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Home » Comparisons & Reviews » Toyo Open Country MT vs Nitto Trail Grappler MT

Toyo Open Country MT vs Nitto Trail Grappler MT

Updated: April 18, 2025 by Emrecan Gurkan Leave a Comment

Toyo Open Country M/T and Nitto Trail Grappler are mud-terrain tires that are built in the same factory. Even though they’re built for off-roading, people prefer to use them due to their aggressive appearances. In this article, I’ll classify their usage depending on the different customer expectations. Let’s move on!

Compare to Toyo, Nitto tires are generally less durable and more smooth tires
Nitto Trail Grappler MTToyo Open County M/T
Better forSmooth and quiet ride for a mud-terrain tire,
if you spend time on the highway
Beach driving and hunting
ProsLong-lasting rubber,
satisfying wet traction,
great winter traction
Long-lasting rubber,
wet and snow traction,
quick steering response,
fuel efficiency
ConsNoisy and stiff rideNoisy and stiff ride

As a former Bridgestone engineer, from my standpoint, both are trustworthy options for off-road. The difference between these two is the vest pocket. Nitto Trail Grappler MT has better off-road manners and winter capability. Moreover, it overcomes Toyo MT due to tread life. Although, Toyo Open Country MT has a more aggressive look and slightly wet grip.

Nobody Knows Better Than Data

As a former Bridgestone test engineer, I’ve tested hundreds of tires—and trust me, data never lies. Discount Tire Treadwell is a goldmine. Just enter your location and vehicle—boom, it shows you the best picks! You can even prioritize what matters most (comfort, durability, winter traction—you name it).

Want a full walkthrough? Check out my simple guide here—I explain how to use Treadwell to match your exact needs.

All-Terrain Tires Cheat Sheet

Finding the ideal all-terrain tire among the plethora of options available can be overwhelming. But don’t worry, my team and I have taken on this challenge head-on. Besides our hands-on experiences with these tires, we also analyze thousands of customer reviews and test reports. 

Please note that: Light-Duty is 1500 series, Medium-Duty is 2500 series and Heavy-Duty is 3500 series. If you do towing or hauling, I recommend considering at least Medium-Duty tires.

Mobile users can scroll the table to the left to see the whole data.

All-Terrain Tires Cheat Sheet
NameCategoryArticles3PMSFRoad NoiseMileageFuel EconomyRiding ComfortResponsivenessWet PerformanceMild WinterSevere WinterMild Off-RoadSevere Off-RoadBest Fit by Pickup Truck ClassificationWarranty (SL or XL)Warranty (LT)Product Page

Falken Wildpeak AT3W

Off Road All Terrain TireReviewYesDecentDecentPoorDecentDecentDecentElegantElegantDecentAverageLight-Duty55,000 Miles55,000 MilesWildpeak AT3W
Toyo Open Country AT3Off Road All Terrain TireReviewYesAverageElegantDecentDecentDecentDecentElegantDecentElegantDecentMedium-Duty65,000 Miles50,000 MilesToyo Open Country AT3
General Grabber ATXOff Road All Terrain TireReviewYesAverageDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentElegantElegantHeavy-Duty60,000 Miles50,000 MilesGeneral Grabber ATX
BF Goodrich KO2Off Road All Terrain TireReviewYesDecentDecentDecentDecentElegantDecentDecentDecentElegantElegantHeavy-DutyN/A50,000 MilesBF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2
Sumitomo Encounter ATOff Road All Terrain TireReviewYesDecentDecentAverageDecentDecentDecentElegantAverageDecentAverageLight-Duty60,000 Miles60,000 MilesSumitomo Encounter AT
Firestone Destination XTOff Road All Terrain TireReviewYesAverageDecentElegantDecentElegantDecentDecentAverageDecentDecentHeavy-DutyN/A50,000 MilesFirestone Destination X/T
Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLTOn Road All Terrain TireReviewNoDecentDecentDecentDecentElegantDecentDecentAverageElegantAverageHeavy-DutyN/A60,000 MilesCooper Discoverer AT3 XLT
Falken Wildpeak AT TrailOn Road All Terrain TireReviewYesDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentElegantDecentDecentElegantAverageLight-Duty65,000 MilesN/AFalken Wildpeak AT Trail
Cooper Discoverer AT3 4SOn Road All Terrain TireReviewYesElegantDecentElegantElegantElegantElegantElegantDecentDecentFairy WellLight-Duty65,000 MilesN/ACooper Discoverer AT3 4S
Firestone Destination AT2On Road All Terrain TireReviewYesDecentElegantElegantElegantElegantDecentElegantAverageDecentAverageLight-Duty55,000 MilesN/AFirestone Destination AT2

