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Last updated 10/04/2024 - Originally published 10/04/2024
Written by SimpleTire
Here’s a fascinating (okay, maybe not quite fascinating) bit of trivia we stumbled onto the other day: in recent years, SUVs now account for a full 52 percent of new vehicles sold in the United States, and pickup trucks account for nearly 20 percent of sales. Obviously, that is a big, big portion of all the vehicles on the road today, with trucks and SUVs taking over the family-car duties that were once performed by sedans and minivans (and station wagons, back a few decades ago). Many of those trucks and SUVs come from the factory with a four-wheel-drive drivetrain, and even if you don’t take your 4WD vehicle off the pavement very often, a good set of all-terrain tires is still the best way to go if you want to get the most out of what your truck has to offer. The good news is that the latest generation of all-terrain tires has come a very long way since the noisy, rough, and clumsy all-terrains of decades ago. Premium all-terrain tires (like the two we’re about to cover in this head-to-head comparison) are developed in collaboration with automakers and are designed around the weight, power, torque, center of gravity, suspension, and overall driving dynamics of today’s vehicles. That means all-terrain tires deliver excellent performance and durability off-pavement in challenging terrain but are civilized and composed on the highway with a supple ride, predictable handling, low road noise, and solid road manners.
Today we’re going to look at two high-quality all-terrain tires from reputed brands, the Terra Grappler G3 from Nitto and the Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12) from Hankook. In the course of this head-to-head comparison, you’ll see us make frequent reference to the SimpleScore ratings for these tires. If you’re not acquainted with SimpleScore, that’s the ranking system SimpleTire team developed to give you a quick, at-a-glance idea of a tire’s strengths and weaknesses. We take into account the tire’s technical details, spec sheet, manufacturer info, customer reviews, and other data points, then we process that all to a 1-10 numerical value for the categories of traction, handling, longevity, and an overall average SimpleScore. For the Terra Grappler G3 and Hankook Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12), the SimpleScore numbers look like this:
Nitto Terra Grappler G3:
- Handling: 9.0
- Traction: 9.0
- Longevity: 8.7
- Overall average SimpleScore: 8.8
Hankook Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12):
- Traction: 8.4
- Handling: 8.3
- Longevity: 8.8
- Overall average SimpleScore: 8.4
As the SimpleScore numbers show, the Nitto has it over the Hankook in some of the key categories, but that doesn’t really tell the whole story. As handy as SimpleScore is, it’s still the 30,000-foot view that doesn’t really give you the details of a tire’s performance and value. Let’s go in and get a closer look with this comparison review of the Nitto Terra Grappler G3 vs the Hankook Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12):
Nitto Terra Grappler G3 tires
For the Terra Grappler G3, Nitto took some of the great ideas and design elements from the proven Terra Grappler G2 and upgraded them for even better durability, traction, and performance. The Terra Grappler G3 is designed with several advanced features for exceptional versatility on or off the pavement, starting off with an extra-durable, redesigned tread compound that’s optimized for long wear and toughness. Reinforced tread blocks give the Terra Grappler G3 excellent stability and reduced flex for improved handling and cornering ability. Coupling joints between tread blocks help with rigidity and stability, and the Terra Grappler G3 features a 5-block arrangement of tread blocks with the center area designed for improved grip in wet or snowy weather (as well as helping to cut noise). The tread grooves of the Terra Grappler G3 feature stone ejectors to easily shed mud, rocks, and debris to protect the casing. The innovative full-depth dimpled sipes of the Terra Grappler G3 are molded deep into the tread to continue delivering grip even as tread depth gets thinner. Unsurprisingly, the Terra Grappler G3 has the 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake certification for severe winter service. Like other tires in the Nitto Grappler family, the Terra Grappler G3 has two distinctly different sidewall designs so you can personalize the looks of your vehicle a bit. Nitto covers the Terra Grappler G3 with a 70,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty (55,000 miles for LT and flotation sizes).
Hankook Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12) tires
Get ready to tackle some of the roughest, most difficult conditions, environments, and terrains with the Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12) from Hankook. The Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12) is a tough all-terrain tire that you can depend on for consistent, reliable traction in mud, sand, loose dirt, gravel, and snow – the kind of grip that gets the M+S rating for mud/snow traction as well as the 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake certification for severe winter service. Its tread pattern is designed with large tread blocks and a system multi-directional grooves, biting block edges, and sipes, helping to ensure reliable grip as well as effective self-cleaning of mud and debris so there’s always a clear section of the tire to dig in, reducing wheelspin in mud. On the highway, the Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12) has a surprisingly quiet ride, with staged block edges that neutralize road noise and tie bars that do double duty, stabilizing the tread face while neutralizing certain frequencies and overtones to keep road noise down. Cross combined blocks at the shoulder boost lateral traction for clawing your way out of ruts and for cornering on pavement. In rough off-road conditions, high-depth sidewall blocks guard against cuts, lateral impacts, and punctures. Hankook covers the Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12) with a best-in-class 70,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty (60,000 miles for LT-metric sizes). And of course, we have to point out that the Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12) looks great on all kinds of trucks with its white-letter sidewall. SimpleTire’s price on the Hankook Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12) starts at $142 per tire.
