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Last updated 1/29/2025 - Originally published 1/29/2025
Written by SimpleTire
The Japanese tire maker, Toyo Tire has been serving the US consumers for several decades, and its off-road tire lines, in particular, are the ones that have a huge fanbase in this part of the world. It has a wide range of tires for coupes, sedans, CUVs, minivans, SUVs, light trucks, EVs, ATVs, and UTVs. On the other hand, we have another Japanese tire manufacturer, Nitto Tire that rolls out high-quality tires that meet international quality standards at aggressive pricing points. Known for producing tires for unique sizes, the Toyo subsidiary has come up with sturdy rugged terrain, all-terrain, and mud-terrain tires that give a run for money to the best tire brands in the business.
Today, let’s put the tire cousins head-to-head, with the Toyo Open Country M/T on one hand, and the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T on the other. Designed for Jeeps, light trucks, and SUVs, the Open Country M/T and Trail Grappler M/T are highly reliable mud-terrain tires that offer superb performance in mud, dirt, rocks, gravel, and sand. Their aggressive tread patterns with high void ratios ensure quick clearing of water, dirt, mud, and debris from the tread for consistent performance. So, which one will you choose? Let’s compare Toyo Open Country M/T vs. Nitto Trail Grappler M/T, based on our proprietary SimpleScore to know which mud terrain tire is a better performer.
Toyo Open Country M/T tires
Engineered for lifted trucks, SUVs, Jeeps, and 4x4s, the Toyo Open Country M/T features an aggressive tread pattern with deep siping and hooked-shaped blocks that offer great on and off-road grip and traction on wet and muddy surfaces, while the sturdy polyester construction and high turn-up assure increased impact resistance and handling with fantastic durability. While the sidewall extending tread lends extra traction and grip in deep snow and mud with improved off-road stability during hard turns, the open scalloped shoulder blocks of the Open Country M/T boost grip and traction in muddy, snowy, and sandy off-road conditions. The open shoulders also eject snow, debris, and mud from the open channels for effective grip and traction. Besides a standard warranty on material, it also comes with a 500-mile or 45-day trial offer as well.
With an excellent 9.3 out of 10, the Toyo Open Country M/T assures exceptional grip, traction, durability, and a great tread life.
Get Toyo Open Country M/T tires at the best deals for your vehicle here.
Nitto Trail Grappler M/T tires
The Trail Grappler series is famous for its great grip, traction, stability, and performance on challenging off-road trails of mud, rocks, gravel, sand, snow, and dirt. A part of this series, the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T fits perfectly on SUVs and pickup trucks while offering unmatched grip and traction thanks to its balanced void ratio that keeps a check on dirt, rocks, and mud sticking on it. Featuring an advanced rubber compound, the Nitto mud-terrain tire resists cuts, chips, and snags for enhanced durability. Thanks to the integrated advanced sound analysis system, the Trail Grappler M/T limits soundwaves for a quiet ride experience on paved roads. While boosting the aesthetics of the tire is the dual sidewall option that helps you select the one that best suits your style, the 3-ply sidewall construction lends extra strength and durability for maximum off-road performance.
Scoring an 8.6 average score, the Trail Grappler M/T provides all-around off-road performance with adequate grip, traction, and durability.
Get Nitto Trail Grappler M/T tires at the best deals for your vehicle here.
Toyo Open Country M/T vs Nitto Trail Grappler M/T tires on traction
The traction of a tire keeps you going on and off the road; it grips the surface to help you move forward or backward without skidding. The Toyo and Nitto mud-terrain tires are built to offer high grip and traction on loose soils, mud, and dirt. Let’s check their traction scores.
Scoring an exceptional 9.7 traction score, the Toyo Open Country M/T shows why it’s the most preferred mud-terrain tire among off-road enthusiasts. With an aggressive tread pattern with hook-shaped blocks, the Toyo tire provides excellent grip and traction while the deep sipes within the tread blocks boost wet traction. The open, scalloped shoulder design with extending tread further improves traction in deep snow and mud.