BF Goodrich Trail Terrain T/A

On Road All Terrain TireReviewYesElegantElegantDecentElegantElegantDecentDecentAverageDecentAverageLight-Duty60,000N/ABF Goodrich Trail Terrain T/A
Toyo Open Country R/T TrailRugged Terrain TireReviewYesDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentElegantDecentHeavy-Duty45,000 Miles45,000 MilesToyo Open Country R/T Trail
Falken Wildpeak R/TRugged Terrain TireReviewNoDecentDecentAverageAverageDecentDecentDecentDecentElegantDecentHeavy-Duty50,000 Miles50,000 MilesFalken Wildpeak R/T
Pathfinder AT TireOn Road All Terrain TireReviewYesAverageAverageDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentAverageDecentAverageLight-Duty55,00050,000Discount Tire Exclusive Product
Nitto Ridge GrapplerRugged Terrain TireReviewNoDecentDecentDecentElegantDecentDecentDecentDecentElegantDecentHeavy-DutyN/AN/ANitto Ridge Grappler
General Grabber APTOn Road All Terrain TireReviewYesDecentDecentAverageDecentDecentDecentDecentAverageDecentFairy WellMedium-Duty60,000 Miles60,000 MilesGeneral Grabber APT
Vredestein Pinza ATOn Road All Terrain TireReviewYesElegantDecentDecentElegantDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentAverageMedium-Duty70,000 Miles50,000 MilesVredestein Pinza AT
Nitto Recon GrapplerOff Road All Terrain TireReviewNoDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentAverageElegantDecentMedium-Duty65,000 Miles55,000 MilesNitto Recon Grappler
Michelin Defender LTX M/SHighway TireReviewNoElegantElegantElegantDecentElegantDecentDecentFairy WellDecentFairy WellHeavy-Duty55,000 – 70,000 Miles55,000 – 70,000 MilesMichelin Defender LTX M/S
Kenda Klever R/TRugged Terrain TireReviewNoAverageDecentAverageDecentDecentDecentDecentFairy WellDecentDecentHeavy-DutyN/AN/AKenda Klever R/T
Goodyear Wrangler Territory ATOn Road All Terrain TireReviewNoDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentAverageElegantDecentMedium-DutyN/AN/AGoodyear Wrangler Territory AT
Goodyear Wrangler UltraTerrain ATOff Road All Terrain TireReviewYesDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentAverageDecentFairy WellMedium-DutyN/AN/ADiscount Tire Exclusive Product
Continental Terrain Contact H/THighway TireReviewNoElegantElegantElegantElegantElegantDecentAveragePoorDecentPoorHeavy-Duty70,000 Miles60,000 MilesContinental TerrainContact H/T
Patriot R/TRugged Terrain TireReviewYesAverageAverageAverageDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentDecentMedium-DutyN/AN/APatriot R/T+
Kenda Klever AT2Off Road All Terrain TireReviewYesDecentAverageAverageDecentDecentDecentDecentAverageDecentAverageMedium-Duty60,000 Miles50,000 MilesKenda Klever AT2
Yokohama Geolander AT G015On Road All Terrain TireReviewYesElegantDecentAverageElegantElegantDecentDecentAverageAveragePoorLight-Duty60,000 Miles50,000 MilesYokohama Geolandar AT G015
Mickey Thompson Baja Boss ATRugged Terrain TireReviewYes (315 or narrower width)DecentDecentAverageDecentElegantDecentDecentDecentElegantDecentMedium-Duty50,000 Miles60,000 MilesMickey Thompson Baja Boss AT

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

Durability

Mud-terrain tires are built to perform under the hardest conditions. Therefore, durability is the manufacturer’s priority.

Toyo Open Country MT has high turn-up 3-ply polyester sidewall construction. This feature increases impact resistance significantly. That’s the good part of Open Country MT. The bad side of it is weak compound. Soft compound tear-up and worn so easily. This tire is good for relatively small(Jeep, Rubicon) SUVs or light trucks. 