Nitto Terra Grappler G3 vs Hankook Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12) tires on traction
When it comes to the traction category, there’s a pretty significant spread of SimpleScores between the two tires, with the Nitto coming in at a SimpleScore of 9.0 vs 8.4 for the Hankook. Both tires have the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake rating for severe winter service and both tires have a great set of traction-oriented tread features, including sipes and shoulder/sidewall lugs for lateral grip and control. The Nitto, on the other hand, has some real innovations in its tread design, including the 3/2 architecture of tread blocks that are designed for enhanced grip in the center and lateral traction in the shoulder tread blocks and lugs. The dimpled full-depth sipes do a great job of boosting grip in wet or snowy weather, and the Nitto’s tread compound helps to enhance traction as well as durability. Easy call here, our decision:
ADVANTAGE: Nitto Terra Grappler G3
Nitto Terra Grappler G3 vs Hankook Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12) tires on handling
In the handling category, it’s not real surprising that the SimpleScore numbers shake out almost the same: 9.0 for the Nitto and 8.3 for the Hankook. Usually, if a tire can deliver great traction on or off the pavement, it’s also going to have good handling and control properties – after all, your vehicle won’t handle well or corner well if you have trouble sliding around and understeering or oversteering going into the curve. One of the biggest factors with any tire’s handling and cornering is “tread squirm”; as the vehicle enters a turn, its weight and momentum try to keep it moving in a straight line, and changing direction puts a lot of stresses on the sidewall and shoulder. A squishier, softer tire will deform as it makes the corner, sometimes with the inboard side of the tire leaving the pavement completely. The tie bars and coupling joints of the Nitto, along with its reinforced tread block bases, give it excellent stability and rigidity for handling, cornering, steering response, and braking that are a lot more crisp and precise. Again, an easy one…our decision:
ADVANTAGE: Nitto Terra Grappler G3
Nitto Terra Grappler G3 vs Hankook Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12) tires on longevity
When we get to the longevity category, the spread of SimpleScores is a lot tighter, with a 8.7 for the Nitto and 8.8 for the Hankook. It should be that close, since they have identical limited manufacturer’s tread life warranties of 70,000 miles each; the fact that there’s any gap at all in SimpleScores for the two is probably due to the really robust construction and design of the Nitto. In these cases, we generally defer to the tire’s technical details and to customer reviews, so that explains that slight disparity. It’s different this time, our decision:
ADVANTAGE: Hankook Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12)
When to use each
The question to ask yourself here is, what are your check-boxes and what do you really need and expect from a set of light truck tires? If you go off the pavement a lot in mud, sand, loose dirt, or rough country with lots of boulders, logs and other obstacles, then you can’t really go wrong with either the Hankook or the Nitto. If you have to contend with severe winter weather and snow that piles up 3 or 4 inches deep and stays on the road for days at a time, then the Nitto and the Hankook are both prepared for it with the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake rating for severe winter service, giving you the jump on winter performance. They also have the durability and reinforced design you need for enhanced load ratings, making them a great option for trucks that haul heavy loads or tow heavy trailers. If on the other hand, you like to go rock-crawling with aired-down tires or like to splash around in deep, messy mud, these might not be the best choice and perhaps you ought to consider mud-terrain tires. The Hankook Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12) and Nitto Terra Grappler G3 are both tires that would be an ideal fit as replacement tires for vehicles like the Chevy Silverado 1500/2500, RAM 1500/2500, Ford F150/F250, Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Acadia, Nissan Titan, Jeep Wagoneer, and Honda Ridgeline.
Which one should you choose?
It’s not often that we run across a tire comparison review where the outcome is as clear-cut as this one, but after taking everything into full account, we’d have to go with the Nitto Terra Grappler G3. The Hankook Dynapro AT2 Xtreme (RF12) is a strong performer and a great value; it’s loaded with next-generation features and is backed by a generous limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty. As capable as this tire is, though, the Nitto Terra Grappler G3 just outclasses it in all the important areas. Traction is better, handling is better, the Nitto delivers better road manners and ride quality with lower noise on the pavement. That’s a pretty decisive set of pluses for any tire, and even though we like the Hankook, it’s our take here at the SimpleTire team that the Nitto is the superior tire between the two.
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.