Tire Noise Down? –>
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-noise
Fuel-Efficiency
Nitto Exo Grappler is a heavier tire. Moreover, it has a winter compound with more sipes. Its rolling resistance is way much higher than Nitto Ridge Grappler.
If you don’t wanna hurt your MPG, go with Nitto Ridge Grappler.
Tread Life and Durability
Tread life is tricky. It changes depending on your operation, your driving style, or your vehicle. So, I will separate this comparison into some sections.
For SUVs, 1/2 ton pick-ups and mainly highway drivers, Nitto Ridge Grappler and Exo Grappler have equally great tread life. In that case, you should rotate them every 5,000 miles to get decent tread life. Though, lug-type patterns tend to wear unevenly. It will decrease your tread life significantly.
For heavy-duty applications and above 3/4 ton pickups(best tires), you should go with Nitto Exo Grappler. Nitto Ridge Grappler stays too fluffy for this application. It’s also damaged by hauling and towing. For this reason, Nitto Exo Grappler is your tire for these applications.
Note: While Nitto Exo Grappler has a winter compound, Nitto Ridge Grappler has a summer compound. That’s highly important for long-lasting rubber. If you use the right compound in the right climate your tread life will increase.
Regarding durability, there is no debate. Nitto Exo Grappler is a more durable tire due to its 3-ply sidewalls and tough heavy-duty compound selection. Ridge Grappler’s compound cut and chip is way much easier on off-road applications.
Getting maximum wear life from a tire is related to you as well as your tire,
If you’d like to learn how to get maximum tread life:
Off-Road Performance
Depending on the surface, these tires perform differently. So, I will evaluate them one by one.
Dirt and Gravel
Mild off-road conditions made of dirt and gravel. So, most of you only face these conditions. Well, no worries both are great tires for mild off-road conditions.
Due to their lug-type patterns, both have a unique grip on dirt. In fact, Exo Grappler has fewer contact patches. Yet, it compensates for better siping. Let’s say draw for this time.
My favorite is Ridge Grappler regarding gravel. I’m pretty sure that their traction capabilities are soo close. Yet, stone ejectors are a huge plus for consistent gravel traction. Nitto Ridge Grappler is a slightly better tire for gravel.
Sand
If you face dry sand so often, you should stay away from Exo Grappler. Less aggressive design always works better on the sand. Nitto Ridge Grappler is perfect tire for sand.
Mud
Mud driving is important for adventure lovers. In that case, water evacuation, self-cleaning abilities are crucial.
They are close-rated due to self cleaning and water evacuation. Yet, Nitto Exo Grappler is a heavy-duty tire. It has decent performance on occasional mud. Yet, deep adventure mud isn’t its expertise. Its compound is too stiff to not dig into muddy grounds. Nitto Ridge Grappler is your tire if you’re mud adventure lover!
Rock Crawling
In fact, both are not good tires for rock crawling. Yet, I would go with Nitto Ridge Grappler every day of the week.
Due to its stiff and thick sidewalls, Nitto Exo Grappler AWT is tend to crack on air down driving.
Warranty
These products aren’t covered by the manufacturer’s tread life warranty.
Specs
| Nitto Exo Grappler | Nitto Ridge Grappler | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Hybrid All-Terrain Tire | Hybrid All-Terrain Tire |
| Vehicle | Light Truck, SUV | Light Truck, SUV |
| Available Sizes (Rim) | 17”, 18”, 20” | 16”, 17”, 18”, 20”, 22”, 24” |
| Weight | 40 – 81 lbs | 40 – 95 lbs |
| Made In | White, GA, USA | White, GA, USA |
| Severe Snow Rated (3PMSF) | No | Yes |
| Warranty (P-metric) | N/A | N/A |
| Warranty (LT Sizes) | N/A | N/A |
| Prices | Check price section to see best possible prices | Check price section to see best possible prices |
Price
The tire market has a dynamic price policy. Hence, in my point of view, sharing tire price is pointless.
Though, I’ve analyzed the top 10 brands of most popular tire brands.
Here are the dealers with a reasonable price range,
DiscountTire
- Biggest dealer in the US. Founded in 1960
- 1000 stores in 35 states. You most probably find one on your parallel street
- Free rotation and balancing
- 5% off for DiscountTire cardholders on online purchase
- Highest rated online tire dealer in Consumer Affairs
- Almost all brands are available
- Delivery takes 2-4 days (30% shorter average waiting time when you book online)
- Frequent discounts and promotions
Nitto Exo Grappler AWT: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/nitto-exo-grappler-awt
Nitto Ridge Grappler: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/nitto-ridge-grappler
SimpleTire
- Free shipping
- Delivered in 2 days
- Verified shops near you(for mount and balance)
- Mobile installation option
- 7 million customers since 2021
- 4.7/5 points on Google rate
- Top-notch customer service, you may even request a price match
Nitto Exo Grappler AWT: https://simpletire.com/brands/nitto-tires/exo-grappler-awt
Nitto Ridge Grappler: https://simpletire.com/brands/nitto-tires/ridge-grappler
PriorityTire
- Local installer and mobile installer options
- Huge product range(you may find any tire you want)
- 4.8 overall satisfaction rate
- Always have a good deal to find
- 90 days money-back guarantee
- Free FedEx shipping
Nitto Exo Grappler AWT: https://www.prioritytire.com/by-brand/nitto/exo-grappler-awt-tires/
Nitto Ridge Grappler: https://www.prioritytire.com/by-brand/nitto/ridge-grappler-tires/
While choosing dealers, I especially pay attention to reliability. All of the dealers on this list have 15-20 years of experience in the online tire business. Therefore, I can guarantee a smooth and fast tire buying process.
Conclusion
Nitto Ridge and Exo Grappler are both great tires for their use range. The below table will help you to decide the best one for yourself.
| Nitto Ridge Grappler | Nitto Exo Grappler | |
|---|---|---|
| Better for | Dry regions, mostly highway driving, SUVs, CUVs, and 1/2 ton trucks | Squishy and icy regions, hauling & towing, heavy-duty working trucks, 3/4 ton or above trucks full-size SUVs |
| Pros | Smooth and quiet ride, wet and dry traction | Insane wet and snow traction, mild & severe off-road traction, durability |
| Cons | Tread life is questionable for 3/4 ton or above working trucks | Can be noisy for daily driving |
| Available on | DiscountTire: Check Price TireRack: Check Price SimpleTire: Check Price | DiscountTire: Check Price SimpleTire: Check Price Amazon: Check Price |
Take-Home Points,
- LT sizes have stronger sidewalls. That feature makes them more durable. Yet, these tires offer a rougher ride. (LT vs P-Metric tires)
- XL sizes tend to carry more load and offer better handling. Hence, if you’ll go with p-metric sizes, they might be a better pick for hauling and towing( XL vs SL tires)
- Please pay attention to the load range and speed index. These metrics are essential if you expect decent tread life
- There isn’t a bad tire in the market right now, you should just know what to expect from tires
A side note here: If you’d like to get local advice and find the best fit for your driving habits, location, and road conditions DiscountTire – Treadwell Tire Guide can give you masterpiece recommendations.
If you have any further questions, please leave them in the below section. Have a safe ride folks!
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