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Last updated 7/16/2024 - Originally published 7/16/2024
Written by SimpleTire
If you’ve got a light truck, Jeep, SUV, or crossover that’s equipped with 4WD, a ruggedized suspension, and extra ride height, the best way to get the most out of your truck’s performance potential is with a set of premium all-terrain tires. All-season and highway-terrain tires are great for their year-round grip and car-like ride and road manners on the pavement, but they don’t have the durability and the traction you need to go off-road in rough, difficult terrain. With so many light trucks and SUVs on the road, it’s no surprise that there are hundreds of all-terrain tires to choose from, and each has its strengths and weaknesses that they bring to the table.
We’re going to take a look at the Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 and Nitto Recon Grappler A/T in this head-to-head comparison. The Geolandar tire family from Yokohama has been around for a few decades now, with a number of models in the stable, and while the Nitto Grappler tire lineup might be a bit newer and less familiar to many people, it’s still a great-quality tire that compares well to the Yokohama.
Are you familiar with SimpleScore? It is the ratings method that SimpleTire developed to give you a quick at-a-glance idea of a tire’s pluses and minuses. We look at the tire’s specs, the info from the manufacturer, customer reviews, and other data points, then distill all that to a 1-10 numerical value for the categories of traction, handling, and longevity, along with an overall average SimpleScore number for the tire. For the Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 and Nitto Recon Grappler A/T, the SimpleScore numbers shake out like this:
Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018:
- Traction: 9.9
- Handling: 9.8
- Longevity: 8.8
- Overall average SimpleScore: 9.5
Nitto Recon Grappler A/T:
- Traction: 8.3
- Handling: 8.4
- Longevity: 8.7
- Overall average SimpleScore: 8.4
At first glance, it would seem that the Yokohama is out in front of the Nitto in the SimpleScore categories, but there’s a little more to it than that. As handy as SimpleScore is, it’s still a 30,000 foot view that doesn’t get you in close to look at what these tires are all about. Let’s get in and take a deeper look with this product comparison review of the Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 and Nitto Recon Grappler A/T.
Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 tires
Yokohama has amassed a lot of expertise in the arena of all-terrain tires with their Geolandar line, and the Geolandar A/T4 G018 brings all that technical prowess and premium manufacturing to bear for a first-rate performer and value. The Geolandar A/T4 G018 brings in all kinds of innovations for confident performance on or off the pavement, with a great balance of off-road tenacity and docile, driver-friendly manners on the street or interstate. The Geolandar A/T4 G018 is designed to be durable and resilient, with Yokohama’s Geo-Shield design package that includes multiple sidewall plies, a built-in sidewall protector flange, high-tensile steel belt layer, high-turnup nylon cap ply, and the Enduro triple-polymer enhanced tread formulation. Aggressive center blocks, and mud and stone ejectors ensure grip in the most challenging conditions, with good self-cleaning of mud and debris so there’s always a clear section of tread to dig in as the wheel turns. In rainy or snowy weather, the Geolandar A/T4 G018 features triple 3D sipes, zigzag grooves, single-pitch shoulder blocks, and Yokohama’s EdgeTec groove design, warranting a 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake rating for severe winter service.
Yokohama covers the Geolandar A/T4 G018 with a 65,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty for Euro-metric sizes, and 55,000 miles worth of coverage for LT-Metric sizes. Overall, the Geolandar A/T4 G018 is a capable and dependable tire for off-road excursions or day-to-day commutes, road trips, and errands on the pavement. SimpleTire’s price on the Geolandar A/T4 G018 starts at $189.99 per tire.
Nitto Recon Grappler A/T tires
Nitto designed the Recon Grappler A/T for a great balance of off-road confidence and durability as well as pavement prowess that’s easy to live with from day to day. The Recon Grappler A/T features an aggressive all-terrain tread with staggered shoulder lugs, chunky center, and shoulder blocks with reinforced tread block foundations for extra durability and stability, and zigzag main and shoulder grooves that are designed for dependable grip on a variety of challenging terrains and surfaces. The Recon Grappler A/T’s advanced tread formulation is designed to resist cuts, punctures, chips, and tears, as well as great wear properties (Nitto covers the Recon Grappler A/T with a 55,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty). On the pavement, the Recon Grappler is surprisingly quiet, with its tread pitch randomized and computer tuned to cancel certain frequencies and overtones and ensure low road noise. SimpleTire’s price on the Nitto Recon Grappler A/T starts at $263 per tire.
Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 vs Nitto Recon Grappler A/T tires on traction
How do the Yokohama and the Nitto stack up against each other when it comes to traction? Well…the Yokohama comes with a SimpleScore of 9.9, vs 8.3 for the Nitto. That’s a spread of SimpleScore numbers that isn’t even close. While the Nitto is certainly capable in mud, sand, snow, gravel, and loose dirt, the Yokohama has a real advantage with its package of shoulder blocks, EdgeTec grooves, and aggressive layout of center tread blocks. The 3D sipe design of the Geolandar A/T4 G018 is also a game changer, enough so that it warrants the 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake certification (not so with the Nitto). Whether it’s tennis rackets, tires, or sneakers, any 9.9 score on a 1-10 scale is hard to beat; if we had to pick one tire to get us through rough and difficult terrain and conditions, it’d be the Yokohama over the Nitto. Our decision:
ADVANTAGE: Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018
Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 vs Nitto Recon Grappler A/T tires on handling
In the handling category, again it’s not close: 9.8 SimpleScore for the Yokohama and 8.4 for the Nitto. Granted, nobody should expect all-terrain tires on a light truck or SUV to be as nimble as performance tires on a sports sedan, but that’s a pretty big disparity between the two tires’ SimpleScore numbers. We would attribute this to the stiffer, more rigid construction of the Yokohama, with its GeoShield technology; that rigidity is important to the steering response, cornering ability, and straight-line handling of any tire. As a vehicle starts to round a corner, the momentum and inertia from its weight try to guide it in a straight line. A tire that’s more mushy and less rigid will distort and deform at the tread and shoulder (a phenomenon known as tread squirm), leading to less precise handling ability. The reinforced internal design of the Yokohama gives it an advantage in handling that the Nitto doesn’t offer. Our decision:
ADVANTAGE: Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018
Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 vs Nitto Recon Grappler A/T tires on longevity
When it comes to longevity, usually it’s the limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty coverage that tells the whole story. That definitely follows in this case, as Yokohama is covered by a 65,000 mile warranty vs 55,000 miles for the Nitto; the Yokohama registers a SimpleScore of 8.8 for longevity vs. 8.7 for the Nitto. That said, the Nitto acquits itself very well when it comes to durability as well, despite the 10,000 mile disparity in warranty coverage. Our decision, by a nose:
ADVANTAGE: Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018
When to use each
What do you really need from a set of tires for a 4WD-equipped light truck or SUV? If you take that truck off the pavement very often, you need a set of tires that is going to be durable and tough, with reinforced construction and a heavy-duty tread compound that can stand up to the roughest terrain and punishing conditions. You need a tread design that can deliver dependable traction in a variety of conditions, and if you live in a part of the country where you have to deal with harsh winters that leave several inches of snow on the roads, it’s a big help if your tires have the 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake certification (like the Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018). Ideally, your tires will also be designed for low noise, good road manners, a refined ride, capable handling, and decent straight-line tracking on the pavement, for long interstate trips or daily commutes. If, on the other hand, you like to go rock crawling with your tires aired-down or like to go into deep mud bogs or beach sand, all-terrain tires might not be the best choice and maybe you should reconsider in favor of mud-terrain tires. Still, if you have to deal with conditions like oilfield lease roads, ranch roads, and rural gravel lanes, or if you just like having fun off the pavement, all-terrain tires like the Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 and Nitto Recon Grappler A/T are both great candidates.
Which one should you choose?
Here’s the moment of truth. At the SimpleTire team, we’ve always been impressed by Nitto tires. The Recon Grappler A/T is a capable and durable tire that has a lot to recommend, with excellent durability and dependable performance off the pavement. The Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 outclasses it in just about every aspect, though. Yokohama’s decades of experience with the Geolandar line are all leveraged into the design and construction of this tire; the GeoShield system means excellent handling and durability, and Yokohama’s comprehensive tread technology with stone ejectors, zigzag grooves, aggressive tread blocks, and EdgeTec grooves with 3D sipes go a long way toward enhancing its grip in a variety of situations. The tire industry sets the bar pretty high for a 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake rating, which the Yokohama has and the Nitto doesn’t, making that another big plus for the Yoko. The difference is even more striking when you compare prices: $167.99 per tire for the Yokohama vs $263 for the Nitto. That makes the Yokohama Geolandar A/T4 G018 the superior performer and value all the way around; our choice would have to be to go with with the Yokohama.
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.