We’re fanatical about trying out different tires to the point of obsession. We imagine most sledders are the same way… after all, we spend as much time driving to and from rides as we do actually riding.
For this comparison, we went with Toyo’s latest all-terrain, the Open Country A/T3. We matched that up against Toyo’s hybrid tread pattern, the Open Country R/T.
Left: Open Country A/T III. Right: Open Country R/T
The R/T is a hybrid between the more-aggressive Open Country M/T and the Open Country A/T. So basically it’s an in-between from a mud tire and an all-terrain.
Mud tires are great in certain conditions, not so great in others. The same can be said for all-terrains. Great in most conditions, not great in some. Toyo created the R/T to satisfy the drivers who want a more aggressive look and tread but don’t need a mud tire and its shortcomings in certain road surfaces. And for drivers who want a little more tread than an A/T has to offer.
Toyo Open Country R/T in 37x13.50R18 towing our 28-foot Trails West RPM gooseneck trailer.
We’ve ran both the R/T and the newer A/T3, each on more than one vehicle. We get the same two questions over and over: “Which tire would you pick overall,” and “which tire is better for winter driving?”
The first question is very subjective, as it comes down to a variety of factors and a lot of personal preference. The second question is much more objective, since we’re talking about rubber on snowy roads.
Therefore, the second question is easy to answer: The Open Country A/T3 is the better snow tire.
Toyo Open Country A/T III towing our 28-foot Trails West RPM Gooseneck trailer.
Its tread pattern is made of smaller tread blocks, exposing more square edges of tread to the snow surface. The tread also features some factory siping, giving you even more biting edges. For snow, you need a tread that can move loose snow into the channels and let the tread compress and bite whatever slick surface is beneath. On a hard-packed slick white road, the edges of the tread blocks do a good job gripping the surface of the packed snow. And because there’s so many more edges exposed in the contact patch of the A/T3 than the R/T, it’s a better tire on those conditions.
And the A/T3 has the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol, were the R/T has the M+S rating. The 3PMSF symbol indicates the tires are designed (through tread structure, rubber durometer and more) for enhanced snow traction and colder driving environments. The M+S rating indicates the tire meets the Rubber Manufacturers Association guidelines for mud and snow tires. A tire with just the M+S rating will not perform as well in winter driving conditions as a tire with the 3PMSF symbol.
The Open Country R/T has large tread blocks, and wide channels. The unique tread makes it work great for pavement, dirt and gravel roads and rough trails. It works better in the mud than the A/T3, and performs very well in deeper, loose snow.
Left: Open Country A/T III. Right: Open Country R/T
Back to the first question we get bombarded with. Which tire do we prefer?
If you’re after a tough truck look but don’t want a mud tire, the R/T is the way to go. In fact, that’s pretty much why it was created. The A/T3 has a mean look to it, but it’s just not quite as aggressive.
As for road noise, the two are pretty comparable with the A/T3 coming in slightly quieter. We’ve seen comparable wear from both tires, so that’s not an issue that would sway us one direction or the other.
If we had to pick one tire? In our driving, which consists of roughly 14,000 miles a year on dry or summer wet road conditions with occasional off-road and roughly 8,000 miles a year on wintery snowy roads, we’d probably go with the A/T3 just for its performance in winter.
We will say one thing we’ve noticed about both Toyo tires in general, they seem to be well-built. By that we mean to say that they balance well, wear evenly (with regular rotations) and they don’t exhibit that “cold morning flat spot” vibration that we’ve experienced with many tires. They ride comfortably—a noticeable difference at the same air pressures when compared to other tires we’ve tested of the same load range.
Check out the Toyo Tires Open Country line of light truck tires here.