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Last updated 8/19/2024 - Originally published 8/19/2024
Written by SimpleTire
Big family cars, station wagons, and minivans have gradually made way for light trucks and SUVs on the highways these days, in case you haven't noticed already. Light trucks and SUVs appear to be more sophisticated and comfy with each generation and year that goes by. They also have better handling, better manners on the road, more features, and more standard comforts and equipment.
However, the majority of light trucks, even those with 4WD or AWD, never venture off the paved path into the loose dirt, gravel, mud, or sand. For such vehicles, premium all-season or highway tires make the most sense, much like for the drivers of sedans and minivans. Highway tires for light trucks provide excellent wear properties, good limited manufacturer's treadwear warranties, a quiet and smooth ride, year-round traction, competent handling, and composed road manners, making them great all-around options for daily driver duties. That brings us to a comparison between two of the great options in this segment — the Continental Terrain Contact H/T and Toyo Open Country H/T II.
Continental is a better-known manufacturer as compared to Toyo, the former having arrived on American shores in 1988. However, both the Continental and Toyo tires are pretty evenly matched in terms of tread patterns, limited manufacturer tread life warranties, tread depths, and speed ratings. Despite the warranty, Continental’s Total Confidence Plan does allow the TerrainContact H/T to get its nose ahead. Both tires are designed for high durability as they are built to withstand the high horsepower, weight, torque, and center of gravity as per today’s light trucks. You’ll notice these highway tires being interchangeably referred to as all-season tires across different literature.
Both tires will be compared as per different parameters such as traction, longevity, and handling, for which we will make frequent references to SimpleScore ratings. SimpleScore is our in-house system to give you a quick at-a-glance idea of what the tire is all about.
Continental TerrainContact H/T tires
The Continental TerrainContact H/T is a highly capable and trustworthy highway-terrain tire, thanks to its abundance of cutting-edge features and technology. While large, sturdy shoulder blocks improve cornering performance and overall durability on light trucks and SUVs, Continental's exclusive +Silane tread compound is designed for high damage resistance, long wear, and excellent traction. The TerrainContact H/T features Traction Grooves and sipes to enhance winter grip by biting into snow and slush. It gets circumferential grooves and notches for evacuating water from the contact patch, thereby preventing hydroplaning. A two-ply polyester casing with twin steel belts and dual spiral-wound cap plies provides stability at high speeds and long tread life. Continental offers a 60-day trial period, flat-tire roadside assistance, and a 70,000 mile limited manufacturer's tread life warranty as part of its Total Confidence Plan. Overall, we found it to be good enough for an average SimpleScore of 8.7.
Toyo Open Country H/T II tires
Toyo's cutting-edge technology and design are responsible for great handling and braking capabilities, a long tread life, and steady traction. Owners of light trucks and SUVs will surely value the dual sidewall design, which allows them to select the style that best matches their vehicles, being sporty on one side and classic on the other. This high-quality all-season tire is available with a treadwear warranty of up-to-70,000 miles. The Toyo Open Country H/T II features a wear-resistant tread compound for high tread life and durability. Additionally, there are special grooves for maximizing traction on wet surfaces. The Open Country H/T II can be safely awarded an average SimpleScore of 8.6.
Continental TerrainContact H/T vs Toyo Open Country H/T II tires on traction
How do the Continental and Toyo tires stack up against each other on the traction front? Much like the average SimpleScores above, the traction scores are also pretty close to each other, with the Continental registering a traction SimpleScore of 8.5 vs. 8.4 for the Toyo. The Continental’s tread depth ekes out that of the Toyo by the slimmest of margins. Its Traction Grooves system clearly takes the lead here, being inclusive of sipes, notches, grooves, and circumferential and lateral grooves. Along with Traction Plus technology and the +Silane tread compound, this tire generates a distinct edge in terms of wet and dry traction. In comparison, the Toyo does showcase adaptable four wide circumferential grooves, expanded shoulder grooves, and multi-wave sipes, but Continental is just too good and surpasses the competitor when it comes to traction performance.
ADVANTAGE: Continental TerrainContact H/T
Continental TerrainContact H/T vs Toyo Open Country H/T II tires on handling
The +Silane compound on the TerrainContact H/T enables it to display improved handling and shorter braking distances. As mentioned earlier, the speed ratings on both vehicles are the same (H, T, and S), although Continental is slightly better off in terms of tread depth. Even though these are not ultra-high-performance tires, the Continental does feel more balanced and nimble while pushing hard. The rigid internal construction of the Continental, along with the reinforced, solid shoulder blocks, ensure less deformation while going into a corner. However, you will be able to appreciate the wet braking prowess as well as the sipe performance of the Toyo which results in favorable handling. On the road though, we found the tires to be suitable for the same handling SimpleScore of 8.5.
ADVANTAGE: Tie
Continental TerrainContact H/T vs Toyo Open Country H/T II tires on longevity
Yet again, one tire beats the other by the slimmest margin. We already mentioned to you that both tires are available with limited manufacturer tread life warranties of up to 70,000 miles. However, while the warranty is fixed for the Continental, it varies from 50,000 to 70,000 miles for the Toyo. The +Silane compound on the Continental is responsible for better fuel efficiency and the tire also gets the Continental Total Confidence Plan, which includes a 60-day customer satisfaction trial, flat tire roadside assistance, and more. Multi-wave sipes on the Toyo are helpful not just for braking performance, but also for longer wear. Though both scores are excellent, Continental beats the Toyo by 0.1 to land at 9.2, with the latter at 9.1
ADVANTAGE: Continental TerrainContact H/T
When to use each
The big question here is, what do you really need from a tire? If you’re spending most of your time on pavement and hardly ever go off-road into mud or rough terrain, all-season or highway-terrain tires like Continental and Bridgestone should suit your needs quite well. They’re dependable and versatile tires that will offer you a refined and composed ride, handling that’s capable, traction in most weather conditions, and generous manufacturer’s tread life warranty coverage. That said, if you live in a part of the country that experiences rough winters and snow that stays on the roads for days or weeks at a time, these might not be the tires for you; and all-weather or dedicated winter tires might get you through those snowy roads better. Still, for most drivers of light trucks or SUVs, these would offer excellent performance and value as daily-driver tires.
Which one should you choose?
As we saw from the SimpleScores, the Continental edges out the Toyo in traction and longevity but both are tied in the handling department. Those looking for a very smooth and comfortable ride on their light trucks and SUVs would want to choose the Continental TerrainContact H/T due to its noise-reducing tread patterns. Remember that comfort is relative, which does not mean that the Toyo is a particularly noisy tire.
If you consider the prices of the two, the Continental is nearly double the price of the Toyo. While the Open Country starts from $128.33 per tire, the TerrainContact H/T is valued at $205.99 per tire. Let us give you some more compelling reasons to buy any of them:
Here are the reasons to consider the Continental TerrainContact H/T:
- Quieter tire with better ride quality
- Better traction
- Longer tread life
Select the Toyo Open Country H/T II based on the following:
- Better wet braking
- Better-looking tire
- Cheaper tire
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.