On the flipside, Nitto Trail Grappler has 3-ply sidewall construction too. In a word, you don’t have to be afraid of punctures. Trail Grappler’s compound is stiffer than Open Country MT’s. Yet, if you don’t follow the rotation time up, you might not get more than 30,000 miles with these dudes.

Tread Life

I’ve explained most of the things above. Let’s get them over.

Nitto Trail Grappler has a more durable compound than Open Country MT. Well, it has a relatively better tread life. In that case, I would like to separate their tread life due to application.

First of all, although these tires are mud-terrain, I don’t recommend you to use them on heavy-duty loaded applications unless you don’t care about tread life.

For unloaded heavy-duty applications, Nitto Trail Grappler is a better option.

For mild operation, if your vehicle’s weight is less than 3/4 tons you can go either way. If it’s higher, I recommend you to use Nitto Trail Grappler.

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:

https://tireterrain.com/how-to-make-tires-last-longer/

Road Noise

Road noise is what most customers complain about. Well, noise reduction is not what I’ve expected from mud terrains. Yet, market needs are changing. People want a more aggressive look on their tires. So, they slide all terrains into mud-terrains. Thus, manufacturers are trying to make mud-terrain tires with on-road manners. This change has positive and negative sides. Well, low road noise is a positive side.

Yes, yes, I am talking about Nitto Trail Grappler. This tire is mute compared to other mud terrains. Well, I will keep BFG KM3 out of the equation, it’s exceptional. Trail Grappler has smaller center blocks with narrower void areas. This design is perfect if you wanna reduce noise.

Our second competitor Open Country isn’t that successful in that case. The design is cool. Yet, the angle of the blocks increases its noise dramatically. Well, these blocks will improve the traction in further sections.

Nitto Trail Grappler is the winner in this section.

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

Riding Comfort

Riding comfort generally aligns with road noise. Yet, absorption on bumps and vibration should be taken into consideration.

In that case, I think Trail Grappler is one step ahead. Toyo has larger blocks. It’s a wider tire. So, absorption ability is a bit less than its competitor.  Moreover, while I was studying these two, I saw a couple of negative comments about vibration. Just for your information.

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/

Dry Performance

Dry performance is consists of 3 different dimensions. Dry traction, cornering stability, and steering response. Let’s value them one by one.

Dry Traction

Dry traction doesn’t have to be your concern if you are buying mud-terrain tires. Due to their aggressive tread pattern, both fellows have huge traction ability.

Cornering Stability

Open Country MT is one of the weightiest tires in its class. Well, strong internal construction always improves cornering stability. It’s trustworthy.

Trail Grappler is the other heaviest tire in the mud-terrain class. I’m not going to repeat myself, this one is also a very reliable option.

Steering Response

In my point of view, steering response is the crucial part of mud-terrain tires. These are heavy tires, when you fill them with too much air, steering might be challenging.

Luckily, both option has sensitive steering response. These are highly rigid tires and full-depth sipes on large blocks give it an ability to move together under horizontal forces.

Wet Performance

Toyo Open Country MT is a tough but a bit noisy guy

Mud-terrain tires don’t have too many sipes on them. Well, their contact patch is also very limited compared to all-terrains. These two attributions are fundamental to wet performance. Therefore, most mud-terrain tires fail on wet.

Fortunately, Trail Grappler and Open Country MT are decent tires in this case. They have softer compounds than regular mud-terrains. Hence, they have the superior wet capability.

I personally prefer Open Country MT on wet. It has narrower circumferential(kinda) grooves that can evacuate water better than Trail Grappler. Yet, both are reliable options.

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

Deep snow and light snow traction aren’t a problem for mud terrains. Their tread depth is deep enough to grip deep snow. Moreover, Trail Grappler and Open Country MT have massive self-cleaning abilities. So, in that cases, let’s say they are equal.

Where they aren’t that successful are packed snow and ice. They suffer due to a lack of siping. Well, we are going back to the void area. Less void area always works better on compact surfaces.

Trail Grappler and Open Country MT are trustworthy tires in winter. Trail Grappler is the better option. Yet, I recommend not using them on ice.

Off-Road Performance

Off-road performance is where these two are shining. Except for sand…

Trail Grappler has more center block spacing. Well, that means better traction off the road. What I don’t like much about them is the sidewall tread pattern. It seems a bit soft in my opinion.