On the other hand, the Trail Grappler M/T features a score of 8.3 thanks to the solid sidewall with a staggered design that provides extra traction and grip in deep mud and rocks. Its balanced void ratio with large tread blocks allows easy self-cleaning of mud, debris, dirt, slush, and water from the tread for effective traction and stability in challenging terrains.
With an incredible score, the Open Country M/T clears the traction section quite comfortably.
ADVANTAGE: Toyo Open Country M/T
Toyo Open Country M/T vs Nitto Trail Grappler M/T tires on durability
Mud-terrain tires offer high durability as they need to tackle challenging terrains filled with mud, dirt, debris, and rocks. The Toyo Open Country M/T and the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T offer great durability, let’s check their scores.
Scoring a superb 9.4, the Open Country M/T features high turn-up and tough polyester construction that not only boosts handling but also improves durability and impact resistance. The self-cleaning tread pattern negates the accumulation of debris, stones, and rocks for enhanced durability.
Contrarily, the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T scores an 8.5 for durability and comes with a highly durable rubber compound that limits cuts, chips, snags, and abrasions for a strong off-road performance. Similarly, the sturdy sidewall construction of the Trail Grappler M/T safeguards the tire against any damage.
With a phenomenal durability score, the Toyo leaves no margin for the Nitto tire to sneak in and win the ‘toughness’ battle.
ADVANTAGE: Toyo Open Country M/T
Toyo Open Country M/T vs Nitto Trail Grappler M/T tires on longevity
Mud-terrain tires offer adequate longevity if not the greatest given the harsh conditions they encounter. The Toyo and Nitto mud-terrains offer decent tread lives. Let’s check their scores.
With an 8.8 longevity score, the Open Country M/T features reinforced construction and a sturdy rubber compound that resists irregular wear by ensuring increased resistance to cuts, punctures, and chips while ensuring consistent tread wear throughout the tire’s lifecycle.
In terms of longevity, the Trail Grappler M/T scores an 8.9 thanks to Nitto’s advanced rubber compound and a 3-ply sidewall construction that promotes uniform tread wear while resisting uneven wear due to snags, cuts, and abrasions for consistent, long tread life.
Here the Trail Grappler M/T takes the lead with a better longevity score, scoring a point for itself in the comparison.
ADVANTAGE: Nitto Trail Grappler M/T
When to use each
Mud-terrain tires offer large tread elements and staggered sidewall design for maximum traction in mud, gravel, sand, dirt, snow, and rocks. The high void ratio allows quick clearing of the tread for effective grip and consistent performance in challenging conditions. Also, the cut and chip-resistant rubber compound protects the tire against damage and provides a longer service life.
If you need tires that can be taken both on and off the road, you should pick all-terrain tires as they offer much quieter and more comfortable ride than the mud-terrain tires. You can pick rugged terrain tires if your travel is 60 percent off-road and remaining on paved roads.
Which one should you choose?
In a nutshell, the Toyo Open Country M/T is ahead of the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T in traction, durability, and longevity. However, Nitto tire manages to reduce the gap in the longevity department with better scores. Both tires have their unique abilities and appeal to different sets of buyers. Let’s look at their prices to see which one you should go for.
Comparing the prices for the LT285/60R20 tire size, the Toyo Open Country M/T costs around $455 per tire while four such tires cost $1820. Similarly, the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T costs about $467 per tire, with four costing $1868 (a difference of $48).
Based on SimpleScore, you can choose the Toyo Open Country M/T if you:
- Drive vehicles like the Nissan Titan, Jeep Wrangler, and Ford F-150
- Want a highly durable (9.4 vs 8.5) and a high-traction mud-terrain tire (9.7 vs 8.3)
- Want a marginally affordable mud-terrain tire
You can go for the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T if you:
- Drive vehicles like the Honda Pilot, Toyota 4Runner, and Dodge RAM 2500
- Want a more long-lasting tire (8.9 vs 8.8)
- Want a quiet mud-terrain tire for comfortable paved road rides
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.