On the other hand, Open Country MT is a wider tire. So, the contact patch is bigger than Trail Grappler. This feature increases its grip ability. What I like most about them is the sidewall. They are maximumly aggressive and increase the traction on loose surfaces.

In summary, both are pretty trustworthy off-road options. I prefer Open Country MT due to the lovely sidewall design.

Here is the perfect comparison of these two. (BF Goodrich KM3 is included.)

Specs

Toyo Open Country MTNitto Trail Grappler
CategoryMud-Terrain TireMud-Terrain Tire
VehicleLight Truck, SUVLight Truck, SUV
Available Sizes (Rim)15”, 16”, 17”, 18”, 20”, 22”, 24”, 26”15”, 16”, 17”, 18”, 20”, 22”, 24”
Weight57 – 110 lbs59 – 111 lbs
Made InWhite, GA, USAWhite, GA, USA
Severe Snow Rated (3PMSF)No (M+S)No (M+S)
Warranty (P-metric)N/AN/A
Warranty (LT Sizes)N/AN/A
PricesCheck price section to see best possible pricesCheck 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

Toyo Open Country MT: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/toyo-tire-open-country-m-t

Nitto Trail Grappler MT: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/nitto-trail-grappler-m-t

TireRack

  • Fast and Free shipping
  • Usually delivered in 1 day
  • Joint venture with DiscountTire(their installers and dealers are on your service)
  • Tons of installer options, they also help you to choose the best one
  • Mobile installers in many areas, your tires will be replaced while you’re working in the office
  • Tire test results and comparisons can be found on the most product page
  • 4.6/5 points on Google rate

Toyo Open Country MT: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/toyo-open-country-m-t

Nitto Trail Grappler MT: Not available

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

Toyo Open Country MT: https://simpletire.com/brands/toyo-tires/open-country-m-t

Nitto Trail Grappler MT: https://simpletire.com/brands/nitto-tires/trail-grappler-m-t

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 Trail Grappler and Open Country MT are leading the market with the BF Goodrich KM3. They are both trustworthy options. Yet, Trail Grappler has better on-road manners.

Nitto Trail Grappler MTToyo Open County M/T
Better forSmooth and quiet ride for a mud-terrain tire,
if you spend time on the highway
Beach driving and hunting
ProsLong-lasting rubber,
satisfying wet traction,
great winter traction
Long-lasting rubber,
wet and snow traction,
quick steering response,
fuel efficiency
ConsNoisy and stiff rideNoisy and stiff ride

A Quick Check List:

  • 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 index & 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

I hope this article will help you to decide. If you have any further questions, please leave them below. Have a safe ride!

For those who prefer to see whole market analyze:

  • https://tireterrain.com/best-all-terrain-tires/
  • https://tireterrain.com/best-all-terrain-tires-for-snow/
  • https://tireterrain.com/best-1-2-ton-truck-tires/
  • https://tireterrain.com/best-3-4-ton-truck-tires/
  • https://tireterrain.com/best-rt-tires/
  • https://tireterrain.com/best-tires-for-snow-plowing/
  • https://tireterrain.com/on-road-all-terrain-tires-highway/

A couple of popular size analyses:

  • https://tireterrain.com/best-35x12-50r20-all-terrain-tires/
  • https://tireterrain.com/best-285-70r17-all-terrain-tires/
  • https://tireterrain.com/best-275-55r20-all-terrain-tires/
  • https://tireterrain.com/best-275-65r18-all-terrain-tires/

Want to learn more about all-terrain tires:

  • https://tireterrain.com/highway-tires-vs-all-terrain-vs-mud-terrain/
  • https://tireterrain.com/all-season-vs-all-terrain-tires/
  • https://tireterrain.com/tire-load-index-and-load-range/
  • https://tireterrain.com/lt-tires-vs-passenger-tires/
  • https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-good-for-daily-driving/
  • https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-good-in-snow/
  • https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-loud/
  • https://tireterrain.com/how-long-do-all-terrain-tires-last/
  • https://tireterrain.com/are-all-terrain-tires-good-in-rain/
  • https://tireterrain.com/off-road-tire-pressure-load-range-for-every-rig/

Filed Under: Mud Terrain Tires Tagged With: Comparisons, nitto trail grappler mt, toyo open country mt

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Hey, it's Emre. I'm the proud dad of two cats, a former Bridgestone field engineer, and I hold degrees in Civil and Industrial engineering. I'm also a firm believer in the motto that "bigger is better." Read More…

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